Greene County’s track and field program showed steady growth throughout the spring, and that progress paid off at the region meet last week.
In his return leading the program, head coach James Miller saw his teams round into form at the right time. After a slow start to the season, Greene County’s boys finished third overall in the region standings, while the girls placed fourth. More importantly, the Tigers will send roughly 23 athletes on to the sectional round.
“We started off kind of rough,” Miller said. “But I think we ended up doing all right. The kids kept working, and it showed.”
That work was evident across both the boys' and girls' lineups, with Greene County producing multiple top-three finishes and several regional champions.
On the girls' side, Maleah Jarrells led the way with a dominant performance, winning the 100-meter hurdles and high jump while also finishing second in the 300 hurdles. Jamaria Johnson added a third-place finish in the 800 meters, while Jakayla Burdette placed third in the discus.
Greene County also qualified two relay teams, with the 4x100-meter relay team of Carmen Freeman, Jaylah Thompson, Nevaeh Craig, and Jarrells finishing fourth, and the 4x200 team of Craig, Freeman, Thompson, and Ja’Niyah Jones taking third.
The boys' squad delivered just as many highlights.
Distance runners Levny Chavez and Jesus Lopez set the tone, combining for four top-three finishes. Chavez won the 3200 meters and placed third in the 1600, while Lopez finished second in the 3200 and fourth in the 1600. In the sprints, Klemonta Riley took fourth in the 200 meters, and Denim Harris placed fourth in the 300 hurdles.
Greene County’s relay teams were particularly strong. The 4x400-meter team of Clifford Springer, Dontriel Grable, Riley, and Braylen Hurt captured a region title, as did the 4x800 team of Brockton Evans, Issac Porter, Ethan Wright, and Jose Lopez. The 4x200 team added a third-place finish, while the 4x100 team placed fourth.
In field events, Braylen Hurt claimed first place in the high jump, with Jordan Knox adding a third-place finish. Kayden Monford brought home a region title in the discus, and Jailyn McKellar placed third in the shot put.
For Miller, the number of qualifiers reflects a team buying into the process as the season progressed.
“I tell them all the time, if they work hard, good things will happen,” Miller said. “They see now that they’ve made it this far and have a chance to make it to state.”
With sectionals up next, the focus shifts to continuing that momentum. While Miller said the team didn’t set rigid goals at the start of the season, the opportunity now is clear.
“The goal was just to get some to state,” he said. “You never know what can happen once you get there.”