Sports roundup: Senior Jaynes completes the double at PBC Championships

Staff report

Senior Avery Jaynes finished first in both the 5,000- and 10,000-meter runs, and Emily McBride won the 3,000-meter steeplechase on the women’s side at the Peach Belt Conference championships in Daytona Beach, Fla., on April 28 and 29.

Jaynes, who last week was PBC track athlete of the week, ran the 10K in 35 minutes, 18.97 seconds, giving him the PBC title for the second year in a row.

Then, the next morning, Jaynes completed the sweep of the distance events by winning the 5K in 14:48.39. Brandon Martin finished sixth in that face for AU. Teammate Matthew Moore was fourth in the 10K in 35:23.01.

Jaynes had already made an NCAA Division II provisional qualifying time in the 5,000 when he ran a blistering 13:51.61 at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, Calif. That is both the AU and Peach Belt standard now.

On the women’s side, AU’s McBride took home the crown in the steeplechase in 10:47.58. Teammate Danielle Thayer finished eighth.

The Jaguars’ Andrew Todd took first in the men’s steeplechase in 9:17.25, followed by teammate Andrew Helfers was second in 9:25.89.

AU’s Seth Eye finished third in the 1,500 meters, and Patrick Motes finished eighth in the same race.

Jaguar pole vaulter Rebekah Klossner took third, and Joshua Bowen was fifth in the javelin. Nene Akaose was fifth in the long jump. In the high jump, Augusta’s Jalen Belton and Mitchell Jean Baptiste finished fifth and sixth, respectively.

Women’s golf

Zoe Pinillos will play the Norman, Okla., regional in the NCAA Division I golf championships on May 5-7. Pinillos, the Southland Conference medalist, will play the Jimmie Austin Golf Club at the University of Oklahoma.

Pinillos was Southland player of the year, and teammate Marine Legentil joined Pinillos on the first team all-conference squad. AU’s Sara Adams made second team. Legentil was conference newcomer of the year.

PBC baseball tournament

The AU men, seeded eighth and 12-38 overall, will take on top-seeded North Georgia in the first round of the Peach Belt Tournament in Dahlonega at 11 a.m. on Friday, May 2. The Jaguars are guaranteed at least two games in the tournament. Fourth-seeded Columbus State will take on fifth-seeded Georgia Southwestern in the other game in Dahlonega on Friday with first pitch at 3 p.m.

The other side of the bracket will be played at Lander, which as second seed will host seventh-seeded USC Aiken at 3 p.m. on Friday. The other game at Lander will be third-seeded Georgia College against sixth-seeded Flagler at 6 p.m. on Friday.

All games will be carried live on the Peach Belt Network (https://pbcsportsnetwork.com).

Viti named Greenbrier coach

Former AU men’s basketball standout David Viti has been named the coach at Greenbrier High School in Evans. Viti served as an assistant coach at Grovetown this past season. Viti was a key reserve for the Jaguars when they made it the NCAA Division II championship game in 2022. Greenbrier went 16-12 this past season.

Volleyball’s Kruczko signs with agent

AU’s Sophia Kruczko, an honorable mention all-America last season, has signed with the Image 4 Sport group. Kruczko said she would likely end up playing in Portugal, Spain, Turkey or China. The all-PBC selection from Cary, N.C., led AU in kills last season with 241.