Six state championships, as recognized by the Georgia High School Association, were recorded by Berry athletes during the school's existence. Over the years the trophies have either been destroyed by the fire of 1972 or lost in the shuffle of the school closing. Each championship is worthy of its individual recognition and in this Virtual Trophy Case we spotlight each accomplishment. Scroll down to see each one.
Placing in the state meet were (in order of finish):
Jack Pigott
Jack went into the 1969 State Tournament as the state runner-up from 1968 and was favored to win the championship in 1969. He faced Steve Walker of Rockdale County in the finals and the match got off to a rough start. Jack lost the first set 6-3 and was trailing in the second set 4-0 before he finally found his rhythm. He reeled off a win streak of 11 straight games and won the championship with a remarkable come from behind victory, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 on May 17, 1969.
Scoring points in the state meet were:
State Cross Country Champions
Front Row, L to R: Ronnie Calhoun, Derrell Snare, Co-Captain Tommy Bennett and Manuel Leon.
Back Row, L to R: Coach Gary McKnight,Harold Reeves, Johnny Woodham and Co-Captain Larry Fish.
Not Pictured: Scott Higdon.
Tommy Bennett (3rd)
Derrell Snare
Larry Fish
Scott Higdon
Harold Reeves
Kneeling, L to R: Manuel Leon, Jon Gant and Gregg Magee.
Back Row, L to R: Jack Pigott, Mike Keith, Barry Croft and Stanley Geraldson.
Coach David Williams
State Tennis
Singles Champion
State Cross Country Champions
Jon Gant takes first place in a meet on the Berry campus. Jon led the team to a state championship in the fall of 1969 and he finished 2nd in the state meet.
Jon Gant - 2nd place
Dennis Newton - 6th place
Stanley Geraldson - 8th place
Manuel Leon - 9th place
Joe Myrick - 12th place
Coach Gary McKnight
 Berry captured the first ever girls cross country championship in Georgia in the fall of 1975. This championship was Coach Gary McKnight's third (he would win two more) and the Berry girls absolutely dominated the field. Team members pictured above, left to right, are: Ann Boylan, Mary Siceloff, Jacquie Mullen, Jennifer Dickey, Karen Rosenquist, Melissa Herring, Coach Gary McKnight, Yoli Magee and Cathy Ingram. |
Cross Country Championship First Place - Berry Academy Second Place - Pace Academy Third Place - Bass High School Fourth Place - Darlington
State Meet Placements |
 1978 track team members pictured above, left to right, are: Lisa Helmholz, Alison McCrary, Coach Gary McKnight, Carman McClure and Michelle Whatley.
The 1978 girls track team was nothing short of amazing. With only four team members, the girls ripped through the state meet finishing first in five events and setting three state records in the process. Alison McCrary finished first in the low hurdles and the 440-yard dash. Michelle Whatley won the 100-yard dash, the 220-yard dash and the long jump. Perhaps the most amazing feat was that the team almost did not qualify for the state meet. The team won the region qualifying meet by only 1/2 point.
First Place - Berry Academy (54 points) Second Place (tie) - Toombs Central (50 points) Palmetto (50 points) Fourth Place - Pace Academy (46 points) |
1979 Girls Track State Champions
The girls track team, anchored by Michelle Whatley, repeated as state champions in 1979. With only four team members qualifying for the state meet, the girls blew away the field, winning the championship by almost 30 points. This was Coach Gary McKnight's 5th state championship in 12 years, establishing him as one of the elite coaches in Georgia in track and cross country.
First Place - Berry Academy (76 points)
Second Place - Whigham (48 points)
Third Place - Johnson County (44 points)
Fourth Place - Greater Atlanta Christian (31 points)
