Performer Of The Meet
For the final poll of the 2022 track season we chose one athlete from each of these five disciplines to showcase their performances from the TSSAA Track and Field State Championship: Sprints, Distance, Hurdles, Throws, and Jumps. While there are other athletes that had notable performances, we'll try to point to those through other articles that get published throughout the summer.
Sprints: Jaden Stevenson - Greeneville
This category really was the hardest one to pick one representative as there were four total athletes who swept the 100m and 200m dashes for their respective classifications: Jordan Ware, Barion Brown, London Humphreys, and Jaden Stevenson. Brown and Stevenson also won the 400m dash. In all three events, Stevenson posted the better time than Brown which is why he's getting the nod. On the day, the future University of Arkansas Little Rock Trojan posted a 10.69, 21.54, and 48.58 which was a personal best by over a second. Here's a replay of that race.
With a runner-up finish in long jump, Stevenson comes away as the highest point scorer on the meet with 38 total.
Distance: Levi Streeval - Daniel Boone
Coming into the meet, Levi Streeval owned both TN #1 times in the 800m and 1600m run and Daniel Boone had the best time in the 4x800m relay. The question coming into the meet was could Streeval take on all three races in approximately three hours and race up to his seeding? On Thursday we found out the answer is yes starting with this come from behind victory in the 4x800m Relay. Streeval gets the baton at the 6:20 mark.
The future Lipscomb Bison would subsequently run a 1:55.75 and a 4:13.93 to come away with two more victories and the top times in both events across all three days of competition.
Hurdles: Jakobe Tharp - Rockvale
In interviews, Jakobe Tharp is a man of few words so I will be too and let the racing speak for itself.
This is poetry in motion. Later in the evening he would place runner up in the 200m Dash losing only to Jordan Ware which leaves me questioning if you can hurdle like this, and can sprint like that... why not make another run at the 300m hurdles? So far he has only attempted the event twice but I feel like the door is open with eight of the top ten hurdlers in the event graduating out.
Jumps: Jeremiah Flemmons - East Hamilton
Off the top of my head, I believe only two male jumpers competed in all three events last week: Jaxon Toney of Harding and Jeremiah Flemmons of East Hamilton. While Toney came away with one victory, Flemmons came away with two (Triple Jump (43-2) and High Jump (6-6)) and added in a victory in the 110m hurdles for good measure.
Flemmons alone scored 36 points which trailed only Jaden Stevenson by just two when it comes to overall point getter and the difference was really only by about five inches. Stevenson and Flemmons went head to head in the long jump where Stevenson went 22-2 and Flemmons went 21-9.5. While I find it unfortunate most football players of Flemmon's caliber never make it to the track at any point in their career, I am thankful that we at least got one. Flemmons will be able to head to Clarkesville now as a State Champion.
Throws: Drake Carlson - Father Ryan
Last year, Drake Carlson finished 4th and 5th in the shot and discus competitions for Division II Class AA. This season he walked away with first and first throwing his best mark of his career in shot with a 56-3 on a wet circle with active precipitation and threw close to his best in discus with a 165-8 which was the best mark thrown by anyone across the three days of the state meet.
With Penix graduating, Carlson will the thrower to beat in 2023.