Marietta boys, Hillgrove girls complete wire-to-wire victories

MARIETTA — Marietta won its third consecutive boys team title and its eighth in nine years on the final day of the Cobb County Track and Field Championships on Monday.

Hillgrove won the girls title, the first in team history.

The Marietta boys scored 137 points to finish ahead of runner-up McEachern (73.5) to finish atop the team standings and continue their dominance of the county.

“I am very, very happy with how serious they took it,” Marietta coach Nick Houstoulakis said. “That’s what we wanted to see. Cobb County is a phenomenal measuring stick with the amount of talent that we have here. There are amazing coaches and amazing talent and our kids took that very seriously. They prepared for this and to see all their hard work pay off. That’s what is so rewarding about this.

“It’s not the end all and be all by no means, but it lets us know where we’re at at the midway point of the season. We’re excited and we’re excited to see where we can go after this, to build on this.”

Pope finished third with 72.5 points, followed by Allatoona (70), Mount Paran Christian (55.5), Harrison (51), Hillgrove (50), Pebblebrook (42), Whitefield Academy (37) and Campbell (35).

Marietta’s Jared Fortenberry won his second county title of the meet, winning the 3,200-meter run with a time of 9 minutes, 23.97 seconds. He previously won the 1,600 (4:22.34) on Saturday.

“I was really stoked with my performance this week,” the distance runner said. “In the 1,600, that was my first time in high school winning a race, period, so it was a good way to start it off right here in Cobb County. We have one of the most competitive counties in the state — sprints and distance — so I was just excited to win the (1,600) and to follow it up with the (3,200). I had the lead in both of those races, and I just took it from the gun and ran with it. I just had faith in myself.”

Other boys winners were Marietta’s Jorden Reddick in the 110 hurdles (15.49 seconds) and Devin Clark in the 400 (47.31), Pebblebrook’s Dwight Phillips in the 100 dash (10.79), Allatoona’s Julian McRae in the 300 hurdles (40.68), Hillgrove’s Brian Niswinger in the 800 (1:57.47), Mount Paran’s Remington Adams in the 200 (21.68), Pebblebrook (Marcus Robinson, Phillips, Keyawn Spencer, Varick Gipson) in the 4x100 relay (41.66) and Marietta (Clark, Zuri Johnson, Isaiah Sanders, Malachi Sanders) in the 4x400 relay (3:21.30).

The Hillgrove girls scored 114 points to hold off Powder Springs rival McEachern (95).

“We knew going into it we had a chance,” Hillgrove coach Jonathan Gambrell said, “but to try to have all the events in track and try to get all the girls to perform where they are expected to perform is not an easy task. We hit some bumps along the way, but the girls are resilient and they scored points when they had to.”

Harrison finished third (78) followed by Marietta (76), Pope (71.5), Kennesaw Mountain (39) and Campbell (37). Wheeler and Pebblebrook tied for eighth (34), with Walton (29) completing the top 10.

McEachern’s Anaya Fraser dominated the sprinting events with wins in the 100 (12.99) and 200 (24.33).

Harrison’s Samantha McGarity and Wheeler’s Allyria McBride both won their second county titles of the meet. McGarity won the 3,200 (11:03.81) after winning the 1,600 (4:58.35) on Saturday, while McBride followed up her victory in the long jump (17 feet, 8 inches) with a win in the 300 hurdles (43.81).

Other girls winners were Campbell’s Zionn Rice in the 100 hurdles (14.33), McEachern’s Yasmine Williams in the 400 (56.25), Pope’s Charlotte Dunn in the 800 (2:15.44), Hillgrove (Morgan Gordon, Christina Joseph, Blue Townsell, Ryan Davis) in the 4x100 relay (47.72) and McEachern (Kiyah Boyd, McKenna Boykin, Anaya Fraser, Christian Knight) in the 4x400 relay (3:53.86).