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| AHSAA Alabama State Meet
Friday-Saturday, May 2-3, 2008
1A-3A at Troy U., Troy AL -- 4A-6A at Gulf Shores AL
DyeStat on-site at 4A-6A with Arthur Mack
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STORMY START, DRAMATIC FINISH
Day 2 Story, By ARTHUR L. MACK
AFTER FOUR-HOUR DELAY DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER, ALABAMA 4A-5A-6A STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS CONCLUDE WITH THREE MORE RECORDS AND DRAMATIC FINISHES IN 6A BOYS AND 4A BOYS
Saturday, May 3—Day two of the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s 4A-5A-6A Track and Field meet at the Gulf Shores Sports Complex was delayed for four hours because of severe storms coming through Southwest Alabama.
Once action got underway four hours later, though, Mountain Brook’s girls stormed to yet another 6A girls’ title, defeating Hoover 115-67. Bob Jones was a distant third with 47 points while Shades Valley was third with 44.50.
Mountain Brook’s Madeline Morgan was at it again, putting her name in the record books with another outstanding individual performance, winning the 1,600-meter run in an impressive record-breaking time of 4 minutes, 55.61 seconds, and then coming back later to run a leg on the record setting 4 X 800-meter relay, which ran 9:14.63. This was on top of her 3200-meter win the day before.
The 6A boys’ competition came down to the final event of the night—the triple jump, but Vestavia Hills prevailed, holding off rival Hoover 97-95.
St. Paul’s boys and girls swept the 5A division for the third straight year. St. Paul’s boys trounced bitter hometown rival UMS-Wright 151-67, with Scottsboro third with 61 and Cullman fourth with 42. On the 5A girls’ side, St. Paul’s got another record-setting day from Neal Tisher as it defeated Scottsboro 181 to 115.50. UMS-Wright was third with 68.25 points, while Anniston was fourth with 44.
In 4A, Guntersville managed to hold off a strong charge from Central-Tuscaloosa to repeat as girls’ champions. Guntersville scored 130 points, while Central-Tuscaloosa had 103. Beauregard was a distant third with 62, and Rogers fourth with 58. In the 4A boys division, it came down to the pole vault, but Beauregard, which finished a close second the year before, kept Guntersville from sweeping with a 70.50 to 66 win. T.R. Miller was third with 62.50, while Handley was fourth with 39.
Here is a recap of Saturday’s action.
6A
Mountain Brook started the day off with a bang, and ended it that way, too.
Morgan started it all with her record-setting performance in the 1,600-meter run following a day which she wowed the crowd with her record-setting performance in the 3,200. She took the lead from the beginning, breaking away from Sparkman’s Katie Huston and Decatur Austin’s Jennifer Dunn.
It was a smooth effort, but Morgan said she may have went out a bit too fast, and some were surprised when Morgan said it was the first time she has ever won a state title.
“My splits for the first two laps were faster than I wanted them to be,” she said. “I was a little bit tired after the 3,200, but I was definitely going for the meet record. It’s not my personal best, but I’m happy with the time. I’ve been running varsity since the eighth grade, and it’s my first time winning titles.”
Morgan was also on the second leg of the 4 X 800 meter relay team, which also consisted of Catherine Diethelm, Lucy Newton and Marie Demedicis. Both Diethelm and Demedicis had strong individual performances earlier in the day—Diethelm was fourth in the 1,600 (5:03.00) while Demedicis was second in the 400 (55.98)—but had more than enough steam to finish ahead of Smiths Station (9:38.93) and Bob Jones (9:42.89).
“I were hoping to run fast and get a good start for the rest of the team,” said Diethelm, who also nipped teammate Demedicis in the 800 the day before.
“I tried to keep looking up,” said Newton. “The key was trying to pass runners who were behind us.”
“We were tired, but we wanted to get that record,” said Demedicis. “The weather was not as hot as it was last year, and that helped a lot.”
Mountain Brook went on to win the 4 X 400 meter relay in 3:58.33 – with both Diethelm and Demedicis – ahead of Huntsville’s 3:59.95. Afterwards, Mountain Brook coach Greg Echols sang the praises of his team.
“They managed to make the transition from cross country to track,” he said. “We try not to make a great deal out of one individual, because we’re blessed to have a deep team.”
Shades Valley’s Morganne Morgan had standout performances in the sprints, winning the 200 in 24.74 and the 400 (55.98). Huston came back to win the high jump (5-6).
