Three records fall at Last Chance Invite

TFS – TFS Indoor T&F HS Highlights Last Chance Invite, CrossPlex Birmingham AL Jan 31-Feb 1, 2020

Nine TFS track & field athletes were among 2746 entries in two divisions from 191 schools across four states to compete on the track of the upcoming 2019 NCAA DII Championship. It is an incredible opportunity for TFS athletes in a journey to break records, forge memories together, and create a season of significance.

Competing in the A-5A division, TFS athletes set three indoor school records. Evan Prince started the competition by setting a new 3200m school record, running 10:00.76 to place ninth of 83 and besting Aaron Hughes’ indoor (and Alex Hubbard’s outdoor) record.

Emily Gay had a stellar evening, vaulting 8’ 6” to place 7th and tie the indoor school record with current Davidson athlete Anna Davis. Emily also set the TFS indoor record in the 60m dash (9.01). Junior Grey Bourlet placed eighth of 42 in the 60m hurdles with a personal record time of 9.00, .35 faster than last year. He also vaulted 12-0 (a foot and a half indoor PR) to place 10th.

Maria Whitson (2:48.31) and Laurel Smith (3:00.93) set indoor personal records in the 800m and ran 69.76 and 72.90 (IPR), respectively in the double lap oval.

Mohamed Kanu ran 7.85 in the 60m, 58.32 in the 400m and triple jumped 37-0. Nana Amankwah ran 8.41 in the short sprint and competed in the long jump. Collin Kelly ran 12:14.75 (3200m), 5:38.42 (1600m), and 2:29.65 (800m) while fellow thinclad Henrry Xiong ran 12:10.25 for the 16 lapper and 5:38.42 for the metric mile.

The four hour trip (leaving TFS as huge snowflakes hovered over the delighted students taking snowfies), hundreds of heats and flights, lengthy waiting periods filled with non-stop action, and the ebbs and flows of adversities and highlights make the vast learning opportunities, emotional souvenirs, and performance breakthroughs an easy choice to travel to Alabama the last weekend in January.

The 4000 seat Birmingham CrossPlex has a six lane, Mondo surfaced hydraulically banked 200m oval track, eight straightaway lanes for sprinting, and a full array of indoor field event venues while annually hosting an NCAA indoor T&F championship. The separate four lane, 60m warm up track displays the details necessary to host national championships from youth to every division of the NCAA.

The CrossPlex has events 90 plus days of their season and hosts a professionally run meet with certified officials and numerous service oriented staff. It is an occasion for the novice as well as the elite to experience competing in a venue that certainly has an exhilarating effect when entering. It’s also an economic business model of what society leaders can do to enhance a community and transform lives.