After the dust settled at the track and field Georgia State Games Championships, seven members of the Southeast Striders Track and Field Club representing Covington and Conyers had qualified for nationals.

The Georgia State Games were hosted at Marietta High School on July 20. The top three athletes in each event qualified for the State Games of America that take place next year in Lincoln, Nebraska from July 28, 2015 through August 2, 2015.

The State Games of America is an Olympic type sporting event that covers all the athletic disciplines of the regular Olympic games. Nationals are held every two years. Last year’s nationals were held in Pennsylvania.
Below are the athletes that qualified for the State Games of America:

Ben Kennedy - Javelin (third place)

Demarshae Travis - Long jump (first place), 100-meters (third place)

Reece Burton - Javelin (second place)

Darrell Jefferson - Javelin (third place)

Aliyah Williams - 80-meter hurdles (first)

Keira Tace-Mann - Discus (third)

Younger Burton - Shot put (first place)

Demarshae Travis, Reece Burton, Darrell Jefferson, Patrick Murray qualified for the 400-meter relay after taking third place.

Six year old Brandon Gibson was just short of qualifying for nationals with a fifth place finish in the mini-javelin and a fourth place finish in shot put.

Coaches: BJ Kennedy (head coach). Angelynn Kennedy (assistant coach). Ben Kennedy (athlete/coach). Erica Pace (assistant coach). Akila Murray (assistant coach). Mikayla Taylor (assistant coach). Devon Hines (assistant coach).
There will be 60-plus sports and 1800-plus athletes at the State Games of America next year.
BJ Kennedy said his team did really well. Some of them are gearing up for the the AAU Jr. Olympic National Championships this upcoming weekend.