Sports

English, Johnson, Jackson pace city schools

• A pack of local runners fall short of state titles on the final day of the girls GHSA State Meet.

Paul Dehner Jr.

ALBANY — Fueled by the energy of a packed hometown crowd, Moneka English broke out in the beginning of the 800-meter run on Saturday.

Before she knew it, she found herself all alone in second place, one-quarter of the way into the race. It proved to be a false sense of hope.

“I think I went out too fast,” English said. “The second lap I was just trying to keep pace.”

She eventually fell to sixth after being boxed into traffic midway through the race.

“I know she was disappointed with the way she ran,” coach Harley Calhoun said. “She said she could have ran two seconds faster.”

In the end, English ran right at the same pace as she did in earning the Region 1-AAA championship.

The junior took away confidence from her weekend at state and already has ideas on improving for her senior season.

“I think I can start doing my workout with more speed work so I can jump out like the girl who was in first,” English said.

JUMPING JOHNSON

Westover freshman Ashley Johnson completed her emergence on the scene this year for the Lady Patriots with a fifth-place finish in the 300-meter hurdles.

Her time of 46.673 was a personal best and two seconds behind first place Santerri Baker of Druid Hills at 44.555.

Johnson advanced to state with cross country and also started on the basketball team which lost in the first round of the state playoffs.

“We’re happy that she finished in the top five,” Calhoun said. “For her only being a ninth-grader to just even place is a great thing. We are looking to build on this.”

JACKSON FOUR

Monroe junior Lakeisha Jackson entered Saturday’s 100-meter intermediate hurdles event hoping for a top-three finish.

Despite falling one spot short of her goal, running in 15.220 seconds and behind winner Santerri Baker, she refused to hang her head.

“It could have went better,” she said. “But it is OK — I’ll take what I got.”

Jackson ran with the pack off the blocks and was hit in the hand by a runner in the next lane midway through.

“It kind of threw me off,” Jackson said, but added she was not using it as an excuse.

Baker held a significant lead for much of the race and left Jackson chasing. But it wasn’t a position she was uncomfortable with as she held off hard chargers behind her.

“I like to have people in front of me so I can go get her,” she said.

DAVIS DASHES

In the Class AA 100-yard dash, Mitchell County’s Ashciaa Davis took third place with a time of 12.548 seconds.

She finished behind state champion Jasmine Grovenor of McIntosh County Academy.

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