May 15, 2026 — In what has become an annual point of pride, Cobb Schools student-athletes have again proved their mettle by winning medals at the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) Track & Field (T&F) State Championships. At the 2026 GHSA Track & Field meet, more than 140 Cobb Schools athletes qualified to compete for individual state championships. This year, Cobb students won 12 first-place medals over three classifications, and the Pope girls track team once again won the 5A Team State Championship.
Class 4A Results
The Allatoona High School and Kell High School track teams each had several participants at the state championships.
Allatoona had 25 individual event qualifiers across its girls' and boys' squads. They had four top-three finishes (the second through fourth-place finishers are listed below).
Kell’s track team had six athletes place in the top 4; three earned silver medals and stood atop their podiums as state champions. Senior Miley Booker won the Girls 100-meter sprint with a time of 11.73 seconds, and senior Justin Arogundade secured gold in the Boys Long Jump.
The Kell girls team and the Allatoona boys team each finished sixth overall.
Class 5A Results
The Pope High School girls track team solidified the program’s elite status by earning its second straight Team State Championship. The back-to-back Greyhound girls had nine top-4 finishers, sparking them to a team total of 69 points, giving them a nearly 20-point victory over the team in second. Four event state champions brought in 40 of those points (a first-place finish earns 10 team points).
“Words cannot express the pride I have in this team,” Pope track coach Jerad Johnson praised. “It is a perfect blend of great people who also happen to be incredible athletes. They love each other, encourage each other, and fight for each other. Winning a state championship at any level, anywhere is hard. We are extremely blessed to get to experience this two years in a row.”
The team’s success stood on the foundation of individual performances. Senior Josie Hutchinson won gold for the Greyhounds in both the 1,600-meter (5:05.38) and 3,200-meter (11:05.56) races. Junior Aislynn Dunn took first place in the 800-meter (2:15.34), giving Pope a sweep of the distance races. The 4x800-meter relay team of Dunn, Hutchinson, senior Simi Lawani, and sophomore Phoebe Throckmorton also won gold by passing the baton for a new 5A state record (9:13.09), undercutting the previous mark, set by Pope in 2025, by over six seconds.
Kennesaw Mountain junior Ava Okeke won a gold medal for the Mustangs in Girls Pole Vault, clearing 13 feet to earn the title.
"Ava is a consistent, hard-working athlete whose continued progress has led to success as the 5A State Pole Vault Champion," Kennesaw Mountain girls track coach Douglas Golden said.
Class 6A Results
In the largest classification in the state, Cobb Schools had 21 top-4 finishers, and four schools celebrated individual event state champions.
McEachern sophomore Mina Lovelace can lay some claim to being the fastest prep star in the state of Georgia as she sprinted to gold in both the 100-meter (11.79) and 200-meter (23.61) races.
“Mina established herself as one of the elite athletes in Georgia this past season,” McEachern track coach Philip Hoskins noted. “Her hard work and dedication to the classroom and weight room have paid off on the track. She is a true leader of her peers through her work ethic at practice.”
Harrison junior Riley Comstock was the lone boys gold medalist from Cobb Schools in the 6A classification. Riley reached the tape at 1:53.45 in the 800-meter to win for the Hoyas.
North Cobb sophomore Zoe Oye won first place in the Girls High Jump, clearing 5-feet-8-inches. She also won silver in the Girls Triple Jump and brought home the bronze in the Girls Long Jump. With that outstanding leaping ability, Zoe earned the Class 6A Girls “High Point Scorer” honor for the state meet.
“We are extremely proud of Zoe’s accomplishments,” North Cobb girls track coach Josh Shaw said, speaking for all of Warriors Nation. “To not only qualify in three jumping events, but to place top-3 in all of them, is a testament to her hard work, dedication, and competitiveness.”
 |  |
Staying in the Field part of T&F, Walton junior Ayla Inan won the gold in Girls Discus with her best throw of 144-feet-10-inches, 16 feet beyond her nearest competitor. She also won the discus title in 2025.
“Ayla just does everything the right way,” Walton girls track coach Patrick Kay emphasized. “The way she warms up, the way she practices; it’s what champions do, and that’s why she’s so good. She approaches every day with the same mindset, that today is the day she builds the foundation for her next state title. That’s why when competition happens, it’s not luck when she wins, it’s the fruits of her dedication and hard work. I’m excited to see her defend her state title again next year!”
Ayla’s 10 points helped the Walton girls place third in the team standings with 51 points.
“Our girls really showed up, and I couldn’t be more proud of the collective effort of the team,” Coach Kay insisted. “We scored points in every discipline. We scored in the relays, the throws, the vertical jumps, the sprints, and the distance. Safe to say our girls put it all out there! Throughout the season, you could see them growing closer together, invested in each other’s success, and from that support came the confidence we needed to be successful.”
Overall Results
When the 2026 GHSA T&F State Championships were concluded, Cobb Schools had amassed 13 gold, 11 silver, and 12 bronze medals. It was another super successful lap around the track for Cobb Schools athletes — athletes Built for Beyond.
Other Top-4 Finishers
Allatoona
4A Boys 4x400m Relay – 3rd
4A Boys 4x800m Relay – 2nd
4A Boys Pole Vault – senior Nygel Strong – 3rd
4A Girls Pole Vault – senior Lindsey Magaw – 3rd
Harrison
6A Boys 1600m – junior Riley Comstock – 2nd
6A Girls 800m – sophomore Paige Comstock – 4th
6A Girls 1600m – sophomore Paige Comstock – 2nd
6A Girls 3200m – freshman Norah Hickerson – 4th
Hillgrove
6A Girls 100m Hurdles – sophomore Lauryn Lynch – 3rd
Kell
4A Boys 300m Hurdles – senior Martin Yancey – 4th
4A Girls 200m – senior Miley Booker – 2nd
4A Girls 4x100m Relay – 2nd
4A Girls 4x400m Relay – 2nd
Kennesaw Mountain
5A Boys Pole Vault – junior Ben Chisamore – 2nd
McEachern
6A Boys 100m – senior Ja’ree Williams – 3rd
6A Girls 4x100 Relay – 2nd
North Cobb
6A Girls Long Jump – sophomore Zoe Oye – 3rd
6A Girls Triple Jump – sophomore Zoe Oye – 2nd
Pope
5A Girls 400m – sophomore Pasha Clayton – 4th
5A Girls 100m Hurdles – junior Lauren Woodall – 4th
5A Girls 300m Hurdles – junior Lauren Woodall – 4th
5A Girls 4x100m Relay – 3rd
5A Girls 4x200m Relay – 3rd
Walton
6A Boys Pole Vault – senior Aiden Ziolo – 3rd
6A Girls 100m – junior Somto Igwilo – 3rd
6A Girls 200m – junior Somto Igwilo – 2nd
6A Girls 4x800m Relay – 2nd
6A Girls Pole Vault – junior Charlotte Smith – 3rd
6A Girls Discus – senior Samantha Luchenbill – 3rd
Wheeler
6A Boys 200m – senior Da’Kari Moore – 4th
h/t photos provided by Kennesaw Mountain HS, McEachern HS, North Cobb HS, and Pope HS
