Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

A quartet of Troup High track and field athletes has forever left their mark in the history books. Takera Blackmon, Alayah Sanders, Ayriel Martin and Amariya Harris came together to capture the GHSA 3A 4×100 relay state championship in Albany this past Saturday.

“It was such an amazing feeling,” Martin said. “I’ve never felt that with track before.”

“It was the best feeling ever,” Blackmon added. 

It was a dominant season for this set of Tigers, who set the pace in 3A all season. It was unsurprising to see the four of them capture region and sectional titles before setting the mark even higher at state.

The Tigers put up a mark of 48.14 seconds, narrowly edging out Monroe Area, which finished at 48.59 seconds. This was a personal best and a new school record for Troup.

“We want to set a new PR and break the school record again next year,” Harris said to approval from her three teammates. 

The team has been self-motivated all season, but a new track and field coach has helped elevate the squad. All four credited first-year head coach Mario Walker for helping the team capture a state championship.

“He’s been an amazing coach and really pushed us and showed us what we can do when we are consistent and work hard,” Martin said. 

Despite being the favorite to win it all, the Tigers were not brimming with confidence on the day. The warm-ups and practices beforehand were less than stellar. The nerves began to jangle, but the Tigers never lost focus on their ultimate prize.

“I can’t lie, I was very nervous,” Harris said. “I felt like there was a lot of pressure on us to win it after how we did at region and sectionals.”

Coming into the 2025 season, these four girls did not have a state championship on their minds. Their initial goal was to qualify for state, but that goal changed as the team racked up first-place finish after first-place finish.

“We didn’t even come into this season thinking about state, but once we started winning first at every meet and then we won region, so that really gave us a boost of confidence going to state,” Martin said. 

The lineup has not changed this year. Blackmon goes first, Martin goes second, Sanders is third and Harris brings up the rear. 

When Harris hit the finish line in Albany with the other teams in her dust, it was a feeling like no other.

“I saw her finish first and was super excited,” Sanders said. “It’s hard to describe that feeling.”

Blackmon, Martin and Harris ran the 4×100 for Troup last year, but were not close to the pace set by the state champions. The three got quicker and added Sanders, a freshman, who has helped put the team over the top this year.

“This year’s team is way more consistent,” Blackmon said. “We really haven’t focused on winning. We focus on beating ourselves and continue to break the school record.”

The quartet did not find its groove right away. Blackmon and Sanders transitioned from cheer to track and field while Harris jumped from the basketball season into track. It took a little time to knock off some of the rust that had accumulated in their time playing other sports. 

“It took me like two weeks to get back into track shape after basketball,” Harris said. 

“My first race of the year was a hot mess,” she added as the four shared a laugh. 

With the entire starting lineup returning next year, the 4×100 relay team is hungry for another shot at gold. Doing it once is nice, but doing it twice is legendary.

“I love it because it doesn’t matter who is fastest, everybody’s part matters,” Sanders said. “We couldn’t do it without all four of us.”