By Greg Oshust
Marietta Daily Journal Sports Writer
MARIETTA - Alexandria McKee was able to do something she wasn't able to do during the high school season in the high jump - beat Zandi DeBowles.
McKee, a rising senior at Lassiter competing for the East Cobb Heat track team, edged out DeBowles, the former Pope standout and the Class AAAAA state high jump champion competing for the Titans Track Club of Marietta, to win the gold medal in the high jump in the Young Women's division on the first day of the Georgia Games youth track and field championships at Marietta High School on Friday.
Both McKee and DeBowles finished with jumps of 5 feet, 2 inches, but McKee edged out DeBowles on the jump-off to win the gold medal.
McKee finished behind DeBowles all three times they went head-to-head during the high school season, with DeBowles finishing second (5-2) to McKee's eighth (4-8) at the Coaches Invitational, second (5-4) to McKee's fourth (5-2) at the Cobb County Championships and first (5-4) to McKee's third (4-10) at the Region 6AAAAA meet.
McKee also garnered a bronze medal in the Young Women 400-meter hurdles, finishing third with a time of 1:12.10, while DeBowles qualified for the finals of the Young Women 400-meter dash with a second-place finish and a time of 1:00.89 in her preliminary heat.
It was also a good day for McKee's Lassiter and East Cobb Heat teammate Gabrielle Piper, with the rising Lassiter sophomore winning gold medals in both the Intermediate Girls long jump (15-4¼) and high jump (4-4).
Two more Lassiter athletes earned medals as Suzette Van-Lare, a rising senior, won a silver medal in the Young Women 400 hurdles with a time of 1:09.07, finishing behind gold medal winner Sonni Austin of D.C. Express (1:02.30) and rising sophomore Julienne McKee won a bronze medal in the Intermediate Girls long jump (15-0¼).
Former Walker standout Ann Sanguansri, the Class AA state pole vault champion, also won a silver medal as she finished second in the Young Women's pole vault with a vault of 9-6, finishing behind gold medal winner Madison Lamar of the World Class track club (10-0).
Former South Cobb athlete Dee Abasute was a silver medal winner in the Young Women long jump, jumping 16-8 to finish second to gold medal winner Millecent Brooks-Millender (18-4).
Several local high school standouts were the top qualifiers in preliminary-round action in their events, including McEachern's LaCresha Styles in the Intermediate Girls 100-meter dash (12.15), Pebblebrook's Alisha Murray in the Intermediate Girls 400 (1:01.64), South Cobb's Ashley Harris in the Young Women 100 (12.27) and former Marietta sprinter Marcus Potter in the Young Men 100 (11.05).
The meets concludes today, beginning at 8 a.m., with boys and girls competition in the Sub-Bantam, Bantam, Midget, Youth, Intermediate and Young age groups.
goshust@mdjonline.com
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