Thirteen individuals in our area walked away from the May 9-11 State Championships as the best in the state (State Champions). Many others placed as runner-ups, and even more in the top five and top ten. This year’s 70 nominees for Boys & Girls Athlete of the Year are as follows:

FULL STATE RESULTS

BOYS (38)

• Grey Bourlet (Tallulah Falls SO) – 300 MH Area Champion & State 3^rd / 110 MH Area RU & State 3^rd / Pole Vault State 5^th
• Brendan Bowman (Union SR) – 400 M Region RU & State Qualifier
• Jason Burke (Jefferson SR) – High Jump Region Champion & State Champion
• Nix Burkett (White) – Pole Vault State 4th
• Ethan Cameron (Dawson SR) – Triple Jump Region Champion / 300 MH Region RU
• John Coggins (Banks JR) – 300 MH Region RU & State Qualifier
• Cody Dodge (Banks SR) – Shot Put Region RU
• Tucker Flint (Commerce SR) – Pole Vault Area 4 Champion & State Champion
• Cooper Freeman (Dawson SR) – 400 M Region Champion & State 10^th / Pole Vault Region Champion & State Qualifier
• Luke Gambrell (Union SO) – 3200 M Region RU & State 3^rd
• Guy Gober (Rabun SR) – 1600 M Region Champion & State Champion
• Sean Hall (Banks JR) – Pole Vault Region RU & State 3^rd
• Lambdin Hardy (Commerce FR) – Pole Vault Area 4 Runner-Up & State Runner-Up
• Hunter Hartzog (Union FR) – 800 M Region RU & State 4^th / 1600 M State 5^th
• Robbie Head (Jefferson JR) – Discus Region Champion & State 6^th / Shot Put State Champion
• Demarco Hernandez (Commerce JR) – 1600 Area Runner-Up & State 3^rd / 3200 M Area 4 Runner-Up & State 4^th
• Carlos Keller (Dawson SR) – High Jump Region RU & State 5^th
• Collin Kilgore (Dawson JR) – 800 M Region RU & State 5^th / 1600 M State 7^th
• Wes Ledford (Banks SR) – 800 M Region Champion & State Runner-Up / Triple Jump State 7^th
• Jacob Lehotsky (Banks SR) – 300 MH Region Champion & State Qualifier
• Brandon Martin (Commerce SO) – 3200 M Area 4 Champion & State Runner-Up
• Grayson Mitchem (Rabun SR) – Pole Vault Region Champion & State 5^th
• Eli Morris (Jefferson SR) – 100 MH Region Champion & State Champion / 300 MH Region Champion & State Champion / 4×100 Relay State RU / 4×400 Relay State 5^th
• JJ Morris (Commerce SO) – 1600 M Area 4 Champion & State Runner-Up
• Ryder Pagel (Jefferson JR) – Pole Vault Region RU & State Champion
• Connor Pierce (Lumpkin SR) – 100 M Region Champion & State Qualifier / 200 M Region Champion / Long Jump Region RU & State 12^th
• Grant Pulliam (White SR) – Pole Vault Region RU & State 5^th
• Jackson Ramey (Banks SR) – Shot Put Region Champion & State 6^th / Discus Region RU & State 3^rd
• Garmon Randolph (Jefferson SR) – Triple Jump Region Champion & State 14^th / 4×100 State RU / 4×400 State 5^th
• Noah Rapert (White SR) – 400 M Region Champion & State Qualifier / Triple Jump Region RU & State 4^th
• Shannon Segars (Commerce JR) – Long Jump Area 4 Champion & State Champion / 4×400 State 5^th
• Malaki Starks (Jefferson FR) – 100 M Region RU / 200 M State 6^th / 4×100 Relay State Runner-Up
• Griffin Stephens (Banks JR) – 3200 M Region Champion & State Runner-Up / 1600 M Region RU & State 6^th
• Riley Thornton (Jefferson JR) – 3200 M Region RU & State 4^th / 1600 M State 9^th
• Terrence Walker (Banks SR) – 110 MH Region RU
• DaJuan Wood (Commerce SR) – 400 M Area 4 Champion & State 3^rd / 300 MH Area Runner-Up & State 3^rd / 4×400 Relay State 5^th / High Jump State 8^th
• Carson Walker (Union FR) – Long Jump Region RU
• Cody Wood (Dawson SR) – 3200 M Region RU & State 9^th

