Clayton News Daily

By Brian Paglia

bpaglia@news-daily.com

Mt. Zion track and field star Alycia Prior found all the motivation she needed this season when a copy of ESPN's high school magazine came into her hands. There on the cover was Newnan track star Chalonda Goodman.

"That just made her mad," Mt. Zion girls track coach Jason Battles said. "She wants that recognition."

So even though Prior won a Class AAAA state title in the girls 100-meter dash and was a runner-up in the girls 200-meter dash as a sophomore, she's found no lack of motivation to match those accomplishments as a junior.

"She's not one I'm having to motivate," Battles said. "Even though she's ranked first in the state, she's not happy with that. Right now this is a good time. She's intrinsically motivated."

Already she has the best time in the 100 (12.11 seconds) and fourth best time in the 200 (25.26 seconds) in the state, which she reached at last Friday's Gary Billion Invitiational at North Gwinnett High.

Even though those times are down from where Prior finished last season, Battles believes she'll shave the tenths of a second needed to repeat as a state champion.

"We'll get her back there in the end," Battles said. "We're hoping she can be a state title winner in the 100 and 200 this year."

Other Top Performers

North Clayton sophomore Shaquavia Porter currently holds the fastest time in the girls 100-meter hurdles in Class AAAA. Porter ran a 14.11 at the Morehouse Relays over the weekend at Morehouse College....

Woodland junior Morgan McGhee ran a time of 12.33 seconds in the girls 100 at the Morehouse Relays, setting the top mark in Class AAA this season....

Eagle's Landing Christian Academy has two impressive relay teams. The girls 4x400-meter relay team holds the fastest mark in Class A with a time of 4:16.51. The boys 4x1600-meter relay team has the best time in Class A with 20:01.70....

ELCA's Luke Baker has also dominated in Class A long distance this season. Baker holds the top marks in the 1600 (4:41) and 3200 (9:45:48).