Great Southwest Classic Preview

Great Southwest Classic
MileSplit Staff

BOYS SPRINTS AND RELAYS

The nation that has dominated the sprinting world for a decade send its best young talent to Albuquerque for this year's Great Southwest Classic. Sprinting is religion in Jamaica, and our island friends send its premier high school champions overseas only twice a year. They will be here this weekend. Who will be the next Usain Bolt? Who will, perhaps join Bolt in next year's Olympics on the 4 x 100 relay?

And let us not think that the two states who have most dominated our Classic for many years with their vast pool of gifted young sprinters are about to cede their pedestal, in either relay or individual races. Texas and Florida again are sending terrific teams, but let us first discuss the Jamaican standouts. The real star is Michael O"Hara, who has scorched 10.19 100m and 20.45 200m that put him in GSxC record range. He has a quartet of proven colleagues, so the green-and-gold can mix and match in their arrangement for the three sprint relays. Each of these fellows also has an international future: Edward Clarke (10.33), Juliane Walker (10.43), Xandre Blake (10.52), and Seanie Selvin (10.62).

Can you imagine how fast these young men can run the 4 x 100? You don't have to imagine; they have already run 39.03, which would put them close to (or winning) a medal in the every Olympics ever run! When lined up against Texas, Florida, and (more recently) Colorado teams that have been racing just under the 40.0 barrier, the 4 x 100 and even 4 x 200 may become nation-leading and record-setting events.

Two of the Lone Star's finest are Shamon Ehiemua (20.80) and Ian Braxton (20.97) while Florida features Devin Quinn (10.49). Louisiana is understandably confident that Kentavious Walter (10.36) can medal, while Illinois puts its hopes on Josh Elker (21.02). All of the aforementioned will also hold relay positions, while Maryland's Darryl Haraway (10.48) will focus on the individual sprints and could surprise.

In the long sprint, Florida's terrific tandem Jamal Walton (46.22) and Ari Cogdell (46.6) will finally go head-to-head with Illinois' Kahmari Montgomery (46.87) over 400 meters, although few think either of these notables can bring down Tavaris Tate's (from Missouri) awesome 45.48 record from 2009.

U.S. No. 1 ranked 300m hurdler Norman Grimes will make the trip from Canyon, Texas, to compete for his first win here after placing runner-up last year. He has run X in the longer event; he will also drop down to the 110m hurdles, where he owns a season-best mark of 13.78. His biggest competition in that event will likely come from his home state, as Isaiah Lucas of Cypress Falls cruised a sick 13.37 at the Texas state meet (per a 5.1 tailwind!)

The always entertaining climax to a spectacular day of sprinting will be the 4 x 400 relay, but who runs where depends on who remains fresher and more ambitious.

Cogdell's American High School's 4 x 400 relay team has already run within three-tenths of a second of the nation's fastest time. They will be joined Saturday night for the other two 400m by selections from Florida's state-wide team, who will have faster splits than Walton's and Cogdell's high school teammates. Team Florida has to be listed as the odds-on favorites to win, although Texas' 3:06.7 record from 2007 seems out of reach, even for these young men. Come to think of it, Texas seems to field one or more highly-competitive quartets for every race, and surely will make this a spirited finale to another great Great Southwest Classic.

2015 Great Southwest Classic Previews:

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