Returning stars shine in Rummel meet

    If the 20th annual Archbishop Rummel Track and Field Classic was any indication, this spring’s outdoor season will be highlighted by record-breaking performances. For starters, Rummel’s Cyril Grayson, enroute to scoring in four events, set a school record of 47.16 in winning the 400-meter dash. That time is the third fastest clocking for a New Orleans high school runner, behind state record holder Desmond Johnson of St. Augustine, who ran a 45.99 in 1995, and Clark’s Ashton Collins’ 46.63 in 2002.
    Grayson also won the 200-meter dash in 21.92     and ran legs of two winning relay teas for the host Raiders.
    Archbishop Shaw’s Lionel Ellison easily won the high jump, reaching the height of 6-10 in this early meet. That bettered his personal best of 6-7 set last year.
    Meet champion Brother Martin, which bested second-place Rummel, 154-149, received two strong performances from hurdler Morgan Cormier, who clipped the 110-meter hurdles in 14.38, and the 300-meter hurdles in 39.53. His times in both events are close to his 2011 bests of 14.29 and 38.60.
    Ellison was a close second to Cormier in the short hurdles, finishing just 1/100th of a second slower at 14.39.
    Holy Cross’ Chris Hall, one of the standouts on the Tigers’ 2011 Class 3A state championship squad, won the 1,600-meter run in 4:34.69.
    Another Holy Cross speedster, Sherman Mushatt won the 100-meter dash in 10.69, which is the fourth best clocking by a New Orleans sprinter.
    Brother Martin’s strong showing in the field was evident by the Crusaders’ 59 points.
    Brian Hoefield won the shot put with a throw of 46-1/2, and Dominic Casadaban was first in the pole vault (11 feet), claimed from Chalmette’s Harley Straub on fewer misses.
    Other field event winners were Rummel’s Andrew Bridge in the javelin throw (159-9), Holy Cross’ Ed Eagan in the long jump (22-111/2), Rummel’s Joshua Brumfield in the triple jump (42-11), and De La Salle’s Landon Falgoust in the discus throw (111-3).
    Kevin Kirchner of Archbishop Shaw (2:03.09) edged Rummel’s Justin Copling (2:10.00) at the finish line of the 800-meter run. Kirchner also won the 3,200-meter event in 11:00.84.
    Rummel captured two of the three relays as Grayson ran the first leg of the 800-meter relay, whose time was 1:29.60, and anchored the 1,600-meter relay that turned in a 3:34.
    The 400-meter relay went to Holy Cross, which denied the Raiders a relay sweep. The Tigers won in 45.03.