VALDOSTA — The Region 1-6A track meet gets underway Tuesday at Valdosta High, a two-day event to determine which athletes will compete in sectionals.

The meet will start around 11 a.m. Most track events will be preliminaries on Tuesday, but finals will be held in the 800 meters, 3,200 and 4×200.

Field events will be finals on Tuesday. At 11 a.m. will be high jump, long jump and shot put for girls, and discus, pole vault and triple jump for boys. At about 12:30, boys and girls will switch events — discus, pole vault and triple jump for girls and high jump, long jump and shot put for boys.

After the first day, the meet is scheduled to resume Thursday, also at 11 a.m., but has built-in rain days on Friday and Saturday if region has to be postponed.

All events that did not have a final on Tuesday will be run as a final on Thursday.

The top four in each event advance to sectionals, slated for May 3rd at Westlake High in Atlanta. Regions 1, 2, 6 and 8 are grouped for sectionals.

Entry lists posted to MileSplit shows all six Region 1 teams have been very competitive this season.

Boys high jump is bound to be a highlight reel in itself. Valdosta’s Jamir Bradley and Tift County’s Jamari Johnson have been the best in Class 6A in Georgia this year. Both have been successful at 6-9. Ja’Shar Kinsey of Colquitt County and David Coleman of Camden County have both gotten 6-6. Malachi Sherman of Lowndes is right behind them at 6-4.

Any slip in the heat could be enough to cost of any of these athletes not just a chance at state, but a state title.

Five boys in the region have a 1,600 time under 4:29, including Ethan Burnett and Dylan Chambers of Lowndes.

Three girls have 400 times under one minute, Nairobi Graham of Tift and Kendall Johnson and Valerie Roberts of Lowndes.

In a category that is not as bunched together, Valdosta’s Makiyah Brewton top-seeded in girls high jump at 5-7, five inches better than anyone else in Region 1. Brewton is also the heavy favorite in long jump, where she has gotten 19-3.5.