Willie Holloway showed he was the best athlete in last year’s Class AAAAA shot put at the Georgia Olympics. He just didn’t have the hardware to prove it when he came home.
But the East Coweta senior hopes he won’t return empty-handed again in his final trip to Jefferson.
Holloway again will enter today’s field events at the Georgia High School Association Track and Field Championships as the top seed in the shot put following a top throw of 52 feet, 8 inches during the West Sectional meet at McEachern on April 28.
The Indian standout’s throw was approximately two feet longer than any other entry in Class AAAAA, easily making him a favorite in today’s field events during the first of three days of competition at the Georgia Olympics.
Last year, Holloway bettered that mark in each of his preliminary throws at the state finals.
“I was throwing around fifty-five, fifty-six (feet) each time,” he said during practice at Garland Shoemake Stadium on Tuesday.
But all three landed in foul territory, eliminating him from competition.
“Just before he was set to compete they pulled him aside and said there was a problem with his uniform,” said East Coweta track coach Trace Overton. “I think that just messed him up mentally. He just couldn’t straighten it out.”
Remarkably, Holloway didn’t pick up the shot until his sophomore year, shortly after a becoming an instant standout on the football field as a defensive lineman and fullback.
East Coweta and Newnan will both be represented in the Class AAAAA state meet, with senior David Singleton joining Holloway among Indians entries. Singleton will run Friday’s preliminaries in the 110-yard high hurdles after setting a new school record during the season, while now hoping to reach Saturday’s state finals.
Cougar senior Jalen Bolton competes in both the long jump and triple jump today after qualifying in both events at the sectional level.
In Class AAAA, Northgate will be represented by a pair of state qualifiers. Adrian Tolbert expects to be in the mix for a potential state title in the high jump in what should be a deep field following East and West sectional meets. Tolbert was the first of six athletes at the West meet that cleared 6-4 while winning the event.
Junior Alex Anderson competes in one of today’s first events at 12 p.m., after qualifying in the Class AAAA pole vault. Anderson cleared 12-6 at the sectional level while being tutored by his father and Viking coach, Adrian, who was a vaulter at Auburn University.
Both Anderson and Holloway will be up first today at noon for respective events. Bolton competes in the Class AAAAA triple jump at 2 p.m. and Tolbert the Class AAAA high jump at 2:30. Bolton then returns at 6 p.m., for the Class AAAAA long jump.
It’ll be a chance for all three schools to get on the scoresheet at the Georgia Olympics after being shut out in 2011.
“We just want to go out and have a complete meet this year,” said Singleton, who enters with season-best mark of 14.4 in the hurdles.
Overton would like nothing better than to see the two Indian seniors end respective careers with strong efforts. Both were All-County football standouts who are hoping to land potential scholarships for next year.
“They’re both good kids,” said Overton.
