Sprints/Hurdles
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Watson narrowly keeps undefeated streak alive
Going into the Rumble in the Jungle, Ridgeland's Valencia Watson had not lost a race head-to-head to a Mississippi prep since February of 2019.
And the four-time MHSAA 5A Champion narrowly kept that streak alive on Saturday, narrowly escaping the wrath of Clinton High School in the Varsity Girls 100m dash by less than a tenth of a second.
In perhaps the best race of the week, Watson took on the three-headed dragon of Tacherria Lawson, Zharia Bonner, and Nakirsten Hughes in the Varsity Girls 100m dash at the Rumble in the Jungle. What resulted is the top four times in Mississippi, with both Watson and Lawson running 12.03 seconds. Bonner placed third in 12.15 seconds, and Hughes fourth, 12.30 seconds.
RANKINGS: Mississippi High School Girls 100m Dash List
That wasn't enough for Watson, however, as she doubled back in the Varsity Girls 200m dash to not only win, but become the first girl in Mississippi this season to dip under 25 seconds in the event.
It was an incredible outing for the Ridgeland senior, and we look forward to what she has in store in the near future.
Jenesis Williams winning the 300mH at the Rumble in the Jungle
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Lady Arrows sweep both hurdle events at Rumble in the Jungle
It's rare to see a team showcase complete dominance in an entire discipline.
That said, the Clinton Lady Arrow hurdles crew have been doing just that in Mississippi this year.
At the Rumble in the JungleThis meet had their full hurdles squad of Jenesis Williams, Corshunna Hughes, Kaitlyn Jones, and Tailer Thompson, and they did not disappoint, going 1-2-3 in both events and placing three inside the top five in state rankings.
All in all, this will do wonders for the MHSAA 6A team title race later down the road.
Jeffery Gathright remains undefeated in 200m dash, throws down MS #1 at Hattiesburg
Jeffery Gathright has been making a name for himself as the 2023 MHSAA 6A 200m title favorite this season.
The Meridian senior has won three straight races so far this season, has taken down MHSAA 6A reigning Champion Omari Hampton, and just recently put down a Mississippi No. 1 mark of 22.12 in the event.
RANKINGS: Mississippi High School Boys 200m Dash List
Gathright has been putting on a clinic in the 200m dash this year, and will certainly be one to watch in the near future.
*Lenasia Drummond winning the 100mH at the Hattiesburg High Invitational
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Lenasia Drummond is back, wins four events at home opener
Eight-time MHSAA 5A Champion Lenasia Drummond is back and ready to shake up the jumps and hurdles rankings one last time in Mississippi.
Drummond, debatably the most versatile Track and Field athlete in Mississippi, won four events at her home opener at the Hattiesburg High Invitational - The Long Jump, Triple Jump, 100mH, and 300mH.
In the 100mH, Drummond sprinted to a time of 14.59 seconds, currently the No. 1 time in Mississippi.
RANKINGS: Mississippi High School Girls 100mH List
The Hattiesburg superstar also listed Mississippi Top 5 marks of 46.74 seconds in the 300mH, 17-7 in the Long Jump, and 35-5 in the Triple Jump.
The Hattiesburg High Invitational marked Drummond's journey to make it 12 MHSAA 5A titles, and is certainly off to a good start in doing just that in the Spring.
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Omari Hampton finds another gear, runs 10.62 100m dash
Omari Hampton from Clinton made a very strong case for Mississippi's fastest man this past weekend, running a blazing fast time of 10.62, making him the No. 1 100m dash runner in Mississippi, the No. 2 sophomore in the country, and No. 19 nationwide in the event.
RANKINGS: Mississippi High School Boys 100m List
All in all, Hampton has shown he is the standard when it comes to the short sprints in Mississippi High School Boys Track and Field.
Lania McDonald earns win, MS#1 at Prince Jones
Gulfport's Lania McDonald put down a lifetime best of 58.37 seconds at the Prince Jones Relays, earning the win and Mississippi No. 1 performance so far this season. At this point in the season, McDonald is only the second Mississippi prep to have gone under 60 seconds in the High School Girls 400m alongside South Panola's Samyra Wright.
RANKINGS: Mississippi High School Girls 400m List
All that being said, one thing is certain; The showdown of Wright, McDonald, and Biloxi's Addison Yelverton will be one for the ages at the 2023 MHSAA 6A Track and Field Championships.
Gautier's Chloe Aultman was another notable performance, finishing runner-up to McDonald in 1:00.07.
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Jamari Page has season debut for the ages
Ridgeland junior Jamari Page made sure he was going to wake the state of Mississippi up and let everyone know he was back when he stepped on the track at the Rumble in the Jungle.
Page, the reigning MHSAA 5A and Mississippi Track and Field Meet of Champions 110mH winner, took the Mississippi hurdles scene by storm, blazing to a mark of 14.33 for the win. With that performance, Page is now ranked No. 1 in Mississippi and No. 16 in the nation.
RANKINGS: Mississippi High School Boys 110mH List
With a season opener like that, could Page challenge the 14-second barrier in the event this season?
Quick Hits
*Addison Yelverton won the Varsity Girls 200m dash at the Prince Jones Relays over Gulfport's McDonald, the current Mississippi No. 1 performer in the High School Girls 400m dash. Yelverton took the win in a MileSplit Mississippi 1st-Team Standard of 25.72, and also added a lifetime best of 12.65 in the Varsity Girls 100m dash.
*Callaway's Kendarius Wade added a 10.83 in the Varsity Boys 100m dash at the Rumble in the Jungle, and should make for quite the battle in MHSAA 5A against Columbus High's Jerquavious Lowery in the Spring. Lowery has gone 10.86 in the 100m dash this year.
*Starkville's Grady Stewart put down a MileSplit Mississippi 1st-Team standard and Mississippi No. 1 performance of 51.03 seconds, winning the Hattiesburg High Invitational and continuing his undefeated streak in the Varsity Boys 400m dash. After making a run to the 2022 MHSAA 6A Track and Field Championships, Stewart is looking to start right where he left off in the Spring of 2022. Clinton's Howard Banks also added a notable performance in the Varsity Boys 400m, winning the Rumble in the Jungle in 51.61 seconds.
*North Pike's Mahria Miller, the reigning MHSAA 4A 400m Champion, picked up right where she left off with a win of 1:00.27 at the Hattiesburg High Invitational.
*Emmanuel Bentley of Gulfport High took the Prince Jones Relays in a lifetime best and MileSplit Mississippi 1st-Team Standard of 22.24 seconds. Another notable performance in the Varsity Boys 200m dash, Madison Central's Grayson Foster defended his home turf, winning the title in the slow heat in 22.40 seconds at the Rumble in the Jungle.
*At long last, MHSAA 5A standout Javarius Molden of Hattiesburg opened up his 2023 Outdoor Track and Field season with a 110mH win of 15.06 seconds.
*Callway's Rkhyzon Cleveland remained undefeated in the 300mH, winning the event at the Rumble in the Jungle in 39.78, earning the fastest time of the week.