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Andrew Brown's Historic Performance at Rocket City Falls Just Short of a State Record
At the Rocket City Showcase in Huntsville, Alabama, Tupelo's Andrew Brown faced a prestigious field in the 3200m and one-mile races. He started off his trip with the 3200m on Friday night, a stacked race featuring some of the best competition in the South. Stacked up against these top-tier runners, it was a perfect opportunity to ride their wave and earn himself another state record. Starting conservatively, he remained in the back of the top pack through the first mile. After that, he surged into second and eventually first place through 2400m. In the final lap, he couldn't match the finishing speed of Alabama's top distance runners and fell into fifth place. Crossing the line, he finished with a time of 9:03.81, just 0.65 seconds off the state record.
The next day, he had an opportunity for redemption in the one-mile race. He followed a similar strategy to the 3200m, staying in the back of the top pack through the first half-mile. After that, he pushed into the lead with a 1:03.94 lap. However, this caused a cascading effect on the other top runners, pushing them to speed up even more in the final 400m. At the end, it was Eric Moore from Huntsville HS who claimed victory with a decisive 57.71 last lap. Andrew claimed third place with a 4:16.86 for the full one-mile.
WATCH: Andrew Brown Cruises 4:16.86 for Full One-Mile
Emerson Yelverton Claims 800m State Lead and Young Stars Climb the 1600m Rankings
At the FSU Relays, Emerson Yelverton may have just cemented herself as the new top middle-distance runner in the state. She competed in the 800m against some of the best middle-distance runners in the country. During the first lap, she came out blazing with a 1:03.98. This positioned her in second place for her heat, a spot she held strong throughout the remainder of the race. She finished second in her heat and seventh overall with a 2:14.76. In my opinion, this was the last piece of the puzzle for Emerson to be crowned the new middle-distance queen. Just weeks ago, she beat Lilly Overby in the 800m and took down Addison Rainey in the 1600m. This means she now holds the state lead and has beaten out the next top two athletes in the 800m and 1600m rankings. There is still plenty of track left to run this season, but Emerson is shaping up to be an unbeatable force this year.
WATCH: Emerson Yelverton Runs MS #1 in the 800m
Staying on the topic of the competitive girls' 1600m rankings, we have two young stars who are steadily progressing up the leaderboard. Last week, Blair Britt from Madison-Ridgeland Academy and Jewel Baker from East Rankin went head-to-head at the Jackson Prep Invitational. At the finish, it was Blair who came away with the win and a new personal best of 5:16.54. Behind her, Jewel finished with a time of 5:19.02. Blair now sits as the 8th fastest 8th-grader in the entire country, and Jewel now ranks as the 3rd fastest 7th-grader in the country. In the all-time rankings, Blair inches closer to the 8th-grade state record of 5:15.00 by Kate Mattox, and Jewel lowers her own 7th-grade state record.
Jordyn Moody Lowers State Lead, Winning an Impressive 400m at Powerade Relays
Like clockwork, sophomore Jordyn Moody from Oak Grove High School is mirroring her unstoppable 2024 season, only faster. Last week, she competed at the Powerade Relays and once again laid down the hammer in the 400m distance. Coming through the line in 56.25, she extends her own state lead and leads two other competitors below 1:00.00. Looking at the Milesplit Mississippi 400m rankings, this Powerade Relays race now takes up three of the top ten marks this season.
WATCH: Jordyn Moody Lowers State Lead in 400m
If Jordyn can stay healthy for the remainder of this season, she is on pace to crush her old season best and move further up the all-time rankings for the Mississippi 400m. It may be too early to call it, but only two seconds separate her from being the third-fastest girls' 400m runner in state history. With two years left under her belt, just how far will she go?
Hurdlers Impress Once Again with Thompson, Gibson, and Hobson Leading the Way
We might as well rename "Talk of the Town" to "Hurdle Recap," because every week these hurdlers are changing leads and putting up nationally ranked times. This week, we have two new state leads in the girls' hurdles and another nationally ranked time by our boys' state leader.
