J.L. Mann girls win track title, plus top Greenville County performances at SCHSL championships

Joe Dandron
Greenville News

The SCHSL state championships were in high gear in Columbia this weekend for all five classifications.

Highlighted by Southside Christian freshman Grayson Gibbons, the first athlete to win four events at the state track finals (any classification) since 2014, Greenville County had multiple individual state champions. 

1A STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS: How Southside Christian's Grayson Gibbons raced into rare air at 1A state championships

TRACK AND FIELD: 30 Greenville-area track and field athletes to watch at the state championship

Here are the 15 best performances from athletes competing for Greenville-area schools over the weekend: 

Boys

Teams: The Greer Middle College and Southside Christian boys won the Class A and Class AA state championships. Greenville High's boys also won the Class AAAA state championship behind a big day from Knox Young, who won the 1600 and 800 in AAAA.

Ezekiel Bailey, Southside Christian, Jr.: Bailey won the Class A pole vault  by clearing 11 feet.

Grayson Gibbons, Southside Christian, Fr.: Gibbons became the first track athlete since 2014 to win four events. He won the 1600-, 3200- and 800-meter events and also anchored the Sabres' 3,200 relay team. 

Alex Lear, Greenville, Sr.: Lear finished second in the 1600 in AAAA on Saturday, running 4:25.47.

Jordan Hunter, Southside, Sr.: Hunter finished sixth to make all-state recognition at the AAA state championships.

Ty Jones, Riverside, Fr.: Jones, the only freshman in the AAAAA 1600, finished eighth in the event with a time of 4:28.21.

Riverside's Ty Jones runs during track and practice at Riverside High School, in Greer, Thursday April 21, 2022.

Blake Presley, Eastside, Sr.: Presley leaves Eastside after his final meet as one of the best throwers in SCHSL history. He won his second AAAA shot put title in a row. 

MORE: A trio of local freshmen could be future of Greenville County distance running

Lucas Pryor, Greer Middle College, Sr.: Pryor won the Class AA pole vault, clearing 13-0  and was a half-foot better than second place (GMC senior Joe Durrell).

Luke Schuller, Greenville, Jr.: Schuller won the javelin throw in Class AAAA.

Southside High School 4x100 relay team: The Tigers won one event at the Class AAA state championships, the 4x100 in 3:23.69.

Adam Trusty, Greer Middle College, Sr.: Trusty won the Class AA 800 in 2:02.39. 

Jake Wadas, Wade Hampton, Jr.: Wadas finished third in the AAAAA 1,600 in 4:18.55. Teammate Trey Sullivan was fifth in 4:21.81. Wadas also finished fourth in the 3,200 in 9:32.96.

For subscribers: ​​​Injuries pushed Eastside's Blake Presley to drop football, then shot put changed his life

 Knox Young, Greenville, Soph.: Young is a dynamic runner. He won the 1600 and 800 on Saturday night after weather delays, giving the Red Raiders a team title in the process.

Girls

Teams: J.L. Mann's won thestate championship in Class AAAAA on Friday,  beating out Blythewood for the title. Southside Christian finished third after a scoring error originally had them finishing second. Greenville High's girls won the team state title as

Cloe Dew, Isabella Maria, Southside Christian, Jr.: Both juniors, Maria and Dew both cleared 8-6 in the pole vault to tie for the Class A title. 

Hannah Hallex, Blue Ridge: Hallex finished third in the high jump at the Class AAA meet with a leap of 4-10.

Hattie Jennings, Greer Middle College, Jr.: GMC always has good distance runners, but Jennings shined, winning the 1,600 and 3,200 at the Class AA finals.

Ja'Mia Johnson, JL Mann, Sr.: The Patriots' top hurdler, Johnson finished third in both the 400 hurdles and 100 hurdles in Class AAAAA.

Miah Johnson, Riverside, Soph.: Just a sophomore, Johnson finished second in the AAAAA 800 in 2:18.76.

Caroline Lyerly, Greenville, Jr.: Lyerly won the Class AAAA 3,200 with a time of 11:03.78 and finished second in the 1,600. She also was a member of the Red Raiders champion 4x800 relay team.

Emma Mills, Eastside, Fr.: Mills set school  records in the 100 and 200. She finished fourth in the AAAA 100.

Sharona Priester, Eastside, Sr.: Priester won the girls triple jump in Class AAAA, leaping 36 feet.

Bre'Asia Robinson, Greenville, Sr.: Robinson won the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.87 and finished second in the 200 meter dash at the AAAA finals.

Madison Roush, J.L. Mann, Sr.: Roush, who is Clemson-bound to run for the Tigers, won the AAAAA 800 on Friday in 2:17.63.

Gabby Swinton, Blue Ridge, Sr.: Swinton won the AAA shot put title Saturday. She also broke the school record this year.

Taymar Smith, Greer Middle College Charter, Sr.: Smith won the AA title in the 800 in 2:27.46.

Alina Uguz, Christ Church, 7th: Just a 7th grader, Uguz won the high jump in Class AA by clearing 4-10.

Keniya Walker, Greenville, Sr.: Walker won the 400-meter dash with a time of 57.51 seconds.

Joe Dandron covers high school athletics for The Greenville News. You can contact him with story ideas, stats and more at jdandron@greenvillenews.com, follow him on Twitter: @JoeMDandron.