McCallie's Zack McAteer participates in the pole vault event during the Optimist Track and Field meet Friday, April 13, 2018 at Girls Preparatory School in Chattanooga, Tenn. Cleveland's Keegan Jones might be on his way to play football for Navy, but there is good reason the Midshipmen athletic department is hoping he will be a two-sport star.
Jones burned up the track at the annual Optimist Championship held at Girls Preparatory School, winning both the 100-meter dash in 10.78 seconds and the 200 in 21.97. He set a personal record in the latter and was just 0.2 second slower than the fastest time in the state of Tennessee this season in both events.
"They're trying really hard to get me to run track, but I'm not so sure about that," Jones said. "Today's 200 meters was the fastest I've ever run. I'm usually around a 22.5."
Jones just missed out on sweeping all three of his events when he came in second by an inch and a half to McCallie's Hakim McMorris in the long jump earlier in the day. Jones jumped 23 feet, 4 inches a month ago, putting him at the top of the state's rankings.
"I had one that was over 23 feet today, but I fell backwards so they had to mark it where my hands were," Jones said.
McMorris also had a great day, winning both the long jump (22-10.5) and high jump (6-4) and finishing fourth in the 200. He led a Blue Tornado team that decimated the field with 214 points, over 100 more than second-place Baylor.
McCallie teammates Quindarius Dunnigan (discus), Dre Taylor (shot put), Joshua Smith (300 hurdles) and Samuel Ligon (1600) also won individual events, while the Tornado's 4x100, 4x400 and 4x800 relay teams also took first.
On the girls' side, it was Baylor that destroyed the competition, scoring 191 points. GPS finished second with 119.
The Lady Red Raiders swept all four of the relay events and had five girls win individual events. Carmen Ross (pole vault), Ally Craig (high jump), Jutoreyia Willis (triple jump), Kayla Hayes (300 hurdles) and Maddy Sims (400) each finished first as Baylor's team depth was too much for the 10-team field.
The best rivalry of the day belonged to Cleveland senior Tiyanna Johnson and Arts & Sciences sophomore Alayah Dozier. Johnson beat Dozier in the 100 by just 0.04 second with a time of 12.15, but Dozier got revenge in the 200. She ran a 25.51 to Johnson's 25.69.
"We have a good, friendly rivalry," Johnson said after the meet. "We have run against each other a lot, both indoor and outdoor. She beat me yesterday in the 400 at another meet, and then barely got me in the 200 today. I try to use it as motivation."
GPS senior Carley Braman swept the 1600 and 800 with times of 5:24.43 and 2:25.48, while Katherine Coffey from Brentwood won both the shot put and discus.
Contact Kevin Llewallyn at sports@timesfreepress.com.