PHOTO BY LUTHER SIMMONS
Bearden High’s Lexus Norwood (left) competes in the 200-meter dash at this season’s Tennessee Sea Ray Relays on UT’s Tom Black Track. The Focus will spotlight KIL track and field individual girls leaders in its April 28 issue.

By Steve Williams

Just like Jajuan Stinson when he’s competing in the 100-meter dash, this year’s Knoxville Interscholastic League Track and Field Meet is fast approaching.

The annual Knox County event will be held April 28th and 29th at Hardin Valley Academy. Field event finals and track event prelims are scheduled on the first day, with the track event finals to highlight the second night of action.

Stinson, a senior from Central High, currently owns this season’s top time in the 100 for KIL sprinters, a wind-aided 10.78, according to Tennessee Runner, a MileSplit.us affiliate.

He posted that time when he took first place in the Tennessee Sea Ray Relays this spring.

Stinson was a standout running back for the Bobcats last fall and is an East Tennessee State University signee as the Buccaneers restart their football program.

“I ran into (ETSU) Coach (Carl) Torbush recently as he was a speaker at an athletics directors meeting I was attending in Murfreesboro,” said Central High’s J.D. Lambert. “He’s very excited about having Jajuan and said he was getting a playmaker.”

In other dash events, Farragut’s Chase Biefeldt has the KIL’s top time in the 200 with a 22.29 and Bearden’s Chase Hilton is the leader in the 400 with a 49.99.

Hilton also is a standout in the 800-meter run with a KIL best time of 1:56.13. Bearden teammate Ty Chandler is the pacesetter in the 300 hurdles with a 41.74.

Hardin Valley’s defending champion boys team is led by senior All-American Aaron Templeton, a Furman signee who has been clocked in 4:22.88 in the 1600 this season and 9:09.05 in the 3200.

In addition to Templeton, the Hawks boast KIL leaders in Chris Thomas (15.41w in the 110 hurdles) and Weldon Wright in the long jump (21 feet, 8 inches) and triple jump (44-0.5w).

Field event leaders also include West pole vaulter Hank Mary (14-6), Grace Christian Academy’s Rhett Elwood in the discus (166-5) and Halls shot putter Cole Patterson (52-2).

Currently leading the way in the boys’ relay events are Fulton (4×100), Karns (4×200), CAK (4×400) and Hardin Valley (4×800 and 4×1600).

The Focus will spotlight KIL girls leaders in track and field in its April 28 issue.