Mobile Challenge of Champions
Apr 2-3, 2004 at Mobile AL

a DyeStat featured meet

Gayle Hunter

J.W. North Riverside CA sr Gayle Hunter started the meet in bright sunshine at the long jump pit. She won there with a jump of 19-5.5 with a headwind of -1.9 possibly costing her a meet record (19-7.5). Hunter swung over to the track for the 4x1 relay and helped J.W. North beat regional top dog Magnet Baton Rouge LA, 47.52 to 47.86. Then she went back to the jumps pit and soared to a meet record in triple jump at 41-1.25 -0.5. Hunter wrapped up her efforts with a close win in the 100m hurdles over Redan GA's Aleesha Barber, 14.19 to 14.26. Then she tucked her award flags in her back pack and dribbled a basketball around while she awaited the decision on MVP honors.

Cedric Goodman

Despite his Golden West Invitational 400 meter championship last year in 46.35, Newnan GA sr Cedric Goodman came into the Mobile 400 as a distinct underdog. Newburgh NY sr Elzie Coleman set a new national record (45.92) for an indoor 400 this year and came to Mobile with the Track & Field News national indoor athlete of the year award in hand. Coleman was the focus of all pre-meet media attention, announcing that he was shooting for the US Olympic Trials qualifying standard (45.85). But Goodman didn't run like the underdog. In lane 4 vs. Coleman's lane 3, Goodman shot out of the blocks and opened a lead down the backstretch. Coleman dug in and made up the stagger on the far turn, taking a short lead into the stretch. Goodman afterward said he wasn't worried. "I was holding something back. I knew I could spurt again." Coleman did indeed spurt again, surging past Coleman in the dash to the finish to win decisively in 45.94, fastest in the US outdoors this year. Earlier, Goodman anchored Newnan's winning 4x100 relay.