Vestavia Hills broke out to an 11-point lead in the 6A boys division after Nate Nesmith (56-6) and George Solujich (53-8 ¼) went 1-2 in the shot put. It came in the aftermath of Hoover’s Patrick McGregor’s impressive win in the 1,600 (4:18.91) and a strong win by the Bucs (including McGregor) in the 4 X 800-meter relay (7:56.74).
Hoover had a chance to win the meet on the final event of the evening—the triple jump. All Anthony May—who set a state meet record in the high jump the day before—and Brian Jackson needed to do was finish second and third, and the Bucs would win the title.
It was not to be, as Northridge’s Caleb Lee got his second win of the meet, jumping 47-4 ¼, and Jeff Davis’ Mark Harris finished second to ruin Hoover’s chances of winning the meet.
5A
This was a banner day for St. Paul’s girls and boys, especially with injuries plaguing the girls’ squad for the last three weeks, and the boys trying to bounce back after a defeat at the hands of crosstown rival UMS-Wright at last week’s sectionals and the disqualification of the 4 X 400 meter relay team at that meet.
Read the words of coach Jim Tate: “We had eight or nine girls that we had doing four events, but we had several that have been injured, and they came back strong. It’s a miracle. Our boys came here with a point to prove, and we dedicated the meet to the two seniors on the 4 X 400 meter relay who were not able to come to the meet because of the disqualification.”
Mary Carleton Johnston started things off with her third straight win, blowing the field away in the 1,600-meter run, winning in 5:10.45, and later anchoring the winning 4 X 800-meter relay team.
Then, Neal Tisher and Johnnie Borries went 1-2 in the 100-meter hurdles, with Tisher getting her third state record of the meet with a time of 14.57, breaking the record 14.58 she set in the prelims. Borries was not far behind, running 14.76.
Tisher and Borries then went to the javelin, where Borries won with a throw of 122-7, with Tisher throwing 118-0. Afterwards, Tisher was surprised that she set the record in the hurdles.
“I didn’t even know it came, because after the race Johnnie and I had to go straight to the javelin competition. “I didn’t even have a clue that it happened. This is probably the best weekend of track in my life.”
“We wanted 1-2 in the javelin,” said Borries. “I was hoping for 130’, but we got a 1-2 finish, and I’m happy for that.” Tisher would later claim the 300H title for her third individual title.
Katherine White added another win for the Lady Saints, winning the high jump (5-4).
St. Paul’s boys came out with a purpose on day two, with Lee Gilmer winning the 1,600 in dominating fashion, defeating UMS-Wright’s Robert Willett 4:21.45 to 4:29.18. Then Mark Barron got into the act, winning the shot put (54-9) and the long jump (22-10).
Gilmer’s 1,600-meter win was the second year that he won the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 in a state meet.
“We talked about taking advantage of every opportunity that was handed to us,” said Tate. “When you have a Mark Barron that wins four state titles, and have several guys who signed football scholarships but who wanted to be part of this team, that’s really saying something.”
Barron, Tisher, Borries, Gilmer, and Johnston combined for 15 St. Paul’s individual titles over the two days.
Other notable performances of the meet came from Ramsay’s Lakeshia Williams, who won the girls’ 100 (12.01), 200 (24.34) and 400 (56.85); and Williamson’s Mujahid Assad, who won the 100 (10.94) and 400 (49.62), and was second in the 200 (22.09).
4A
Guntersville got only one first place in the 4A girls’ division—an 8-3 clearance in the pole vault by Raechel Benefield—but had more than enough depth and people scoring in every event to hold off Central-Tuscaloosa, which was led by Candice Gaskins’ first-place finishes in the 100-meter hurdles (14.89) and 200-meter dash (25.54), and second place in the 100 (12.67).
Raven Stewart was third in the 400 (1:02.53), Kayla Stewart second in the 100-meter hurdles (15.84) and third in the 200 (26.52), and Catherine Greenwell second in the 1,600 (5:37.68) to pace Guntersville.
“We were able to have a good showing in every event,” said Guntersville coach Randall Taylor. “For the first time, we were able to have two runners qualify in the 1,600 and 3,200-meters. Our hurdlers did a great job for us, and we have a great chemistry of younger and older runners. Tonight, it was a total team effort.”
Guntersville’s boys tried to get a 4A sweep, but was stopped by Beauregard and some late heroics by its pole vaulter, Penn Cooper. Guntersville made a bid for the lead after winning the 4 X 400-meter relay (3:34.18), with the pole vault the last event on the program. Cooper managed to get second with a vault of 12-6, while Guntersville’s Dexter Rowe cleared the same height, but could only manage third because of more misses.
