After coming up short last season, the Rockmart Middle School boys track team finally got to hoist the area championship trophy.

On May 4, the RMS boys and girls track teams competed in the Floyd Area Athletic Association meet at Pepperell High School.

The Jackets took first place with 123 points while the Lady Jackets finished sixth among the nine teams that competed.

Last season, Rockmart’s boys came within a half of a point of taking hte area title after going undefeated during the regular season.

This year, the Jackets were able to complete their season without losing to a single area squad.

“Some of the athletes that we have are phenomenal,” said head coach Phillip Thompson. “We’ve got a great group of young men who gave their all today.”

Brandon Miller and Raveen Kent went 1-2 in the hurdles with Miller finishing in 17.50 seconds and Kent coming in at 17.73. Mitch Bozydaj placed third in the 1,600 meters with a time of 5:31.

Kreg Hollis took first in the triple jump with a distance of 36 feet, 11 inches while Miller and Seth Burge went 1-2 in the shot put. Miller threw a distance of 42-11 3/4 while Burge recorded a throw of 41-5.

“This is a testimony to the effort that coach (John) Garner started last year,” Thompson said of the team’s former coach. “We’ve got some great sixth and seventh graders who are going to carry on this tradition.”

Rockmart’s girls also got to celebrate something as they were able to place higher than they have in recent years.

“I’m very proud of the girls,” Thompson said. “In the last five years they have never been better than last and they have worked very hard and put in a lot of hours in practice.”

Jillian Witt was the top performer for the Lady Jackets as she came in third in the 100 meters with a time of 13.28.

Thompson expressed his thanks to the volunteers that gave their time for the team.

“We had some great parents that helped us out through the season and we needed every one of them,” he said.