By Kevin Price
Riyon Rankin jumped his way to a state
championship last month.
So, 912 Sports placed him atop our list for the
Coastal Pines Technical College Male Student-
Athlete of the Month for June, too.
The Brunswick High high jump specialist was
crowned the Class AAAAAA state champion in May
as cleared 7 feet to claim his first-ever state title as
a member of the Pirates’ track and field team.
The Brunswick junior standout actually had the
state title won when he cleared 6-10 as the
favorite for the championship going into the meet
in Carrollton.
Last spring, Rankin finished third in the state
competition as a sophomore on his first
appearance in the finals while nursing an injury
that hampered his preparation.
The state runner-up this year was East Paulding’s
Ashriel Dixon who cleared 6-8. Ian Hodge from
Tucker was third as he cleared 6-6.
Rankin actually cleared 7-1 during a meet earlier in
the season which ranks as one of the best marks
by a prep athlete in the country this spring.
The top jump by a high-school athlete in the 2002
track and field season was 7-4.5 by Jace Posey
from Strake, Houston, Texas. His mark was listed
as the nation’s best by trackandfieldnews.com.
The 7-1 jump by Rankin was actually the highest by
a Georgia athlete since a 7-2 back in 2013,
according to published reports.
When Rankin reached the 7-0 mark this season, he
was reportedly just the third prep high jumper in
Georgia to clear that height in the last 10 years.
Rankin also plays basketball for Brunswick High.
Of course, he will have the chance to go for back-
to-back state championships next season as a
senior for the Pirates.
“He is just scratching the surface of how great he
can be,” said Brunswick track coach Brian Edwards.
“With his determination and the hard work and
positive encouragement from his circle, the sky is
truly the limit for him.”
Coastal Pines Technical College Male
Student-Athlete of the Month
Dec. 2021 - Dennis Mims (Football, Appling Co.)
Jan - Anthony Lowe (Wrestling, Brunswick High)
Feb - Jarvis Wright (Basketball, Charlton Co.)
March - Stephen Jones (Swimming, Richmond Hill)
April -Spence Hartman (Baseball, Glynn Academy)
May - Cole Howard (Riflery, Ware Co.)
June - Riyon Rankin (Track and Field, Brunswick High)
By Kevin Price
It remains to be seen what will transpire for the
Pierce County girls golf team and Mackenzie
Connell in the next three years.
But, this we know. Connell had a freshman season
to remember with the Lady Bears.
Pierce County won the Class AAA state
championship last month with Connell leading the
way at Belle Meade Country Club in Thomson.
And for that reason, 912 Sports has chosen the
Lady Bears’ freshman as our Coastal Pines
Technical College Student-Athlete of the Month
for June.
Connell shot a 75 in the opening round of the 36-
hole tournament and came back with a 74 in the
second round to card a 5-over-par 149 total for the
championship which earned her a third-place
overall finish. She finished four strokes behind the tournament’s individual champion.
But with Connell leading the charge, the Lady
Bears dominated the field as they won by a
whopping 30 shots to claim the program’s fourth
state championship. Pierce County held a 20-stroke lead after the opening round and increased its advantage to 30 shots before the end of the second of the second round.
The Lady Bears posted a 239 team score over the
first 18 holes before shooting a 246 in the second
round to finish at 485 for the tournament.
Westminster was the runner-up with a 515 team
score.
Pierce County also won state titles in 2000 and
2005 in Class AA and 2019 in Class AAA.
Connell was also recently named to the Class AAA
all-state team by the Georgia High School Golf
Coaches Association along with her Pierce County
teammate Addyson Walker.
Coastal Pines Technical College Female
Student-Athlete of the Month
Dec 2021 - Natalie Herrin (Basketball, Pierce Co.)
Jan - Shakardia Coward (Basketball, Brunswick High)
Feb - Charlease McClendon (Basketball, Ware Co.)
March - Caitlyn Mixon (Wrestling, Ware Co.)
April - Keeli Holloway (Track, Ware Co.)
May - Danjela Jordan De Jesus (Riflery, Camden Co.)
June - Mackenzie Connell - (Golf, Pierce Co.)
Contact Shawn Smoak (912) 288-7323 sls0866@gmail.com
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