Performer of the Week
Every week this season we will be conducting a poll from beginning Monday and ending Wednesday to highlight the performances from the previous week. This will give us an opportunity to showcase the best talent in Tennessee. Though some athletes will likely lay down marks every meet that are worthy of being in the poll every time, our goal is to cast a wide net and showcase a vast array of athletes from all parts of the state.
Week 1 Candidates
Kahlynia Vanzant - Franklin Co.
Franklin County Junior Kahlynia Vanzant had the #1 time for last week's competitions in both short sprints posting a 12.54 and a 25.91 respectively at the Mohawk-Warrior Invitational in Georgia on Saturday. She is the first girl this season under the 26 second barrier. Last season she placed 14th in the 100m dash at state but did not run the 200m at sectionals. With another year of maturity under her belt the double should be in play this season.
Vanzant (lane 4) qualified 3rd out of Section 2 last season in the 100m Dash.
Abby Miller - Summit
With the return of talented runners in the open 400m like Eriyanna Reed, Eva Gautreaux, and Hannah Little, the path of least resistance in other distances and disciplines may be a little less rocky this season. Take the 300m hurdles for instance. Nine of the top 15 hurdlers graduated in 2021 including the top three; Tyra Nabors, Gracie Morse, and Gianna Bullock. So if you're a 60-62 second 400m runner and have flexible hips it might be in your best interest to learn how to hurdle this season if you're hoping to get on the podium in May.
Summit's Abby Miller must've gotten that memo. The sophomore from Spring Hill ran a 63 in the open 400 last year but opened this season with the fastest 300m hurdle time of the competitive week with a time of 48.47.
She later followed that up with a come from behind victory in the 200m dash. Both of these races showcase that whatever strength she acquired during her robust indoor schedule has transferred to outdoor.
Samantha Degrace - Dobyns-Bennett
In the other hurdle event, Sophomore Samantha Degrace returns after a very successful freshman campaign where she found herself 5th at state in the hurdles and 4th in the high jump. Only one other runner returns ahead of her this season in the hurdles and after her performances on Thursday of last week at her home track, she looks ready for her sophomore season. She won three events with a 16.18 in the hurdles, 5-0 clearance in the high jump, and a 15-11 in the long.
Amani Sharif - Rockvale
Rockvale participated in two events last week and Amani Sharif won five of the six events she competed in. She twice won the High Jump with a highest clearance of 5-0 and twice won the long jump with a distance of 18-4. She is currently the #1 ranked overall jumper in the event and is the defending state champion as the only jumper in 2021 to eclipse the 19 foot mark. Her other victory came in the 100m Hurdles where she ran a 17.20 and while that isn't very impressive, as with all races from Saturday in Murfreeboro, every runner was battling a very substantial wind down the final straightaway.
Southwind 4x100m Relay
In 2021, only 8 teams in the state ran under 49 seconds for the 4x100m relay and six of those times were run at state. To run in the 48s in the opening week of the season is unheard of but the Southwind Jaguars did just that last week at the Bonner Relays. Their 48.82 is only .6 second of their best time from last season and 2.2 second clear of the next best team, Cleveland, who won the state title in 2021. If Nyla Blackmon does not run the 400m open this season (as she did a few times in indoor), this squad will be hard to beat at MTSU this season.