Sports

Relay rehearsal

• The Westover Relays give local track and field teams one final chance to prep for postseason positioning.

Derek Barichello

ALBANY — The 5th annual Westover Relays will serve as a compass.

Six area schools — Westover, Monroe, Dougherty, Albany, Lee County and Mitchell County — will compete with nine other programs from across Georgia at Hugh Mills Stadium starting at 9:30 a.m. today to gauge which direction it is heading with region tournaments looming — Thursday for the girls and April 24 for the boys.

“It's a dress rehearsal," said Albany boys track coach Archie Chatmon, who will compete against just one team from its region —  Mitchell County.

"Everybody will see where they place and what times it will take to win at region."

But to the Westover and Monroe girls and boys teams, the Relays are much more.

Both teams' programs are closely matched and have a shot to win Saturday's tournament – and a Region 1-AAA title as well.

In fact, the last three boys teams to win the Relays have gone on to win Region 1-AAA; Monroe last season and Westover in 2005 and 2006.

For the girls, a title has been more lucrative. The past three Relay winners were won by Carrolton and each year they finished in top three in the state.

In the inaugural tournament in 2004, the Westover girls won and then brought home a state title.

"I guess you can say the winner of this tournament is lucky," Westover coach Hardy Calhoun said. "Each winner has managed to have success."

That is why Calhoun, who set up Saturday's event, is expecting a heated competition in the boys and girls tournaments.

For the boys, Monroe, Westover and Statesboro will vie for a title, while in the girls three-time winner Carrolton is heavily favored but will receive competition from Monroe and Westover.

Monroe boys and girls coach Octavious Jones believes he has seven boys that will go a long way to defending the Tornadoes' title. David Noel (shot put, discus), Derek Tumblin (discus), Christopher Lovett (110 meter hurdles; he won last year), Montravius Williams (high jump), Robert Smith (1600, 3200), Sir Paul Jones (300 hurdles, high jump) and Diamond Jones (800) all have a good chance in their events.

"I think we're looking pretty good to win it," Jones said. "We were the champions last year so we are going to take pride in defending it."

Trying to snatch the title away will be Calhoun's Patriots. He has three athletes that have the potential to win – Greg Green (100, 200, long jump), Kenji Breedlove (triple jump, long jump, 200) and Jacob Metz (pole vault).

"If we can win the pole vault, the triple jump, the long jump, the 100, the 200 and the 4 x 100 relays, that's 60 points right there, that's top four," Calhoun said. "That's our goal."

In girls, Monroe's lineup is not as strong but Lakisha Jackson (high jump, long jump, 100 hurdles), Kenza Wilson (100, 200) and Sekelia Anthony (pole vault) hope to lead the Lady Tornadoes to a top three finish.

For the Lady Patriots, it's a similar story. Ashley Johnson (long, triple, 300 hurdles), along with Moneka and Moneque English (400, 800) will vie for a top three spot as individuals and as a team.

Dougherty might not compete for a title as a team but Brian Bryant (high jump, triple jump), Jamie Jones (triple jump, 400) and Tiffany Anderson (triple jump, long jump) could come out on top in their events.

For Albany, their strength will be in their sprinters.  Dontravius Brown (100, 200, 400) and Barry Diamond (100, 200, 400) believe they can finish at the top.

Atlanta transfer Symone Anthony gives Lee County its best chance for an individual winner in the 800 – he recorded the second best time in the state with a time of 1:55 on Wednesday while Brandon Skiles (3200) and Caleb Ebbetts (pole vaulter) could finish in the top three.

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