GOLDEN ARMDay 1 Story, By ARTHUR L. MACK
Daphne's Kyle Smith uncorks nation-leading 223-08 in 6A Boys' Jav as part of record-breaking frenzy
Gulf Shores, Alabama, Friday, May 2—It must be something about the Gulf Shores Sports Complex and the Alabama State Athletic Association Track and Field Championships that bring out the best in athletes.
But hey, isn’t that the way it’s supposed to be?
Daphne’s Kyle Smith certainly thought so.
The Trojan senior came into the state championships hoping for a memorable performance, and left nothing to chance. In fact, during the days leading up to the competition, he did not do a lot of workouts, hoping to save his strength for a big throw that would, once and for all, erase any doubt that he deserved to be ranked among the top prep javelin throwers in the nation.
Little did anyone know that Smith would make his mark in a big way in the javelin competition, as he sent shock waves through those in attendance with a new state record of 223 feet, 8 inches to handily win the competition, breaking the previous meet record by more than 35 feet. The second and third place finishers, Huntsville’s Darryl Martin (191-6) and Vestavia Hills’ Thomas Oliver (191-2) were no slouches, either, as they were also over the old record.
“When I released it, I knew it was over 209’ (my previous personal best),” Smith said. “I knew coming in that there were going to be good throwing conditions, and if I came out and put it all on the first throw, it would work out.”
Those who witnessed Smith’s record-breaking 223-8—which came on his first throw of the competition—were as amazed as he was.
“The crowd was just as surprised as I was,” he said. “I let out a big yell, but I didn’t know it was that far.”
“I didn’t think it was 223,” said Mitch Sutton, Smith’s coach. “Emotions filled my heart, and I was proud for him because he’s worked so hard. The pride in his eyes showed he accomplished so much.”
Smith’s record throw in the javelin was one of three broken in 6A competition. The other two came in the boys’ high jump, where Hoover’s Anthony May broke the 7-foot barrier by going 7-00.75 to win by more than six inches. And Madeline Morgan made short work of the field in breaking the 6A girls’ 3,200 meters record with a time of 10 minutes, 36.04 seconds, defeating Decatur Austin’s Jennifer Dunn (11:02.44) and previous record holder Katie Huston of Sparkman (11:15.23).
May and Morgan’s record setting efforts led their respective teams to the lead after the first day. On the 6A boys’ side, Hoover led Vestavia 32-25, while Paul Bryant-Tuscaloosa was third with 22. Mountain Brook, meanwhile, had a huge lead over Hoover in the 6A girls, 58.50 to 27, with Auburn third (23).
Hoover’s other notable performance in 6A boys came in the 3,200-meter run, as Patrick McGregor came from behind in the last lap to win that event in 9:26.95. Grissom’s Chase Volinski was second in 9:33.80, while Auburn’s Howard Graves was third in 9:34.33.
Mountain Brook’s youthful tandem of Catherine Diethelm and Marie Demedicis all but smoked the field in the 6A girls’ 800. Diethelm won in 2:12.85, while Demedicis was just a blink of an eye behind her in 2:12.94.
Other notable highlights came in the boys’ long jump, where Northridge’s Caleb Lee defeated defending state champion Julio Jones of Foley. Lee went 23-9, while Jones, who had approach trouble for most of the afternoon, managed only 23-1. McGill-Toolen Catholic’s Stephan McCord was third (22-2 ¾).
In the girls’ triple jump, Smiths Station’s Amanda Daniel went 38-4 ¾, ahead of Thompson’s Gabrielle Stevenson (37-7), and Shades Valley’s Erica Saxton (36-7), while in the girls’ javelin, Opelika’s Bianca Pitts upset favored Allison Storey of Northridge 130-11 to 121-1.
5A
There were high hopes that Mobile’s St. Paul’s Episcopal could sweep the girls and boys’ competition for the third straight year—and even though there were some mishaps on the girls’ side—the Saints were primed to do just that after day one.
St. Paul’s led Scottsboro 78-52 in the 5A girls division after the first day, while in the 5A boys’ St. Paul’s had a commanding 72-28 lead over archrival UMS-Wright. Neal Tisher was a big reason for the Lady Saints being in a good position to take a third straight title, breaking two state records in the process.
