Winners At Mobile Challenge Of Champions
MOBILE- To be invited to the prestigious Mobile Challenge of Champions Track Invitational is certainly a great honor as only the top high school track athletes are asked to attend the annual event. To place first among those elite athletes is near priceless.
Local prep track athletes representing the area’s top programs won three first place honors led by the James Clemens 4×400 relay squad, which took the gold medal with a winning time of 3-minutes, 54.41-seconds. The four-person squad included Ashlee Osaji, Uriah James, Rachel Seeley and Vada Samuels. The relay team remains undefeated during the 2018 season.
Also grabbing top spots in the elite competition were Sparkman’s Lauryn Hall in the girls 100 (12.02) and Charles Lewis in the boys 200 (21.61). Hall, a University of North Carolina signee and defending Alabama state indoor and outdoor state champion, said the windy and chilly weather conditions were tough to deal with, plus she was suffering from a common cold while at the meet. “I did very well considering the weather conditions and my being under the weather,” said Hall, a senior Senator. “I scratched in my attempt in the 200 meter event and my 100 event went well, but I feel I need to be better as my best time in the 100 is 11.55.”
Lewis, a junior at Sparkman, is rated among the top sprinters in Alabama and showed his best efforts by taking the 200-meter race just one-half second slower than his second place finish in the Alabama State Meet a year ago.
“It was a very windy and cold day as I had a difficult time warming up as my right hamstring was sore,” said Lewis, who is being heavily recruited by the likes of Florida State, Georgia, Kentucky and Southern California. “I did well considering the weather. I led the race from start to finish.”
Lewis stated he’s busy looking at offers from schools and will look at the full product of which school he will decide on during his senior year. “I would like to become a veterinarian, so I’ll be looking at those schools in particular.”
Lewis was also on the relay team for Sparkman that took runner-up in the boys 4×100. Additional placements in the elite competition included Zuri Falkner, James Clemens, third, shot put, 38-03.75; Collier Robinson, James Clemens, third, high jump, 6-00; Collier Robinson, James Clemens, second, long jump, 21-04.50; Sylvia Cortes, James Clemens, third, 800-meter, 2:24.64; April Johnson, Sparkman, second, discus, 101-04.00; Vada Samuels, James Clemens, third, 400-meter, 57.15 and April Johnson, Sparkman, second, shot put, 34-11.25.
