The Baldwin High School girls and boys track teams competed in the GHSA AAAA State Track and Field Championships this past weekend at Berry College in Rome, Ga. The weather was hot and so were the Braves and Bravettes. Thursday was the prelims for the track events. Each of the student athletes representing Baldwin High in a track event qualified on Thursday for the finals on Saturday. By qualifying for the finals they were guaranteed to take a stand at the podium and receive a medal.
Friday proved to be the hottest day of the weekend, however the Braves and Bravettes did not seem to mind as both teams produced medal winners in the field event portion of the meet. The day started off with Hezekiah Hartry placing 8th in the boys pole vault. Hartry set a new school record by vaulting 12 feet. Next up was Mollie Speights in the high jump. Speights was favored to win this event, her seasons best jump of 5 feet 8 inches was best jump in the field. Mollie did not disappoint as she took home the first of two state championships for the Bravettes. Her jump of 5 feet 7 inches was enough to secure the top spot. As the day continued the teams would add two more medals to the medal count. Keldrick Bell placed fifth in the boys triple jump, Bell will leave Baldwin High as one of the most decorated track and field athletes in school history, he is one of the only males to medal at four state meets. The last event of the day produced the second state champion for the Bravettes. Brittany Trawick's long jump of 19 feet 4 inches was the best jump of her esteemed high school career and the best jump in AAAA this weekend.
Saturday, the final day of the meet, three more Bravettes received individual awards. Brittany Trawick won her second medal of the meet by finishing third in the 100 meter dash. Nysherria Braddy finished third in the 100 meter hurdles and Jakayla Hubert finished third as well in the 300 meter hurdles. The last event of the 2018 GHSA AAAA track and field Championships produced medals for eight Braves. The 4 x 400 meter relay B team finished finished fifth edging out the A team which finished sixth. The B team consisted of Donovan Hill, Rodricus Stewart, DeMarcus Reeves, and Javon Bullard. The A team members were Devin Stephens, Gary Moore, Cori Jones, and James Kilgore.
2018 proved to be another successful season for track and field here at Baldwin High School. In two weeks eleven of student athletes will graduate and they all will have the opportunity to continue track and field on the collegiate level if they choose to do so, either way they have left a legacy here for future generations.