Tisher started the day with a swift 14.58 in the 100-meter hurdle prelims, and knowing that she and senior teammate Johnnie Borries—who would also go on and win the shot later in the day with a 38-9 ¼ effort—were safely in the finals, made her way to the pole vault, and event she was also favored to win.
Tisher came into the competition at 11-7, and promptly broke the existing state record. But she wasn’t satisfied with that. She cleared 12-2, and eventually cleared 12-7—a new personal best as well as a new state record.
The pole vault record was especially satisfying, especially after Tisher managed to clear only 10-6 in last year’s meet.
“I’m so happy about getting a new state record,” said Tisher. “I had to redeem myself after last year’s state meet.”
There was no rest for Tisher, though—she and Borries had to run in the 300-meter hurdles. Both happened to be in heat 3—the fastest of the three heats. Both were virtually even at the next-to-last and last hurdle, but Borries fell nearly face down on the track after tripping over the last barrier. However, she was able to get up and finished third behind Tisher (45.43) and Funderlethia Pruitt of Jess Lanier (47.72).
“I’m so proud of her for getting back up,” Tisher said of Borries. “Since she’s been here (at St. Paul’s), she’s really pushed me and helped me to improve in the 100 and 300-meter hurdles. I’ll definitely miss her next year.”
St. Paul’s had a major setback when Angel Watson—one of the favorites in the 100 meters—false started in her heat. But the Lady Saints were more than able to pick up the slack, especially after Mary Carleton Johnston—who won the 800 meters earlier in a relatively slow 2:22.65 over twins Leigh Gilmore and Sarah Gilmore of crosstown rival UMS-Wright, won the 3,200 later in 11:29.17.
“We had a few unfortunate events, but we had to get back the points we lost,” Johnston said. “But right now, everybody’s looking pretty good.”
Mark Barron and Lee Gilmer were double victors for St. Paul’s boys in day one—Barron winning the triple jump (46-2 ½) and the discus (144-5). Gilmer won the 800, and followed it up with a runaway win in the 3,200 (9:42.51). The Saints also got a win from Grant Rogers in the pole vault (13-0).
4A
To no one’s surprise, Guntersville’s girls were in the lead after day one of the 4A competition, but nobody expected such a close battle between Beauregard and Guntersville in the 4A boys.
Although Guntersville’s girls didn’t win a single event in the first day finals, it had more than enough performances in the top eight to enjoy a 43-33.50 margin over Alabama Christian, with Beauregard and Central-Tuscaloosa tied for third with 28 points.
The top performances for Guntersville came in the triple jump, as Brooke Harrison was second (34-9) to winner Fillippa Danared of Brooks (34-9 ½). Harrison’s teammates Kayla Stewart and Raven Stewart were fourth and sixth to give Guntersville 16 points in that event.
Kayla Stewart finished second to Central-Tuscaloosa’s Candice Gaskins (45.11) in the 300-meter hurdles, while Raven Stewart was fourth. Third-place finishes by Catherine Greenwell in the 800 and 3,200 also helped.
Beauregard led Guntersville 24-23 in the 4A boys after the first day, thanks in part to John Ware’s second-place finish in the long jump (21-4 ¼), behind Handley’s Jefferson Bray (22-4). Guntersville stayed in the hunt, thanks to a 3-4 finish in the 800 by Jesse Teal (2:04.55) and Cade Kistler (2:06.54).
GREAT PERFORMANCES EXPECTED AT
ALABAMA STATE 4A-5A-6A CHAMPIONSHIPSBy ARTHUR L. MACK
This year’s Alabama State High School 4A-5A-6A Track and Field Championships at the Gulf Shores Sports Complex could very well be one of the most competitive in recent years.
The two-day meet begins Friday (May 2) and continues through Saturday (May 3).
With several nationally ranked athletes participating, there is sure to be a lot of attention from fans and the rest of the competition alike—and it could very well even shake up some of the DyeStat rankings after it’s all over.
Here’s a preview of what to expect from the different classifications.
6A
It always appears to be the same story among the girls—Mountain Brook is the prohibitive favorite.
After all, how can you ignore the fact that the Lady Spartans have loads of talent in the middle and long distance events?
For openers, there’s Madeline Morgan, who is nationally ranked in the 1,600 and 3,200, and had impressive times of 4:54.72 and 10:50.94 in her sectional meet. She was second in the Nike Indoor mile and won the Nike Team Nationals XC race last fall, individually.
