Parker, Phillips win state throwing titles; Lewis very close in 100

May 23, 2015 at 1:00 a.m. | Updated May 23, 2015 at 2:08 a.m.

by Stephen Hargis

McCallie's J.J. Lewis, center, competes in the 100 meter dash with St. George's Chazz Simmons, right, and Harding Academy's Calvin Austin, III, during the boys track and field state championships at the TSSAA Spring Fling in Murfreesboro, Tenn. on May 21, 2015.
McCallie's J.J. Lewis, center, competes in the 100 meter dash with St. George's Chazz Simmons, right, and Harding Academy's Calvin Austin, III, during the boys track and field state championships at the TSSAA Spring Fling in Murfreesboro, Tenn. on May 21, 2015.

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MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- The difference between first and second place didn't even come down to a matter of inches. McCallie sprinter J.J. Lewis's bid to claim the Division II state 100-meters championship fell short by four one-thousandths of a second Friday at Middle Tennessee State University.

After the photo finish was studied by race officials, it was determined that the Blue Tornado senior crossed the line in 10.879, literally the bat of an eyelash behind Ensworth's Darius Morehead's 10.875.

"I was standing at the finish line and I thought J.J. had won it," McCallie coach Mike Wood said. "I don't know how you can even determine a winner when it's that close. I've never seen a finish that close. J.J. did everything he could."

By the end Friday night of the boys' track and field meet, which was the final event of the weeklong Spring Fling here, that narrow loss was the difference between the Chattanooga area being shut out of having an individual state running titlist.

Baylor's Ryan Parker won the D-II discus event earlier in the day and McCallie's Trel Phillips took the state title in the shot put, but no other area athlete earned an individual championship.

The Blue Tornado's 4x100 relay team of Lewis, Pete Pritchard, Myles Patton and Alex Trotter won the program's second straight championship in that event. All but Pritchard were on last year's first-place sprint relay.

"To be honest, it means just as much to me to be a part of a state championship team as it would have to win an individual title," Lewis said. "Myself, Alex and Myles have been the three amigos for a while now, so it's really special to go out as seniors and win another championship together.

"I think we all focused so much on winning that relay that we didn't have as much left for the later events. But that's OK. Now we'll always have that connection and something we can look back on together."

McCallie's Phillips won the shot put with a heave of 49 feet, 10.5 inches, which was six inches better than second-place Grant Mathis of Christian Brothers.

Baylor's Parker won the discus with a throw of 164-7 to beat out Briarcrest Christian's London Evans' 164-even.

McMinn County's Logan McKenzie finished second in the Class AAA 800-meter run, and Tellico Plains' Bryce Choate and Notre Dame's A.J. Flemister were second and third in the 400.

"Just to be one of the eight to qualify for the state meet was a pretty big deal, really," Flemister said. "I ran my best, so to be one of the top three from that group, to be considered one of the best of the best, that's a great feeling."

Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.

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