Defending Class AA pole vault champion Mason Hamrick of Jefferson took third in that event (13-6) Thursday on the opening day of the boys' state track meet hosted by Jefferson.
The bronze in the pole vault made for a disappointing day for Hamrick, a sophomore who had aspirations of being a four-time champion by the time he left Jefferson. He was shooting for his second title Thursday.
“I’ve worked my whole entire career trying to just be that four-time state champion that everyone’s been taking about,” Hamrick said. “I knew if I could do it this year that it would just be a breeze (the next two years). I just couldn’t do it.”
Hamrick lost out on second-place to North Oconee’s Tony Isaac (13-6) on tie-breakers. Hart County’s Jared Scotland won the pole vault with a vault of 14-7.
Hamrick’s teammate, James Howard, finished fourth with a vault of 13 feet in his first state meet. The top four finishers in the pole vault were all from Region 8-AA.
Elsewhere, Jefferson's Carson Newman took fifth in the discus with a throw of 144-4.
For more coverage of the boys’ state track meet, see the May 16 edition of The Jackson Herald.
