Blue Devils win Andy Summers Invitational
Published 11:00 am Wednesday, March 7, 2018
TIFTON — The Tift County Blue Devils represented their hometown well Saturday, winning their own Andy Summers Invitational track meet. The Lady Devils finished in second place.
Tift’s boys scored 144 points at the meet, enough for a comfortable win over second place Ware County, which scored 110 points. Valdosta was third at 109.
The Lady Devils barely missed first place, their 164 points just shy of the 172 from Ware County. Westover was third in the girls’ portion, according to GA MileSplit.
Kiera Green dominated the shot put at 35’9”, one of two wins for her on the day. She also won discus at 104’9.1”.
Emily Golden also took two victories Saturday, in the 1,600 and the 3,200. Golden’s time of 5:47 was 37 seconds faster than the second place runner. In the latter, Golden set a personal best by completing the 3,200 in 12:01, which was more than one minute ahead of second place.
Tift County also won the girls 4×100 relay with Denice Duggins, Kaliya Taylor, Shamiah Johnson and Shavonna Morris. Nicky Jones, Shadiamond McIntyre, Divinity Mitchell and Rylee Watson combined for second place in the 4×400.
The Blue Devils also had a top relay team in the 4×400 with Brandon Graham, Quan Mathis, Deontae Overstreet and Shamel Johnson, who edged Westover in the race by just under one second.
Pole vault was the only 1-2 finish of the day for Tift, with Brae Pellegrino winning the event at 11 feet and Jacob Redd finishing second at 10 feet.
Tift produced winners in field events, with freshman Cali Conner winning the high jump with a height of 5’2”. Chad Williams took shot put at 49’1”.
Shamiah Johnson was second in the long jump at 15’2”. Her brother, Shamel Johnson, also had a second place finish, his in the 400-meter dash. Freshman J.D. Bengston was runner-up in the 1,600-meter run as was Ronald Jackson in the high jump.
Wajaya Royster was second in the long jump with his best leap clearing 21 feet. Triple jump had a second place finisher with Otis Jackson.
Others finishing in the top eight were
Girls 100: Taylor (3rd) and Duggins (5th).
Girls 200: Duggins (3rd) and Taylor (4th).
Girls 400: McIntyre (5th) and Mitchell (7th).
Girls 800: Josie Bullington (6th).
Girls 1,600: Savannah Miller (6th).
Girls 3,200: Ashlee Golden (3rd).
Girls 100 hurdles: Watson (3rd) and Conner (7th).
Girls 300 hurdles: Allison Stone (3rd) and Watson (4th).
Girls 4×100 relay: Mitchell, Conner, Watson and Jones (6th).
Girls 4×400 relay: Emily Golden, Conner, Stone and Amaya Bryant (5th).
Girls high jump: Mary Alex Anders (3rd) and Stone (6th).
Girls long jump: Conner (6th).
Girls triple jump: Jones (5th) and Anders (6th).
Girls discus: Ansley Pritchett (5th).
Boys 100: Tyler Ajiero (4th).
Boys 200: Ajiero (7th).
Boys 400: Mathis (4th).
Boys 800: J.D. Bengston (4th) and Graham (5th).
Boys 1,600: Beau Bengston (4th).
Boys 3,200: Yamari Snow (3rd) and Landon Johnson (8th).
Boys 110 hurdles: Danny Hill (5th) and Mike Jones (6th).
Boys 300 hurdles: Hill (5th) and Jackson (6th).
Boys 4×100 relay: Shamel Johnson, Ajiero, Javien Neloms and Royster (3rd) and Kadarius McDaniel, Jones, Hill and Trae Griggs (7th).
Boys long jump: McDaniel (8th).
Boys shot put: Antonio Howard (3rd).
Boys discus: William Goodwin (4th).