The Carver-Atlanta girls’ track and field team made school history while bringing home the school’s first state championship title in 56 years.
Carver’s only other state championship titles were won by the 1967 and 1969 boys basketball teams, making this the one and only girls sports state championship for the school.
On Monday, May 19, the team was treated to a celebratory lunch while they got fitted for the championship rings they earned.
“We are so excited to celebrate our 2025 GHSA 2A Girls State Champions,” Carver athletic director Wendy Golston said. “This is special because we’ve had some individual winners before, but this is the year that we got the team win and that’s what is big about this.”
“If this is the first one in girls’ sports, that’s really big for Carver,” she added. “I want to celebrate these girls and let them know that what they’ve done is historical for this community, this school, and for themselves as women in sports.”
Carver secured the team championship in dramatic fashion in the last event of the meet. Going into the final event, the 4×400 meter relay, Carver was in fourth place in the team standings, and head coach Jonathan Scott knew his team needed a first-place finish to have a chance of at least tying for first place overall.
The final race of the season, for a chance at history, came down to freshman Camille Tinsley, junior DeMya Gates, and seniors Itavia McCord and Tarrianna Jackson.
“I’ve been telling them all year, ‘It’s going to come down to the 4×4,’ and it came down to the 4×4,” Scott said. “I think that was the first time I ran that combination of girls. They ended up breaking a school record and obviously winning state in the 4×4 to secure the team state title. It was pretty cool that it came down to that event.”
In the biggest moment, Carver leaned on its experienced runners to step up and they delivered with a time of 4:03. Gates, McCord, and Jackson are no strangers to medal races as they were on the 2024 state championship 4×100 meter relay team just a year ago.
“When we heard, ‘If y’all win this 4×4, we’re going to win.’ We were like ‘Bet,’” Gates said. “And we did what we had to do.”
How it Happened- Jonathan Scott:
“Our first leg, Camille Tinsley, it was her first time at the state level. She ran the 300m hurdles all year for us, and she was able to easily come in and run the first leg. DeMya Gates, who has been on every single varsity state team up to this point, is a junior. She’s experienced success, so she wasn’t scared of the bright light of the 4×4 and ran a monster leg for us. I think she had one of the fastest splits. Tae, who is a senior this year, has been at the state level four years in a row, so I’m not surprised that she performed the way she did. She actually put our team in first place from third when she got the baton. Then we gave the baton to our anchor leg, Tarrianna Jackson. Again, someone who has been at the state level for her third year in a row. It would’ve been four had she not gotten hurt her freshman year, but she just held on and brought it home for us. Having that combination, especially those last three legs, they’ve been here before. They weren’t scared. As soon as I told them ‘Hey, it comes down to the 4×4. We need y’all to get first.’ They were just ready to go.”
In addition to winning the team state title, the Carver girls track team broke several school records this season. Members of the team set school records in the 100-meter, 200-meter, 4×100, 4×200, 4×400, 4×800, and in the 100-meter hurdle.
“To win state for the first time in 56 years, we’re talking about history,” Scott said. “It just feels amazing that they were able to accomplish that. I don’t think they know how big of a deal that is just yet, but hopefully when they come back for alumni night or some basketball games and they see that banner 2025 Carver Girl’s Track and Field State Champions, I’m hoping it will evoke some type of emotion for them.”
The girls also won the Region 5 championship as a team this season and qualified for the state meet in 10 different events. The runners are accustomed to competing for state titles in individual events, but this year Carver also earned some points in the field events to help boost their total team score.
Golston challenged coach Scott at the end of the previous season to add the pieces for the field events, and the extra effort paid off. Precious Upshaw took eighth place in the shot put and earned a point for the team. Carver finished the event with 61 points, just three points ahead of Shaw and Booker T. Washington, which tied for second (58 points).
“We have put together a great coaching staff,” Golston said. “Coach Scott has been building a staff slowly, but surely, and putting the different pieces in place so that he could get the state championship. I’m really proud of the team and the coaching team that we have.”
The 2024-2025 Carver girls’ track and field team has set a new standard for the program, and their new goal is to run it back.
“I’m just super proud of these girls. It means a lot to me personally,” Scott said. “Carver track and field on the girls’ side is on the map. We didn’t cut corners. We just had to put the work in. I thank the seniors for that. Now, after getting the first title, the real work begins. How can we get another one?”
2025 Carver Girls’ Track and Field Roster:
- Tarianna Jackson
- 100m State Champion (11.85)
- 200m State Runner-up (24.48)
- 4x200m Relay State Runner-up (1:41)
- 4x400m Relay State Champion (4:03)
- School Record 100m (11.57)
- School Record 200m (23.72)
- School Record 4x200m relay (1:41.44)
- School Record 4x400m relay (4:03)
- Committed to Alabama State University
- Itavia McCord
- 4x200m Relay State Runner-up (1:41)
- 200m 5th place (25.61)
- 400m 6th place (1:00)
- 4x400m Relay State Champion (4:03)
- School Record 4x400m relay (4:03)
- Precious Upshaw
- Shot Put 8th place (33-3)
- Malaya Green
- DeMya Gates
- 100m 3rd place (12.29)
- 200m 3rd place (25.2)
- 4x100m 6th place (50.4)
- 4x400m Relay State Champion (4:03)
- School Record 4x400m relay (4:03)
- KeAsia Smith
- Raniya Revere
- Skylar Ivery
- Sudena Mahy
- 300m hurdles 7th place (49.08)
- Camille Tinsley
- 4x400m Relay State Champion (4:03)
- School Record 4x400m relay (4:03)
- Nyla-Faye Holmes
- Quaniyah Barber
Head coach: Jonathan Scott
Assistant Coaches: Ava Rive, Faith Foggy, Emani Collins