High School Athletes Honored at Powerade All-Metro Track & Field Banquet

ATLANTA – June 6, 2018 – Four track & field athletes were honored with outstanding athlete awards at Atlanta Track Club’s Powerade All-Metro Track & Field Banquet Wednesday night.

Westlake High School senior Kennedy Simon was named the Most Outstanding Track Athlete. Simon, the 7A State Champion in the 400 meter dash received the award which is given annually to the top female high school track athlete in the metro-Atlanta area. Her time of 52.52 was the third fastest in the United States in 2018 and the third fastest time ever run by a high school student in Georgia.

“I just focus on what I gotta do to get the job done,” Simon told Lewis Johnson of NBC Sports, the banquet’s host. “Be patient. Stay focused. I guess that’s one of the most important things.” Simon plans to attend the University of Texas next year.  

High School Athletes Honored at Powerade All-Metro Track & Field Banquet​Parkview High School Senior Justin Long was named 2018’s Most Outstanding Track Athlete. He was the 7A State Championship in the 200 meter dash and 400 meter dash. Long’s time of 46.14 in the 400 meter is the fourth fastest time ever run by a Georgia High School student.

Long told Johnson he applies the lessons of track and field to his studies. “I use it to push me in the classroom and in the harder things in life.  I just push through it til I get to a better place,” Long said. Long, who will attend Oklahoma State University next year, was also named to the All-Metro 4x100 meter relay team.

Kimberly Harris of Buford High School was named the Most Outstanding Female Field Athlete. The 5A state champion’s season best long jump of 20’ 2.5” was the fourth best long jump in the United States in 2018.

“For me to be honored like this is a really big deal because I never really thought I’d be this high up for long jump,” said Harris. A versatile athlete, Harris was also the fifth fastest 400 meter runner in the country this year and was named to the All-Metro 4x100 meter relay team.

Tanner Duffin, a junior at St. Pius X, was named the Most Outstanding Male Field Athlete. The discus thrower’s personal best throw of 203’ 8” was a state best in 2018 and more than ten feet further than the next best mark.

“I love doing this. Even if I wasn’t good I’d still love doing it.” Duffin said. “I always want to be the very best I can be.”

All Most Outstanding Athlete honorees receive a $1,500 scholarship from Atlanta Track Club. “We live our lives through dreams and the work that it takes to get to those dreams,” Johnson, who broadcasts Olympic sports including track and field, told the athletes. “Enjoy this part of the journey because it is going to be something you remember for a long time.”

Atlanta Track Club’s Powerade All-Metro Track & Field Banquet recognizes the best athletes from the 12 county area. This year, 49 athletes from 27 schools were honored. Athletes are selected selected based on criteria including season bests, their performances at major meets throughout the season, and their finishes at the GHSA State Championships. The community and coaches then vote online for outstanding male and female track athletes and most outstanding male and female field athletes.

 

 

 

2018 All-Metro Track & Field Girls Team

Girls Event

Name

School

Grad Year

Class

County

100 meter dash

Jazmine Hobson

Shiloh High School

2020

7A

Gwinnett

200 meter dash

Trinity Price

Buford High School

2021

5A

Gwinnett

400 meter dash

Kennedy Simon

Westlake High School

2018

7A

Fulton

800 meter run

Naima Turbes

Westminster Schools

2018

3A

Fulton

1600 meter run

Brynne Sumner

Woodstock High School

2019

7A

Cherokee

3200 meter run

Ellie Hall

Marietta High School

2019

7A

Cobb

100 meter hurdles

Tia Jones

Walton High School

2019

7A

Cobb

300 meter hurdles

Jasmine Jones

Greater Atlanta Christian

2020

3A

Gwinnett

4x100 meter relay

Buford High School

Trinity Price

Alexa Rossum

Trinity Rossum

Kimberly Harris

Hayley Iverson

Preston Reid

 

5A

Gwinnett

4x400 meter relay

North Springs High School

Kayla Tolbert

Saran Kouyeth

Kennedi Weston Shields

Jayda Drake-Howard

Mckinze Nation

Lailah Williams

 

5A

Fulton

Long Jump

Kimberly Harris

Buford High School

2018

5A

Gwinnett

Triple Jump

Victoria Agyin

McEachern High School

2018

7A

Cobb

High Jump

Elasia Campbell

Walton High School

2019

7A

Cobb

Pole Vault

Mackenzie Gignilliat

Walker School

2019

1A-Private

Cobb

Shot Put

Javon Joyner

Norcross High School

2018

7A

Gwinnett

Discus

Elsie Igberaese

Dacula High School

2019

6A

Gwinnett

 

State Champion Coaches

Classification

School

Coaches

County

A Private

Wesleyan

Chad McDaniel, Justin Krueger, Chip Myrick, Chris Yoder, Isiah Hill

Gwinnett

AAAA

Chapel Hill High School

Kelly Williams, Travis Mahalik, Anthony Mandani, O’Neisha Smith, Scott Long, Chad Miller

Douglas

AAAAA

Buford High School

Fyrone Davis, Ron King, Crystal Fowler, Chrissy Woodson

Gwinnett

AAAAAA

Alexander High School

Brian Robinson, Steve Duncan,

Douglas

AAAAAAA

Marietta High School

Nick Houstalakis, Jack Coleman

Cobb

 

 

2018 All-Metro Track & Field Girls Team

Event

Name

School

Grad Year

Class

County

100 meter dash

Javaughn Moore

Wheeler High School

2018

7A

Cobb

200 meter dash

Jacob Smith

Allatoona High School

2018

6A

Cobb

400 meter dash

Justin Long

Parkview High School

2018

7A

Gwinnett

800 meter run

Kameron Schofield

Sequoyah High School

2018

6A

Cherokee

1600 meter run

Kyle Harkabus

East Coweta High School

2020

7A

Coweta

3200 meter run

Sam Bowers

Milton High School

2018

7A

Fulton

110 meter hurdles

Cameron Murray

Westlake High School

2018

7A

Fulton

300 meter hurdles

Latrell Murray

Luella High School

2018

4A

Henry

4x100 meter relay

Parkview High School

Christian Malloy

Justin Long

Keith Williams

Matthew Chavers

Tommy Rogers

Zak Blake

 

7A

Gwinnett

4x400 meter relay

Fayette County High School

Josh Dupree

Seth Holloway

Jaylan Coleman

Trey Johnson

Cameron Johnson

Zachary Filmore

 

5A

Fayette

Long Jump

William Jones

Lithia Springs High School

2018

5A

Douglas

Triple Jump

Keshun Byrd

Cedar Grove High School

2018

3A

Dekalb

High Jump

Pache' Caldwell

Riverwood International Charter School

2018

5A

Fulton

Pole Vault

Jack Haller

West Forsyth High School

2018

7A

Forsyth

Shot Put

Jeremiah Pierce

Carrollton High School

2018

5A

Carroll

Discus

Tanner Duffin

St. Pius X

2019

4A

Dekalb

 

 

State Champion Coaches

Classification

School

Coaches

County

AAA

Cedar Grove High School

Jermaine Smith

Douglas

AAAA

St. Pius X

Ryan McClay

Dekalb

AAAAA

Dutchtown High School

Calvin Gibson

Henry

AAAAAA

Allatoona High School

Patrick Parsons, Jonathan McKinney

Cobb

AAAAAAA

Parkview High School

Matt Henson

Gwinnett