The Gatewood boys track team didn’t win the Region 4-AA meet held at the school April 13 as it has in six of the last nine years, but the enough athletes qualified for the defending state champions to have a chance at winning the state meet this weekend.
“We are in the mix,” Gatewood Track Coach Jeff Ratliff said. “We have qualified enough individuals to win it all. It will take an incredible effort, and a lot of things must go our way. But we have a chance.”
Gatewood hosted Augusta Prep, Brentwood, Briarwood Edmund Burke, John Hancock and Thomas Jefferson academies with Brentwood finishing with 146 total points to win the meet.
Augusta Prep finished second with 135.4, and Gatewood totaled 124.5 points to finish third. Briarwood was fourth with 120 points. Edmund Burke finished fifth, Thomas Jefferson sixth and John Hancock seventh
Coach Ratliff has maintained that Region 4-AA is loaded with talented athletes from the beginning of the season.
“I strongly believe that Region 4AA is the best track region in the entire state,” Ratliff said. “After Wednesday’s meet, my mind has not changed. The competition was great, and the results are among the top in the entire GISA regardless of classification. What a great region track meet.
“Even though we finished third, our athletes performed at a high level with PRs in almost every event. I can’t tell you enough how proud I am of our team.”
According to Coach Ratliff, Gatewood will send 14 athletes to state in 10 events.
“We have 14 opportunities to score at the state track meet, Ratliff said. “Now we must go and make the most of those opportunities.”
The state meet will be held at Strong Rock Christian in Locust Grove on April 21-23.
Boys’ Individual Scorers (Top 4 Finishers Qualify for State)
• Shot Put - Garric Embry 40-10 (2nd) Cole Hudson 38-1.5 (5th)
• Discus - Garric Embry 140-5 (1st) Evan Bennett 128-4 (2nd)
• High Jump - Greer Luttrell 5-4 (5th)
• Long Jump - Landon Wilson 19-2 (3rd) Blake Haley 18-10.25 (4th)
• Triple Jump - Blake Haley 39-9.5 (3rd) Jackson Crowe 37-4.75 (6th)
• Pole Vault - Jayden Daniel 9-6 (3rd) Noah Bennett 9-0 (4th)
• 3200m - Jackson Lundy 12:54.17 (8th)
• 110m Hurdles - Ben Paxson 18.53 (3rd)
• 100m - Landon Wilson 12.02 (3rd) Noah Bennett 12.76 (6th)
• 1600m - Kaden Keiser 5:42.96 (6th) Jackson Lundy 5:55.32 (7th)
• 400m - Landon Wilson 53.45 (5th) Jackson Crowe 55.38 (6th)
• 300m Hurdles - Greer Luttrell 47.45 (4th)
• 800m - Luke McNeill 2:26.63 (6th) Kaden Keiser 2:27.76 (7th)
• 200m - Jackson Crowe 24.63 (6th)
4x100m Relay
• Team 1 - 46.87 (3rd)
• Blake Haley, Landon Wilson, Noah Bennett, Jackson Crowe
• Team 2 - 49.35 (7th)
• Kaden Keiser, Greer Luttrell, Ben Paxson, Jackson Hewatt
4x400m Relay
• Team 1 - 3:45.68 (3rd)
• Landon Wilson, Kaden Keiser, Blake Haley, Jackson Crowe
Crowe • Team 2 - 3:55.10 (4th)
• Greer Luttrell, Jack Harvey, Jackson Lundy, Jackson Hewatt
JV TRACK UPDATE
The junior varsity squad finished first in its portion of the meet with 119.5 points, more than double what second place finisher Brentwood (49.5) was able to achieve.
“I am so proud of our JV squad,” Coach Ratliff said. “This is one of the hardest working groups that I can recall in a long, long time. “They came to the track every day ready to run and practice. That effort has paid off bit time.”
Individual Scorers
• Shot Put - Landon Moreno 1st Bodie Corry 2nd
• Discus - Colt Jenkins 2nd Ford Rocker 3rd
• High Jump - Matt Allen 1st Jackson Lundy 3rd
• Long Jump - Matt Allen 2nd Mason Sinclair 3rd
• 1600m - Jackson Lundy 1st Luke Martin 3rd
• 100m Hurdles - Landon Moreno 2nd Cale Ferguson 4th
• 100m - Bodie Corry 1st Mason Sinclair 2nd
• 400m - Landon Moreno 1st Grant Tkacik 2nd
• 800m - Jackson Lundy 1st Cale Ferguson 2nd
• 200m - Bodie Corry 1st Mason Sinclair 3rd
• 4x100m Relay - Team 1 1st Team 2 2nd
• Team 1: Landon Moreno, Jackson Lundy, Bodie Corry, Mason Sinclair
• Team 2: Colt Jenkins, Matt Allen, Eli Tillery, Cale Ferguson
• 4x400m Relay - Team 1 1st Team 2 2nd
• Team 1: Landon Moreno, Mason Sinclair, Bodie Corry, Jackson Lundy
• Team 2: Eli Tillery, Colt Jenkins, Cale Ferguson, Jake Carnes