Lady Trojans cap first track crown
by Greg Oshust
goshust@mdjonline.com
May 09, 2010 12:00 AM | 837 views | 0 0 comments | 8 8 recommendations | email to a friend | print
ALBANY - With Gabrielle Piper completing what Julienne McKee started a day earlier, Lassiter won the Class AAAAA team title on the final day of the girls track and field state championships on Saturday at Hugh Mills Stadium.

Piper's second-place finish in the 100-meter dash and third-place result in the 100 hurdles gave Lassiter, boosted on Friday by McKee's wins in the triple jump and long jump, what it needed to claim its first state title in program history.

The Lady Trojans scored 38 points to edge out runners-up Collins Hill and Westlake, who each had 36 points. Brookwood (33) was fourth, with Alpharetta (32) rounding out the top five.

"It's an exciting moment for the girls," Lassiter coach Jim Reichenbach said. "Some of our girls have been working hard for four years to get here. This was the first year that I thought that we had a chance to win the state title, and it's a tribute to the girls and the hard work they have put in."

Kennesaw Mountain and Kell also earned top-10 finishes in the Class AAAAA standings. The Lady Mustangs, who earned all of their 24 points in the field events and finished seventh, while the Lady Longhorns placed 10th with 20 points.

Kell got all its points from freshman standout Kendell Williams, who swept the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles in her state meet debut.

Williams set new state records in both hurdles events. The freshman won the 100 hurdles with a time of 13.69 seconds, finishing ahead of Westlake's Shani Chandler (14.10) and Piper (14.64). Williams then claimed the 300 hurdles with a time of 41.30 to beat out Chandler (41.76) and McEachern's Amber Bryant-Brock (44.17).

"I was really happy," said Williams, who had the fastest time of all five classifications in both events. "I wasn't worried about setting state records. I just wanted to run a good, smooth race and I did."

Campbell's quartet of Brianna Chambers, Monti Willis, Kyana White and Kelli Hardnett won the state title in the 1,600 relay, running a time of 3:51.20. Collins Hill was second (3:52.17), followed by Redan (3:52.66), McEachern (3:53.73) and Wheeler (3:55.25).

Lassiter's Piper finished second in the 100 dash with a time of 12.16, just behind Luella's Ciara Simms (12.13) and just ahead of Alpharetta's Keturah Williams (12.17).

North Cobb Christian's Emily Buwulda was Cobb County's only other runner-up Saturday, finishing second in the Class A 800 run with a time of 2:22.57, placing behind Our Lady of Mercy's Megan Malasarte (2:17.06).

South Cobb's Kevyn Tracy also cracked into the top-three in her event, finishing third in the Class AAAAA 800 with a time of 2:15.80. Tracy finished behind Collins Hill's Nicky Akande (2:11.22) and East Paulding's Chandelic Jackson (2:15.32).

McEachern's Brock finished fourth in the AAAAA 400 (55.86), while Whitefield Academy's Janey Fugate was a fourth-place finisher in the Class A 300 hurdles (47.07).
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