Colquitt's Gregory, Wier earn Positive Athlete recognition

Apr. 30—MOULTRIE, Ga. — Colquitt County High diver Tuck Gregory and cross country runner Jaelyn Wier are among those named as Southwest Georgia Regional Positive Athlete winners.

Positive Athletes is a recognition program that celebrates high-character high school student-athletes and coaches who have given back to their communities in a significant way.

The program was started in 2014.

The Southwest Georgia region is made up of Baker, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brooks, Calhoun, Clay, Colquitt, Cook, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Echols, Grady, Irwin, Lanier, Lee, Lowndes, Miller, Mitchell, Quitman, Randolph, Seminole, Terrell, Thomas, Tift, Turner and Worth counties.

Of this and that:

—Moss Farms diver Ann Caroline Taylor has signed to compete at Birmingham Southern College.

Birmingham Southern is an NCAA Division IIl program that competes in the Southern Athletic Conference.

Taylor attends Thomasville High School.

—West Georgia University's Henry Daniels will take a .343 batting average into the Gulf South Conference baseball tournament scheduled to open on Friday, May 5.

The former Colquitt County and ABAC slugger has 10 doubles, a triple and 14 home runs for the Wolves, who are 31-16 overall and 17-13 in GSC play.

Daniels has driven in 48 runs.

—The Centennial High School baseball team, under first-year coach Colin Kirkland, will take a 24-8 record into the second round of the Class 5A state playoffs.

The Knights went 15-3 in Region 6-5A.

—JT Whatley is hitting .320 with four doubles, seven home runs and 33 RBIs for the 26-21 Andrew College baseball team.

Teammate Gavin Steptoe, a left-handed pitcher, has a 3-1 record after appearing in 12 games, including four starts.

—Abby Plymel is hitting .261 with seven doubles and 14 runs batted in for the 24-14 ABAC women's softball team.

ABAC is 16-2 in conference games.

—Jeb Johnson, a pitcher for the ABAC baseball team, is 9-4 after 17 appearances, including 13 starts. He has struck out 83 batters, an average of 10.57 per nine innings.

—Region 1 champion Lowndes remains alive in the Class 7A state baseball tournament.

The Vikings, the first undefeated Region 1 baseball champion since 1999 (when Lowndes also did not lose a region game), eliminated Westlake 15-11 and 12-2 in the first round and took down Grayson in the second round, winning 8-6 and 16-1.

Lowndes will face North Gwinnett in a best-of-3 third-round series starting Thursday.

Region 1 runner-up Richmond Hill won its first state playoff series, eliminating Campbell 6-5 and 3-0, but was ousted by Parkview in the second round by 11-1 and 13-1 scores.

No. 3 Valdosta and No. 4 Colquitt County were eliminated in the first round.

—In boys tennis, Region 1 champion Camden County defeated Westlake 4-0 and Parkview 3-2 before falling in the third round to West Forsyth 0-3.

No. 2 Richmond Hill won its first-round match over Carrollton 3-2 before being eliminated by Harrison 0-3.

Valdosta also defeated its first round opponent, winning 5-0 over East Coweta, before being eliminated by Brookwood 0-3.

Colquitt's boys lost their first-round match at Campbell 0-3.

—In girls tennis, Region 1 champion Valdosta is still alive after two rounds, defeating East Coweta 5-0 and Parkview 3-0.

North Gwinnett is next up for the Lady Cats.

Camden County, Lowndes and Colquitt County won first-round matches, but were eliminated in the second round.

Camden beat Westlake 4-1, but lost to Brookwood 1-3; Lowndes beat Campbell 3-2, then lost to Hillgrove 1-3; and Colquitt eliminated Region 2 champion Carrollton 3-2 before falling at Marietta 0-3.

—In boys soccer, region champion Colquitt County, Camden County and Lowndes all lost in the first round.

Region runner-up Richmond Hill opened with 3-2 wins over Carrollton and Brookwood before being eliminated by Lambert in the third round by a 2-0 score.

Lambert will face Walton for the boys state championship.

—Richmond Hill's Region 1 champion girls also won their first two matches, shutting out Westlake 7-0 and Brookwood 1-0 before falling to Denmark 4-0.

Region 1 runner-up Lowndes blanked Carrollton 4-0 in the first round before being eliminated by Archer 3-0.

The Camden County and Colquitt County girls both lost their state playoff openers by 10-0 scores.

Denmark will face Walton for the state title.