An exciting slate of competition is set to go underway at the MHSAA 4A Track and Field Championships. Both the girls and the boys competitions will not disappoint, with great athletes and teams going at it to take home the accolades and close their 2023 outdoor season campaigns.
MHSAA 4A Girl's Team Scores: Columbia v. McComb
For the girl's team competition, Columbia High School girl's team is set to have a runaway performance, with a projected team score of 80. Leading the charge are their relay teams, with their 4x400m relay seeded first place with a time of 4:18.77. Along with this, Columbia High's 4x100m and 4x200m relays are both projected to place third overall in their respective events. Combining these results, this would bring 22 points alone to their total squad points in the relays alone.
Along with their relays, Columbia's distance runner Charlee Brees Franks is seeded to place second in the 800m and 1600m, projected to score 16 combined points from these performances alone. For the jumps, Indea Pounds is set to place second in the high jump, with Katie Gates seeded third in the triple jump, totaling 14 points for this crew. Additionally, Gates is poised to potentially win the 100H with a seed time of 15.00, just .01 off of Sumrall High School's Heidi Hudson, seeded with a time of 14.99. She is also projected to place third in the 300H, totaling 14 points as well.
Coming in as a strong second, McComb High School is looking to close the gap on Columbia, projected to have a total team score of 64 points, with both their sprints and relay crews racking in most of the points. For McComb's sprints crew, the dynamic duo of Sariah Magee and Evelle Dillon lead the charge, with Magee seeded first place in the 100m with a time of 12.05 and in the 200m dash with a time of 24.90, and Dillon seeded second, combining for a total of 28 points. For their relay teams, McComb is seeded first in the 4x100m with a time of 48.38 and the 4x200 with a time of 1:42.91. Rounding out the relays, McComb's 4x400m relay is seeded third with a time of 4:18.77, scoring a combined score of 26 points.
Senatobia looks to defend team title
For the boy's team competition, Senatobia High School is set to easily snag the state title with a 38.5 lead, projected to score a team total of 109 points, with the points coming from each track & field discipline. Highlighted scorers include Carlando Crump, who has posted impressive performances in the sprinting events. Crump is seeded first in the 100m dash with a time of 10.40 and seeded second in the 200m dash with a 21.40 and in the 400m dash 50.19, projected to score 18 points alone.
In the hurdle events, JaBrysten Abram is seeded first in the 300H with a time of 37.70 and second in the 100H with a time of 14.83, also projected to score 18 points. In the relay events, Senatobia's 4x400m squad is gunning for the event win, seeded first with a time of 3:27.45. To round off their potential event winners, thrower Chavarius Garrett is projected to defend his title in the Discus, seeded with a mark of 145-6, as well as second in the shot put, with a seed mark of 46-8.5, combining to score 18 points.
Highlight on Individual Athletes to Watch
Individual athletes to watch out for in the girl's events include North Pike High School's Mahria Miller, who is seeded first in the 400m dash with a time of 1:00.11. In the 800m dash, Mooreville High School's Hannah Sanders is seeded with the fastest time of 2:29.68. The 3200m run is led by Corinth High School's Elsie Wilbanks with a seed time of 12:17, an 18-second difference from the second fastest seed time. To round off the girls, Raymond High School's Trennity Shelby is projected to win the 300H with a seed time of 46.80.
Last but certainly not least, we absolutely can not forget about Nike Indoor Nationals Pentathlon Champion Heidi Hudson, the current overall record holder in the High Jump at 5-11. Hudson, a Western Carolina University Track and Field signee, will attempt the High Jump-Long Jump-110mH-400m triple. She is seeded first in all events except the 400m dash, where she is ranked third overall. However, if Hudson is shown anything this season, it is that she is a gamer who is ready to compete on the day, and should definitely not be counted out in any event she is set to compete in.
For the boys, keep your eyes peeled on Raymond High School's Cooper Rodgers, who has run blistering times in the 200m dash with a time of 21.07 and in the 400m dash with a time of 47.61. These times seed him first in both events and is currently ranked first in both events in the state of Mississippi. Fellow Ranger Tavon Davis is looking to capitalize on his three second lead in the 800m run, posted with the fastest seed time of 1:57.63. Mooreville High School's Lukas Dykes, the reigning MHSAA 4A Cross Country Champion, is projected to add two more MHSAA 4A titles to his resume before he heads to Blue Mountain in the Fall in the 1600m and 3200m runs. He will, however, have Corinth's Ross Evans and the aforementioned Davis of Raymond to look out for in the 1600m run, making for a very exciting race at the upcoming MHSAA 4A Track and Field Championships.