ATLANTA TRACK CLUB ALL-METRO TEAM: Kennedy Simon headlines

Four track & field athletes were honored with outstanding athlete awards at Atlanta Track Club’s Powerade All-Metro Track & Field Banquet Wednesday night.

Westlake High School senior Kennedy Simon was named the Most Outstanding Track Athlete. Simon, the 7A State Champion in the 400 meter dash received the award which is given annually to the top female high school track athlete in the metro-Atlanta area. Her time of 52.52 was the third fastest in the United States in 2018 and the third fastest time ever run by a high school student in Georgia.

“I just focus on what I gotta do to get the job done,” Simon said. “Be patient. To stay focused. I guess that’s one of the most important things.” Simon plans to attend the University of Texas next year.

Simon was honored earlier in the year as the WSB-TV Athlete of the Week for track.

Parkview High School Senior Justin Long was named 2018’s Most Outstanding Track Athlete. He was the 7A State Championship in the 200 meter dash and 400 meter dash. Long’s time of 46.14 in the 400 meter is the fourth fastest time ever run by a Georgia High School student.

Long told Johnson he applies the lessons of track and field to his studies. “I use it to push me in the classroom and in the harder things in life. I just push through it til I get to a better place,” Long said. Long, who will attend Oklahoma State University next year, was also named to the All-Metro 4x100 meter relay team.

Kimberly Harris of Buford High School was named the Most Outstanding Female Field Athlete. The 5A state champion’s season best long jump of 20’ 2.5” was the fourth best long jump in the United States in 2018.

“For me to be honored like this is a really big deal because I never really thought I’d be this high up for long jump,” said Harris. A versatile athlete, Harris was also the fifth fastest 400 meter runner in the country this year and was named to the All-Metro 4x100 meter relay team.

Tanner Duffin, a junior at St. Pius X, was named the Most Outstanding Male Field Athlete. The discus thrower’s personal best throw of 203’ 8” was a state best in 2018 and more than ten feet further than the next best mark.

““I love doing this. Even if I wasn’t good I’d still love doing it.” Duffin said. “I always want to be the very best I can be.”

All Most Outstanding Athlete honorees receive a $1,500 scholarship from Atlanta Track Club. “We live our lives through dreams and the work that it takes to get to those dreams,” Johnson, who broadcasts Olympic sports including track and field, told the athletes. “Enjoy this part of the journey because it is going to be something you remember for a long time.”

Atlanta Track Club’s Powerade All-Metro Track & Field Banquet recognizes the best athletes from the 12 county area. This year, 49 athletes from 27 schools were honored. Athletes are selected selected based on criteria including season bests, their performances at major meets throughout the season, and their finishes at the GHSA State Championships. The community and coaches then vote online for outstanding male and female track athletes and most outstanding male and female field athletes.

ATLANTA — 2018 All-Metro Track & Field Girls Team

Girls Event	Name	School	Grad Year	Class	County
100 meter dash	Jazmine Hobson	Shiloh High School	2020	7A	Gwinnett
200 meter dash	Trinity Price	Buford High School	2021	5A	Gwinnett
400 meter dash	Kennedy Simon	Westlake High School	2018	7A	Fulton
800 meter run	Naima Turbes	Westminster Schools	2018	3A	Fulton
1600 meter run	Brynne Sumner	Woodstock High School	2019	7A	Cherokee
3200 meter run	Ellie Hall	Marietta High School	2019	7A	Cobb
100 meter hurdles	Tia Jones	Walton High School	2019	7A	Cobb
300 meter hurdles	Jasmine Jones	Greater Atlanta Christian	2020	3A	Gwinnett
4x100 meter relay	Buford High School Trinity Price Alexa Rossum Trinity Rossum Kimberly Harris Hayley Iverson Preston Reid			5A	Gwinnett
4x400 meter relay	North Springs High School Kayla Tolbert Saran Kouyeth Kennedi Weston Shields Jayda Drake-Howard Mckinze Nation Lailah Williams			5A	Fulton
Long Jump	Kimberly Harris	Buford High School	2018	5A	Gwinnett
Triple Jump	Victoria Agyin	McEachern High School	2018	7A	Cobb
High Jump	Elasia Campbell	Walton High School	2019	7A	Cobb
Pole Vault	Mackenzie Gignilliat	Walker School	2019	1A-Private	Cobb
Shot Put	Javon Joyner	Norcross High School	2018	7A	Gwinnett
Discus	Elsie Igberaese	Dacula High School	2019	6A	Gwinnett

State Champion Coaches

Classification	School	Coaches	County
A Private	Wesleyan	Chad McDaniel, Justin Krueger, Chip Myrick, Chris Yoder, Isiah Hill	Gwinnett
AAAA	Chapel Hill High School	Kelly Williams, Travis Mahalik, Anthony Mandani, O’Neisha Smith, Scott Long, Chad Miller	Douglas
AAAAA	Buford High School	Fyrone Davis, Ron King, Crystal Fowler, Chrissy Woodson	Gwinnett
AAAAAA	Alexander High School	Brian Robinson, Steve Duncan,	Douglas
AAAAAAA	Marietta High School	Nick Houstalakis, Jack Coleman	Cobb

2018 All-Metro Track & Field Girls Team

Event	Name	School	Grad Year	Class	County
100 meter dash	Javaughn Moore	Wheeler High School	2018	7A	Cobb
200 meter dash	Jacob Smith	Allatoona High School	2018	6A	Cobb
400 meter dash	Justin Long	Parkview High School	2018	7A	Gwinnett
800 meter run	Kameron Schofield	Sequoyah High School	2018	6A	Cherokee
1600 meter run	Kyle Harkabus	East Coweta High School	2020	7A	Coweta
3200 meter run	Sam Bowers	Milton High School	2018	7A	Fulton
110 meter hurdles	Cameron Murray	Westlake High School	2018	7A	Fulton
300 meter hurdles	Latrell Murray	Luella High School	2018	4A	Henry
4x100 meter relay	Parkview High School Christian Malloy Justin Long Keith Williams Matthew Chavers Tommy Rogers Zak Blake			7A	Gwinnett
4x400 meter relay	Fayette County High School Josh Dupree Seth Holloway Jaylan Coleman Trey Johnson Cameron Johnson Zachary Filmore			5A	Fayette
Long Jump	William Jones	Lithia Springs High School	2018	5A	Douglas
Triple Jump	Keshun Byrd	Cedar Grove High School	2018	3A	Dekalb
High Jump	Pache' Caldwell	Riverwood International Charter School	2018	5A	Fulton
Pole Vault	Jack Haller	West Forsyth High School	2018	7A	Forsyth
Shot Put	Jeremiah Pierce	Carrollton High School	2018	5A	Carroll
Discus	Tanner Duffin	St. Pius X	2019	4A	Dekalb

State Champion Coaches

Classification	School	Coaches	County
AAA	Cedar Grove High School	Jermaine Smith	Douglas
AAAA	St. Pius X	Ryan McClay	Dekalb
AAAAA	Dutchtown High School	Calvin Gibson	Henry
AAAAAA	Allatoona High School	Patrick Parsons, Jonathan McKinney	Cobb
AAAAAAA	Parkview High School	Matt Henson	Gwinnett

Cox Media Group

WSB-TV Athlete of the Week headlines Atlanta Track Club's All-Metro Track & Field Team

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WSB-TV Athlete of the Week headlines Atlanta Track Club's All-Metro Track & Field Team

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