Golden South Classic: Best Of The Rest - Event By Event Previews

Golden South Classic
Todd Grasley



The 100m dashes and the mile events get all the spotlight, but that doesn't mean the rest of the events are sleepers. The 38th Golden South Classic features premiere talent from multiple states in ALL events. We're talking state champion winners in nearly every field. Races loaded from top to bottom. We preview the best of the rest of all the action! We will have complete coverage including our live broadcast, archived race video, interviews, photos, and a complete recap of all the action.

100/110m Hurdles

Two of the nation's top hurdlers Daeshon Gordon and Stefani Kerrison go head to head for the first time this season in the girls 100 hurdles. Gordon an LSU signee has a US#5 time of 13.45w this year. At the 4A State Finals she won both the 100 and 300 meter hurdles. Gordon is the reigning 2013 Golden South Classic Champion in this event. Last year, she broke the meet record of 13.86 set in 1998 by Sharianne Lawson of Palm Beach Lakes when she posted a speedy 13.77. Kerrison who just completed her senior at Jones High School makes the five minute trip to The First Academy for yet another year. She finished third last year and is a two time 2A state champion in the 100 hurdles. She will attend the University of Miami in the fall.

Chiles' hurdler Justin Cromartie (pictured above) was a different athlete in 2013. Last year, he didn't make it to the finals in the 110 hurdles at state. He finished sixth at Golden South. Cromartie bought into the coaching staff, the training, and they recriprocated putting their trust in him. As a result, Cromartie won the 110m hurdles at state with a time of 13.97, second only to his 13.93 at regionals. His ten points were also intstrumental in giving the Timberwolves the 3A steam title. Cromartie is undecided in his college choice and a win or quality showing on Saturday could open up even more doors. His toughest test will come against Kenny Selmon of Georgia. The UNC bound standout is a two-time Georgia Olympics champion in the 110's including 2014 where he ran 13.96 to win. Also in the mix are Jemmaruse Amos and Damion Thomas who are hovering near 14 seconds and could break that mark. Thomas 14.05 at the 4A Region 4 Championships is the fastest time for a freshman in the nation.

400m Dash



Oak Ridge junior Sharrika Barnett (pictured above) leads the field of quarter milers. Barnett, posted a time of 53.86 to finish second behind Kendall Ellis (52.95) at the FHSAA State Finals. Victoria Powell of Georgia has the second fastest seed time of 54.05. According to her MileSplit profile, that was 2012 when she won the AAU National Junior Olympic Championship. It will be intersting to see if she can live up to that time. Also, in the field is Erin "Turbo" Ford. Ford was runner-up at the 2013 Golden South Classic. She won the 4A Region 3 Championship in 56.45 and was fourth at the 4A State Finals. Freshman Symone Mason has also gone under 55 seconds this year.

Two runners under 47 seconds. The top seven runners under 48 seconds. Those numbers should make the boys 400 meter dash, a thrilling race to watch! Now I don't think anyone will break the Golden South Record of 45.58 set by Aldrich Bailey in 2012, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are a couple of runners at 46 and one or two slightly under. American High School junior Ari Cogdell and St. Thomas Aquinas junior Rasheed Tatham went head to head at regionals clocking the then number one and two times (now US#3 and US#5). Tatham won the one that mattered though picking up the state championship at the 4A State Finals. Also, in the field our Jeffrey Green and Cordell Lamb the 3A state champion and runner-up from South Florida powerhouse program Miami Northwestern. They've gone 47.48 and 47.55 this year. Freshman Jamal Walton who has the nations' number one time for a ninth grader at 47.65 did not compete in high school competition this year, opting for CARIFTA and the Cayman Invitational, as well as unattached meets, will get his chance to prove himself against the state's best. Walton who runs for the Miami Gardens Xpress Track Club under Coach Lawshea broke Usain Bolts U17 400m record at CARIFTA and is the real deal. 

400m Hurdles

Daeshon Gordon swept both hurdle events at the Golden South Classic in 2013 and looks to continue that trend in 2014 The 400 meter distance isn't one that is contested in most states, mainly at the college level. So for runners in this event it will give them a taste of what is to come. Gordon went 1:00.92 to win the title last year and has run 58.92 at last year's JAAA National Junior Championships & Trials. Her time of 41.45 in the 300 meter hurdles this year is the seventh best in the country.


