Sports

Dougherty’s Todd aiming high

Derek Barichello

ALBANY — Dougherty boys and girls track and field coach Donald Pole believes Tiara Todd and Tiffany Anderson can be two of the best.

But he offered one stipulation.

“They have the talent,” Pole said. “All they need to do is make up their mind they want to dominate and they’ll do it.”

Pole hopes the beginning of Todd and Anderson’s dominance will be Thursday as the GHSA AAA State Meet begins at Hugh Mills Stadium.

Todd, who qualified for the 100 hurdles and the high jump, enters Friday’s high jump finals tied with two others for the highest height with five foot four inches.

“I’ll be going for 5-6,” Todd said. “I think that’s what it’ll take. I just need to work on the way I plant my foot when I go over.”

Todd’s jump of 5-4 marked a personal best for her and won her the Region 1-AAA title.

“This is only my first year doing it,” the sophomore said. “I really like it. I get really excited when I go over.”

Although Todd is among the favorite for the high jump, she did most of her work at Wednesday’s practice preparing for the 100 hurdles.

Todd enters the 100 hurdles with a seeding time of 15.78 seconds — good for fourth in her heat behind favorite Santerri Baker, who has a seeding time of 14.54 seconds.

“I’ve been practicing the hurdles a lot,” said Todd, who finished second in the region in the 100 hurdles. “I’m just going to try to compete the best I can in them.”

Meanwhile, Todd’s teammate Anderson will try to put some points up for Dougherty in the long jump and triple jump.

Anderson won the region in the triple jump and finished second in the long jump.

For Anderson — who enters Friday’s finals with a long jump of 16-3.75 and a triple jump of 33-3 well behind the favorites — keeping her mindset will be her focus as she competes in her second state meet.

“I need to stop being so nervous and pretend it’s a normal meet,” Anderson said. “When I’m nervous, I mess up. I still haven’t jumped my best this year.”

Also competing for Dougherty in the discus and shot put is Brishawauna Peterson – it will be her third time at state for discus and second for shot put.

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