Monday Morning Recap: Several State Leads Fall

SPRINTS

*Valencia Watson at the 2022 MHSAA 5A Track and Field Championships

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Ladies first, in the High School Girls sprints, Valencia Watson of Ridgeland High School and Addison McLaurin of Brandon High School kept their undefeated streak alive in the 100m and 200m dashes. Watson won the 100m and 200m events at the St. Andrew's Invitational with a winning time of 12.08 seconds in the 100m and 25.12 seconds in the 200m, while McLaurin did the same at the Southern Miss High School Invitational in 12.18 seconds and 24.76 secondsrespectively, both lifetime bests for the Brandon senior. 

McLaurin also impressed in the 400m dash, putting down a season's best time of 58.76 seconds, currently ranked third in Mississippi. In addition, McLaurin ranks No. 4 in the 100m and No. 2 in the 200m in Mississippi.

Meanwhile, Watson leads the state in both the 100m and 200m, showcasing her impressive talents in the short sprints. 

Other notable performances in the High School Girls 400m dash include Gulfport's Lania McDonald with a winning time of 58.34 seconds at the Southern Miss High School Invitational, currently leading the state in the event. Evie Ewing of Madison Ridgeland Academy also put down an MSAIS No. 1 time of 58.39 seconds in the event at the St. Andrew's Invitational, currently leading the MSAIS. Kaitlyn Jones of Clinton High also had an impressive performance, finishing fourth at the Southern Miss High School Invitational with a time of 58.95 seconds.

The Clinton Lady Arrows have been dominating the relay events this season, and with the depth and top-end talent they have shown, there is a solid chance they can sweep the 4x100m, 4x200m, and 4x400m at the 2023 MHSAA 6A Track and Field Championships. 

*Tacheria Lawson, Zharia Bonner, and Nakirsten Hughes at the Clinton Season Opener

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In the High School Boys sprints, Kennedy Stringfellow of Brandon High School continued his undefeated streak in the 100m and 200m dash.

The first time Stringfellow ever sprinted was at the Pearl Track & Field Season Opener, where he won both events over a stacked field. Then, at to the Southern Miss High School Invitational, the Mississippi State signee won the 100m out of the slow heat over reigning MHSAA 6A 100m and 200m Champion Omari Hampton from Clinton HS, and then put down a Mississippi No. 1 mark of 21.55 200m dash, celebrating with 50 meters to go.

Hampton is a solid sprinter in his own right, with two MHSAA 6A titles, holds the fastest 100m time in Mississippi, and holds the second fastest 100m time in the country as a sophomore.

Stringfellow and Hampton have yet to go head to head, but we can look forward to some fireworks when their paths finally cross, and Stringfellow will likely be a force to be reckoned with at the upcoming MHSAA 6A Track and Field Championships in the sprinting events.

In the honorable mentions for the 100m, we also have Horn Lake's Floyd Sinegal, who ran a winning time of 10.96 in the South Panola Invitational, and Senatobia's Carlando Crump, who also ran a winning time of 10.96 at the Oxford Relays, keeping his undefeated streak alive. Both athletes showed impressive speed and could be ones to watch as the season progresses.

Raymond's Cooper Rodgers stole the show in the High School Boys 400m dash, putting down a Mississippi No. 1 time of 48.57 seconds in a solo effort at the St. Andrew's Invitational.


RANKINGS: Mississippi High School Boys 400m List

Rodgers also won the 100m and 200m dashes in MileSplit Mississippi 1st-Team Standards of 11.02 and 22.02 seconds, respectively. After a 49.09 indoor 400m this past season, Rodgers is establishing himself as the best 400m runner in Mississippi, and is currently ranked No. 27 in the nation in the event.

Another impressive Mississippi High School Boys 400m performance, at the Northwest Rankin Sprints and Relays Meet, Canton High's Antoine Spillman put down a Mississippi No. 2 400m time of 49.31 seconds, a lifetime best of nearly 4 seconds. He is now No. 1 in MHSAA 5A, and will be one to look out for on the Mississippi High School Boys sprints scene.

Other notable performances in this event, Rivers Godwin of Madison Ridgeland Academy won the High School Boys 400m dash at the Southern Miss High School Invitational in a Mississippi No. 3 time of 49.50 seconds. He is a 3x MSAIS 6A Champion and is currently the No. 1 ranked 100m, 200m, and 400m runner in the MSAIS.

Finally, Tupelo High's Zech Pratt Jr. won the 400m at the Oxford Relays in 50.00 seconds, currently No. 1 in MHSAA 6A. 

RANKINGS: MHSAA 6A Boys 400m List

With impressive performances across the board, the Mississippi High School Boys sprints scene is heating up as the season progresses.