Morgan County’s track and field program strongly opened postseason competition, as both the boys and girls teams captured the Region 2-AA titles at last week’s meet on April 21 at Jackson High School.
The Bulldogs now turn their attention to the sectional round on May 2, hoping to carry that momentum into the state finals later this month.
Head coach Kelan Fraise said he was pleased with his team’s performance, noting that roughly 85 to 90 percent of the roster qualified for sectionals with top-four finishes.
“First off, I just want to congratulate the staff and thank them for getting the kids to buy in, helping them reach their goals, and holding them accountable,” Fraise said. “The kids who have been here the past three years, along with the coaches, had a goal to win the region and become champions in both individual events and relays. It took some time to get there, but we finally made it.”
Morgan County recorded numerous sectional qualifiers at the region meet, highlighted by several personal-best performances and a school record.
The girls 4x200-meter relay team of Javeria Gresham, Nylaa Hodnett, Jada Keeley, and Aziyah Robertson set a school record with a time of 1:48.38. The 4x800 relay team of Ellen Carter, Ellis Dailey, Taylor Doss, and Emily Thomas also posted a personal-best time of 11:48.62.
Individually, Jack Morris delivered a standout performance, recording a personal-best throw of 146 feet in discus and setting a school record in the shot put at 48 feet. On the track, Grant Smith (23.51) in the 200 meters and Jacoby Simmons (11.16) in the 100 meters set personal records, while Trey Carter (17.03) and Lila Catterton (17.82) each posted personal-best times in the 110and 100-meter hurdles, respectively.
The Bulldogs also secured multiple top-four finishes across both divisions.
For the girls, Chandler Aaron led the way with first-place finishes in the triple jump and 400 meters. Catterton (100-meter hurdles), Gresham (100 meters), and Robertson (200 meters) also captured individual titles, while the 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams each placed first. Addisyn Freeman (long jump, triple jump) and Quinn Takacs (throws) added second-place finishes. Third-place efforts came from Alana Hawkins (discus), Ellis Dailey (1600 meters), and Ellen Carter (3200 meters), along with the 4x800 relay team.
On the boys’ side, Carter (110-meter hurdles), Simmons (100 meters), Ezekiel Locus (300-meter hurdles), and Ben Boulware (3200 meters) each earned first-place finishes. Second-place results included Morris (discus, shot put), Simmons (high jump), Peyton Houser (1600 meters), Brady Cousins (3200 meters), and the 4x400 relay team. Third-place finishers included Brody Jenkins (shot put), Cousins (1600 meters), Carter (300-meter hurdles), and the 4x200 and 4x100 relay teams.
Looking ahead to sectionals, the top eight finishers in each event will advance to the state meet, scheduled for May 14 at the University of Georgia.
Fraise said the focus remains simple as the postseason continues.
“We want them to run their fastest, jump the farthest, and throw their best,” he said. “We want to break more records, but most importantly, we want the kids to have fun. Our job is to prepare them for region, sectionals, and state, but once we get to these final meets, it’s up to them to go out and compete.”