-
Samara Walker
Five members of the Stephens County high school track and field team team made it to the medals podium at the Class AAA state championship meet last weekend in Albany.
The Tribe had four podium finishes amongst the best in the state. SCHS senior and Region 8-AAA champion Samara Walker had a runner-up finish in the shot put with throw of 39 feet, .5 inches. Walker’s second place finish in state Class AAA was shy of Liberty County’s Leia Williams’ first place throw of 39 feet, 6.75 inches. Walker was not the only member of the SCHS track team to turn in a a top two finish as one of the best in the state.
Indian senior and Vanderbilt University football signee Gamarion Carter finished the season as the No. 2 fastest AAA athlete in the 100-meter dash in the state. Carter finished runner-up in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.74 seconds. Liberty County’s Meon McLeod edged out Carter for a first-place finish with a time of 10.51 seconds. Carter took the podium again along with his 4 x 100 relay teammmates K.P. Hayes, Javian Hightower and Vadole Fleming.The Indian relay team took a third-place finish in state with a time of 42.69 seconds. Carter also went to the podium thanks to a seventh place finish in the long jump. The Vandy signee turned in a jump of 20 feet, 11 inches. SCHS shot put coach Jerry Underwood said he was pleased with Walker’s performance. Underwood has coached the two-time region champion Walker for three years. To see her improve and end her career with a top two finish was a proud moment for the SCHS coach.
“Very proud for her. She has worked very hard to reach this moment,” Underwood said.
Underwood said Walker has received some help outside of SCHS to work on her shot put performance. Walker has gotten help from her father and her older brothers. Winning medals at the state level is not something new in the Walker family. Her older brother, Gary Walker, a former Auburn football player, took a state runner-up finish in wrestling back in 2015. Underwood says he clearly sees the work ethic that her family has helped instill in her.
“She has a strong work ethic,” Underwood said. “There would be times that the team may not have practice, but she would show up and throw on her own,” Underwood said.“She is very dedicated to getting better,” he said.
The shot-put coach can relate to the state second place finish. Underwood took second place in state for discus 31 years ago in South Carolina.
“I told her she did awesome,” Underwood said. “I told her that I was very proud of her for her accomplishment. And ironically the same exact thing happened to me 31 years ago in the South Carolina state championship but for discus. Finished second by a few inches. It’s tough but she will remember that for future trials and work hard to fix them,” Underwood said.
Walker was fifth in the state two years ago.
“I am really proud of my team for how they came to practice every day to get better.,” Indian head track coach Mitch Morrow said. “Finishing the way we did is just a testament to the dedication and hard work we put in this year,” Morrow said.