Sports

Westover boys have big first day at state track meet

• The Patriots hoped to pick up many of its points in the track events, but surprised everyone Thursday at the opening day of the boys GHSA State Track & Field Meet with a strong showing in the field events.

Paul Dehner Jr.

JEFFERSON — The Westover Patriots expected their blazing contingent of sprinters to garner enough points at the boys GHSA State Track & Field Meet this weekend to put them near the top of the Class AAA leaderboard behind heavy favorite Sandy Creek.

But after an overachieving session of field events Thursday that saw them snatch up 18 critical points to sit in third place overall, the Patriots’ expectations have changed.

“We are going to give Sandy a run for the state championship,” assistant boys track coach Harley Calhoun, whose team trails Sandy Creek by 3 1/2 points. “We expected to get about 10 points. To get 18, we are very excited. We are in it with what we’ve got coming on the track.”

Flowery Branch currently holds the lead with 28 points. Sandy Creek has 21 1/2 followed by Westover with 18.

Those came thanks to Greg Green and Kenji Breedlove.

Green set a new school record in the long jump at 24-1 3/4 feet. Only a new state record jump by Sandy Creek’s Christian Taylor kept Green from an individual title.

Breedlove finished two spots behind Green for fourth place in the long jump at 23-1. But Breedlove didn’t stop there. He jumped 45-11 in the triple jump for third place. He finished ahead of Crisp County’s Al Thomas, who beat Breedlove at the Region 1-AAA meet.

Today, the Patriots are likely to qualify a horde of runners for Saturday’s running finals. Perhaps the most important effort in the drive for a state title will come someone running in from off the radar.

Brandon Benton comes in to the 400 meter dash with a qualifying time similar to most of those surrounding him. If the Patriots will contend, Benton needs to deliver points.

“The times are a logjam and he’s the dark horse,” Calhoun said. “Fourth or better really helps us out. That’s an event they are not expecting us to score in. Put that on top of the sprinting events and we are a true contender, one that Sandy will have to look out for because we are coming.”

PAIR OF SEVENS

Monroe’s David Noel finished seventh overall in the discus. Paul Jones added the same finish in the high jump.

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