The naming of Larry Cosby, who led the Bainbridge High School Bearcats to the Region 1AAAA and state Class AAAA championships as boys track coach of the year highlights The Albany Herald’s spring All-Area team selections.

Cosby, who is also Region 1AAAA coach of the year, said it is an honor to be named All-Area coach of the year,

“With a great coach like Octavious Jones of Albany’s Monroe High School also in the area, me being chosen area coach of the year is really an honor,” Cosby said. “It is also always a plus to work with my mentor, coach Larry Clark, who built our strong BHS track program.”

Cosby also wanted to thank Lady Cats coach Tandria Phillips, who worked with the sprinters; coach Patrick Clark, who worked with the hurdlers, and coach Harrell Smith, who worked with the distance runners.

Bearcats joining Cosby on the All-Area boys track team were Denzel Gamble, who won the Region 1AAAA 110-meter and 300-meter hurdles championships and earned 16 points for his team with a second-place state Class AAAA finishes in the 110-meter hurdles and the triple jump.

Fellow Bearcats senior Garrett Reynolds also made the All-Area team. He finished third in the state in the 100-meter dash and was the lead runner on the Bearcats 4-by-100-meter relay team that won the state Class AAAA championship and had a time of 41.31 seconds, which was the fastest in Georgia.

Also making the All-Area boys track team were Bearcats junior Stevenson Crowell, who was Region 1AAAA track meet champion and finished fourth in the state with a heave of 50 feet, 8-1\ 4 inches, and junior DeWayne Gurley, who won the Region 1AAAA championship in the discus.

Rounding out the list of Bearcats All-Area Region 1AAAA track performers were juniors Joseph Ausgood, Brandon Handsford and Shawn Samuels and senior Thomas Smiley.

Ausgood, the Region 1AAAA champion and best half-mile runner in southwest Georgia, was fifth in the state.

Scott was fifth in the state in the 300-meter hurdles.

Delonte Martistee, one of the top high jumpers and triple jumpers in southwest Georgia, finished sixth in the state in the triple jump.

Smiley, Handsford and Samuels teamed with Denzel Reynolds to turn in the fastest time of 41.31 in the 4-by-100-meter relay at the state Class AAAA meet.

Lady Cat All-Area

Nancy session, the Bainbridge High School senior athlete of the year, and Jerisha Sutton, who helped lead the Lady Cats to the Region 1AAAA championship, were All-Area selections as well.

Session finished second in the state in the 400-meter run in a time of 55.59 seconds, and was fourth in the state in the 300-meter hurdles.

Coach Nicki Shockley’s Lady Cats tennis team that won the Region 1AAAA championship and finished second in the state, was represented on the All-Area team by Katie Munson and Kylie McGlincy.

Munson, who played No. 1 singles all four years, led her team further than any other team in program history. She finished the season with a 19-5 record.

McGlincy played No. 2 singles and finished with a record of 24-1. She played No. 2 singles her sophomore through senior years.

Other sports

Xavier Bell of coach Shockley’s Bearcats tennis team was named All-Area as well. He had a winning record in his first full season at the No. 1 singles spot.

There were also several members of the Lady Cats and Bearcats soccer teams on the All-Area teams.

Representing Coach Chip Ariail’s Lady Cats were Whitney Thomas and Leanna Flowers. Thomas had a career school record 61 goals. She also had 29 assists and was the team’s most valuable player three consecutive years.

Flowers had 50 career goals and a team-leading 24 this season. She also had 11 assists.

Representing coach Jamie Ard’s Bearcats on the boys All-Area soccer team were midfielder, forward and goal keeper Hal Clement, center Jonathan “Bud” Warren and forward and midfielder Keenan Adams.

Clement, the team’s offensive most valuable player, had 12 goals and two assists; Warren had two goals and two assists and had a strong defensive season, and Adams had 11 goals and four assists and was a team captain.