Piedmont Tracksters Excel

Piedmont Academy’s Emily Hammonds earned two second-place finishes at the GISA Class AA state track meet last week in Albany.

Hammonds, a sophomore, was second in the 400-meter dash with a personal best time of 1:01.89. She was finished runner-up to the defending state champion.

In addition, Hammonds was second in the 200-meter dash (27.32). She ran a faster time during the qualifying heat.

Hammonds’ performance helped the Lady Cougars to a ninth place team finish (25 points) among 19 schools competing in AA. It was the program’s best showing at state in several years.

The 4×400-meter relay team of Alina Jablonski, Amelia Dodson, Hammonds and Bailyn Whitaker was fifth with a season best time of 4:33.

Joblinski, an eighth grader, was fifth in the 3,200-meter run with a personal best of 13:06. She was also eighth in the 1,600-meter run in 6:04.

The Piedmont boys were 13th overall with nine team points. Gaven Edge had a personal best in the shot put throwing 41-3.75, good enough for fourth place. Previously, he had only thrown over 40 once this season, which came at the region meet.

Mack Brady ran a personal best of 11:49 in the 3,200-meter run and earned seventh place.

The 4×100-meter relay team of Britton Bailey, Hunter Knox, Hank Strickland and Barrett Whitaker was seventh in 46.5.

“Our athletes had a good state meet,” said coach Rhett Farmer. “I was proud to see several of them earn points.”

Also competing for Piedmont at the state track meet:

•Jablonski, ninth, girls 800-meter run

•Makennah Holifield, ninth, girls high jump

•Bailey Whitaker, ninth, girls high jump

•Barrett Whitaker, ninth, boys long jump and 12th, boys high jump

•Britton Bailey, ninth, boys triple jumo

•Dodson, 10th, girls long jump

•Matti Smith, 12th, girls triple jump

•Sara Hammonds, 14th, girls 3,200-meter and 800-meter runs

•Emily Hammonds, 14th, girls long jump

•Payton Partenza, 14th, girls 800-meter run

•Edge, 15th, boys discus