Recap of the 2023 MHSAA 1A/3A/5A Track & Field Championships

MHSAA 1A Recap


The MHSAA 1A Track and Field Championships featured strong talent and close competition.

Despite a pause mid-meet due to a lightning delay the 1A competition continued to deliver all the way to the end.

TCPS dominated the boy's competition and on the girls side the tightest team race in recent history ended in dramatic fashion.

High School Girls Field Events

To start the day off, Morgan Green of Hickory Flat delivered a dominating 16-11.50 in the Long Jump to claim gold and remain unbeaten on the year in her specialty event. The podium was finished off by South Delta's Christie Carter and Janiya Davis securing points to their team score in a tight team score race.

In a close battle for High Jump it's Keniya Gordon from Coldwater who comes out on top being the only competitor to clear 4-10. Other podium members include second place Kiyah Harmon of McAdams and Olivia Gundy of French Camp in third, both going out at 4-08.

In the throwing events, Anna Patterson of Bay Springs won the shot put throwing 33-11 to out throw Jaylee Stafford of Biggersville and seal the deal becoming a repeat champion in MHSAA 1A. Jamyai Jackson of South Delta won the discus with a throw of 91-06 to edge out second place Anna Patterson of Bay springs, claiming gold and the points to help her team in the team race.

The last field event of the day for MHSAA 1A was a nail-biter in the triple jump that came down to the sixth and final jump.

In a hard fought battle between Gundy of French Camp and Green of Hickory Flat, both friends and fierce competitors, it was a back-and-forth match of trading the lead little by little. After one upping each other a half inch here or a quarter inch there, Olivia Gundy won the match on her sixth and final jump, jumping a personal best of 34-02.50 to win her second state title and the points French Camp would need in the team race. Morgan Green, who placed second finished at 34-01 on her final attempt and rounding out the podium with third was Mi'Kenzi Christian of West Tallahatchie.


High School Girls Track Events

In an exciting and close race in the 100 meter dash, it was Kerrigan Clark of West Lowndes that found another gear to give her the edge over her competition, winning with a time of 13.18 improving from her third place finish last year. She was able to take down Jamira Scott of Simmons who ran 13.23 placing second and Keliyse Faulkner of H.W. Byers who ran 13.33 placing third. Zariah, the Reigning MHSAA 1A Champion entering the meet, finished fourth with a 13.37.

In the 200 and 400 meter races, it was the Aaliyah Esco show as the Simmons sprinter shined for the second year in a row.

Esco took both races out hard and fast, daring others to challenge and secured the repeat state champion double. She ran a 26.20 in the 200 meter to take down Morgan Crutcher of Ashland 26.41 who placed second and Khloe Byrd of Resurrection Catholic who ran 27.42 placing third. Byrd also challenged Esco in the 400 meter but it was Esco 1:00.25 that would outlast Byrd 1:01.43  at the finish. Coming in third for the 400 was Olivia Tunstall of Thrasher with a 1:02.88.

Both Byrd and Tunstall are currently in junior high, could we see more epic races in the future from these two?

The relays were a close battle between Simmons and South Delta. South Delta who was predicted to have an impressive showing in the relays desperately needed the points for their team score in a close team race with French Camp. Could Simmons have thwarted a single state champion in 1A this year by taking the gold and accompanying 10 points for both the 4x100 and the 4x200? Regardless it was a close race between the two schools in the sprint relays that featured Simmons coming out on top. South Delta was still able to secure major points across the relays featuring a fourth place 4x800, second place in both the 4x100 and 4x200, and a dominant first place finish in the 4x400 to finish the meet. However, it was Kelsey Bridges of French Camp that snuck past Coffeeville at the finish to give French Camp the points they needed to stay in the team race.

On the distance side, to no one's surprise, it was all French Camp.

French Camp was able to place three in the top four in the 1600 only being stopped by Anna Bishop Powell of Tupelo Christian who placed second with a time of 5:59.33. It was Lucy Littlejohn of French Camp that won the race with a 5:54.61. Averie Jane Gundy and Bridges finished out the French Camp Trio.

It was Bridges of French Camp that led the late charge in the 3200 podium sweep securing a personal best of 13:44.21. The other French Camp podium finishers included Ellen Ulerich in second place and Lucy Littlejohn in third. However, it wasn't all French Camp as Powell of Tupelo Christian 2:32.07 and Olivia Tunstall of Thrasher 2:38.33 went 1-2 in the 800 meter. Lucy Littlejohn placed third running 2:38.83.

Other notable performances featured R'Renua Ousley of South Delta who won both the 100 hurdles in 16.66 and the 300 hurdles in 47.12. Crutcher of Ashland secured second place in the 300 hurdles running 48.47, as well as second in the 100m hurdles, running 17.59.

HS Girls Team Race

The team race for the High School Girls MHSAA 1A Track and Field Championship was so close that a single team couldn't be decided.

