Sand Rock senior Magnus Goolsby owns several Wildcat track and field records, from the triple jump to the 400 meter run. He is also in the top three in many other events.

This weekend will be his last to compete at the high school level. The Wildcats will be among the Class 2A teams competing in Cullman at the state meet.

“I’m very thankful,” said Goolsby, who finished second in the 110 meter hurdles, second in the triple jump and sixth in the long jump at last weekend’s sectional meet.

“We had one meet last year (because of COVID-19), but on the bright side, I got a lot of offseason work in. The program Mr. (Alan) Heath had, I’ve gained 30 pounds of muscle and gained over 80 pounds with a bunch of my maxes. I feel like that’s helped me a bunch in terms of my sprint works and jumping. Besides all the form work here, I think that’s what’s gotten me where I am.”

And where he is, Goolsby has a chance to end his high school career on a high note.

“This is the last chance I’ve got. I can’t wait for it,” he said. “State is usually where I do my best. It’s just something about the excitement, it being your last meet. I’m giving it everything I’ve got.”

In addition to Goolsby’s events, the Wildcats also qualified in several other after last weekend’s sectional results in Guntersville.

Jack Noah Watson took first in the 300 meter hurdles. Hunter Privett finished third in the 110 meter hurdles. Bryan East earned fourth in the javelin and fifth in the discus.

The Wildcat 4×400 meter relay team finished fourth.

Collectively, Sand Rock’s boys finished sixth in the meet.
On the girls’ side, Brylaina Holcomb topped the Lady Wildcats with fourth place in the javelin. She also came in sixth in the long jump. Samantha Carr came in fifth in the 800 meter run. Zoey Handy had a fifth-place outing in the in the 100 meter hurdles. She also finished ninth in the long jump.

The Lady Wildcats earned third in the 4×800 and fourth in the 4×400 meter relays. They finished eighth collectively in the overall team standings.

“I think we did very good as a team,” East said. “I was really impressed with how we did.”

Sand Rock coach RJ Thornberry is also. He said the Wildcats are in a very tough section this season, which should do nothing but help the Wildcats prepare for this weekend’s state meet events in Cullman.

“There are a lot of great teams so it makes you that much more excited for the kids when they are able to compete with such awesome talent,” Thornberry said. “You already know going into state it will be that much tougher because this is the best from everywhere.”

Speaking of best, the Wildcats have earned several personal bests this season. Thornberry said almost every meet Sand Rock competed in this season someone reached a new milestone, including freshman Brylaina Holcomb.

Holcomb sits atop Sand Rock’s javelin record book.

“My seventh grade year, I was throwing about 86 (feet),” Holcomb said. “This year is a lot better. I threw 103 (feet). I feel like that’s an accomplishment from seventh grade to now. That’s a really big thing for me.”

Holcomb said this weekend’s state meet is going to be “pretty challenging.”

“One of my biggest competitors is a girl who throws 119. Somebody else throws 109,” she said. “My goal this year is 110. I want to be at least top five. That’s my goal for Friday and Saturday.”

Like Goolsby, Maci Brown is a senior who wants to go out with a bang. She competes in the 4×400 and 4×800.

“I think being a senior it’s real sentimental, being my last sport as a high school athlete,” Brown said. “I think overall last weekend we competed very well. I was proud of the way we all came out there and gave it all we had, just knowing that could be our last (meet). Just having this group with me to finish and to know I have their support, I couldn’t imagine being on a team where you didn’t have that kind of support.”

Brown said the Lady Wildcats are all “going to have to be on top of our game” to have a chance at repeating or even surpassing last weekend’s success.

“We’re just going to have to go out there and really show what we can do,” she said. “We have the ability on our team to really do some big things at state.”