Rockdale Citizen

Photo by Corinne Nicholson

Guilford College freshman Johnathan Smith -- a former student-athlete at Salem High School -- last week was named both the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Men's Track and Field Athlete of the Week and the Guilford College Student-Athlete of the Week.

At the Wake Forest Open, held March 18-20, Smith finished seventh in the 100-meter dash in 10.84 seconds (which is tops among NCAA Division III sprinters). His preliminary qualifying time on March 18 was 10.75, which provisionally qualifies him for the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships, a first for a Guilford student-athlete.

Smith also recorded the second-fastest time in school history (22.12) in the 200 meters, finishing 24th among 137 competitors, and he ran the second leg of the 400-meter relay team, which finished 19th with a time of 45.05.

In February, Smith won the conference's indoor championship in the 55 meters, setting the school record in the process, and he was named second-team ODAC after taking second in the 200 meters.

Adams sisters pace Emory track

ATLANTA -- In Emory University's victory Saturday at the 16-team Emory Track and Field Classic, former Newton standout Alycia Adams contributed to the Lady Eagles' cause.

The senior finished sixth in the 400-meter dash (59.23 seconds) and was on the fourth-place 400-meter relay team (49.90) and the second-place 1,600-meter relay team (4:05.13).

Adams' top times this season have come in the 200 meters, where she's turned in times of 26.28 and 26.42; the 300 meters (a team-best 42.06); and the 500 meters (1:22.35).

Phylicia Adams, also a senior and Alycia Adams' sister, turned in her best times this season in the 55 meters (7.88) and the 60 meters (8.76). Emory will return to the track on Saturday at the Gem of the Hills Invitational at Jacksonville State University in Alabama.

Ezell, Bell lead GPC over CCG

COVINGTON -- Christina Ezell and Lauren Bell teamed up Saturday to lead No. 20 Georgia Perimeter College (19-8, 9-1 in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association) to a doubleheader victory over College of Coastal Georgia. The Jaguars won the first game 9-0 and then swept the series with a 5-0 victory.

Ezell recorded nine strikeouts in the first game, lowering her ERA to 0.80 and bringing her strikeout total for the year to 201 in 123 innings. Bell and Heather Kilar both hit three-run homers in support of Ezell.

In the second game, Bell struck out eight and walked one. Kacie Patterson went 3-for-4 to lead the Jaguars' offense.

On Sunday, the Jaguars split a doubleheader with No. 11 Florida State College in Jacksonville, losing the opener 6-5 and winning the finale by the same 6-5 score in eight innings. Ezell (14-4) was tagged with the loss in the first game, giving up six runs, four hits (including a costly late grand slam) and five walks and striking out eight.

Bell (6-5) earned the win in the second game, giving up seven hits and three walks to go with one strikeout. Former Eastside standout Sierra Petree got the game-winning RBI, drawing a bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning, and Katlyn Smith added four hits.

GPC returns home on Friday, hosting East Georgia College, beginning at 4 p.m.

Quick hits

Former Eastside star Catherine Lee went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs on Sunday as No. 13 Missouri completed a three-game Big 12 sweep of No. 19 Texas Tech with a 10-1 victory; The Tigers play Wednesday at North Texas before a conference series against Baylor this weekend. ... Former Salem pitcher Jake Dyer earned his fourth save of the year last Friday when he came on in relief in Georgia State's 11-8 Colonial Athletic Conference foe Virginia Commonwealth; Dyer is 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA, with 13 hits and nine strikeouts in 16 innings pitched. ... Former Rockdale standout Buck Farmer (4-1) pitched eight innings on Sunday, giving up three hits and a career-high nine as No. 12 Georgia Tech defeated Miami 3-1 to take an Atlantic Coast Conference sweep of the Hurricanes; Georgia Tech hosts Mercer at 6 p.m. today.