Sports

Head of the state

• Carrollton track star Mauri Peoples smashes the state pole vault record — in all classes — en route to the AAA title.

Derek Barichello

ALBANY —It was a magical day in the Class AAA pole vault final.

Carrollton's Mauri Peoples and Oconee County's Nicole Polk nearly drew all the eyes of the Hugh Mills Stadium crowd Friday at the girls GHSA State Track & Field Meet as they continued to set the bar higher and higher while shattering the AAA record with every vault.

Eventually, Peoples won the showdown and her second state title with a state-record height — in all classes — of 12 feet.

“To leave here at state with a state title and a new state record, that's kind of cool,” Peoples said. “It was exciting.”

That it was.

Locally, both Monroe's Sekelia Anthony and Westover's Megan Golinski left with moments of their own — personal bests — while Pelham’s Doris Garcia finished sixth.

But those were just footnotes to People’s and Polk’s performances.

The excitement built as the approximately three-hour event began its climax with the announcement on the public address system of Peoples and Polk’s attempt at the record.

Two cleared heights later, it finally concluded with Peoples recording her record height of 12 feet sending the crowd into an awe-struck state, and Polk into groans.

“(The crowd) usually pays attention to the pole vault because it’s very visual and it’s right in front,” said Peoples, who competed in her third state finals in the event, winning her second state title. “But never like that.”

At one point, Peoples actually stepped out and completed the entire triple jump event — finishing in the top eight — before returning to finish the pole vault.

“It was funny,” Peoples said. “It was like ‘Whoa, I’m still doing this.

I have to concentrate.’ ”

Although Anthony did not come close to the state record, she did break Monroe’s record with a vault of 9-0.

And it was quite an accomplishment considering she’s at a major disadvantage because the Tornadoes have no pole-vaulting set-up to practice on at the school.

The first-year pole vaulter had never cleared the bar at 7-0 until Friday, let alone clearing 9-0.

“My heart was beating really fast I was so excited,” said the Lady Tornadoes senior about clearing 7-0 for the first time. “It gave me so much confidence.”

It was a confidence she gained by practicing her push offs by placing her pole in the dirt — rather than on the pavement of a track surface — and she practices her jumps using a bungee cord with two rolling sticks put together, rather than a regulation pole.

“For her to come out and get a 9-0 with her situation, that just speaks volumes,” Monroe coach Octavia Jones said. “That’s just working extremely hard, reading all she can, talking to other pole vaulters and just learning all she can.”

Anthony credits city rival Golinski from Westover with helping her.

“She taught me how to drive out of the box,” Anthony said.

And while student surpassed teacher Friday, Golinski still had a memorable day of her own.

She notched a personal best, clearing 7-0 for the first time in her career as well.

“I am just so glad I got it,” the Lady Patriots senior said. “It’s been a lot of hard work.”

With both Anthony and Golinski hitting their high marks at the end of the season, it was a happy ending to their pole vaulting careers.

But Anthony did not want to say goodbye.

As Peoples and Polk battled it out, Anthony, who was already eliminated after

making the last vault of her career, sat alone on the bench wearing her bright green and yellow Monroe baseball cap and Florida State T-shirt, just trying to pick up one more lesson.

“I wish we had another week in the season,” Anthony said. “I’m going to miss it.”

MORE STATE RECORDS FALL

Three other GHSA State records bit the dust Friday.

Lauren Chambers from Kell High School broke the AAAAA shot put record, Eve Machovec from Dacula notched the AAAA discus record and Amanda Winslow grabbed the AAAAA record in the 1,600 meters.

Chambers’ record-breaking throw of 46-5.75 broke the old record of 46-2.5 set by Mandy Kinney from Brookwood in 1999.

Machovec’s record in the discus of 148-9 just edged the old record held by Khadia Talley from Columbus of 148-8 set in 2004.

While Winslow put her name in the record books with a time of 4:48.35, breaking the ole record of 4:49.694 set by Jackie Drouin of Collins Hill in 2007.

REALLY ... 12 STATE TITLES?

Chamblee's Emily Reese, who won the 3,200 Thursday, captured her 12th state title — giving her four in cross country and eight in track — Friday night, this time in the 1,600 .

But there were four multiple event winners.

Cariesha Glover from Dooly County came away with two Class A state titles —one in the triple jump and one in the high jump, while Ashley Razey of Buford also notched two titles, winning the discus and the shot put in Class AA.

In AAA, there were two multiple event winners: Brittany Porter of Towers won both the long jump and the triple jump, while Patrice Gates of Villa Rica owned the throwing events, gaining a title in both discus and shot.

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