Clint Thompson
THOMASVILLE — The Yellow Jacket Invitational is set for its 28th year.
Al Hicks is just as excited this year as he was when he first started the Invitational in 1983.
“The Yellow Jacket Invitational is a very well-organized, well-run meet,” said the assistant track and field coach. “Our stadium is a perfect place for a track meet because you’ve got the P.A. system. It seems like on March 20, every year around that time, the weather breaks and we have excellent weather. We have for years and years.”
This year’s Invitational is slated for Saturday at Thomas County Stadium. Hicks said there are 17 schools signed up to participate including Cairo, Thomasville, Albany, Westover, Monroe, Chiles (Fla.), Hardaway, Lowndes, Valdosta, Bainbridge and Brooks County. The field events will start at 10 a.m.
“This is very much an established meet,” Hicks said. “The throwing events, which start at 10 o’clock Saturday morning, should be really interesting. Monroe has an outstanding discus thrower. Bainbridge does as well, and Ray Drew is ours. He’s already throwing over 150 feet. He’s also a 50-foot shot putter.”
Central’s other top boys participants are Curtis Brooks, Julius Reese and Reshard Cliett. Brooks runs the 100-meter dash and is part of the 4x100-meter and 4x200-meter relay teams.
“Curtis has gotten a lot faster,” Hicks added. “Right now, Curtis is the man.”
Brooks will anchor the 4x200-relay team but will lead off the 4x100-relay team, replacing Dre Davis, who graduated.
Reese is a favorite in the 110-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles. He won both events at the Chiles Relays earlier this year.
Cliett will participate in the triple jump and high jump events and is the anchor leg on the 4x100-relay team. The other two members include Gabe Freeman and either Chris Calhoun or John Freeman. Calhoun is battling a hamstring injury which could keep him out of Saturday’s meet.
On the girls side, one of Central’s top athletes is senior Nynesha Terry. The basketball standout is also tremendous on the track. She runs the second leg on the 4x100-meter relay team, joining Jasmine Battle, Ronisha Miller and Lateisha Williams.
“(Nynesha’s) actually a four-year starter on the 4x100-meter relay, so she’s the one with the top experience that we have coming back,”Central girls coach Chad Ward said. “(Playing basketball) has extremely helped her in the sense, she can make a smooth transition from basketball to track.
“She’s ready. She was ready towards the end of basketball season to come out and perform at the highest level.”
The 4x100-relay team finished third in Region 1-AAAA last year, along with the 4x400-meter relay team. Kyanna McCraw, Joy Martin, Rosa Perez and Cierra McCloud will run the 4x400-relay team.
Perez is just a sophomore but will be counted on in the 800-meter race as well.
“She’s doing pretty good,” Ward added. “She’s one of the harder workers on the team. She comes out every day, giving her best. She’ll do everything the coach asks of her.”
