High School Boys 100m Dash
Jordan Anthony makes his return
That's right... The World U-18 #1 in the 60m and reigning 2021 Jr. Nationals 100m Champion will be at the 2022 Southern Miss High School Invitational on Friday, Jordan Anthony of Tylertown High School, March 4th in one of his specialty events, the 100m dash. Naturally, Anthony is the heavy favorite to take the 100m title at Southern Miss. I mean no disrespect to the field, but it is hard to bet against the reigning national champion.
In that field, however, is Anthony's teammate, Jeremiah Dillon, who can definitely hold his own in the sprinting events. As a matter of fact, I would call this duo one of the best short sprints duos in the nation. Dillon recently went 6.89 in the 60m at the 2022 Last Chance Invitational, going 1-2 with his Tylertown compatriot Anthony. Dillon also sped to 10.53 and 21.45 in the 100m and 200m distances during the 2021 outdoor season.
Other notable entries include current Miss. #1 Trent Mosley of Pearl, 2021 MHSAA 6A State Champion Ashton Smith of Madison Central, and 2022 Pearl Track and Field Opener Runner-up Tyler Arrington, a talented sophomore from Wingfield.
Last outdoor season, Anthony stated that he wanted to go under 10 seconds in the 100m dash before he graduates. Whether that happens tomorrow, I can't say. However, I definitely think that Anthony has the capability to do so, and tomorrow will start his journey to creating history.
High School Girls 100m Dash
Taylor Stratton of Pearl winning the 2021 MHSAA 6A 100m title
Multiple State Medalists Collide
As one can see from the title above, there will be numerous state medalists colliding to create the ultimate showdown in the High School Girls 100m dash at the 2022 Southern Miss High School Invitational - Even state medalists outside the state of Mississippi. Let's go ahead and glance through the field and get the full rundown:
Leading the way is Alabama standout Alana Green, coming all the way from Tuscaloosa, Ala. to race some of Mississippi's best. Just recently at the 2022 AHSAA Indoor State Meet, Green 7.81 in the 60m to finish second in the state, as well as adding a 58.99 400m PR to finish third at that same meet. Green is the #1 seed in both the 100m and 400m, but will have some heavy hitters from in-state to try and prevent her from snagging the 100m/400m double.
Up next is the best female sprinter from a school that is known for its sprints, and that is Sha'Derika Robertson of Tylertown High School. Robertson, the 2021 MHSAA 3A State Medalist in the 100m and 200m, has been at the top of the Mississippi sprinting scene, snagging medals in those events since she was in seventh grade, scoring the bronze medal in the 200m dash at the 2017 MHSAA 3A State Championships. She will be opening up her outdoor season in both the 100m and 200m at the 2022 Southern Miss High School Invitational on Friday, March 4th.
The #3 seed in the High School Girls 100m dash at the 2022 Southern Miss High School Invitational is the 2021 MHSAA 6A 100m State Champion out of Pearl, Taylor Stratton. Stratton will be making her 2022 outdoor season debut at this meet in her specialty event after coming away from a successful 2022 indoor season where ran a 7.96 60m PR. That 60m mark, which was done at the 2022 Last Chance Invitational, was good for the #4 ranked time in Mississippi High School Girls 60m dash rankings (Full list found HERE). Stratton is a very consistent 100m runner anything slower than a 12.90 in her entire career, and with the way she looked this past indoor season, we should expect her 100m average to drop even lower this season.
Last but not least, the #4 seed in the High School Girls 100m dash is the MAIS superstar from Presbyterian Christian School, Tatum Stewart. Stewart is a 2 x MAIS State Medalist in both the 100m and 200m, earning the silver medal in the 100m (losing to Kennedi Sanders) and the bronze medal in the 200m at the 2021 MAIS Overall State Championships. This will be Stewart's second meet of the outdoor season after a runner-up finish in the 200m at the 2022 Hattiesburg High Invitational, running a 26.98 in the Mississippi winter weather. With some promising warmer weather at the 2022 Southern Miss High School Invitational on Friday, Stewart could potentially snag some PR's in both the 100m and 200m.
High School Boys 110m and 300mH
Javarius Molden v. Kendrell Robertson
The headline news coming out of both hurdle events at the 2022 Southern Miss High School Invitational will be the duel that is set to go down between two of the best high school hurdlers in the state of Mississippi between Hattiesburg's Javarius Molden going up against Tylertown's Kendrell Robertson.
The last time these two went up against each other was the ecstatic battle they had at the 2022 Last Chance Invitational towards the end of the 2022 indoor track and field season in the 60mH. In that race, Robertson bested Molden, running 8.38 to Molden's 8.43. Those two marks ended as the top two teams of the 2021-22 Mississippi indoor track and field season. You can watch that race video below:
As you can see, they bring the best out of each other - Competition breeds competition.
Expect them to bring the best out of each other on Friday at the 2022 Southern Miss High School Invitational on Friday.
High School Girls 200m
Kennedi Sanders at the 2022 Virginia Showcase
Kennedi Sanders is Back
Not just one... but TWO Mississippi Outdoor State record-holders will be racing at the 2022 Southern Miss High School Invitational. However, this time, it is 52.6 400m runner Kennedi Sanders, who will be lining up for the 200m on Friday where is the heavy favorite.
The last time Sanders was on the outdoor oval was the 2021 Brooks PR Invitational, which was also the same race that her PR of 52.62, as well as her 400m state record, is from. Sanders won that race taking down a national-caliber field, including 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials 800m Qualifier Roisin Willis.
Sanders has won six straight 200m races in track meets in and out of Mississippi. It will be very exciting to see her rip back into action and potentially go after Bianca Knight's 200m state record of 22.94.
High School Girls 100mH and 300mH
Lenasia Drummond winning the 300mH at the 2022 Clinton Season Opener
Lenasia Drummond set for Hurdle PR's
Hattiesburg's star hurdler (and jumper) Lenasia Drummond could potentially PR big time, as she will not only finally have some warm weather, but also some fierce competition in Rashni Walker of Northridge High School of Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Walker is an elite pentathlete and heptathlete from Alabama, who just recently went 8.87 for the win at the Alabama Indoor Track and Field State Championships. Walker has also gone 13.9 in the 100mH, 12.5 in the 100m dash, 43.1 in the 300mH, and 2:30 in the 800m.
As one can see, Drummond, the Mississippi 60mH state record holder, has her work cut out in front of her at the 2022 Southern Miss High School Invitational. However, Drummond is a true competitor who never backs down from a challenge... and I doubt she's going to start any time soon.
Expect Drummond to snag the win or die trying in the 100mH and 300mH on Friday at the Southern Miss High School Invitational.