In addition, there are freshman sensations Marie Demedicis and Catherine Diethelm. Both are excellent 800-meter runners, and Demedicis herself ran 57.27 in the 400 to be a threat to win that event. Demedicis will also run the 1,600 as well, along with Leslie Boozer, who ran 5:05.85 in that race in her sectional qualifying meet.
But there will be some competition, not only from cross-town rival Hoover but several other schools as well. Morgan, for example, will surely have competition in the 1,600 and 3,200, not only from Decatur Austin’s Jennifer Dunn, but from Sparkman’s triple threat Katie Huston—who not only handily won her sectional 1,600 and 3,200 with times of 5:09.68 and 11:14.11 respectively, but also won the high jump with a 5 foot, 6 inch clearance as well!
Demedicis will have plenty of competition in the 400 from Morganne Phillips of Shades Valley (57.54), Auburn’s Mary Ashton Nall (58.99) and Yolanda Taylor of Smiths Station (59.53).
Mountain Brook’s 4 X 400 (3:57.52) meter relay team could very well be in a barnburner with Hoover (4:04.64), Tuscaloosa-Northridge (4:02.16), Smiths Station (3:59.88), and Huntsville (4:00.59). The competition is strong in the 4x800, though if Mountain Brook brings out all its guns – they won Nike Indoor in the event – they’ll be impossible to beat.
In the 4 X 100 meter relay, Murphy of Mobile has the best time coming into the state meet with a 48.76 clocking, and should score points with its sprinters—Janae Jones, Alex Montgomery, and Brandi Alexander.
The field events should have their share of drama too. The high jump not only features Huston, but also Mountain Brook’s Alexandra Morgan, Brianne Willis of Hoover, and Alexis Paine of Murphy. All have cleared 5-6 or better during the season. In the pole vault, Hoover’s Laura Bedsole (10-6) is a favorite in a very competitive field.
Just as 6A girls could be a runaway, 6A boys could be a dogfight. A five-way battle could evolve between Opelika, Hoover, Mountain Brook, Murphy, and McGill-Toolen.
Opelika, the defending champion, relied on its sprint corps to win the title last year, and comes into this year’s meet with a strong sprint corps, led by Corey Gant and Quintaze Baker. Gant, though, could very well be in a very competitive 100-meter field, which includes Murphy’s Solomon Patton (best time 10.78 and sectional time of 10.83), Carver-Birmingham’s Kevon Brock (10.89) and Foley’s Julio Jones (who signed with the University of Alabama for football).
Jones—the defending state 6A long jump champion—is going to have some serious competition in that event this time around—not only from Baldwin County’s Nate Hammond (who defeated Jones at the Baldwin County championships last month), but McGill-Toolen’s Stephan McCord, Decatur-Austin’s Kanard Wallace (22-8), as well as Tuscaloosa-Northridge’s Caleb Lee, who not only has the top long jump coming into the state (23-2), but also the best triple jump mark (49-4 ¾).
Hoover boasts a triple threat in Patrick McGregor, who comes into the state meet with times of 1:53.24 for the 800, 4:18.57 in the 1,600, and 9:37.62 in the 3,200 from sectional meet competition. But Mountain Brook has a triple threat of its own in the person of Jake Stephens (22.05 in the 200, 48.54 for 400 meters, and 1:53.24 for 800 at sectionals).
There are several events that bear watching. In the 300- meter hurdles, Nick Beavers of Bob Jones comes in with a 39.99 clocking, but faces strong competition from Murphy’s Torrey Isaac (39.84) and Foley’s Travon Schultz (39.92). The javelin throw features a DyeStat top-three performer in Daphne’s Kyle Smith, who has thrown over 200 feet twice this season, and there are several pole vaulters—including McGill-Toolen Catholic’s Dylan McDonald—who have cleared 15 feet this season.
5A
Last year, St. Paul’s swept the girls and boys titles.
It may be a little bit tougher to do it this year.
On the girls’ side, St. Paul’s struggled with injuries and went into its sectional meet lacking depth. But the Lady Saints all but dominated their sectional meet, and as a result, come into the state meet with top seeds in several events.
Two of the events that St. Paul’s should do well is in the 100 and 300-meter hurdles, where Neal Tisher and Johnnie Borries have the top times coming into the meet. In addition, Tisher is one of the top pole vaulters in the state, with a personal best of 12-6. Borries is a state leader in other events—the shot put and javelin, throwing personal bests of 39-2 and 128-4 respectively in the sectional meet.
The Lady Saints have a strong sprinter in Angel Watson, who is one of the favorites in the 100 and 200.
