Preview
by David Mitchell
[NOTE: Girls entries were not yet available when this was written.]
Boys
60m Dash ---Only 3/100 ths of a second separate the top 4 qualifiers. Casey Robinson of Bluewater leads the way at 7.04 followed closely by the next three, Jonte Harrell of Michigan Accelerators 7.05, Kevin Lawson J-Dubbs 7.06, and Darian Miller of Michigan Accelerators at 7.07, placing all 4 in the top 40 in the nation. As always, this promises to be a great final that would be nearly impossible to call without FAT.
200 �Maximum Output's Ahmad Rashad has run 21.46 on an oversized track in KY making him the fastest in the US to date. He leads the MITS list at 22.60, followed closely by Ross Weaver of The Heat at 22.67. They'll be gunning for Morgan Trent's (Maximum Output 2004) MITS meet and state record (on a regulation 200m track) of 21.79.
400 ---Derek Hunter, The Heat, is the top seed with a top 30 US 49.93. Motor City TC's returning relay All-American Emanuel Killebrew is next at 51.62. Killebrew has 3 behind him that are separated by only .01 seconds guaranteeing a highly competitive fast section.
800 ---Another Motor City All-American, Blake Figgins leads the qualifiers here with 1:56.60. Figgins has run two other open 800 races this indoor season under 1:56 at non-MITS meets. David Brent of Herb's Runners at 1:56.70 and Justin Switzer of Sunset Striders at 1:58.54 join him. Switzer was a 4:09 miler outdoors who also was a Footlocker National finalist this fall who ran only one qualifying race due to conflicts with his basketball season. The University of Michigan signee is looking to make a splash in his transition back to the track prior to racing in the Nike Indoor Nationals in Maryland next weekend.
1600 ---This race features a potpourri of cross country All-State athletes from multiple divisions. Lex Williams of Flower Power was a D2 All-Stater and his 4:22.40 tops the list. Fellow D2 CC All-Stater Jay Billsborrow is next at 4:27.47 followed by D1 CC All-Staters Takashi Gould, Kenny Wassus, Ian Boyle, Morty Stensones-Fornaess and Robert Gunn. Two more D2 CC All-Staters Tony Nalli and Ian Girard come in at 4:35 or better as well. Williams has the top time at this distance, but Boyle, who was a 4:16 miler outdoors last year and leads the MITS 800 list with 1:56.29, has decided to run the 1600 at the Championship.
3200 ---Boyle's Jackalopes teammate, Nick Katsefaras has a 12 second lead over all others in the field based on his recent PR of 9:30.04. Among those lurking in the wings is Footlocker national finalist John Black.
60mHH ---Daniel Kinney of Michigan Accelerators has been a top 10 US performer throughout the year based on his January time of 8.12. Baumans' Rodney Harris is the next closest to the lanky Kinney with 8.33.
High Jump ---With a pair of 6'10� performers coming in, this will be a marquee field event. Chris Faison (a University of Toledo football signee) of Sunset Striders and Andrew Dodson of Chicken City Flyers will be leaping for the opportunity to break the MITS record of 6'10.25 set in '97 by Jacob Surber (Will to Win). Eastside's Ryan Libiran comes in with a fine qualifying jump of 6'8� as well.
Long Jump ---John Allen of J-Dubbs (22'1.5�), Eric Williams of Greyhounds (21'8.75�), and Aaron Monticello of Team Green (21'8�) promise to make this a hotly contested event.
Pole Vault ---4 vaulters come in having cleared 14'0� or higher this winter led by Borderline's Tony Little and Mitchell's Logan Lynch who've each soared over 14'6�. Misses may tell the story in this tight field.
Shot ---John Boles gives another list leader to J-Dubbs with his fine 55'3.5�. He's followed by Gerald Gershon of The Heat at 54'8.5� and Vince Belitses of Rot Pac at 53'9.5�. Gershon is a returning indoor All-Stater and Boles finished 5 th last year as well.
Triple Jump ---This is only the 6 th year of TJ at the MITS Championship meet in MI. It is still not competed outdoors. TMAC's Dante Merritt is the lone qualifier over 40' with a best of 41'0� coming in. Multi-talented jumper Eric Williams of Greyhounds is a returning MITS All-Stater as well.
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