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15th Mobile Challenge of Champions
Friday-Saturday, April 6-7, 2007 Mobile AL
DyeStat on-site with Steve Underwood, John Nepolitan, and Arthur Mack


Mobile Christian’s Dynamic Duo Leads Qualifiers for Challenge of Champions' Elite Competition

STORY BY ARTHUR L. MACK - More Day 1 Photos by John Nepolitan

Mobile, Alabama, Friday, April 6---The Challenge of Champions’ open division, held at UMS-Wright’s Erwin S. Cooper Stadium, is usually an appetizer for the more prestigious elite division held just over a mile away at St. Paul’s Episcopal School.

But over the years, some of the open division athletes have used the open division competition to qualify to run, jump, and throw with the big boys, thanks to vacancies created by injuries, no shows, and withdrawals.

Such was the case in this year’s open division competition, where a bunch of athletes who would ordinarily not get the opportunity to compete in national class competition will be able to do so Saturday.

 
 Jav winner Stephen Jernigan of Mobile Christian. Photo John Nepolitan

Two of those athletes were local—Stephen Nobles and Stephen Jernigan of Mobile Christian, a former Alabama Independent School Association member competing in the Alabama High School Athletic Association for the first time. They took center stage as they won their respective events and qualified for the invitational division.

Nobles battled gusty winds to win the boys’ discus with a toss of 145 feet, 4 inches, while Jernigan won the javelin with a personal best of 157-9.

Mobile Christian coach Mike Powell said that while Nobles was not at his best because of the wind, the thrill of victory was more than enough to offset the weather conditions. “Stephen was affected by the wind, and we were hoping for a throw in the 150 foot range, but he will still be competitive,” he said.

Jernigan, though, was not bothered by the wind at all, thanks to a change in technique to compensate for the gusty conditions.

“With the wind they way it was, it was carrying the other throwers’ throws out of bounds,” he said. “But I just wound up getting the right angle, and it was just a matter of keeping it (the throw) low.”

Several other Mobile area athletes also qualified for the elite division. One of them was Johnnie Borries of St. Paul’s, who was already entered in the elite girls’ shot put. Competing in the javelin competition in preparation for the heptathlon, Borries—competing in throwing events for the first time—added 12 feet to her personal best, winning with a throw of 112-1.

“I’ve been working on the javelin because I wanted to do the heptathlon at the (Alabama) state meet and they had me throwing today so I can get some more practice,” she said. “I’m so excited to be doing another event (in the invitational division).”

  
 Left, Choctawahatchee, Fla’s. Tyler Hall won the open 3200. Right, Oak Mountain took the 4x400. Photo John Nepolitan



Three other Southwest Alabama athletes also qualified for the invitational, thanks to wins in their respective events. They were Foley’s Shikara Williams in the girls’ long jump (16-8); St. Paul’s Will Guth in the boys’ shot put (46-9 ¼) and B.C. Rain’s Brittany Moore in the girls’ shot put (31-1).

In addition, another Alabama team—Oak Mountain—also made it to the elite competition, winning the girls’ 4 X 400 meter relay in 4:04.62.

There were some other impressive performances in the open division.

 

 
Above, Mujahid Asad of Mobile Williamson (center) wins the open 100. Photo John Nepolitan
  Shan Crawford anchored the winning open 4x100 for Smiths Station, then won the 400 open race. Photo John Nepolitan



Mobile Williamson’s Mujahid Asad dazzled the hometown crowd with his win in the boys 100 meters (11.13), while Choctawahatchee, Fla’s. Tyler Hall won a thrilling boys’ 3200 in 9:59.89. In addition, Jordan Frazier of Jonesboro, Ga.’s Mundy’s Mill won the 300-meter hurdles in 40.70.

Smiths Station (Ala.) took the girls 4 X 100 in windy conditions. The team, consisting of Janesha Davis, Miriam Cobb, Shelia Perry, and Shan Crawford, won in 49.90. Crawford also won the 400 in 59.52.

 

Photo Gallery by John Nepolitan (The Track Junkie)

Triple jumper Cameron Dixon of Mundy's Mill, GA
Shot putter Carrie Boone of St. Paul's Episcopal was also in the javelin. 800 favorite Chris Bilbrew of Smiths Station was also the winner of the open 400.
The fastest heat of the 110H on Day 1 went to Ricky Tate of Northeast, with Blair Hunter of Mundy's Mill close behind.
Anna Carr of Niceville easily won both the 100 and 200 dashes.
Grant Rogers of St. Paul's Episcopal cleared 12-0 in the PV, but his teammate won with the same height.
Johnnie Borries of St. Paul's exceeded 112 feet for the open javelin victory.

 

 

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