Putnam County’s track and field team sent 16 athletes to the Class AA state meet last week at East Jackson High School in Commerce.
The War Eagles faced fierce competition, with only three securing a spot in the top eight of their respective events.
Senior Alan Hill finished third in the long jump, senior Mark Little placed fifth in the triple jump, and sophomore Bill Waters tied for sixth in the high jump.
Last week, Putnam County head coach Gary Waller expressed his satisfaction with his state qualifiers. He said his 16 track and field athletes who made the Class AA state meet “exceeded” his expectations this year.
“I’m very proud of all my athletes. They over-exceeded at sectionals, which I am most proud of,” Waller said. “They just didn’t do well. They over-exceeded my expectations, and they set a lot of personal records.”
Other notable performances included senior Halana Griffin, who placed 12th in the triple jump and 15th in the long jump. Senior Lily Frisch placed 14th in the 800-meter race despite not qualifying for the finals, and though junior Baylen Yarbrough didn’t qualify for the 200-meter dash finals, she placed 15th in the prelims.
Waller has high expectations for his team next season. He wants his athletes to “keep grinding” to get better. He said he loved the effort his boys and girls put in over the past few months to get to the Class AA state meet.
Waller’s next goal is for each of the PCHS boys’ and girls’ teams to win a region championship. The boys placed second at the region meet this season and the girls finished fourth.
“It’s all about hard work and dedication, and that is what I tell them all the time,” Waller said. “I tell them we’re not practicing for placing; we’re practicing for time and to set personal records. At the region meet last month, they realized that time means everything. I’m going to be honest; I’m ecstatic for these kids.”
Putnam County returns a majority of its state qualifiers next season, including Waters, Yarbrough, Aiden Chaffin, Kadyn Dennis, Bryson Brown, Bernicia Harris, Journey Waller, Vanecia Williams, Don Dorsey, Kavar Andrew, and Jason Smith. The other five will graduate and be missed for their contributions this year.
Waller wants others to step up while trying to make it back to the state meet. He wants to witness how far his team has come in his second year as head coach and see if more War Eagles can place at the highest level.
“I’m trying to keep them focused and dedicated,” Waller said. “They’ve got to keep coming to practice. First and foremost, don’t worry about working hard in practice. Just get there. That’s what we need. Then, when you get there, work hard. We’re trying to change that mindset every day. It’s like clocking in at work. They must come to practice every day because that’s how we improve as a team. They have to put in the work.”