Senior Mary Carleton Johnston provides St. Paul’s the big boost in the distance events. The Duke University signee will be in the 800, 1,600, and 3,200, where she has sectional qualifying marks of 2:19.30, 5:15.19, and 11:48.72. Johnston, incidentally, has run under 11 minutes for 3,200 this season, and if she has a good day, could run that fast this weekend.
St. Paul’s primary competition will come from crosstown rival UMS-Wright, as well as Scottsboro. Alabama signees Leigh and Sarah Gilmore lead UMS-Wright. Both, along with Johnston, will compete in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200. Scottsboro, as always, will have a strong distance corps, led by Emily Thompson, Hannah Thompson, and Caitlin Chitwood, as well as a competent long/triple jumper in Shayna McCarver, who has jumped 17-5 ½ and 37-4 ½ in those events.
Others to watch in 5A include Parker’s 4 X 100 and 4 X 400 meter relay teams, Cullman’s Lexi Carpenter in the long jump, and Ramsay’s Lakeshia Williams in the 100 (12.38), 200 (25.15), and 400 (56.98). Williams and Watson could have a good head to head battle in the shorter sprints.
The 5A boys’ battle could be a dogfight between St. Paul’s and UMS-Wright. In last week’s sectionals, UMS-Wright upset St. Paul’s, thanks in part to strength in the javelin throw. The Bulldogs’ trio of William Harvey (172-4), Ty Johnson (161-11) and Grand McGrew (155-0) had a field day in going 1-2-3 at that meet, and could have a strong showing at state as well.
UMS-Wright also has strengths in other events as well. Robert Willett is one of the best in the state in the 400 and 800, and is a big part of the Bulldogs’ 4 X 800 meter relay team, which had a seasonal best of 8:04 at the Challenge of Champions meet. Willett will also run the 1,600 as well.
Of course, St. Paul’s won’t give up its title without a fight. Not only do the Saints have some quality performers, they have a lot of depth. For openers, there is Lee Gilmer, who has the state’s best performances in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200, and is favored to win all three. There is also another University of Alabama football signee, Mark Barron, who will not only compete in the long jump and triple jump, but has the state’s best 5A mark in the shot put (56-10). There are also 400-meter runner Louis Watson and pole vaulter Grant Rogers, who should give the Saints a big boost.
The only other team that could give St. Paul’s trouble is Scottsboro, led by 110-meter hurdler Erik Burkett (15.31) and javelin thrower Eric Storey (162-4).
Individuals to watch are Williamson’s Mujahid Assad, who has produced several strong marks in the 100, 200 and 400 meters. Assad could have a battle with Lee-Huntsville’s Sean Delisser, and a spirited battle in the 400 against Watson, Spanish Fort’s Brent Duke (49.77), Willett, and Birmingham-Parker’s Dedrick Hunter (50.74).
4A
For some strange reason, Guntersville seems to be poised for a 4A sweep.
Oh, the girls have a good chance to repeat as 4A champions. Balance in every event is a sure-fire way of accomplishing that. Led by Kayla Stewart in the 200 and Shania Gardner in the 400, along with seventh-grade sensation Raven Stewart in the 400, 300 hurdles, and triple jump (where she has gone 35-2), and Celestine Greenwald in the 1,600 and 3,200, Guntersville is indeed the team to beat.
Of course, Alabama Christian and Beauregard might have something to say about that. Alabama Christian is led by Audrey Ainsworth, who comes into the state met with a 2:28.21 clocking in the 800 and 49.69 in the 300-meter hurdles, while Beauregard is paced by Jasmine Fears in the shot and discus, Kiva Holcey in the triple jump (34-6 ¾), and Laveeta Bellamy in the 400 (1:02.28).
Individually, Escambia County’s Kiara Henry could be a big factor in the 100 and 200, as well as in the long jump.
The 4A boys’ competition should be very interesting. Jacksonville won the title last year, but with the emergence of Guntersville, led by Jesse Teal and Cade Kistler in the 400 and Dexter Rose in the pole vault, the competition should be even more intense. Beauregard, last year’s 4A boys’ runner-up, could be even more of a factor, because of a strong pole vault contingent of Chris Wilder (11-0), Penn Cooper (11-0) and Steph Jones (10-0), along with 110/300-meter hurdler Chad Strickland.
Other teams to watch include Jackson, with Jamarkian Frower and Darrien Berry in the 100, and T.R. Miller, with Teraz Lane in the high jump and hurdles.
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