MT. AIRY, Ga. — Buford boys and girls track had numerous strong performances at the Region 8-AAAAAA meet that concluded on Monday, April 26 at Habersham Central High School.
The Buford girls team finished first with 169 points, while second place went to Dacula with 152 points. Shiloh came in third place with 121 points.
Shiloh and Buford boys track tied for first place with 168 points, while Dacula came in third with 100 points.
The girls team’s success was boosted by first place finishes by Callie Snell in the pole vault; 3,200-meter relay team of Cam Perry, Callie Snell, Caroline Snell and McKenzie Smith; 4×100-meter relay team of Tavye Borders, Trinity Price, Hayley Iverson and Sydney Harris; Harris in the 400-meter dash and 200-meter dash; Smith in the 800-meter; and the 4×400 relay team of Smith, Price, Harris and EJ Pierre.
Smith’s performance in the 800-meter was among the top five times in the state through all classifications.
The boys’ track team saw first place finishes by Jaylon Taylor in the high jump; Malik Williams in the long jump; 4×100-meter relay team of Williams, Victor Venn, CJ Clinkscales and Isaiah Bond; Tobi Olawole in the 400-meter dash; Bond in the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash; and 4×400 relay team of Bond, Ryland Gandy, Olawole and Williams.
The boys’ 4×400 relay team’s finish of 3:16.30 was the fastest time in the state through all classifications and was the sixth fastest time in the nation. It also set a school record.
Under the leadership of head coach Fyrone Davis, the Buford track and field teams have consistently been top contenders over the past few years. He credits a lot of the teams’ success to his assistant coaches and their unwavering dedication to the players’ growth and development.
Coach Davis also credits the athletes themselves, their commitment to pushing themselves by working hard and by trusting in the process. Many of the athletes are dual-sport athletes and do not consistently train year-round for track and field as many of their competitors do. The top short distance runners for the boys play football and only begin training for track in January. Borders is a softball player and Taylor plays basketball, just to name a few.
The track and field program has made huge strides in creating a strong feeder program at Buford Middle School. The middle school teams placed third in the state. Coach Davis is very excited about the level of talent that is coming up through the program.
The athletes from the track team who qualified for the sectional meet all said they are ready and confident about the meet. The sectional meet is scheduled for May 8 at Barron Stadium in Rome.
Below is a list of all of the top three finishes for Buford athletes.
Girls High Jump
3rd: Hannah Miller, 5-0
Boys High Jump
1st: Jaylon Taylor, 6-6 ½
Girls Pole Vault
1st: Callie Snell, 10-0
2nd: Caroline Snell, 10-0
Girls Long Jump
2nd: Hayley Iverson, 17-4 ½
Boys Long Jump
1st: Malik Williams, 22-10 ¾
Girls 3,200-Meter Relay
1st: Buford 10:27.27 (Cam Perry, Callie Snell, Caroline Snell, McKenzie Smith)
Girls 4×100- Meter Relay
1st: Buford, 47.65 (Tavye Borders, Trinity Price, Hayley Iverson, Sydney Harris)
Boys 4×100- Meter Relay
1st: Buford, 41.78 (Malik Williams, Victor Venn, CJ Clinkscales, Isaiah Bond)
Girls 400-Meter Dash
1st: Sydney Harris, 55.23
Boys 400-Meter Dash
1st: Tobi Olawole, 48.62
3rd: Ryland Gandy, 49.98
Girls 100-Meter Dash
2nd: Trinity Price, 12.26
Boys 100-Meter Dash
1st: Isaiah Bond, 10.59
2nd: KJ Bolden, 10.76
3rd: Victor Venn, 10.95
Girls 100-Meter Hurdles
2nd: Mary Metz, 16.44
Boys 110-Meter Hurdles
2nd: Victor Payne, 15.26
Girls 800-Meter Run
1st: McKenzie Smith, 2:20.60
3rd: Caroline Snell, 2:31.27
Girls 200-Meter Dash
1st: Sydney Harris, 24.49
2nd: Trinity Price, 25.58
3rd: Tavye Borders, 25.85
Boys 200-Meter Dash
1st: Isaiah Bond, 21.43
2nd: Tobi Olawole, 21.98
3rd: Malik Williams, 22.13
Boys 300-Meter Hurdles
3rd: Victor Payne, 40.19
Girls 4×400-Meter Relay
1st: Buford, 4:08.33 (McKenzie Smith, Trinity Price, Sydney Harris, EJ Pierre)
Boys 4×400-Meter Relay
1st: Buford, 3:16.30 (Isaiah Bond, Ryland Gandy, Tobi Olawole, Malik Williams) **School Record, Fastest time in state throughout all classifications.
Team Results – Girls
1st: Buford, 169
2nd: Dacula, 152
3rd: Shiloh, 121
Team Results – Boys
1st: Buford, 168
1st: Shiloh, 168
Featured Photo Above: The Buford boys and girls track and field teams earned the Region 8-AAAAAA Championship titles at Habersham Central High School. Special Photo
