Adaejah Hodge Is The Star To Watch At MCTC

* Mia Brahe-Pedersen at the Oregon State Championships

Photo Credit: MileSplit

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In 2021, the meet originally known as the Music City Distance Carnival rebranded itself as the Music City Track Carnival and immediately attracted world class sprint, hurdle and field event talent in the expanded offerings to pro athletes.

The elite girls 100m will feature Montverde Academy's Adaejah Hodge out of Florida.

Only four high school girls in history -- Briana Williams and Candace Hill -- have gone faster than Hodge all-time. 

With the Florida star in the lineup, she could go after a national record.

Hodge will enter the race one month removed from her last outing, where she ran 11.16 at The East Coast International Showcase Presented By Puma. But she currently sits U.S. No. 2 in the event with an 11.11 (+1.7) run at the Corky/Crofoot Shootout against collegians. 

She's run under 11.20 a total of four times. 

What's compelling, however, is the fact that Hodge broke the high school national indoor record in the 200m with at time of 22.33 and, until now, hasn't really been in a position to go after records since then. 

Music City will give her that incentive. 

This will be Hodge's second trip to Nashville to partake in this event. In 2021, she raced in the preliminary rounds of the professional 100m dash. 

But there's no doubt this will be an epic race, and it could have historic ramifications for Hodge if she runs up to her lofty-standards.

Tennessee Flavor

Also coming in at U.S. No. 30 will be Tennessee's own Danielle Dunning out of Chattanooga. The sophomore is fresh off sweeping the Division I Class A 100m and 200m dash state titles and tied a state record in the event at 11.46. 

Dunning is the only underclassmen and is currently U.S. No. 3 for sophomores with a wind-legal reading at 11.60. 

Shot Competition Attracts Top Throwers

Off the track, the girls shot put competition is going to feature the top three throwers in the U.S. Top 15 with hometown Mensi Stiff as the top entry. 

They'll take on Tennessee's own Mensi Stiff, who sits at U.S. No. 2 with a 52-11. Stiff may still have intentions of breaking the high school national record in the event. 

Stiff won this event's inaugural competition last season. Also joining them will be U.S. No. 11 Makenzie Garr from Missouri and U.S. No. 15 Skylar Soli from Georgia. 

Boys Pole Vault Set To Reach New Heights In Debut

In the inaugural competition of the boys pole vault, the field is scheduled to feature two 17-footers including, John Scott Kendricks from Oxford, Mississippi (U.S. No. 5) and Dyson Wicker from Rockwall, Texas (U.S. No. 8), who both have clearances of 17-1 and 17-0.25, respectively, in 2023.  

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