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Candace Hill, Ryan Clark shine at Mobile Challenge of Champions - Recap - DyeStat

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DyeStat.com   Apr 5th 2015, 7:07am
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Hill, Clark among the standouts in Mobile
 
 
By Arthur L. Mack for DyeStat
 
 
MOBILE, Alabama — It was all in an afternoon's work for Banneker's Ryan Clark and Rockdale County's Candace Hill at the Mobile Challenge of Champions Invitational Meet at St. Paul's E.E. Delaney Stadium.
 
 
The Georgia sprint duo ran away with Outstanding Meet Performer honors after turning in some great performances. Clark, despite a sore foot, won the 200 in 20.90 seconds, and anchored the winning 4 X 100 ( 42.19) and 4 X 400 (3:18.26). In the latter race, Clark broke away from the field and won by a very comfortable margin.
 
 
Hill, who won the Donna Dye Outstanding Female Performer for the second year in a row, showed that she deserved to be a repeat winner. She won the 100 in a personal best and US#1 11.30, dominating the competition, which included Clinton, Mississippi's Demi Washington (11.80) and Birmingham, Ala. Woodlawn Jayla Kirkland (11.84).
 
 
Hill's time moved her to No. 20 on the all-time list in the 100 meters.
 
 
Both athletes were excited about winning Outstanding Meet Performer honors.
 
 
“It feels incredible right now,” Hill said of her 100-meter race. “I didn't think I would get a PR (personal record) at this meet, but I just came out and ran my race. The track felt really good, and it was one of the best tracks I ran on this season.”
 
 
Clark's foot injury kept him out of the 400, so he simply concentrated on the 200 and rested for what turned out to be a competitive 4x400, in which Banneker held off Auburn (3:21.18) and Catholic-Baton Rouge (3:21.53).
 
 
After the 4x100, my foot had a throbbing pain, so I wanted to take a break and come back for the 200 and 4x4, because I knew there were going to be some challenging races,” he said. “I wanted to prepare myself for those races.”
 
 
Three records were broken at Saturday's meet. Two of them were broken by Mobile (Ala.) McGill-Toolen Catholic pole vaulters Sean Collins and Margaret Ollinger.
 
 
For the second straight week, Collins went over 17 feet, and for the second straight week, he broke his own state record. He broke the existing meet record of 17-3 by one-quarter inch to win on Saturday. The old record was set by former high school record holder Devin King of Sumner, La., back in 2013.
 
 
Incidentally, Collins broke King's record set at the Sugar Bowl Classic. At that meet, Collins cleared 17-2.50.
 
 
“It was good, and it was what I was shooting for,” Collins said. “I was going for consistency.”
 
 
Collins broke the meet record despite having to contend with a headwind and King's shadow. The competition was also intense. Teammate and runner-up Chris Taylor cleared a seasonal best of 15-6.
 
 
“I was thinking, it's an inch (as far as the record), but an inch is a big deal in the pole vault,” Collins said. “The wind affected me a little bit, but I would just wait for the gap in the wind and wait for a good wind so when it came I took advantage of it.”
 
 
Collins said he plans to shoot for the U.S. No. 1 mark, which is 17-7. “That's what I'm shooting for next,” he said. “I'm hoping that in one of the next meets, I'll get it.”
 
 
Earlier, Ollinger broke the state record in the girls pole vault, clearing 13-3 to break the meet record of 13-2 set by Morgann Leleux (La.) in 2011. Despite having to deal with a tough headwind, she managed to get the record — and the win.
 
 
“At first, I thought, 'Oh darn, it's a headwind,'” she said. “I usually let it get in my head and makes me not perform as well, but today I was determined to jump anyway and pretend there was no wind blowing. It really gave me confidence, and next time there is a headwind, I'll know what to do.”
 
 
Ollinger said she struggled with a new pole, but was able to get used to it.
 
 
“I need that pole to go high 13s or maybe 14, so I was really glad to jump with that pole today,” she said. “This year, I had to get out of the mental pressure. The pressure got to me at first, and last weekend I didn't jump that well, but I just had to use it to correct all the mistakes I made.”
 
 
Another record-breaking performance came in the girls javelin, where St. Scholastica LA's Samantha Zeldon smashed the meet record of 140-1 with a throw of 147-6 — just short of her personal best of 148-11. Four of Zeldon's throws, in fact, were over the meet record. The second-place finisher, Alexis Rigmaiden of St. Louis Catholic, also broke the meet record, throwing 143-4.
 
 
Zeldon said she tried to make the windy conditions work to her advantage.
 
 
“I didn't expect the wind to be so strong, but good javelin throwers know how to adjust their throws to get the best with what they've got,” she said. “I typically have trouble with strong headwinds, but I was really fortunate to make it work this year. They don't call it the Meet of Champions for no reason — we've got the best of the best out here.”
 
 
Another thing Zeldon had to get used to was the rubber-tipped javelins thrown in Alabama. Louisiana throwers use the conventional sharp-tipped javelins.
 
 
“Since two of the top throwers were from Louisiana, we had to figure out how to throw with the rubber-tipped javelins,” she said. “To be able to come out as I did and compete with these girls was an honor.”
 
 
Both 800-meter races came down to the final homestretch.
 
 
In the girls race, Mandeville's Chelsey Jones took the early lead and appeared to run away with the race, but Kell, GA's Marielle Lewis came on strong in the last 100 meters to hold off Lauren Jackson of North Springs 2:13.08 to 2:13.80.
 
 
The boys race was just as exciting. As expected, the favorite, Kendall Muhammad of Lexington, KY (Dunbar) won, but had to hold off a late charge from North Gwinnett, Georgia's Jeremy Hampton 1:54.22 to 1:54.23.
 
 
The mile races were just as exciting. Whitfield Academy's Robby Keough and Devyn Keith of John Curtis were locked in a duel for most of the race, but Keough laid it all on the line and outkicked Keith to win 4:17.61 to 4:18.41. The girls race came down to a kick as well, as First Baptist's Gabrielle Jennings passed early leader Savanah Carnahan of South Forsyth to win in 5:02.60.
 
 
Another impressive race came in the girls two-mile, where eighth-grader Amaris Tyynismaa of Catholic-Montgomery (Ala.) ran the No. 1 time in the country for the event, leading wire to wire and winning in 10:49.09.
 
 
While the girls' 100-meter hurdle race lost some of its luster when Hoover's Brittley Humphrey had to drop out because of illness, her teammate Caitlyn Little took up the slack, winning in 14.15. Meanwhile, in the girls' 300-meter hurdles, Clinton, Mississippi's Monica Mosley won with a strong 42.89 effort.
 
 
Other notable performances included:
 
  • Opelika (Ala) Nathaniel Huggins wining the boys' 400 in 47.21.
  • Catholic-Baton Rouge's Nigel Despinasse winning the boys shot (56-4).
  • Bessemer City (Ala) Autavia Fluker winning the girls' shot (43-5.50).
  • Clinton, Mississippi winning the girls' 4x100 in 47.94.
  • Cottage Hill Christian's Callie Jones winning the girls' triple jump in 38-11.50.
  • Decatur Austin's Eric Washington winning the boys long jump with a leap of 23-5.75.



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