The Richmond Hill track and field team is sending 19 athletes to the state meet, the most ever in program history. Sectionals were held this past Saturday at Grovetown.

The state meet will be May 10-12 in Carrollton.

“The athletes were extremely poised and ready to compete this weekend,” Coach Levi Sybert said. “We have a couple of weeks to get ready for state.”

The Richmond Hill boys’ team finished second at last year’s state meet, two points out of first place. They are led once again by Sam James, who qualified in four events, as did L’Marqez Prather.

James will defend his state title in the 400, and he’ll also run the 200, as well as the 4x100 and 4x400 relays.

The Wildcats took first in the 4x400 last year. Joining James on that relay team this time around will be Danny Haddo, Justin Jeffery and Bryce Eads.

Prather will join James, Jeffery and Matthew Clark on the 4x100 relay team.

Prather and Clark also qualified in the 100, while Prather qualified in the long jump and 200.

Rakeem Littles qualified at 800 and 1600 meters, while Jalen Murray qualified at 1600 and 3200. Lucas Van Ginkel qualified in the 800, as did Cooper Williams in the 3200.

Lachlan Holt joins them at the state meet in the shot put.

On the girls’ side, Kayla Gholar qualified in three events.

She will run the 800 and 1600 and join Mackenzie Frei, Kalia Whyte and Dericka Infante on the 4x400 relay team.

Frei also qualified in the 100, as did Whyte in the 300 hurdles.

Stella Pierre-Louis and Taylor Elkins both qualified in the 3200, while Mikayla Bobkoskie did the same in the pole vault.

“We really are going to push for the podium hard in our mental and physical preparation,” Sybert said. “This is a great time for the season to see what blossoms at the end of a full season of tilling efforts.”