1/18/15-Johnson City, TN. Athletes from as far as Maryland and Illinois were among the 10 states represented at the 2015 KYA Indoor Classic in conjunction with the ETSU Track and Field Invitational (College). Meet Management were trying to decide around 1PM Saturday who the early favorite might be for the athlete of the meet. By 4PM, there was no doubt as Ryan Clark of Star Track (GA) dropped the jaws of everyone in the stands. Following impressive 200 (Friday) and 60 (Saturday morning) prelims, he had a run of 4 top races. Winning the 400 (49.04), 60 (6.76) and the 200 (21.35) in that order with the 60 and 200 being US#1 times. The meet was not over until he closed out his team's 4x400 to win over a strong Sprint Athletic team (GA). The track was not the only place athletes were setting top US marks. Sabrina Gaitan of Throw 1 Deep (GA) set the US top Weight Throw mark throwing 59-07. She was the winner but there were amazing US marks in both gender's Weight Throw. The girls are now US 1, 3, 10, 17 and the boys are US 4, 18, 19. Deandra Greer (GA) ran the US #3 mark in the 60m Dash Finals in 7.59. Top Tennessee athletes included Evan McCracken winning the Shot Put (US #5), Isaiah Kyle winning the High Jump (US #8) and Luke Meade winning the 2 mile (US #9).
This event served as the first of the Tennessee State Meet Auto Qualifiers with the top 8 Tennessee finishers automatically qualifying for a return to Johnson City for the first Tennessee State Meet on February 28. For Qualifiers and more info on the State meet go to: http://www.knoxvilleyouthathletics.org/meetsraces/tennessee-state-high-school-indoor-track-and-field-championships
Now on to the Vanderbilt HS Invitational on January 31st. Eight more automatic qualifiers for the state meet will come out of that meet so make sure to go to http://www.knoxvilleyouthathletics.org/meetsraces/vanderbilt-high-school-indoor-invitational and sign up!
US Top 20 Athletes:
1 Sabrina Gaitan Weight Throw
1 Ryan Clark 60
1 Ryan Clark 200
3 Deandra Greer 60
3 Kamryn Brinson Weight Throw
4 Charles Whitener Weight Throw
5 Evan McCracken Shot Put
7 Isaiah Rodgers Shot Put
8 Isaiah Kyle High Jump
9 Luke Meade 2 Mile
10 Kathleen Young Shot Put #1 sophomore
10 Leena Morris Weight Throw
11 Robert Dunning 60 Hurdles
13 Carson Dingler Pole Vault #1 sophomore
17 Kyra Atkins 60 Hurdles
17 Sylvia Wilson 200
17 Zharia Jeffries Weight Throw
18 Sylvia Wilson 60 Hurdles
18 Adam Barnard 800
18 Isaiah Rodgers Weight Throw
19 Zach Long 800
19 Evan McCracken Weight Throw
20 Mckhi McGuyver Triple Jump