High School Athletes Earns Readers' and Editors' Choice Awards

Track and field fans voiced their choices in this week's DyeStat's Performance of the Week poll, while DyeStat's editors made their own selection.

Readers’ Choice: Tamari Davis

With 28.03 percent of the vote, Tamari Davis won our Readers’ Choice vote, beating Katelynne Hart with her second-place tally of 25.1 percent.

The Oak Hall FL sophomore had a strong week, competing at the Alachua County Championships and the UNF Pre-State High School Meet, following her successful defense of her New Balance Nationals Indoor title in the 200 meters.

Davis returned to action for the first time since returning from New York City at the Alachua Country Championships where she won the 200 meters and finished second in the 400 meters, running 25.27 and 1:02.06, respectively.

Competing four days later at the UNF Pre-State High School Meet, Davis was twice a winner, running the 200 meters in a US#1 23.06 and setting a personal best in the 400 meters with a time of 55.83. The latter ranks her 36th on the national prep list so far this year. Best known as a 100- and 200-meter runner, Davis is showing strength that she did not have in her freshman season.

Editors’ Choice: Katelynne Hart

The Glenbard West IL junior closed out the Illinois indoor season with two meet records at Illinois Top Times.

Hart's double started with the 3A 800 meters, which featured one of the strongest fields in the meet. For Hart, she saw the race as an opportunity to finally break through, having yet to break 2:13 in her career, going back to her first 2:13 800-meter performance as an eighth-grader.

Sensing a slow pace, Hart took the lead before the end of the first lap. It was a lead she would never relinquish. She won in 2:10.63, winning by two seconds and taking nearly a second off the meet record. It was a three-second personal best for Hart.

Watch Hart's 800-meter race on RunnerSpace.com.

An hour later, Hart was back on the track for the 1,600 meters. She had a 14-second personal best advantage over the next fastest girl in the field. Hart led from the start, racing the clock. She crossed the finish line in 4:48.06, taking five seconds off the meet record.

Watch Hart's 1,600-meter race on RunnerSpace.com.

Always a team player, Hart ran a third race on the day, the 4x400 relay. Hart ran the anchor leg, helping her team to sixth overall in 4:09.68.

Watch Hart's post-race interview on RunnerSpace.com.