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Walters breaks record
Girls Track pic1
Madalyn Walters checks her time as she crosses the finish line in a race held earlier this season. Walters won the region championship with a school record time of 11:43 in the 3200-meter race last Saturday. She qualified in the 1,600-meters and 3,200-meters for the state meet in Albany this weekend. - photo by File photo

Madalyn Walters is headed to the girl’s state track meet. Walters captured the Region 8-AA championship last week in the 3,200-meters at East Jackson High School in Commerce. Walters finished a considerable distance ahead of second place runner Dorie Faber of North Oconee who was 23 seconds behind her.

 

Walters finished with a time of 11:43.43. The time not only won the region meet, but set a new school record.

 

Walters had already punched her ticket to state on Saturday with a runner-up finish in the 1,600-meters. Walters ran a time of 5:25.11 to finish just behind Olivia Figg of North Oconee who crossed the finish line at 5:21.21.

 

It was a day in which several Lady Tiger runners had a chance to advance, but in the end only Walters made it to Albany.

 

Walters will run in the state final at Hugh Mills Stadium in Albany in two events.

At 7:50 p.m. May 12 she will take part in the 3,200-meter final and at 7:45 p.m. May 13, she will run in the 1,600-meter final.

 

Dawson County Lady Tiger Kimberly Wallace almost qualified in the 100-meter finals but came up a little short.

 

Wallace came in third place with a time of 13.47. She picked up six team points. Winning the 100-meter race was Marissa Craft of Hart County with a time of 12.87. Second was Cintasha Burch of Hart with a time of 13.24. If something were to happen to one of the top two runners then Wallace would compete in Albany.

 

Gracie Hovan ran in the 200-meter and finished in sixth place with a time of 28.45. Hovan picked up three team points for Dawson County. Cintasha Burch of Hart won the title breaking the tape with a time of 27.15. Olivia Brown of North Oconee came in second.

 

In the 800-meter race, Rachel Glockner finished in seventh place in 2:44.81 for two team points. Olivia Pigg of North Oconee won the race with a time of 2:24.46. North Oconee also captured second place when Sheila Donovan crossed the finish with a time of 2:25.72.

 

The 4 x 400 team of Reese Bryant, Walters, Hovan and Wallace finished in seventh place with a respectable time of 4:36.87 in the finals. Hart County won the region title with a time of 4:10.94. North Oconee was the runners-up in the event.

 

Lady Tiger Bethany Auten competed in the 3200-meters and finished in ninth place with a time of 15:05.81.

 

As a team, the Lady Tigers finished in fourth place with 55 total points. North Oconee took the Region 8-AA title with 154 points.