14th Mobile Challenge of Champions
Mar 31 - Apr 1, 2006 at Mobile AL
Open Division March 31 at UMS Wright School - Invitational Division Apr 1 at St. Paul's Episcopal School
a DyeStat featured meet

Arthur Mack's report

Karjuan Williams sidelined by hammie, but Brittany Hall and Phelon Jones
provide plenty of star power

By ARTHUR L. MACK

MOBILE, Ala., April 1---Fans at St. Paul's Episcopal School's E. E. Delaney Stadium were all fired up as they awaited an anticipated duel between New Bern, N.C. star Karjuan Williams and Lake Charles (La.) Barbe's Trey Harts in the 400 meters at the Mobile Challenge of Champions meet. Williams, though, pulled out of the 400 as a result of a pulled hamstring. While it took some luster out of the meet, performances by Mobile's McGill-Toolen Catholic's Phelon Jones and Meadowcreek GA's Brittany Hall of Norcross, Ga. more than made up for the disappointment.

Jones, who won the invitational boys' triple jump in last year's meet, defended his title in a big way, going 50 feet, 4 1/2 inches to break the record of 49-7 1/2 set by Prichard, Ala. Blount's Maurice Robinson in 2000, and tied by Jones last year.

Hall, a junior, overcame a sluggish first 400 and turned on the jets en route to a new meet record in the girls' 800 of 2 minutes, 10.19 seconds--breaking the old record of 2:12.14 set by Kirby Patterson of Daphne, Ala in 2004.

Those were two of six new records in the 14th annual meet, which started as a tri-county affair in 1993 but has grown into one of the top prep meets in the country.

Zach Clayton of Opelika, Ala. defended his discus title with a record throw of 190-3; Donte Hall of Douglasville, Ga's Chapel Hill set a new record in the boys' high jump (7-0); Emily Reese of Chamblee GA broke five minutes in the girls' mile, running a meet record 4:57.50; and Jordan Scott of Oconee County, Ga, cleared 16-6, breaking the boys' pole vault record by three inches.

In a meet that saw five individual double winners, the boys' pole vault being contested under dim lighting and six athletes clearing 11-0 or better in the girls' pole vault, it indeed was a day to remember.

Jones provided the first record as the boys' triple jump had a very unusual twist---Maurice Robinson, the previous record holder, was coached by Leroy Milsap, who had four state titles while at Blount and who was now coaching Jones' biggest rival--Cahokia (Ill.) star Kali Jackson. When Jones went 48-3 on his first attempt, he shouted with joy, "I feel like jumping today---let's go!" Jackson was all too happy to oblige, going 48-5 despite having to deal with a short runway.

Jones answered with a 48-11, but Jackson fouled in the second round. On his next jump, though, Jackson came through with a 50-1 and took the lead--and for the moment--the record. But in the final round, Jones came up with a jump for the ages--and the record. Jackson, who was still struggling with his approach, could only manage 48-11 on his last jump.

"I just knew I had to go farther and put everything into the last jump," Jones said. "The 48-3 was my first real good jump since last year,and it felt pretty good.

" I thought I could have gone farther after I hit 50-1, but I had some slow approaches and I stutter-stepped a little," said Jackson. "It was still some good competition."

Milsap, who starred at Mobile's Davidson High and went on to compete for Mississippi State, was excited about the battle between Jones and Jackson, despite his athlete coming out on the losing end. "It was great competition between Kali and Phelon, and it was pretty exciting," he said. "There were always some great triple jumpers coming out of Mobile, and I'm glad that Phelon is keeping up the trend."

While the buzz was wearing off from the battle between Jones and Jackson, a bigger buzz was brewing in anticipation of the boys' 400. Williams, who came into the meet with the fourth fastest indoor 800 ever (1:50.74), and Harts, who was not only a hot 400 meter prospect, but had the nation's 4th best indoor 200 ever (21.09).

Williams, however, came into the meet with a slight hamstring pull, and upon orders from his coach, Nicholas Sparks, took it easy in the 4 X 800 meter relay, won by Smiths Station, Ala. in 8:00.75.

"I told Karjuan to test it out to see how the hamstring felt," said Sparks. "The main reason we went ahead and ran the 4 X 800 was because we had two freshmen and a sophomore on the team, and I wanted them to get some experience in a meet like this. It would have been a great 400, but that's just the way it goes."

"It's better for him (Williams) to be injured now instead of trying to run with the injury and risk being out for the rest of the year," said Mike Byrnes of the National Scholastic Sports Foundation, who attended the meet.

Though fans were deprived of a chance to see a battle Williams and Harts (who went on to win the boys' 400 in an impressive 47.44), Hall more than satisfied the crowd with her win in the girls' 800.

Hall was locked in a battle with National Scholastic Indoor Championship mile winner Cory McGee of Pass Christian, Miss. Both were in a pack for the first 400 meters, but broke away from the field and were running side by side before Hall put on a burst of speed in the last 300 meters and left McGee alone in second.

Afterwards, Hall said that she was not pleased with her first 400, and had to change her race plan, as it were, on the fly.
"I wanted to come around in 63 or 64 seconds," she said. "But I was off on my time, and I had to pick it up and let it all hang out (in the second lap). As it was, I didn't realize I was going to break the record."

Scott probably had the toughest time of any of the record-breakers. The University of Kansas bound senior did not vault until the bar was at 16-0. Only a few days ago, he no-heighted when he came in at that height. To make matters worse, although the stadium lights were on, it was still dim at the south end of the stadium area where the pole vault was being contested. In order for vaulters to compete, a flashlight was set up on the corner of the vaulters' box so they could plant their poles.

Scott missed twice at 16-0 before clearing it on his third attempt and going on to win. He failed on all three attempts at 17-2. Still, it was a stong effort under stressful conditions.

"I was thinking to myself, there would be no no-heighting today," he said. "I vaulted in twilight before, but not in a situation like this. I had to clear 16 in order to stay alive, but when I went 16-6, it felt good. I went for 17-2, but I just didn't have it."

Notable meet double winners included Brandon Banks of Garner, N.C. in the boys' 100 and 200 (10.66/21.53); Santana Lowery of Starkeville, Miss. in the girls 100 and 200 (11.99/24.18) and Daryl Reynolds of New Bern, N.C. in the 110 and 300-meter hurdles (14.16/38.18).