MOBILE, Ala. — Tylertrown MS senior Jordan Anthony and Saraland AL junior Morgan Davis stepped onto the track at St. Paul’s Episcopal’s E.E. Delaney Stadium for the 29th annual Mobile Challenge of Champions Invitational Meet, and there were some who did not know what to expect.

 

They got an eyeful.

 

Anthony and Davis earned the meet’s Outstanding Performer Awards — Anthony for breaking both meet records in the boys 100 and 200 meters and Davis for sweeping the girls 100, 200 and long jump.

 

Their performances, as well as Baton Rouge Catholic LA winning the boys 4x800 relay in record-setting fashion, were among the many highlights of the meet. 

 

 

BOYS: Track and field fans in the Mobile unfamiliar with the reigning Outdoor Nationals champion in the 100 found out about Anthony in a hurry. He ran a wind-legal season's best time of 10.25 to win the 100 meters.  That broke a meet record held by Owensboro KY's legendary Casey Combest, who ran 10.34 in 1999. 

 

Then Anthony ran 20.60 in the 200 for a US#1 that broke the meet record held by Homewood AL's Aaron Ernest (20.86) since 2011.

 

“I’m really grateful and thankful to God for letting me have the ability to run with good people,” Anthony said. “I’m just happy to be here, to be honest. It’s not my first time getting MVP in a big meet, but overall I’m just happy to be here.”

 

Anthony got his day started by running a leg on Tylertown's victorious 4x100 relay team, which ran US#11 41.07.

 

In the 100 final, Anthony ran into a -0.9 head wind and defeated his teammate, Jeremiah Dillon (10.52) and Edna Karr LA's Ra’Hji Dennis (10.53).

 

In the 200, it was no contest. Anthony surged away from the rest of the field, not only convincingly defeating Dillon (21.31), but a pair of Westgate LA runners as well — Camron Spencer (21.52) and Mekhi Boutte (21.60). Anthony appeared to ease up at the finish, leaving some to wonder if the time would have been faster.

 

“Last week, I ran 10.17 and had a PR, so it was just another week to come out and run,” Anthony said of his wind-aided performance on March 25. “I wasn’t unwell, but I have great acceleration and my turnover is one of a kind. I picked up my head, and after 20 or 30 meters, I didn’t see anybody so I kept running.”

 

Baton Rouge Catholic's 4x800 lineup of Steven Mayer, Daniel Sullivan, Harrison Thomas and Winston Decuir ran US#2 7:47.77, breaking the old meet record of 7:52.17 set by Mountain Brook AL in 2019. St. Paul’s Episcopal AL was second with US#6 7:53.26.

 

“The first 400, I was going out with the pack and just feeling it out,” Mayer said. “The last 400, I gave it my all the last lap.”

 

Mayer gave Sullivan a 5-10 meter lead. 

 

“I knew I was going to run my race,” Sullivan said. “Our coach has been preparing us, so I knew if I ran my race, I would gap them in the end. We were trying to chase that record.” 

 

The time also broke the school record. Decuir came back later and took third in the 800 meters final.

 

A couple of local athletes had strong performances. Daphne Bayside Academy’s Patrick Daves ran the No. 9 time in the country in the 110-meter high hurdles with 13.70, defeating John Curtis’s Justin Horne (13.85) and Mobile Baker’s Jamari Hawkins (14.42).

 

Daves later finished second to Baton Rouge Catholic’s Louis Rudge in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles (38.47 to 38.63).

 

“I knew I was going to have (Horne) beside me, pushing me, so I just stayed in my zone and focused on my race and put faith in God,” Daves said.

 

St. Paul’s Episcopal’s Mac Conwell, who anchored the second-place 4x800-meter team, won a hotly contested mile, winning in 4:14.40, narrowly missing the meet record of 4:13.28 set last year by East Central MS standout Christian Balcer. Conwell broke away from New Orleans Jesuit’s Jack DesRoches (4:16.03) and St. Stanislaus MS runner Keegan Leverett (4:17.91). A total of four runners went under 4:20.

 

“I was ready to run a sub-4:10, but the pace just sort of slipped off,” Conwell said. “But it was a good effort for sure.”

 

Alabama runners claimed the top three spots in the 2-mile, with Vinemont’s Ethan Lemons (9:13.58) surging past UMS-Wright’s Joseph Perry (9:14.07) and Cold Springs' Ethan Edgeworth (9:14.18). Alabama athletes took the top five spots.

 

Other notable performances included John Curtis LA winning the 4x400 relay (3:18.77), Hoover AL's Carter Ellis winning the pole vault (15-7), New Balance Nationals Indoor 800 meters champion Cade Flatt of Marshall County KY winning the 400 (47.07) and Baton Rouge Catholic’s Grant Griffin winning the shot put (57-1.25).

 

GIRLS: Davis said she was surprised to be named the Girls Outstanding Meet Performer but definitely earned it after winning the 100 (12.01), 200 (24.80) and long jump (19-4.25).

 

“I was definitely surprised,” Davis said. “I came into the meet as the lowest seed (in the 100) and I wound up winning. I’m definitely proud of myself. It really feels great (to be outstanding performer).”

 

Davis, who was in a head-to-head battle with Shonedra Richardson Demopolis AL in the long jump and won by four inches, faced Richardson again in a solid 100-meters field, which included defending Alabama Class 7A state champion Aniyah Kitt of Enterprise. Morgan overcame her low seeding and an outside lane and beat the talented field. 

 

“I just knew I had to get out of the blocks, and drive longer than I usually do. It feels kind of crazy that I did that, but I’m really excited,” Davis said. “I knew in the long jump if I got a good approach, I would get a good jump. I was struggling in the beginning, but at the end I got a good jump.”

 

Davis was not the only Alabama athlete with strong performances. Mobile Davidson’s Iyana Johnson was a double winner, taking the triple jump (39-2) and shot put (41-0), easily besting the field in both events.

 

“I felt good in the shot put circle warming up, and my first throw wasn’t what I wanted to throw but once I got warmed up and I got my head focused, I threw farther and farther each time,” Johnson said.

 

Jayla Mason of Lake Charles Prep LA held off St. Paul’s Episcopal freshman Janie Ford in an exciting 400-meter race. Mason edged Ford 57.24 to 57.43. Julie Segroves of D’Iberville MS won the pole vault (13-0). Marla Hayes of Lincoln Way of New Lenox, Ill. won the discus (132-5).

 

Hoover won the 4x100 relay in 47.66 and the 4x400 (3:54.69), while McGill-Toolen Catholic won the 4x800 in 9:42.69. Lauren Rutlin of St. George’s Independent School came on strong in the final lap to defeat fellow Tennessee runner Ann Marie Braese of Arlington in the 2-mile run, 11:04.91 to 11:10.62.