GIRLS (32)

• Emily Adams (Banks SR) – Pole Vault Region Champion & State 6^th
• Jaelen Alexander (White SR) – 800 M Region Champion & State Qualifier
• Skylar Arnston (Commerce SR) – Pole Vault Area 4 Champion & State 3^rd
• Shaylyn Bailey (Banks FR) – Discus Region RU & State 9^th / Shot Put Region RU
• Aleah Benton (Jefferson FR) – Triple Jump Region Champion  & State 12^th
• Dasha Cannon (White SO) – Discus Region Champion & State 10^th
• Daniela Danavall (Tallulah Falls SR) – Discus Area Champion & State 9^th / Shot Put Area RU & State 12^th / 4×100 Relay State 7^th
• Mac Fowler (Jefferson JR) – 400 M Region RU & State Qualifier / 4×400 Region Champion & State 3^rd / 4×100 Region Champion & State 3^rd
• Carolina Garcia (Rabun SO) – 300 MH Region RU & State 7^th / 100 MH State Qualifier / 4×400 State 7^th
• Abbie Hilchie (Lumpkin SO) – 1600 & 3200 M
• Abbey Howard (Jefferson SO) – 100 MH Region Champion & State 8^th / 4×100 Relay State 3^rd
• Ellie Isaacs (Jefferson SR) – Shot Put Region Champion & State Champion / Discus Region RU & State 5^th
• Christin Jarrard (Rabun SO) – Pole Vault Region RU & State 10^th / 4×400 Relay State 7^th
• Claire Kulniszewski (Jefferson JR) – Pole Vault Region RU & State Runner-Up
• Olivia Kulniszewski (Jefferson FR) – 800 M Region RU & State Qualifier / 4×400 Region Champion & State 3^rd
• Katherine Law (Jefferson FR) – 3200 M Region Champion & State Runner-Up / 1600 M Region RU & State 8^th
• Josie Loggins (Jefferson FR) – 100 MH Region RU & State Qualifier
• Rachel Lovell (White JR) – High Jump Region RU & State 5^th
• Anna Lowe (Dawson SR) – Shot Put Region Champion & State 7^th / Discus Region RU
• Lauren Massey (Commerce FR) – Pole Vault Area 4 Runner-Up & State Runner-Up
• Rissa McDonald (Rabun SO) – 100 MH Region Champion & State Qualifier / 4×400 Relay State 7^th
• Anna Moore (Jefferson JR) – Pole Vault Region Champion  & State Champion
• Frankie Muldoon (Dawson SR) – 1600 M Region Champion & State 4^th / 3200 M Region Champion & State 3^rd
• Jada Pittman (Jefferson FR) – Long Jump Region Champion & State 5^th / 100 M Region Champion & State 4^th / 200 M Region RU & State Qualifier / 4×100 Region Champion & State 3^rd
• Simeyah Rakestraw (Commerce SR) – Discus Area 4 Champion & State 12^th / Shot Put State 12^th
• Zoe Sanchez (Union JR) – 1600 M Region Champion & State RU / 3200 M Region Champion & State Champion
• Caitlin Schroeder (Jefferson SO) – 1600 M Region Champion & State 6^th / 800 M Region Champion & State 6^th / 4×400 Region Champion & State 3^rd
• JoJo Smith (Jefferson SO) – High Jump Region Champion & State Champion / 300 MH Region RU
• Maddie Stephens (White SR) – Pole Vault Region Champion & State 9^th
• Evelyn Vanderbunt (White JR) – Shot Put Region RU & State 13^th
• Samara Walker (Stephens) – Shot Put Region Champion & State 5^th
• Chasen Wood (Lumpkin SO) – Pole Vault, 100 M, 200 M