Josh Burks leads the pack in the 200M Dash (Record Photo/Lindsay Vaught)

MADISON- On to state. That is the word for both James Clemens and Bob Jones track and field teams after dominating Sectional 4,Class 7A Saturday at James Clemens track stadium. For the second year in a row, James Clemens finished in first place. This year , an improved Bob Jones team finished second.

James Clemens qualified 41 for state, Bob Jones qualified 30. Athletes leave Wednesday for AHSAA Track and Field Championships in Gulf Shores. Several are favorites to win state championships.

“We scored in everything we thought we would score in,” said first-year Bob Jones track and field coach Brad Jefferson. “Everybody we brought today has qualified for state. On the men’s side we have two in 300M Hurdles, two in 100M dash, and our 4×100 relay team set a state record.”

Many of the Bob Jones runners are also football players.

The entire 4×100 relay team is former or current Bob Jones football players.

“We start off with Jarek Taylor,” Jefferson said. “He eats up the front curve and he gives off to our second fastest runner Miles Strickland. He hands off to Torrey Hunt our best curve runner. Deondre Douglas closes out. He always runs a great leg. I think we should win a state championship in the 4×100 and 4×400. We have the best time in the state in both events.”

On the girl’s side Anna Gierow took first in the 100M and 300M Hurdles. She also took first in the high jump and third in the long jump.

Jefferson said that Gierow is considered the favorite to win a state title in the 300M Hurdles.

She has given up soccer for Bob Jones to concentrate solely on track after signing a track scholarship with Auburn last week.

She is hoping a year of training will help her win her first state championship.

“I feel a lot stronger than I did last year,” said Gierow who set a personal record in the 100M Hurdles in preliminaries.

Jarek Taylor only started running hurdles this season and won the 300M.

“I always wanted to try it (hurdling). In the 200M dash I was strong so if I can get over the hurdles smoothly I can just run my race,” said Taylor who gave up his spot on the 4×400 relay to pick up the 300M hurdles.

Taylor is a football signee with Samford University.

Jarek Taylor (left) with Josh Burks

James Clemens scored with Kayla Williams winning the 100M Dash and Josh Burks won the 100M and 200M dash. He is a heavy favorite to win a state championship.

Burks competes in four running events including the 4×100 and 4×400 relay. He was the difference in the final leg of the 4×400 relay as he got the win for James Clemens by a split second over Miles Strickland of Bob Jones.

“I love competing against Jarek and all the guys out here,” Burks said. “I know them all, it’s friendly competition. I train with them when I can. I knew Jarek back in middle school.”

Burks signed a track scholarship with Auburn.

“I feel good about that. It got a lot of pressure off me. Now I can focus on one thing; winning a state championship.”

Last year less than 10 athletes from Bob Jones qualified.

“This is where we want to be,” Jefferson said. “We have a lot of great runners and we’re still young. We had 220 kids come out for track this year which is a record.”