The Gatewood boys track and field team turned in one of the most impressive performances at the GIAA Class AA state meet on May 2, overcoming the odds to finish as state runners-up after a dramatic final push in the 4x400-meter relay.
Heading into the meet at Strong Rock Christian in Locust Grove, the Gators weren’t viewed among the favorites to contend for a top-three finish.
However, through grit and timely performances across nearly every event category, the team clawed its way onto the podium with a performance that head coach Jeff Ratliff described as “unforgettable.” “Athletics can be a thing of beauty,” Ratliff said. “I have defined track and field as ‘competition in its purest form.’ Last weekend, our boys showed exactly what it means to compete. It was a thing of beauty.”
While Ratliff has coached runner-up teams throughout his career, he said this finish felt different because of the expectations surrounding the squad entering the meet.
“While we did not win it all, we finished state runners-up,” Ratliff said. “Over the years, I have had a few other teams finish second. This finish did not feel like those. In each of those cases, we were one of the favorites. This year, we were not.”
Instead, Gatewood pieced together points wherever possible throughout the two-day competition. The Gators recorded 15 scoring finishes overall, including 10 of fifth place or lower, proving that every point mattered in the final standings.
“It is hard to explain, but the way this team found its way to the podium was pretty unbelievable,” Ratliff said. “We were seeded to finish anywhere from fourth to 10th, but we scratched and clawed our way through the qualifier and field events to put ourselves in a position to finish as high as second.”
Gatewood received valuable production in the field events.
Landon Moreno placed sixth in the shot put with a throw of 39 feet, 8 inches, while also finishing seventh in the triple jump at 38-10.5. Jake Carnes added a sixth-place finish in the discus with a mark of 115-6. In the pole vault, Jack Davis cleared 9-6 to place fourth, while Bo Wooten finished sixth after clearing 8-6.
On the track, Jack Wooten helped lead the charge with a pair of top-three individual finishes, taking second in the 400-meter dash with a time of 51.30 seconds and third in the 200 meters at 23.57. Jackson Lundy also contributed a fifth-place finish in the 400 at 53.00.
Sean Bennett scored in the 100-meter dash with an eighth-place finish, while Cale Ferguson placed seventh in the 800 meters. Colton Cheek added more points in the 300-meter hurdles with a fifth-place finish.
The relay teams also played a major role in the runner-up effort. The 4x100-meter relay team of Bennett, Lundy, Wooten, and Bodie Corry placed seventh, while the 4x800 relay team of Lundy, Ferguson, Wyatt Wojtas, and Wooten earned a third-place finish.
But the defining moment of the meet came in the final event.
Entering the 4x400-meter relay, Gatewood sat in fifth place overall. The team of Bodie Corry, Ford Rocker, Jackson Lundy, and Jack Wooten delivered a state championship performance, winning the race in 3:30.86 and vaulting the Gators past three teams in the standings to secure second place overall.
“Going into the mile relay, we were in fifth place overall,” Ratliff said. “The boys put on a show. By winning the event, we passed three teams to finish second.”
The victory also continued an impressive streak for the program.
“The win in the relay marked the third year in a row we have won the 4x400-meter relay at state,” Ratliff said. “It was exciting. It was competition in its purest form.”