Schley County and Furlow Charter track and field teams place 14 athletes into state meet

Published 8:57 pm Monday, May 9, 2022

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From Staff Reports

 

 

HOMER, GA – A combined total of 13 Schley County (SCHS) male and female track and field athletes earned qualification into the GHSA Class A-Public State Meet by virtue of their performances at the 1A-Public Sectional B Meet held on Saturday, May 7, at Banks County High School in Homer, GA.

The Furlow Charter Lady Falcons also had an athlete qualify for the state meet, as Maria Kilheffer finished in sixth place in the Girls 3200-Meter Run (14:20.38). Kilheffer also very nearly qualified for state in the Girls 1600-Meter Run, as she finished in 10th place in a time of 6:37.05. The top eight athletes in each event qualified for the GHSA Class A-Public State Meet, which will be held at Hugh Mills Stadium in Albany Thursday through Saturday, May 12-14.

Furlow Charter’s Maria Kilheffer finished in sixth place in the Girls 3200-Meter Run at the 1A-Public Sectional B Meet in Homer, GA. That qualifies Kilheffer for the state meet, as the top eight athletes at the sectional meet in each event qualify for state.
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In girls’ action, the Lady Wildcats had two of their athletes qualify in the Discus event as Sarah Barnhill and Berkley Goodin finished fifth and sixth respectively. Barnhill’s best distance throw was for 89-9 (89 feet, nine inches) and Goodin’s best throw was for 88-4.

In the Girls High Jump event, Payton Goodin of SCHS clinched the eighth spot by jumping a height of 4-2 (four feet, two inches) and Emily Wilder took fourth place in the Girls Pole Vault competition, as she vaulted a height of seven feet.

In Girls Shot Put, Liberty Justice, the defending Class A-Public state runner-up in the event, finished fourth with a distance throw of 32-5.50. Justice was barely beaten out for third place by Sonovia Reynolds of Hancock Central (32-9.50).

In the Girls 4×800-Meter Relay event, the SCHS team of Maelyn Anthony, Kaleigh Johnson, Cheyenne Hardison and Passamon Junrat finished in eighth place in a time of 14:10.35 to claim their spot in next weekend’s state meet.

Schley County Pole Vaulter Levi Johnson, who won the Region Championship in the event, qualfied for state in the event bey finishing in third place at the sectional meet.
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In boys’ action, four Wildcats earned spots in the state meet. Wyatt Halstead finished in seventh place in the Boys Discus event, with his best distance throw landing at 118-7. Halstead’s SCHS teammate, Levi Johnson, also claimed a spot at state in the Boys Pole Vault event. Johnson finished in third place by vaulting a height of 12-6 (twelve feet, six inches). Johnson’s teammate, Brody Barnes, also qualified for state in the Pole Vault, as he finished in seventh place by vaulting a height of eight feet.

Schley County’s Dustin Howard finished in 10th place in the Boys 3200-Meter Run and finished 11th in the Boys 1600-Meter Run at the 1A-Public Sectional B Meet.
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In the Boys 1600-Meter Run, Dustin Howard barely missed qualifying for state in the event, as he finished in 11th place in a time of 5:22.87. Howard finished approximately five seconds behind eighth place finisher Matthew Campbell of Armuchee (5:17.04). Howard also finished in 10th place in the Boys 3200-Meter Run with a time of 12:14.83. Howard’s teammate, Tyreese Cook, finished 13th in the Boys 110-Meter Hurdles (19.16), but qualified for state in the 300-Meter Hurdles by finishing in fifth place in a time of 44.28. Cook’s teammate in the event, Kyler Walton, finished in 13th place in a time of 50.70.

From left to right: Furlow Charter athletes Jacklyn Chen, Edwin Gonzalez, Maria Kilheffer, Coach Brittany Skiles and Edwin Chen.
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As mentioned earlier, Maria Kilheffer of Furlow Charter qualified for the state meet by finishing in sixth place in the Girls 3200-Meter Run. Kilheffer was the only athlete from FCS to qualify for the state meet. Her teammate, Jacklyn Chen, finished in 12th place in the 3200 (16:23.72) and 14th place in the Girls 1600-Meter Run (7:31.73). In the Boys 3200-Meter Run, Edwin Gonzalez of FCS finished in 14th place in a time of 13:20.84.