Kenny Selmon out of Georgia, one of the favorites in the 110 hurdles will also compete in the 400 meter distance. He ran 50.80 to finish second at the USATF World Youth Track & Field Tirals in 2013 and follow that up with a 50.85 at the IAAF World Youth Championships. Daeshon Gordon's brother Deron who did not make the state meet this year will compete in one of his last high school meets. He was 8th last year at Golden South after posting a time of 54.27 in the prelims.

200m Dash



The girl's 200 meter dash will be a fast one! With four girls under 24 seconds and the top ten under 24.5, the slightest error could be the difference in winning and losing. Diamond Spaulding, who is looking to punch her ticket in the Dream 100 comes in with the fastst time of  23.58. Spaulding who transferred to sprint power St. Thomas Aquinas for her junior year was second at the 4A State Finals and a key part of the Raiders nationally ranked relays. As a sophomore, she was the 2A state Champion. Freshman Symone Mason and junior Erin Ford have run 23.74 and 23.86 respectively on the season. Others to watch include Caitland Smith, the University of Texas signee and Alabama state runner-up who has run 23.88, as well as Chelesa Francis, University of Florida signee Destiny Washington, and 2A state runner-up Alfreda Steele.

One of the best races I have seen was in 2012 when Tyreek Hill out of Georgia blazed a time of 20.14, just one tenth off the national high school and USATF junior record set by Roy Martin in 1985. This year's talent is super fast as well, maybe not to that level, but there should be several times under 21 seconds. The field is lead by Kendal Williams an FSU signee. Williams has owned this event on the state level winning four straight 3A crowns. Unlike a majority of the field, since he already has a ticket to the Dream 100 this will be his lone event of the night.  2A state champs Nigel Bethel (21.01w) a Texas Tech signee and Terry Jernigan (21.24) the 4A state champion who has an offer on the table will give Williams a run at the title of fastest man in Florida. Kenric Young of Gainesville and Andre Ewers the 4A runner-up have run 21.01 and 21.05 this season and can't be counted out. Jaalen Jones of Alabama is the top out of state entrant. Jones has run 21.17 just three weeks ago to win the Alabama state championship.

800m Run

Danielle Jonesof Desert Valley High School in Arizona will face her first test early in the afternoon when she tries to punch her ticket for the Dream Mile. After a month long rehab for a leg injury she started her career at the Arcadia Invitational where she was second to Lucy Biles of Utah. At the Arizona state meet she won three state championships including an Arizona state meet record of 4:48.73, breaking a 15 year mark previously set by Sarah Gorton Slattery. She also went 10:34.16 and 2:10.64. She has a personal best of 2:09.24 and is the favorite in this race. Don't count out Sinclaire Johnson though. The Lake Brantley sophomore surprised many when she double at the 4A State Finals winning both the 1600 and 800 meters where she ran a personal best of 2:12.30. One week later at the Holy Trinity All-Star Showdown she ran 2:14.04. Caitie Faust of Marist High School in Georgia was second at the GHSA Girls State Track Championships and ran a personal best of 2:13.04 last week at the American Track League meet in Atlanta. Kayla Johnson and Bryanna Rivers are the only other runners in the field who have run under 2:15.

After winning every meet this season Javon Patterson came up a hair short at the 4A State Finals. Patterson clocked his personal best time in the half mile last year the Golden South Classic when he finished second in 1:51.15. Can the Boyd Anderson junior finally get the big win? Jeramey Hampton, a junior from North Gwinnett High School Georgia will push Patterson to the limits in what could come to the final 100 meters. Hampton was first at the Georgia Olympics two weeks ago when he set a new personal best time of 1:51.84. Matthew Butler, Rayford James, and Kolin Ashbacher have all run under 1:54. with a slew of others under 1:56. This should be a tight packed race and very exciting to watch!

3200m Run



The girl's 3200m run only has seven entrants, but the front runners should provide a good race. Junior Autumn Bartllett has run 11:04.93 and was fourth at the Florida Relays. FSU signee Madison Harris, an 800 meter specialist who ran 2:13.33 to win the Florida Relays and was second at the 2A State Finals in 2:13.59, will test her hand at the eight lapper. 

Much like the girl's race, the boys also feature a small field. University of North Florida signee Tyler Bennett and junior Zach Capello (pictured above) out of Lousiana will face off once again after testing their hands in the 1600 meters. Bennett was second at the 3A Cross Country Finals and third in the 3200m at the 3A State Finals where he ran a new personal best of 9:16.50. Capello from Ascencion Catholic was the LHSAA small school state champion in both the 1600 and 3200 and post season bests of 4:18.88 and 9:18.02.
 

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