With the 2022 season a wrap for track & field, we reached out to all head coaches and asked for whichever athletes they wanted to be nominate for Athlete of the Year consideration. If no response was given, BLITZ picked a nominee based solely on their finish at state and area/region.

Next, BLITZ will narrow down to a finalist pool for both the girls and boys. Following that, the public will get to vote on the nominees who didn’t make it to the finalist group to add a LAST FINALIST to join that group. Then, our internal BLITZ voting panel will determine the Athlete of the Year by doing a Heisman-style vote of the finalists.

GIRLS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

• Madison Adams (Banks JR): 2A State 16th in 400; Region 8-AA Champion in 400; Runner-Up in 4×100 Relay; 3rd in 4×400 Relay; 7th in 200
• Lily Gearing (White SR): 3A State Runner-Up in 300 MH & SQ in 4×400; State Sectionals Qualifier in 400 & 4×100; Region 7-AAA Champion in 300 MH; PR: 300 MH (46.04)
• Katie Gloeckner (Dawson SO): 3A State 4th in 4×400 Relay & 6th in 4×800; Region 7-AAA Champion in 4×400, Region Runner-Up in 4×800 Relay, 3rd in 4×200 Relay & 5th in 400; PRs: 400 (63.21)
• Hana Gregory (Union JR): Region 8-AA Champion in 800 & 1600
• Audrey Hotard (Habersham Central FR): 6A State 13th in 1600; Region 8-AAAAAA Champion in 800, 1600 & 3200, 3rd in 4×800 Relay; PRs: 800 (2:25 School Record), 1600 (5:20), 3200 (11:51 School Record)
• Mercades Housman (Lumpkin SR): Region 7-AAA Champion in Long Jump & Triple Jump
• Linley Jones (Union SO): Region 8-AA Champion in 100 MH; RU in 300 MH & Triple Jump; 3rd in Long Jump & High Jump
• Christina Keller (Rabun): Region 8-AA Champion in Triple Jump
• Katherine Law (Jefferson SR): 4A State Runner-Up in 3200 & 3rd in 1600; Region 8-AAAA Champion in 1600 & 3200
• Anna LeCave (Dawson SO): 3A State 4th in 4×400 Relay, 6th in 800 & 4×800 Relay; Region 7-AAA Champion in 4×400 Relay, Region Runner-Up in 4×800 Relay & 3rd in 800; PRs: 800 (2:25)
• Lauren Massey (Commerce SR): 1A Public State Runner-Up in Pole Vault; Region 8-A Champion in Pole Vault
• Macy Murdock (Tallulah Falls SR): 1A Private State RU in 300 MH; 4th in 100 MH; 7th in 4×200 Relay; 8th in 4×400 Relay; Area Champion in 100 MH & 300 MH & 4×400 Relay; Area RU in 4×200 Relay; PRs: 100 MH (15.55), 300 MH (45.32), 400 MH (1:06)
• Landry Pike (Habersham Central JR): 6A State 11th in Discus; Region 8-AAAAAA 3rd in Shot Put & 4th in Discus; PRs: Discus (117-7) & Shot Put (38-3)
• Jada Pittman (Jefferson SR): 4A State Champion in Long Jump & 5th in 100; Region 8-AAAA Champion in 100, Long Jump & Triple Jump
• Camdyn Poole (Banks SO): 2A State 15th in 1600; Region 8-AA 3rd in 4×800 Relay & 4th in 800 & 1600
• Julianne Shirley (Tallulah Falls SO): 1A Private State 11th in High Jump; 13th in 400; 8th in 4×400; 7th in 4×200; Area RU in 400 & 3rd in High Jump; tied SR twice in HJ (5-0)
• Lexi Sisum (Union SR): Region 8-AA Champion in 100 & 200
• Shelby Speed (Banks JR): 2A State Runner-Up in Discus; Region 8-AA Champion in Discus (133-05 School Record/PR) & Shot Put
• Ermay Vazquez (Commerce JR): 1A Public State Runner-Up in 3200 & 4th in 1600; Region 8-A Champion in 1600 & 3200
• Dawson County 4×400 Relay team (JR Lauren Kurtz, SO Anna LeCave, SO Katie Gloeckner, JR Emily Kurtz); 3A State 4th; Region 7-AAA Champions; PR 4:10

BOYS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

• Sammy Brown (Jefferson SO): 4A State 4th in 200 & Long Jump; Region 8-AAAA Runner-Up in 100, 200 & Long Jump
• Brad Chosewood (Habersham Central SO): 6A State 7th in Shot Put & 8th in Discus; Region 8-AAAAAA Champion in Discus & 3rd in Shot Put; PRs: Discus (162-11) & Shot Put (50-7)
• Colton Foster (Lumpkin): Region 7-AAA 3rd in Discus
• Trey Garnto (Commerce): Region 8-A Champion in 110 MH & Runner-Up in 300 MH
• Willie Goodwyn (Rabun SO): Region 8-AA Champion in High Jump; RU in Long Jump
• Turner Grimmett (Rabun SR): Region 8-AA Champion in Triple Jump, 110 MH & 300 MH
• Collin Hall (Commerce): 1A Public State Runner-Up in Pole Vault
• Lambdin Hardy (Commerce SR): 1A Public State Champion in Pole Vault; Area Champion in Pole Vault; 2nd consecutive state championship in PV (RU in 2019); PR (15-0)
• Hunter Hartzog (Union SR): 2A State 4th in 800; Region 8-AA Champion in 800 & RU in 1600
• Sam Ketch (Tallulah Falls SO): 1A Private 7th in Shot Put; PR: 45-7 in Shot Put; 122-11 in Discus
• Cam Lacy (Stephens JR): Region 8-AAA Champion in Long Jump & RU in 100
• Buck Ledford (Banks SR): 2A State Runner-Up in 800, 3rd in 4×800 Relay, 4th in 1600 & 5th in 3200; Region 8-AA Champion in 1600 & 3200, Region Runner-Up in 800 & 4×800 Relay
• Evan Prince (Tallulah Falls SR): DNP in Area or State due to injury, but ranked 9th overall in all classifications in 3200 (9:19), 15th in 1600 (4:15) and 42nd in 800 (1:57)
• Matthew Schroeder (Jefferson SR): 4A State Champion in 800 (1:54 PR) & 1600 (4:22 PR); State Runner-Up in 4×800 Relay; Region 8-AAAA Champion in 800 & 1600
• Ethan Smith (Dawson SR): 3A State 5th in 800; Region 7-AAA Champion in 4×800, Region Runner-Up in 400, 800, and 4×200 Relay; PRs: 400 (51.53), 800 (1:56)
• Cam Wilson (White SO): 3A State 5th in 200 & 7th in 100; Region 7-AAA Champion in 100 & 200, Region Runner-Up in 4×100 Relay & 4×400 Relay; PRs: 100 (10.98) & 200 (22.40)