The boys of Tupelo High School won two relay titles and broke state records in the medley en route to a 10th-straight Mississippi Class II state title.
The meet kicked off with the best result possible for Tupelo. The team’s 200 medley relay went 1:37.49 to break both Class II and overall state records in a dominating win. Tupelo was six tenths ahead of runner-up Oak Grove, which was also under the old state record at 1:38.15. In all, Tupelo took more than a full second off the existing state record and about a second and a half off the Class II mark.
Tupelo’s Donovan Crossen won the 200 free to make it 2-for-2 early, going 1:43.68. Tupelo would also take the 200 free relay title in 1:30.11. That topped the field by almost three seconds.
Clinton High’s Blaise Vera was the individual star, setting state records in both of his individual races. Vera was 20.65 in the 50 free, knocking a tenth off his own state and class records. Then in the 100 free, he was 44.74 to take more than a full second off his 2015 records.
Oak Grove took second as a program, keyed by a record-setting night from Alex Miller. Miller was 50.43 to win the 100 fly and break his own state and class records. Meanwhile, the school also broke the state and class records in the 400 free relay, beating Clinton High by four and a half seconds in 3:14.89.
Other record-breakers were West Jones High’s Triston Little in the 500 free and Brandon High’s Khameron Glass in the 100 back. Little went 4:40.36 to break the Class II record, but still fell shy of the 16-year-old state record of 4:38.23. Madison Central’s Blake Peeples was also under the Class II record in 4:44.65. Glass broke class and state record with his 50.85 showing in the 100 back. That took down the 51.48 state record set by future Alabama standout John Servati.
Biloxi’s Stephen Jones was second in that 100 back (under the old Class II record) and also won the 200 IM in 1:54.93. He beat Center Hill’s Taylor Williams in that IM, and Williams would go on to win the 100 breast in 58.46.
Top 5 Teams
- Tupelo – 128
- Oak Grove – 75
- Clinton – 54
- West Jones – 43
- Biloxi – 40