This story has been updated with quotes from head coach J.C. Clark, as well as other Tift state results.

CARROLLTON — Tift County’s Jamari Johnson soared to new heights Friday, winning the Class 6A state high jump championship.

Johnson cleared 6-10 at Carrollton High to earn the gold medal in the event. His height was not only the best in the classification this year, it was a new career high in competition for Johnson; at Harmon’s Invitational earlier this year, he achieved 6-9.

Second place went to Elijah Simon of Forsyth Central, who made 6-8.

“It was unreal,” said Tift track head coach J.C. Clark of the moment.  Valdosta and Colquitt County each had a high jumper as well. Clark was thankful for friends from Region 1-6A schools recording video the event so the Blue Devils brethren could take it all in without having to worry.

Sixteen were in the Class 6A field. All made 6 feet or better. Five went out by 6-4. Six-foot-6 eliminated seven more. That left four competitors: Johnson, Simon, Elijah Foote (Cherokee) and Izear Wimberly (Carrollton). Clark pointed out that all four are juniors and should be on the same stage next year.

“There was some great jumping,” Clark said. Johnson knew, he said, he’d have to hit at least 6-8. “All these guys were hungry for it.”

Foote, Simon and Johnson all went over 6-6 on the first try. Wimberly got it on his third attempt. No one cleared 6-8 on first effort. Johnson cleared the bar on his second try, with the rest all short. Simon hit 6-8 on the third attempt. Foote and Wimberly were eliminated.

The bar went to 6-10. No drama for Johnson, who made it the first time. Simon gave 6-10 three tries, but was unable to keep up.

Johnson made three attempts at 7 feet, but was unable to clear that height. That had been a goal of his earlier this season.

On the first try at 7 feet, “He was over the bar,” Clark said. “His butt hit it.” On the second, Johnson could not hold his arch of his back.

A junior, Johnson has another year to make that dream a reality. Going into this season, the TCHS school record was 6-6.

Bailee Williams won the Class 6A state shot put title last year for the Lady Devils, but Johnson is the first male track and field champion for Tift County since Shaquille Bryant won the Class 5A discus crown in 2012.

Clark said Johnson reminded him much of Williams. “You ask a question all year long, ‘What do you want?’” The answer being, “‘To win a state championship.’ From there, both put in a tremendous amount of work, dealt with the aches and pains, and achieved their goal.

By winning state, Johnson qualified for the Adidas Atlanta City Games Meet of Champions on May 17. All Georgia state champions qualify.

Clark said he checked the other state championship meets and Johnson’s was the best high jump at any of them. The Class 5A, 2A and 1A-3A private school winners all won at 6-8. Gage Voyles of Coahulla Creek, who won the 2A meet at 6-8 is the only other jumper in the state to have achieved 6-10 this year.

In addition to Johnson, Tift County made the Class 6A finals in two more track events in Carrollton.

The 4×100 relay team earned sixth Saturday, finishing in 42.43 seconds. They had qualified in sixth Friday. As far as Clark can remember, they are the first Blue Devils team to make state in the 4×100, much less the finals.

Shurrod Rich, Dezmond McWhorther, Ario Wilson and Marshall Howard ran the relay.

Nairobi Graham placed seventh in the 400 meters. Her time was an even 58 seconds.

Graham had qualified for state in three events, but because of the way the races are scheduled, they are very close together in the day.  “Fatigue set in after the 400 because she had to run a good race,” Clark said.

In addition to the 400, Graham ran the 300 hurdles preliminaries, but opted out of the 200 meters.

Friday saw Diamond Wallace earn 12th in long jump, coming back from two early faults to get 17-0.25. Anthony Pace was 16th in pole vault at 11-6.

Jordan Gaskins barely missed the 110 hurdles finals. He was ninth in the prelims at 14.87 seconds.