Starting off with the boys, Markeith Thompson from Natchez High School pulled off another personal best in the 300mH with a time of 36.91 to secure a U.S. #7. Before he threw down this nationally ranked time, he competed in the 110mH, long jump, and triple jump. Even though his marks in all of those events were extremely impressive, we have to admire his continued improvement and skill in the 300mH race. For those who haven't watched Markeith compete in person, there are very few words to describe just how insane his times are. When you watch him run, you have no choice but to watch in awe as he clears every hurdle as if they weren't even there. And when he crosses the line, you are once again shocked that he just ran faster than your 300m personal best, but with hurdles in the way. With his consistency and mindset, the sky is the limit for this senior from Natchez High School, and all we can do is continue to watch and cheer him on as he chases down more records and the top athletes in the country.
WATCH: Markeith Thompson Runs U.S. #7 in the 300mH
On the girls' side, two new leaders emerged for the 100mH and 300mH. In the 300mH, Charve Gibson from Jefferson County High School took down a loaded field at Powerade Relays. Beating out Kaitlyn Jones from Clinton High School, Charve claimed the win in a narrow finish to claim a new state lead in the 300mH. As of now, she holds the state lead in the triple jump and 300mH, and will be looking to reclaim her 100mH this week. In order to reclaim that state lead, she has to take down the new state leader, Nadia Hobson, from Southaven High School. At the 2025 Panther Relays, she shaved just enough time off her personal best to claim the fastest time in the state. Her time of 14.63 caps off a long list of low 15s or faster in this event, showcasing just how consistent she has been this season. She has been hovering at the top of the rankings for weeks, but now she is officially the top dog in her respective event. Will she be able to hold onto this state lead, or will Charve Gibson and Kaitlyn Jones catch her?
WATCH: Charve Gibson Snags New State Lead in the 300mH
Pearl and Clinton Lead Team Rankings as Postseason Approaches
Using a Milesplit team score generator, we can take a quick look at how the team standings lie as of today. Since almost all of the top-ranked teams in the state are MHSAA 7A, we're going to focus on this meet simulation. Right now, Pearl High School would win the Boys MHSAA 7A State Championship with 92.5 points. Behind them, Ocean Springs with 85.5 and Clinton High School with 82. For Pearl High School, they are relying on their impressive depth over multiple events, having a scoring athlete in almost every single event. Combine this with their dominant relays, and it's no surprise that they are the leaders at this point in the season. For Ocean Springs, they are relying on a few heavy hitters to get the job done. They need big performances from sprinter Jax Coleman and their premier jumper Skylan Hunter if they want to hunt down Pearl. For Clinton, they have several athletes that are on pace to claim a top-three podium spot, racking up heavy points. Furthermore, their relays are on the same level as Pearl's, making up a majority of their points.
What will be the difference-maker? For me, you would have to see Clinton High School pull off big wins in their top events while also beating out Pearl in major relays. In the case of Ocean Springs, you need a perfect day from your top guys in the sprints and jumps. Furthermore, if they can throw in just one relay to rack up more points, it would be the perfect storm for a chance at a state title. If you're Pearl in this situation, you have to trust your team to maintain their top spots in their respective events and make sure that the relay teams are firing on all cylinders for meet day. Do note that Pearl only has one runner scoring for the 800m and 1600m (Jaquavion Bryant). This could be the peak of their distance potential, but history tells us otherwise. I expect them to shake up the middle-distance rankings with some strong performances as the regional and South/North state meets approach.
For girls, Clinton High School would win the Girls MHSAA 7A State Championship with 53 points. Behind them, Pearl with 35 and Starkville with 22. Clinton outperforms everyone in the hurdles, discus, and relays. Pearl has solid athletes in the hurdles as well with a strong sprint crew. The downfall for Pearl in this instance is that they generate most of their points from the hurdles, which just so happens to be Clinton's biggest point maker as well. It looks like Clinton has a clear path to another girls' state title, but track and field is unpredictable, so we will have to wait and see.