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Highlights by John Dye - Mobile Challenge of Champions 2000

Published by
DyeStat.com   Apr 1st 2000, 7:11pm
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MOBILE AL 4/1/00 --  A balmy night, the sylvan setting of St. Paul's Episcopal's athletic fields, and a collection of quality athletes added up to a very enjoyable evening for an overflow crowd.  The thrills started with Maurice Robinson's meet record triple jump and ended with a pulsating finish in the boys 4x400, Tupelo MS edging Escambia FL.  In between, there were many more exciting happenings:

BOYS

Most Outstanding Athlete--Maurice Robinson, Blount AL senior.  Robinson had the only triple of the meet, with excellent marks in all three events:  the 100 meters (10.74 in a 0.03 lean over Alabama rival Torian Stabler), long jump (24-0), and triple jump (49-7.5, breaking his own meet record).

200/400 Meters--A 400 meter race that was supposed to be Ahmad Jasmine against the field turned out to be Fernanda Blakely's coming out party.  Running in lane 6, the previously unheralded Blount AL senior made up the stagger in shockingly quick fashion and had a daylight lead before the far turn.  Jasmine was third at that point and out of contention.  Blakely powered through the stretch and let out a fierce victory scream when he surged across the finish line.  The Lynx camera caught him in 45.98, fastest by a US high schooler in two years (Ato Modibo, 45.89, in MD, 5/98).    

Unfortunately, Blakely was disqualified for running five steps inside his lane on the far turn.  That moved up Otis Harris, the lane 5 contestant, who ran a fine 47.41 himself.

Before the DQ spoiled things, Blount coach Brian Maupin was beaming.  Maupin said Blakely practiced all week with Jasmine in mind.  "I told him the best would be here," Maupin said. "He said he wanted to run under 46 seconds, and people laughed.  He's a hard working kid who has been overshadowed by Maurice (Robinson) and others; I am so proud of what he did tonight."  Maupin is also a football coach and Blakely is a football player, but the coach expects Blakely to concentrate on track in college, a choice which is not determined at this point.  

A few moments after the DQ was announced, Blakely toed the starting line in the 200.  He took out any disappointment on this field by blazing to a 21.03 victory, good for US#1 to replace the one lost in the 400.

800 meters--2-time national champion James Doaty, of Louisville KY Male HS, headlined this field in one of the featured races of the entire meet.  Before the race, Doaty's coach John Conn said that Doaty sprained an ankle in practice but would run.  Doaty's left ankle was taped heavily as he stepped to the starting line alongside Marcelo Dunning, a tall Smyrna GA senior.  Doaty was out quickest and went through the first lap in 57 seconds with a 3-step lead over Dunning.  Down the backstretch, Dunning mounted a challenge and took the lead on the far turn.  Observers who saw Doaty rally mightily in the stretch at Raleigh last June and Bloomington last month expected a return from the diminutive Kentuckian.  But it wasn't there this time.   Nothing should be taken away from Dunning, however, as he finished strongly in a fine 1:52.66.  Doaty was second at 1:53.18, followed closely by St. Augustine LA sr Jeffrey Fisher at 1:53.41.  

1600 meters--Stephen Haas, N. Mecklenburg NC, was tabbed the one to beat and he looke the part for three front running laps in 3:12.  But then the lead crumbled.  Kyle Rabbitt, Landmark Christian GA, collared Haas on the backstretch, and was taken in turn by Josh Forester, W. Monroe LA, with 200 meters to go.  Forester cruised home in 4:16.37, followed by Rabbitt 4:17.41 and Haas 4:20.25.

3200 meters--Landmark Christian GA sr Nathan Kosiba 9:15.42 led three runners under David Christian's 1998 meet record.  The next two were St. Paul's LA teammates Jimmy Wiggins 9:18.34 and Pat Gavin 9:19.81.

Hurdles--Tupelo MS sr Deandre Eiland, US#1 in the 110 hurdles and US#2 at 300 meters, had a busy weekend.  He easily won the 100 meter dash (10.87) and 110 hurdles (13.91) on Friday in the Bulldog Classic at Mississippi State U.  In Mobile Saturday he would be challenged by Pensacola FL sr Justin Gatlin.  They traded victories, Eiland winning the 110 distance 13.66 to 13.90 and Gatlin on top at 300 meters 35.74 to 36.85.  In each race, the winner got out to a slight lead and held off repeated challenges.

4x400--Most thrilling race of the entire meet as the Tupelo MS and Escambia FL anchors fought stride for stride around the entire oval.  The crowd roared in approval for the fitting finish to a fine evening of  high school track competition.  In the end, Tupelo's Eiland showed his grit by refusing to be passed; his team won in 3:21.86, a mere 0.21 seconds ahead of Escambia.    

4x800--Florida teams dominated with Niceville on top in the early going, Tallahassee McClay taking charge on the third leg and Pine Forest moving into second at the end.  McClay finished in 8:00.19, with Pine Forest a second behind and and local Mobile Murphy another 5 seconds back.  Niceville faded to fifth.  

Pole Vault--South Lakes FL came in with the top 3 seeds, all over 15 feet.  They didn't get that height here, but they went home with medals for 1st (Dan Shaffer 14-6), 2nd (Brooks Weber), and 6th (Garret Penton).  

GIRLS

MOST OUTSTANDING ATHLETE--Ronda White, Olympic NC.  White doubled in the horizontal jumps and got meet records in both, 19-2 and 40-6.25.  The long jump surprised her as her first 19 foot effort.  "I expected to get 40 feet in the triple, because I have been doing that, but I just wanted to get a few good jumps in long jump (as a warmup for triple)." 

400 meters--favorite Christy Fairley, whose 53.8 a week earlier in New Orleans was best in the nation for the young 2000 outdoor season, almost didn't run.  George County MS coach Melanie Black said a half hour before the race that she might scratch Fairley because of a sore leg; she didn't want to jeopardize her junior star's chances at the big Arcadia Invitational next week in California.  But Fairley ran, and she was never headed in a 2-girl race with Alycia Williams, Flagler FL,  54.25 to 55.32. 

800 meters--Seven girls came into the race with sub-2:20 marks, indicating a close fight, McMain LA sr Xyllena Lynch lived up to her top seed.  The long-striding Lynch's made it look easy in 2:16.48, one of the best times early in the 2000 outdoor season.  Jordan Wagenseller, Louisville KY Ballard, was second at 2:17.68.   

1600 meters--It was NC State-bound Sara Graybill's first race of the season, and the Daviess County KY senior just wanted a good outing to prepare for the Arcadia Invitational in California next week.  She got the good outing and more as she handled a good field of milers including 1999 Foot Locker finalist Hilary White, Gainesville FL Buchholz, and Great American Cross Country invitational winner Brittney Mensen, Alexander GA (signed for Arkansas).  Graybill finished in 5:00.83, with White 3 seconds behind and Mensen 7.

High Jump--Davidson AL jr Kaylah Burks and Tupelo MS sr Sabrina Norwood matched each other without a miss through 5-6.  Burks won at 5-8 and had 3 very close misses at 5-10.  The tall, graceful Burks has a 5-9 PR, and Davidson coach Sam Petteway sees 6 feet in her future.

4x800--1999 Foot Locker finalist Hilary White's 2:20 second leg gave Gainesville FL Buchholz a commanding lead that held up into the stretch of the anchor leg.  But then, the Buchholz anchor shortened stride, and the Escambia FL anchor closed in a rush in the last 60 meters to win going away in 9:43.86.



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