The Southwest DeKalb Panthers captured the 2022 DCSD Boys’ County Track and Field championship. It was the 16th overall for the Panthers. (Photo by Mark Brock)
The Southwest DeKalb Panthers scorched the track on Monday scoring 95 points to climb from eighth place to 2022 DeKalb County Boys Track and Field champions on Monday at Godfrey Stadium.
Southwest DeKalb trailed first day leader Decatur 41-17 heading into the track finals on Saturday after having won the 4×800 meter relay (8:14.18) to get 10 of their 17 points on the opening day.
Isaiah Taylor opened the big run by the Panthers by taking the gold medal in the 110-meter hurdles (14.33) and teammate Ke’Antae Thornton was third (15.13) as both moved up a spot from their 2021 performances in the event.
A victory in the inaugural 4×200 relay (1:27.56) followed by another win in the 4×100 relay (41.67) the Panthers moved into first place and never looked back.
Twenty-one points came in the 400-meter dash led by Xzaviah Taylor’s victory (48.47), he was third in 2021, and third place by Therrian Alexander (50.03) and fourth by Xavier Turner (50.77) and moved the Panthers out in front by 20 points (77-57).
Some of the performer in the 2002 DCSD Boys’ County Track and Field Championships include (clockwise from top left) Lithonia’s Darius Sanders, Stephenson’s Jace Coleman, SW DeKalb’s Isaiah Taylor and Cedar Grove’s Eric Jordan. (Photos by Mark Brock)
Isaiah Taylor made it two years in a row to capture gold in the 300 hurdles (38.15) and combined with a fifth-place finish by Xzaviah Taylor piled on 14 more points for the Panthers.
Southwest closed out their 16th county title with a win in the 4×400 relay (3:18.16) for a clean sweep of the relay events. It was Southwest DeKalb’s first county championship since 2018.
Decatur (87) used 15 points in the 3200-meter run to hold off defending champion Stephenson (76) as William Carlton (9:21.42) added a second gold to go with his 1600-meter run title (4:29.00). Decatur also took gold in the 800-meter run with Jake Westing (1:56.76) winning the race.
Stephenson made a late run at defending its title keyed by Jace Coleman’s gold in the 200-meter (21.69) and a first-place tie in with Cedar Grove’s Eric Jordan (10.66) as the pair crossed the line together. Coleman improved from second in the 200 in 2021 and repeated in the 100.
Fourth-place Tucker took gold in the high jump as Ian Hodge won with a jump of 6-feet, 2-inches.
Dunwoody took home three golds in the field events led by Carrington Tate’s wins in the discus (137-08.00) and shot put (45.03.00). The Wildcats’ Alon Rogow won the pole vault for the third consecutive year with a new meet record of 15-11.25 breaking the mark of 15-06.00 he set just one year ago.
Elijah Hobson brought home two gold medals for Towers winning the long jump (23-00.75) and triple jump (45-02.00).
See links below for the complete 2022 DCSD County Track and Field Championships results and the update meet records: