GIRLS TRACK & FIELD
PADEN BELL
Paden Bell put up one of the best single performances at state we have ever seen in her sophomore 2021 season. Keep in mind, she’s of the group that lost her entire 2020 season due to the pandemic. Still, Bell had a pair of state titles, 6 region titles, and finished in the top-5 at state 5 times and top-10 8 times. She did all this in multiple events. Primarily a distance runner, Bell took on the daunting task in the 2021 State Championships to run the 400, 800, 1600, and 3200. She won the state title in the 400 with a PR of 1:01.13 and the 3200 in a PR of 12:25.95. She was the Runner-Up in the 800, and came in 4th in the 1600 in a PR of 5:44.37. She was the Region Champion in all 4 of those events that season. She cast aside the long distance runs from there on out, and went with the 400 and 800 as a junior. She won region in the 800, and came in 5th at state. Her PR in that event was 2:31.85. She was 7th at state in the 400 that season, but also began to compete in such events as long jump, 100 meter hurdles, 200 meter, shot put, javelin, as part of the Hephathlon. In her final season (2023), Bell competed in the long jump, high jump, and 300 meter hurdles and did away with all primary running events. She won a region title in the long jump, and came in 7th at state and 6th at state in the 300 meter hurdles. Her PR in the long jump was 16-11.5 and 47.94 in the 300 MH. Bell goes down as one of the best track and field athletes in the BLITZ-era (2009-present), competing in nearly every single event. She also was a prominent member of several region title and state-placing relay teams. Bell went on to compete in track and field at East Tennessee State University.
ANNA DAVIS
Davis made TFS history by becoming the first female to win a state title, and won two as a senior in 2018 in the 100 meter hurdles and 300 MH, earning her BLITZ T&F Athlete of the Year honors. She totaled two area championships in her career (300 in 2018, 400 meter dash in 2016), and six area runner-up finishes. At state, she had the two championships, two runner-up finishes in 2017, and seven top-5 finishes and 9 top-10 finishes. She qualified for state all four years, participating in the 100 and 300 meter hurdles, 400 meter dash, pole vault and long jump. Davis went on to compete at Davidson College, setting several hurdles records before going to Northeastern for her Super Senior season in 2023.
EMMA GARRISON
Garrison, also a BLITZ HOFer in cross country (2-time state champion), excelled in track with five region titles (3 1600, 2 800) in long distance events. She was the 2016 state runner-up in the 800, and six times placed in the top-10 at state, four times in the top-5. Garrison’s PR in the 800 was 2:21, and 5:17 in the 1600. She was a finalist for the Wendy’s Heisman Award. Garrison went to the University of Georgia to run cross country.
JENNA GEARING
Jenna Gearing made it into the BLITZ HOF for Track & Field along with Cross Country. Just add to her list of accomplishments. See above for her career highlights. The now-Clemson long distance runner had her pick of the litter for where to run next, but Clemson won her over. She was an All-ACC talent, and eventually wound up competing for the University of Kentucky and becoming a standout distance runner in the SEC.
RACHEL GEARING
Gearing is one of those special track & field all-around athletes and was named BLITZ T&F Athlete of the Year in back-to-back years. She was a two-time state runner-up and won seven region titles as an individual. Her senior 2018 season, she took the region crowns in the 400, long jump and triple jump, and did the same exact thing in her 2017 junior year. She participated in 10 state meet events in her career (7 individual, 3 relays) and placed in the top five in all but two events (both relays). She was the 2017 runner-up in the triple jump and runner-up in the 2018 400 meter dash. Gearing went on to compete at Penn State University.
TAYLOR GRIMMETT
Taylor Grimmett was a key cog in the Rabun County track & field machine. She was a three-time region champion in the 100 meter hurdles, placing twice in the top 10 at state in that same event. She was a two-time region runner-up in long jump and triple jump, and placed 9th at state in the long and 13th (twice) in the triple at the state meet. Her PRs: 15.78 in the 100 MH, 54.22 in the 300 MH, 17-0.25 in the long jump, and 34-11.5 in the triple jump.
AUDREY HOTARD
A 2-time Hall of Famer (also in XC), Audrey Hotard you can argue had a greater impact in track and field than on the course. The Habersham star crushed the school records in the distance runs of 800 (2:22.22), 1600 (5:00.15), and 3200 (10:57.39). She won NINE region titles, was a 2-time top-5 placer at state, and 6-time top-10. As a freshman, she swept the region titles in the three distance runs, then won the 1600 and 3200 in each her sophomore through senior year.
