Last Chance Invitational Sets Up Athletes For Indoor Track State Meet

BIRMINGHAM- The regular season of the current indoor track season among high schools across Alabama came to a close at the annual Last Chance Invitational in Birmingham with chances for athletes to qualify for the Indoor Track State Meet. James Clemens will have 31 athletes compete in the upcoming State Meet.

The James Clemens boys claimed six medals in the Last Chance Invitational including a dominating performance by the distance runners. The Jets distance program produced two champions bringing home gold medals. The Jets won the 4×800 relay by an amazing eight seconds over runner-up Spain Park and 11 seconds over Mountain Brook. James Clemens ran an 8:15.36 (currently the class 7A fastest time) with Isaul Rubio Montano, Brexton Hathaway, John Luke Stovall, and Dylan Dryer on the relay squad. Their finish time qualified them for the National Scholastic Indoor Championship to be held in March in New York.

Dryer provided the crowd with an exciting finish in another race, the boys’ 800-meter. Dylan sat back and relaxed with confidence in fourth place until midway of the race when he started passing competitors with 400 meters remaining. He made his trademark kick to the finish at the 175 meters mark catching the leader from UMS Wright at the finish line. Dylan posted the current 7A state’s leading time 1:56.81. Dryer has been a major contender in the 800-meter the entire season and will be in contention for a medal at the State Meet. His teammate, John Luke Stovall also qualified for the State Meet in the same race posting a time of 2:03.33.

The Lady Jets’ runner Emma Bothern additionally qualified for the State Meet in the 800-meter with a time of 2:29.37. Her distance runner teammates also qualified for the State Meet by running their best times of the season. Those included senior Sydney Freeman who ran a 12:01.40 in the 16-lap 3200-meter race to claim a spot in the State Meet along with Kylie Gero with her time of 5:34.48 in the 1600-meter. James Clemens Cole Robinson closed out the outstanding day by qualifying for the State Meet in the 3200-meter with a 10:01.51.

The Jets’ other medal podium performances came from senior Sprinter Chad Coulter in the 60-meter as he claimed the runner-up silver medal with his fastest time of the season of 7.00. His teammate thrower Jalen Drake also brought home a silver medal in the shot put with a toss of 48-05. Both these athletes will challenge for a state title in the State Meet.

In the jumps competition, the Lady Jets had scoring performances from Tramani Osley who took fourth place in the long jump (15-10.75) and a sixth place finish by Ashlyn Diehl in the pole vault with a personal record mark of 9-00. Both girls qualified for the State Meet.

Also in the 1600-meter, the boys had three athletes run 4:45 to 4:40. Those included Tyler Gohlich (4:40.30), Garrett Gallagher (4:40.68) and Luke Alverson (4:45.24).