Jimmy Carnes: Bracy, Sanders Shine in Sprints

Things got underway at 9AM on saturday at the O-Dome in Gainesville, as top competition athletes from around the Southeast gathered for Florida's only true indoor track & field meet. The two day meet features divisions for youth, high school, college, and open. Day one featured youth and high school divisions; day two will be mainly a college day with some select age group athletes returning for another shot at a PR.

It was a full day of action on Saturday, with heat after heat of age group events in what is likely the largest showing ever at the Jimmy Carnes meet. For the high school scene, it was a breakthrough day for Shayla Sanders of Boyd Anderson who came out of the shadows in winning both the 55m and 200m over much favored Tynia Gaither of Osceola. Sanders set the US #3 marks in both events, Gaither put up a US #5 mark in the 200m to finish second. Marvin Bracy of Boone also opened his 2011 track season strongly, only running the 55 Meters and doing it well with a time of 6.37 (US #3). 

On-Site Coverage:

• Preview Article
• Live Twitter feed via Ricky Quintana
• Meet Page
• Video Interviews, race footage, and highlights...

Day One Highlights:

• Shayla Sanders proves she will be a force to be reckoned with this year. She sweeps both short sprint events over favorite Tynia Gaither. Sanders'  55m time of 6.95 is the new US#3 mark. She came back to win the 200m again over Gaither 24.64 (US #3) to 24.75 (US #5). 
• Marvin Bracy rolled to a US#3 in the Boys 55 Meter Dash with a time of 6.37.
• Flagler Palm Coast boys earn 4x2 victory with 1:31.63.
• West Florida Tech sweeps boys and girls 4x800s: 8:33.56 and 10:22.41.
• Kendell Williams, the star soph from Georgia, wins the 55 Hurdles in US #5 8.12.
• Carmen Carlos (AL) wins Girls Mile in 5:11.
• Isaiah Smith wins 800 in 1:59.99.
• Eighth grader Julie Wollrath wins the Girls 3000 in 10:20.65.
• David Kilgore runs US #9 8:48.46 in the 3000.
• Full results  are posted...

Day Two Highlights:

This will be mostly a college day. They invited the top six finishers from each event Saturday back to compete on Sunday. 

• Marvin Bracy of Boone cuts another .14 off of his time from yesterday to run the fastest 55m time in the nation this year. His 6.24 betters the current leader Ronald Darby (MD) by .04. Clearly Bracy will be national force to be reckoned with this spring in the 100.
• Shayla Sanders knocked .01 off from yesterday moving her up a slot in the national rankings to US #3 in 6.94. Tynia Gaither of Osceola second in 7.15. Both girls pull out of 200, leaving Jada Martin (GA) to win in 24.78.
•  Isaiah Smith of Lake Weir wins 800 in US#7 1:56.37.
• Jack Felix (SC) runs a new personal best of 4:24.51 in the Mile.
• Cecil Rolle of Buchholz wins 400 in 50.52.
• Jokira Jiles of Dunbar edges out Aliyah Abrams (GA) 58.80 to 58.84 in the 400.
• Carmen Carlos (AL) wins mile in 5:10.74.

Marvin Bracy Interview