Sophomore Caleb Jackson one to watch at Mobile Challenge of Champions

By Arthur L. Mack for DyeStat

MOBILE, Ala. —Saturday’s 26th edition of the Mobile Challenge of Champions meet, held at St. Paul’s Episcopal School’s E.E. Delaney Stadium, hould be a very interesting one, epecially the invitational division.

With a strong collection of talented track and field athletes coming from at least 10 states, meet director Steve Schoenewald feels that even with a few last-minute scratches, it will still be a solid field.

“We were able to get a few more athletes to come in and fill in some of the vacancies that resulted from the scratches,” he said. “Of course, there is the possibility of rain, but it appears that it’s going to happen very early in the morning and be gone by the time the Invitational Division gets underway."  

Here is a closer look at some of the top anticipated events:

BOYS 100 and 200: These could be the marquee events of the meet, as it has a couple of Alabama sprinters — Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa’s Ohkeme Moore and Hoover’s Hakim Ruffin — who are standouts. Ruffin has run 10.48 and 21.02 already this year at the FSU Relays in Florida. Ruffin’s teammate, RJ Nelson, finished second in the Alabama state indoor meet 60 meters.

But the athlete to watch in the 100 and 200 is another Alabama athlete, Caleb Jackson of Pleasant Grove. Jackson, who has never run track before this season, won the Alabama state 4A-5A indoor 60-meter title, then earned All-American status at the New Balance Nationals in that event, finishing fourth. Jackson, a sophomore, has already gone 10.50 legal and 21.22 in the past month.

BOYS 110/300 HURDLES: There’s a familiar name in these two events. It’s Humphrey — as in Marion Humphrey, the younger brother of Marlon, the former University of Alabama football star who is now playing for the Baltimore Ravens. Two other Alabama-based athletes — Hunter Appling of West Point and Qua Tucker of Dadeville; plus Joshua Browning of Salem High in Conyers, Ga.—could provide Humphrey with some solid competition.

BOYS HIGH JUMP: Dontavious Hill of Baker (Mobile), has the state’s best jump at 6-10.25, which is US#9. He could get some competition from Manny Moore of Spring Valley (Columbia, S.C.) and Donnell Jones of John Curtis (River Ridge, La.).

GIRLS 100: Defending meet champion Jayda Parsons (McEachern, Powder Springs, Ga.) will no doubt be the meet favorite. The sophomore has run 11.98 this spring. She could get some competition from Loranger LA's Kiana Foster, who finished third in last year’s AAU Junior Olympics and has run a windy 11.76. Also, Kennedi Sanders of Madison Central MS, the USATF Junior Olympics national champ, an eighth grader, has run 11.62.

GIRLS 800: It could very well be a challenge of champions between defending meet champion Emoni Coleman of Miller Grove GA, reigning Alabama Class 7A state champion Grace Jensen of McGill-Toolen Catholic, and this year’s Alabama Class 7A indoor state champion, Sydney Steely of Hoover. Throw in Louisiana state 4A champion Taylor Harris of Edna Karr (New Orleans), and it should be a very competitive race.

GIRLS LONG JUMP: This one is intriguing. On paper, Jahnelle Saunders of Phoebus VA is one of the favorites as Virginia state 3A indoor champion. There are several other state champions in this event as well — Aiya Finch of Homewood AL, the Class 6A indoor champ; Leah Scott of Dutchtown LA, the Louisiana Division 1 indoor champion; and Isabelle Cochran of Catholic-Montgomery AL, the Class 4A champion. Scott has jumped 18-7 and owns the top mark.