The 2019 McCallie Mid-South Track
Classic is in the books, and the boys' team title yet again went to
the host Blue Tornado with 145 points, besting second-place Cleveland
by 45 points. Alabama's Fort Payne just edged out East Nashville Magnet 80 to 78.5 for the girls' team championship.
After earlier forecasts called for rain, mother nature decided to provide an absolutely perfect day for track and field, and the performances showed it. Five new meet records were set, along with several near-misses. Here are some of the highlights:
Tyner's Jeremiah Batiste earned the boys' McIlwaine-Pataky Outstanding Athlete award for the most individual points with 29. The junior won both the 100 and 200, in 10.82 and 21.84 seconds, respectively, placed second in the long jump and was part of the fourth-place 400 relay team. His 200 time was a meet record. Here's what he had to say after his 100-meter victory:
Cleveland's
Eric Parker had an impressive day as well, winning both the 110- and
300-meter hurdles, while his 400 and 1600 relay teams also took first
place. The senior also set a meet record in the 110 hurdles with a
time of 14.36 and in the 400 relay.
Parker just missed the record in his other hurdle event by 0.02 second despite breaking off a piece of a hurdle during the race.
Red Bank's Cole Bullock ran a personal-best in the 1600 meters, clocking a 4:10.13. Here's the final lap:
The senior placed fifth in the 3200 at the Arcadia Invitational last Saturday with a blistering time of 8:50.70. Here's what he had to say after his 1600-meter race this Saturday:
Arguably the most exciting boys' races of the day was the 800 meters, where Cookeville's Kevin Griffin's strong kick propelled him to victory, as he just missed breaking the two-minute barrier in a time of 2:00.29, four seconds faster than his previous personal best. Here's the finish and what an elated Griffin had to say after the race:
East
Nashville Magnet junior Demeck Starling won both the high jump (6-2)
and 400 meters (50.51 seconds). Other boys champions included
McCallie's Dre Taylor (discus) and Wyatt Hughes (shot put),
Cookeville's Stockton Owen (triple jump), Cleveland's David Dorsey
(long jump), and Baylor's Jack Holcombe (pole vault).
For the girls, Arts & Sciences' Alayah Dozier continued to impress, blowing away the field in both the 100 (12.28 seconds) and 200 (25.33 seconds), although the junior admitted her times still weren't where she wanted them to be.
Cookeville sophomore Landri Wilcox put her name in the record books twice on Saturday, setting a new meet best in both the 1600 and 3200 with times of 5:04.88 and 10:55.63 respectively, also both personal bests.
Walker Valley sophomore Ashley Eulo won the 400 in 1:01.15, and nearly pulled off the double, finishing second in the 800 in 2:26.91, just over a second behind the Franklin County's Kara McDaniel.
Franklin County's Gracie Morse had already had a good day by all accounts when she got in the blocks for the 300-meter hurdles, having finished fifth in the high jump and fourth in the 110-meter hurdles, both with new personal bests. She capped her day off with a victory in the 300-hurdles in a time of 46.28.
Other girls champions included East Nashville Magnet's Jalena Curbeam (triple jump) and Kleymer Cruz (100 meter hurdles), Red Bank's Kimbra Dunning (long jump), Baylor's Ruthie Burnette (pole vault), and Cookeville's Chloe Savage (shot put).