KATHERINE LAW
Katherine Law makes the HOF in both XC and TF. The long distance champion was a four-time state runner-up in distance events in track and field, and a seven-time top-10 finisher. She was runner-up at state in the 3200 twice, and once each in the 800 and 1600. She won six total region titles (one in the 800, two in the 1600, three in the 3200). The bigger the distance, the better she performed. Her PRs include 2:18 in the 800, 5:03 in the 1600, and 10:51 in the 3200. Law took her talent to UGA.
KATE MASSEY
Massey, a former Athlete of the Year, goes down as one of the best long distance runners in Commerce history, sweeping the 1600 & 3200 area events for all four years, generating eight region championships for herself. She won both events at state in 2016 as a sophomore, and again won the 3200 in 2018 as a senior to close her career. She was the state runner-up four times and only finished 3rd one time in her career at state. Massey’s career PRs for are 5:35 for the 1600 and 12:09 for the 3200. She is also a BLITZ Hall of Famer in Cross Country.
PERRYN MORGAN
Perryn Morgan won a state title in the pole vault for Rabun County, and was a 4-time top-10 state finisher. She won 4 region titles and 10 times finished top 5 in the area. Her PRs include 10-0 on PV, 89-10 on discus, 1:03 in the 400, and 2:56 in the 800. Morgan went on to compete in Track & Field at Piedmont University.
FRANKIE MULDOON
Muldoon, also a CC HOFer for BLITZ in the class of 2019, won 4 region championships in track & field, and 4 times placed in the top 10 at state in the 1600 and 3200 runs. Two of those times she came in the top 5. Her 5:19 1600 PR and 11:44 3200 PR were some of the best in school history. Muldoon earned a pair of BLITZ Runner of the Year awards and continued her career at Georgia State University.
JADA PITTMAN
Jada Pittman leaves Jefferson as one of the most successful athletes in recent memory in track and field. She finished her career with a state title in the long jump, and was fifth that year in the 100. She won a total of seven region championships, and seven top-10 finishes at state. Her PR was 12.17 in the 100, 19-3.25 in the long jump, and 36-5 in the triple jump. Imagine what else she could have done had she not lost the 2020 season to COVID-19.
ZOE SANCHEZ
Zoe Sanchez, also a Hall of Famer in cross country, earns that distinction in distance track & field as well. She won the state title in the 3200 as a junior, and was runner-up in the 1600. She was likely to perhaps win both titles in region and state in 2020 before the COVID shutdown. Still, she finished her track and field career with a state title, three region crowns, five state top-5 finishes, and a PR or 5:44 in the 1600 and 11:52 in the 3200. For her efforts, she was named BLITZ Track & Field Athlete of the Year in 2019 and 2020, and both of those years was also BLITZ Cross Country Runner of the Year. Sanchez headed to Mercer University to continue her career.
SHELBY SPEED
Shelby Speed was an elite thrower for Banks County. Overall, speed collected 5 region titles and 3 State Championships as well as a state runner-up, starring in the discus and shot put. She was able to finish her career in 2023 at the State Championships with not only winning both events, but setting PRs in the process. In discus, her throw was 153-01, while she had a 43-07 in shot put. Speed finished Region RU in shot put in 2021 and 11th at state, while being the Region Champ in discus and winning the State Championship as well. In 2022, she was the Region Champ in shot put and 11th again at state, while being the Region Champion and State Runner-Up in discus. In 2023, Speed was the Region Champion and State Champion in both shot put and discus. Speed was invited – and excelled – at the Wingfoot Night of Champions, placing 2nd in discus and 3rd in shot put. She went on to compete in track and field at Kennesaw State University.
MADALYN WALTERS
Also a cross country BLITZ HOFer, Walters deserves to be in both with her resume. The one-time region champion in track & field was in the top 3 on 4 different occasions. She also finished top 5 in state 4 times, including twice as a state runner-up. Her 5:21 PR in the 1600, and 11:43 PR in the 3200, rank among some of the best times in school history. Walters ran next at UGA.
SALLY WOERNER
If there’s a better track and field athlete that can do it all, we aren’t aware. Woerner was a 7-time region champion (3 in 100 MH, 2 in 300 MH, 1 each in HJ & 1600). She won the 2A state title in the 100 meter hurdle in her 2014 senior season and was thus named Athlete of the Year by BLITZ. She recorded some 37 major wins, and was a top-five finisher at state five times (2 in 100 MH, 2 in 300 MH, 1 in 1600). She competed at the D-I level at Western Carolina University, where she placed 6th in the 100 MH, 4th in the 400 MH, 3rd in the Heptathlon and anchored the 4X400 team that place 2nd in WCU’s recent repeat of the Southern Conference Outdoor Championship. Find us someone else who can dominate in hurdles, sprints, long distance, throwing events, jumps and relay…you won’t!
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