Madison County track runners enjoyed a productive state meet, scoring well in two of their three events at the Georgia Olympics in Jefferson to cap one of the best seasons in program history.
“The team had a great season overall,” coach Marty Tate said. “We broke many school records and won many meets.”
Jamal Cooper finished third in the 200-meters (21.55 seconds) at state and the 4 x 100 team placed fourth (41.71 seconds).
Madison County’s 11 points were enough to tie the Raiders for 14th place in Class AAAA with Cedar Shoals.
Only two region teams finished ahead of Madison County — Clarke Central (fourth) and Heritage (11th).
Cooper’s time in the 200 meters was his season-best, as was the 4 x 100 team’s time in that event.
Cooper also reached the finals in the long jump at state but did not place. He scratched on a jump that would have landed him in the top four.
The Raider track team added seven names this year to the Madison County Honor Roll, a list which recognizes the top performers in the program’s history.
The inductees made their marks in 11 events.
The relay quartet of Terry Cobbs, Jamal Cooper, Kendrick Butler and Al Allen set school records this year in the 4 x 100 meters (41.66 seconds) and the 4 x 400 meters (3:24.97).
Distance runner Jazmond Taylor ran the second-best mile time ever at 4:47.9, just one-tenth of a second shy of the record, while Cooper, a sprinter, established a new school mark in the 200 meters (21.55 seconds). Allen finished with the school’s second-best 100-meter time (10.89), just ahead of Cobbs, who was third (10.98).
In hurdles events, T.J. McGuire set a new 110-meter high hurdles record (15.1 seconds) as did Butler in the 300-meter high hurdles (40.9 seconds).
In field events, Cooper set a school record in the long jump (21’10.5”), while Butler recorded the school’s second-longest triple jump (43’11”). Jeffery Hicks tied the school record in the pole vault (11’6”).
Tate also noted the efforts of this year’s seniors — Allen, Joe Barnett, Cobbs, Claude Johnson and Taylor.
“The guys have done a lot of great things the last three years,” Tate said. “I think next year can be even better, (but) it will be hard to replace this year’s seniors … This group of young men helped build the start of a solid track program.”
