The first event in North Carolina, the Donna Davis Invitational, is set for tomorrow at Mountain Island Charter School in Mount Holly. It'll host 6 events and it had over 200 athletes registered are most events were filled to capacity.
Safety regulations are in place and the meet is spaced out to give athletes distance and limiting the amount of people at the track throughout the day. Masks or facial covering is required while in the facility and only one spectator per athlete will be allow at the facility. Full safety regulations for the event you need to read before attending can be found on the meet page.
Watch Live On MileSplit
It will also have the follow regulations for the track events
100 Meter Dash - use lanes 1,3,5,7 only (May choose to alternate lanes after each heat--2,4,6,8) while blocks are being sanitized from previous heat.
200/400 Meter Dash --use lanes 1,3,5 (May choose to alternate after each heat-2,4,6).
800/1600 Run - starts will be adjusted according to number of entries.
Long Jump will have 2 Pits available on an "open pit" format. Open pit times are designated below.
1:00pm- Long Jump & 1600 meter runners report to front entrance screening station
1:30pm-1600 meter-Girls then Boys Long Jump
2:20-2:30pm- Awards for 1600 meter , Long Jump
2:30pm-100 meter runners report to front entrance/screening station
3:00pm-100 meter -Girls
3:40pm- 100 meter -Boys
4:20-4:30pm- Awards for 100 meter
4:30pm- 400 meter- runners report to front entrance/screening station
5:00pm- 400 meters-Girls
5:15pm-400 meters-Boys
5:30-5:40pm- Awards for 400 meter
5:45pm-800 meter runners report to front entrance/screening station
6:15pm-800 meters-Girls
6:30pm-800 meters-Boys
6:45-6:55pm- Awards for 800
7:00pm- 200 meter. runners report to front entrance/screening station
7:30pm-200 meters-Girls
8:00pm-200 meters-Boys
8:30-8:40pm Awards for 200 meter
8:45-9:00pm- MVP Awards Ceremony
Heat Sheets/Live Results By Big Kahuna Timing
This will be a major event for athletes that are mainly competing in their first track meet of 2020 or since the indoor season. Most likely were without a facility to train at during the last three months so it'll show what athletes have taken training seriously on their own without regular school or club practice.
Girls 1600m
The 1600m will kick off the action tomorrow and is headlined by 7th grader Hannah Rae Shaffer. Shaffer hasn't run a 1600m, but holds a 4:51.83 PR from last year which would convert to around a 5:10 1600m. She hasn't raced since the XC season, but was one of the top distance runners in the 13-14 Age Group nationwide last year. Bailey Reutinger comes in with a 5:16 PR and will likely be in a showdown with Shaffer and hopefully both under the 5:10 mark.
Boys 1600m
The boys 1600m will hold many athletes looking to break the 4:30 barrier for the first time. The top four seeds hold PRs under 4:32 in Andrew Thompson, Viktor Idhammar, Luke Ward and James Elkan. The field doesn't have any seniors and will be full of athletes looking to salvage what could have been a break out track season.
Girls 100m
We have an elite field with 7 girls coming in with sub-12 credentials in the girls 100m dash. The final section will feature three of North Carolina's top underclassman in Jahzara Hart, Zariyah Black and Milan Fields against South Carolina star Kaniya Johnson. Sophomores Johnson and Hart hold top PRs of 11.66 and 11.68 with Fields and Black at 11.85 and 11.86. Black is coming off a strong 100mH performance of 14.17 last week in her first event back.
We'll also see a strong 2nd heat where the winner could come out of with NCHSAA 2A stars Alyssa Thompson Rowe and Kayla Smith. Smith was the NCHSAA 1A/2A 55m Indoor State Champ at 7.03 and Rowe was the second fastest 55m Hurdler in the state this indoor season at 7.99.
Boys 100m
The boys 100m will be headlined by top sprinter Alexander Nunley in heat 12 and Dominique Alexander in section 11. Nunley is one of the top hurdlers in the country and Alexander was the NCHSAA 4A Indoor Meet MVP and was having a major breakout senior campaign. Nunley holds a PR of 10.69 and Alexander ran a 10.83 last year. Aside from that the field has many athletes looking for a breakout performance. Athletes likely have been limited to having access to a track and starting blocks over the last three months, so it'll be interesting to see who was able to have big sprint breakthroughs with somewhat unusual training.
