Stovall claimed a pair of first place finishes at the prestigious meet, while four other locals also won their events. Bradley teammates Justin Houston, Paul Patterson and Harold Smith each claimed victory, so did Cleveland High’s Beka Day.
A two-time all-state selection on the football field, Stovall won the region decathlon title Monday and Tuesday in Tullahoma to earn a return trip to the Spring Fling, but Friday it was his triple jump that was one of three records set at the Best of Preps.
The 6-foot-3, 170-pounder is known for his leaping ability on the football field and basketball court, posted a hop, skip and jump of 46 feet, 10 inches, besting the old mark of 46-9.25 held by former Bear Lamar Thompson. The distance was more than eight inches better than the winning jump at last year’s Class AAA state championships.
Stovall jump was four feet and four inches more than teammate Cydale Goldston, who took second in the event at 42-6. Jeff Stokes, also from Bradley, was fifth with a triple jump of 40-4.74.
Stovall, who has received an appointment to play football for the United States Naval Academy, also won the high jump edging out Baylor’s Reggie Upshaw as both cleared the 6-foot-4 mark. Cleveland’s Morgan Reeves and Bradley’s Rue Goldston came in third and fourth, clearing the bar at 6-foot even.
Bear speedster Houston won the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 39.63 to nip McCallie’s Iman Isang by two one-hundredths of a second.
Long distance runners Patterson and Smith claimed the 3200- and 800-meter races respectively.
Patterson ran a 10:26.67 for a 4-plus second win, while teammate Collin Gwaltney took fifth with a time of 10:56.30.
Smith, who finished third in the 1600m race, claimed the 800 with a time of 1:57.95, which put him two and a half seconds better than Walker Valley’s Patrick Schultz (2:00.21).
Day was one of just two local girls to place in the event. Day captured the 1600m race by nearly a second with a time of 5:28.39, while her teammate Kayla Gash finished second in the discus with a throw of 113-3.
Bradley’s 4x200 relay team also captured a second place finish with a 1:30.38, as did Rue Goldston in the 110m hurdles with a 15.48 dash. Houston took fourth in the same event at 15.68.
A pair of Bears, Stokes and Cydale Goldston, claimed third and fifth in the long jump with leaps of 20-5 and 20-4 respectively.
Bradley’s Mohammad El-Qadi earned a third in the discus with a toss of 132-01.
The two other meet records that fell saw GPS's 4x200 relay team setting a new standard in 1:43.57, nearly two full seconds better than the old record, and Baylor sophomore Kate Kaufman clearing 10 feet, 9 inches to break the old pole vault mark by 15 inches.
