Coastal Pines Technical College

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.)