Girls 400m
The girls 400m is loaded with a final section of athletes under 57.3 and over 20 athletes that have broken 60 seconds. Jermaisha Arnold (SC) has run 55.22 and freshman Akala Garrett 55.26 coming in as the top 2 seed. Aly Conyers also ran 55.98 last year and joins Arnold as one of South Carolina's best 400m runners. 2:12 800m runner Lauren Tolbert will also kick off her 400m/800m double in this fast section with her 56.17 PR. It'll also feature freshman 400m star Olicia Lucas and 7th grader Maya Love who have run 57.21 and 57.25.
The second fastest section, section 6 is loaded as well with 100m/200m star Jahzara Hart running her first HS 400m and hurdle star Falon Spearman going for a 400m PR with no hurdle races at this event. It also has Aniya Woodruff, Tiarra Smith, Isabella Darce (SC) and Syndi McMillon who each have broken 58 seconds in the 400m.
Boys 400m
The boys 400m will feature two of the states top indoor 500m runners in NCHSAA 1A/2A State Champion Jenoah Mckiver and NCHSAA 4A State Champion Danny Renard. They come in with personal best of 47.25 and 48.55. It'll also feature Dillon Leacock who just ran NC#18 All-Time in the 400m Hurdles last week of 53.45 and will see if his hurdle strength translates to the open 400m. Jaime Halton also comes in with sub 50 credentials at 49.78 as Christian Parker and Kameron Austin will look to break 50 seconds for the first time.
The second fastest section, section 6, will feature freshman Elijah Dawes who ran 49.84 as an 8th grader, Dalton Zimmerman who ran 1:06.81 in the indoor 500m and the NCHSA 4A 55m Hurdle State Champion Brandon Johnson who will test himself over the longer distance.
Girls 800m
The girls 800m will feature Lauren Tolbert, who ran 2:12.23 a year ago for a Freshman State Record. She's entered in the 400m as well and may try to complete the double over a short time period. Tolbert likes to take the pace out fast so should open under a quick pace for the field. Ariana Wright (MD) is slated to make the trip down and holds a 2:16.11 PR from the 2019 season. Hannah Rae Shaffer ran 2:20 as a 6th grader last year and will look to break 2:19 before entered 8th grade in the fall. Anna Scott, Callie Harper, Tiarra Smith and Regan Hodge will also compete in the fast section.
Boys 800m
Four athletes are entered under 2:00 with Dillon Leacock as the top seed at 1:57.38. Leacock is also entered in the 400m and could have a tough double on his hands. Alex Tillock (IL) ran 1:57.99 two weeks ago in Arizona and will look to contend for the win over a strong field. Jamel Brown ran 2:00 last year in 7th grade and will be looking to be a sub 2:00 800m runner before he enters high school this fall. Fellow 8th grader Camren Stamp ran 4:22 for the 1500m indoors and holds a 2:04 800m PR from 7th grade and will look to get close to sub-2 as well. Viktor Idhammar ran 2:00 indoors and will look to break 2:00 for the first time along with Jesse Wells who holds a 2:00.86 PR.
Girls 200m
The girls 200m is one of the deepest fields of the entire event headlined by Kaniya Johnson (SC), Milan Fields, Kayla Smith and Amari Taylor. 23 athletes come in seeded under 26 seconds with 7 under 25. Johnson holds a 24.02 personal best with Fields and Smith at 24.70. Amari Taylor had a strong indoor season placing 3rd in the 4A 55m Dash and 2nd in the 300m Dash at 39.60. The 200m should be her strong suit. Alyssa Thompson Rowe will compete alongside Taylor and Aly Conyers in section 16/17. In section 13 an athlete to watch is Tianna Spinks, a 7th grader who ran 12.55, 25.40 and 59.26 as a 6th grader. Ariana Wright, Aniya Woodruff, Maya Love, Nneka Udoye and Falon Spearman are also notable names headlining the field.
Boys 200m
We'll have 8 boys entered under 22 seconds in the boys 200m with the fastest section hosting Dominique Alexander, Zachary Dobbin and Armonte Ferguson. Alexander Nunley, Aidan McNally, Jaime Halton and Tyler Wagner will also compete in the later sections. The 200m should be Alexander's best event after his 34.54 300m from this indoor season. He also ran 22.08 in the indoor open 200m on a flat track and should have a breakthrough tomorrow. McNally was the NCHSAA 3A 300m State Champion at 34.86 and ran 21.97 as a sophomore in 2019. Nunley ran 21.92 a year ago and should contend with Alexander for the top spot. Dobbin holds a best of 22.08 from 2018 and will be looking to improve on that mark after a long training stint.