Marion Freeman Invitational delivers more outstanding performances


CLAYTON, Mo. -- The 82nd running of the Marion Freeman Invitational at Clayton High School had plenty of fireworks and exceptional performances as usual during a perfect spring Saturday for track and field.

One of the best finishes of the meet came down to .01 of a second as Burroughs' John Moten won the 100-meter dash 10.93 to Cahokia's Kevion Akins 10.94 in a photo finish.

"It was definitely a great race, but I just pushed through it," Moten said. "Just running against good competition always brings the best out of me. One example was the state meet last year. Prior to that I had only run a 10.7, and in the finals I ran a 10.58, so I like competition."

Moten had to withdraw from the 200-meter dash because of a hamstring injury that he's been nursing flared up during the 400-meter relay. Akins still found a little challenge from Berkeley's Michael Miller and Hazelwood Central's Tahj Williams, but he was able to secure another Cahokia victory in 21.99 to help boost the Comanches to the Orange Division title with 160 points.

"I think we have a lot of depth," Cahokia coach Leroy Millsap said. "I think we have a group of kids that work really hard, and they step up to whatever competition is coming their way. I try to prepare kids to be the best in the state no matter what class we're in, and we have that kind of team."

Cahokia junior standout Ja'mari Ward won the long jump in a meet record 25 feet, 1 inch, but he tweaked his ankle for the second year in a row at the Marion Freeman Invitational. That didn't stop him from hitting a winning mark of 49-4 ½ in the triple jump before Millsap shut him down.

Chris Stanley gutted out a strong anchor leg of the 3,200-meter relay for Cahokia in another classic Marion Freeman finish as three teams battled for the finish-line tape. Stanley held off Lafayette's Alec Haines and Blue Springs Stephen Mugeche, two of Missouri's premier distance runners. The Comanches won 7:56.02, while Blue Springs was runner-up in 7:56.56 after Mugeche closed a nearly 10-meter gap to overtake Haines. Lafayette was third in 7:56.87.

"I was thinking I had to go because I knew those last legs had run some good times in the past," Stanley said.

Blue Springs tallied 131 points for second place, and Lafayette was third with 96.

"We try to do this to simulate the state meet and staying the night in a hotel," Blue Springs coach Joe Cusack said. "Coming over here, we held a few guys out of some of the things they normally do. If we loaded our team in every event, it'd be a heck of a battle with Cahokia, but I'm not sure we could beat them even if we did that. They've got a fine program, and we like to see people like that."


Blue Springs, the defending Missouri Class 4 champion and early favorite in the newly minted Class 5, hauled in 36 of its points from the two throwing events. Senior twins Carlos and Khalil Davis set new shot put and discus meet records -- Khalil with a 61 foot, 9 ¼ shot put throw on Friday and Carlos with a 199-7 discus throw on Saturday.

Carlos currently owns the nation's No. 1 throw at 214-4 after he set a state meet record last May at 212-5. On Saturday, Carlos nailed his winning throw on his first attempt in the prelims.

"I was closing myself off and so when I was trying to get in power and throw, I'd let it go early and it was ending up (down the right side)," Carlos said. "My last throw was 200 plus, but I stepped on the front which was frustrating. I don't have to hit 200 every time, but I'd like to at least get close to it or low 200s. We gradually progress so I'm not too worried about it."

Miller's 200 (22.43) was third best overall and the top time in the Blue Division, and it came shortly after his overall victory in the 400-meter dash in a new PR time of 48.94. It helped Berkeley to the Blue Division title with 108 points to Burroughs' 76.

"A lot of guys in that race are close friends and I know what they want to do to me, so I tried to take it out at the 150," Miller said. "Normally I try to get out hard for the first 300 and hold on for the last 100. That's right around where I want to be at."

William Session from Belleville East won the 110-meter hurdles in 14.24, beating his brother Cahokia's Korrion Session who ran a 14.66. William edged out Korrion in the 300 hurdles for the first time in a head-to-head meeting, 38.22 to 39.03. William clipped a lot of hurdles in the prelims of the 110s, but he was able to run a cleaner race in the finals.

"I wasn't pulling my trail leg and it was hanging and dangling," William said. "In the finals my coach had me make sure I was placing it, and that made a difference as you can see."

Lutheran South's Maya Cody eclipsed her own records from last year in the 100- and 200-meter dashes with times of 12.04 and 24.59, respectively, and she added the 400-meter dash record this year at 55.52. Cody has gotten noticeably stronger, and it's showing with ever faster times.

"This is exactly where I want to be with the times I ran today," Cody said. "My competition was the records I set here last year. I've been hitting the weight room. I need to get more explosive and get more muscle because with my height it's going to be more of a strength thing instead of a stride. I feel like that's what's separating me from (Anglerne Annelus) at Grandview. She's much taller.

"I feel more explosive. You'll definitely see that correlate to the beginning of the 100 and my stride and how powerful I am and how I'm able to finish the race."

Ladue's girls took second place with 106 points. Kaitlen Crawford added 10 points to the team tally with a 45.99 victory in the 300 hurdles.

"Today I dropped (my time) by two seconds, and I think it's pretty awesome," Crawford said. "We've been working really hard to get to that first hurdle, and I knew at the curve I just had to kick it in."

Blue Springs girls won all four relays en route to 138 points and the team title.


Complete Coverage of Marion Freeman Invitational (Result, Photos & Videos)