Dalton High School’s Kenneth Escobar repeated as state champion in both ambulatory discus and adaptive shot put at the 2024 GHSA Adapted Track and Field State Championships in Carrollton.

The adapted meet hosted state championships in adaptive and ambulatory events across all classifications. State champions were crowned in boys discus and shot put, as well as wheelchair races, wheelchair shot put and ambulatory sprints. Escobar was the only state competitor in each of the two events he won. According to the GHSA, “An ambulatory student-athlete must have a permanent orthopedic, neuromuscular, visual or other physical disability.” Escobar won both of the events last year.

Escobar’s discus throw traveled 84 feet, 9 inches, while his shot put attempt went 30 feet, 9 inches.

Escobar wasn’t the only athlete from either Whitfield County or Murray County to compete at state track and field competitions.

At the Class 3A State Track and Field Championships in Albany, Coahulla Creek boasted a pair of top-three finishers. Zeke Turso finished second place in Class 3A boys shot put, while Gage Voyles finished third in the state in boys high jump.

Turso’s toss of 50 feet, 6.5 inches netted him the runner-up position. Mary Persons’ Van Tane took the state championship with a throw of 52 feet, 5 inches. Voyles’ jump clearing 6 feet, 4 inches left him in a tie for third place in the state with Peach County’s Brandon Michaels. Ringgold’s Kishaun Taylor was second and Justin Burns of Monroe Comprehensive was the state champion with a jump of 6 feet, 6 inches.

Creek’s Carter Collins also competed at the state competition, coming in at 14th in the state in boys 400-meter dash.

Murray County had a trio compete in the Class 2A state championships, which were held at East Jackson High in Commerce.

Kylee Johnson was seventh in the state in girls shot put and 11th in discus. Laine McConkey finished ninth in the state in girls long jump.