Carlton Orange and Terrell Jackson of the University of Memphis School (TN) ran US #1 and US #2 in the 800m the day after setting a new US #1 in the 4x800m relay. (Photo by Angelle Albright)
It did not take long for the Allstate Sugar Bowl Track & Field Classic in New Orleans, LA to produce a US #1 mark as the Memphis (TN) quartet blitzed a new nation-leading mark of 7:45.21 in the 4x800m on the first day of competition on Friday, March 27.
The runners included the nation's No. 2 ranked indoor 800m runner in Terrell Jackson on the anchor, as well as Carlton Orange, C. J. Turner and Pierce Rose.
Jackson and Turner, who split about 1:53 and 1:54 on the relay respectively, said they were both hoping to eclipse the 1:50 barrier in the open 800m the following day.
In Saturday's final, Jackson took off with his typical early fire and the race quickly separated into Jackson and Orange versus the rest of the field. With about 300m remaining, Orange took the lead and managed to stay just a step ahead of Jackson all the way to the end to finish with a new US #1 time of 1:50.94. Jackson's final time was US #2 1:51.17, as both broke the Meet Record set by Kerjuan Williams (1:51.55) in 2005.
The Memphis duo also aided the 4x400m Relay to a US #12 3:16.72 4x400m, which stood as the second-fastest clocking both in meet history and in their school history.
But they were not the only national leaders to emerge from Tad Gormley Stadium, as McGill-Toolen (AL) senior Sean Collins launched a US #2 17-2.25 clearance in the Pole Vault to set a new Meet Record and Stadium Record.
Collins will compete for South Alabama next year.
Both Orange and Collins received nods as the respective Boys Track and Field MVPs of the Meet.
On the Girls side, Whitehaven (TN) senior Maia McCoy landed Girls Track MVP of the Meet honors in sweeping the sprint events. The University of Tennessee signee won the 100m (11.82), 200m (24.14) and 4x400m (4:00.11), as well as runner-up honors in the 4x200m (1:42.41).
Samantha Zelden of St. Scholastica earned Girls Field MVP honors with her US #3 showing of 145-3 in the javelin.
More race videos and interview videos to come!