Madison County may have put other area track teams on notice Saturday.
The Red Raiders scored their biggest victory on the track in years, winning the 14-team Loch Johnson Invitational at Cedar Shoals.
The team tallied 97.5 points, edging second-place Elbert County.
This is Madison County’s first-ever victory in the annual Athens track meet.
“I give all my thanks to our kids, especially our senior and junior class for all the leadership, hard work, respect and dedication day-in and day-out, rain or dry weather,” coach Jamie Sims said. “We show up, and we do work.”
The Red Raiders return to the track today (Thursday) at Hart County to face Hart County and Stephens County.
Madison County’s victory Saturday was due, in no small part, to the all-round performance of senior speedster Jamal Cooper.
In fact, it was a huge day for the Cooper family all around.
Cooper produced the second-highest individual total for any competitor, bettered only by his brother, Elbert County’s Valderian Cooper, who beat him by a half point.
“It was a heart felt competition between the two,” Sims said, “and after the meet his younger brother gave his award to Jamal and said, “Thanks for being a good role model.’”
The elder Cooper won the 200 meters and finished second in the long jump and the 100 meters.
Cooper was also part of a first-place finish for the 4 x 400 team, along with Stan Maxwell, T.J. McGuire and Kendrick Butler.
Cooper ran on the 4 x 100 team – with Maxwell, Butler and Thomas – which finished fourth.
Madison County was also bolstered by second-place finishes from Jeffery Hicks (pole vault), McGuire (300 meter hurdles) and Butler (triple jump).
Rounding out the scoring were Maxwell (fourth place, long jump; third place, high jump), Matt Dove (sixth place, discus), McGuire (fourth place, high jump; fourth place, 110 meter high hurdles), Butler (fourth place, 300 meter hurdles; seventh place, 100 meters) and Donavan Carey (seventh place, 110 meter high hurdles).
Sims noted that his Red Raiders beat seven fellow Region 8-AAAA teams at the event, something he hopes is an indicator of things to come.
“That was also good for us to see going into the region hunt in about a month’s time,” he said. “We still have a long way to go as an overall program, but it seems we are taking the right steps at the right time.”
With its conquest of the Loch Johnson Invitational, Madison County has now won its first three meets under Sims. Sims has taken over for former head coach Marty Tate, who still assists the team.
Sims praised Tate as a mentor who has passed along a wealth of knowledge and training techniques.
“Without him, this program wouldn’t be anything,” Sims said. “He has been the rock behind this good track team for the past few years, and without him, I wouldn’t know half the stuff that I know today. He has been a blessing to me as well as this program, and for that I say, ‘thanks coach.’”