For the first time since 1999, and the first ever in 1A according to MHSAA records, there was a tie for first in the team race leading to South Delta High School and French Camp High School being named State Co-Champions. South Delta led the meet the entire day until French Camp pulled off the podium sweep in the 3200. When South Delta won the 4x400 it looked to be over until French Camp snuck past Coffeeville at the finish giving them just enough to tie for the lead.


HS Boys Field Events

On the boy's side of the meet in field events, it was Logan King of Hickory Flat that won the High jump, clearing an impressive 6-0.

Other top finishers included Dave Woullard of Richton jumping 5-10 for second and Malachi Stafford of Biggersville coming in third.

The Pole Vault however, was decisively won by Tupelo Christian who scored major points having three out of four contestants in the event. Carson Kessler of Tupelo Christian won the event clearing 13-06 and his teammate Joseph Powell took second clearing 11-00. The lone competitor from Resurrection Catholic, Raul Damian, was able to prevent the podium sweep by Tupelo Christian by placing third.

In the throwing events,  it was Antoine Washington of Simmons who won the shot put out throwing competitors Jeremiah Stapleton of South Delta and Luke Winstead of Sebastopol. Washington won with a throw of 43-05. In the Discus, it looked like Washington would win yet again, but it was Russ Blankenship of Tupelo Christian that held Washington off with a throw of 136-09 to win the event and score more points for the Eagles.

In the jumps it looked to be a close match in the long jump with multiple competitors jumping right around 20 feet, but it was JaThan Hatch of Biggersville that won with a jump on 20-11 followed closely in second place by Trey Haynes of West Union jumping 20-07. The Triple jump was won decisively by Dave Woullard of Richton who jumped 42-01.75 to win and secure his second medal on the day. Other podium finishers were Mardarian Euell of H.W. Byers in second and Spearman Stanford of Coffeeville in third.


High School Boys Track Events

The sprint events undoubtedly provided spectacular entertainment and tight races. It was all Jamarques Spivey of McAdams in the 100 and 200 meters. The ninth-grader narrowly won both races with a time of 11.21 in the 100 meters over Jarrell Hamilton of Houlka and Jamyson Griffin of Ashland, and 23.09 in the 200 meter to take down teammates Olando Evans and Octavious Anderson of Ashland.

The 400 meter was no different in intensity as Bounds Simmons of Tupelo Christian set the pace early flying from the start. It looked like this would be the Simmons show, but late in the race in the final 25 meters he was run down by Ceasar Stewart of Piney Woods who would win and Dylan Rowsey of Biggersville. In a narrow finish all within 52 seconds it was Stewart who would win running 52.10 followed by Rowsey and Simmons for a dramatic finish. Credit to Simmons for taking it out hard and the others for stepping up to the challenge and running a great race.

In the 800 and 1600 meter it was again Simmons of Tupelo Christian again for the repeat titles. He seemed to have a consistent approach to all of his races, taking it out hard from the start and daring anyone who would be willing to challenge to hang with him for a grueling race.

In the 800m, Simmons was challenged yet again by Ceasar Stewart, but it would be Simmons that would win this time beating out Stewart and Christian Davis of French Camp by running 2:12.46.

In the 1600m, it was the same story. Simmons out hard this time it was Chandler Ray of Falkner, Brodie Moore of West Union, and Lavoriontaye Willis of West Tallahatchie that all wanted to step up to the challenge only it may have been too little too late. It was a noble effort by the group to catch up, but even Ray who was also able to break 5 minutes was unable to match Simmons 4:45.22. Chandler Ray and Brodie Moore ended up joining Simmons on the podium as second and third.

The 3200 went as predicted with Chandler Ray of Falkner the reigning 1A state champion in cross country and 3200 who took the race out strong and never looked back. Ray won in a time of 10:27 followed by Brodie Moore in second running 10:55, and Luciano Rodriguez of Resurrection Catholic who managed to fend off a competitor from TCPS for the second night on the evening.

In the relays Ashland High School took both the 4x100 and 4x200 meter relays, McAdams took the 4x400 meter relay, and West Bolivar secured the 4x800 meter relay victory. Other notable relay performances included schools like Leake County, Simmons, West Bolivar, West Union, and Tupelo Christian. All schools seeking points towards the team title.

HS Boys Team Race

In the High School Boys 1A MHSAA Track and Field State Championships, Tupelo Christian established themselves as the best team in 1A for the fifth year in a row. Has TCPS cemented themselves as a dynasty on the guys' side? They are currently the team to beat. They won in dominant fashion scoring 103.50 points more than doubling that of second place. Which team will rise up next year to challenge them?

The race for second place was much closer. In a predicted close battle between Ashland High and Biggersville High, it was West Union High that rose above a close battle among various schools and took the second place mantle of runner-up.

Section written by Drew Lewis