STARKVILLE — It only took one track event and Starkville freshman Ace Hall is already starting to turn heads – and for good reason.
Starkville began its track season on Feb. 12 at home with the aptly named Starkville Season Opener, in which eight teams gathered to compete in numerous events. Sixteen sprinters lined up for the 100-meter dash but none could catch up to Hall, who claimed first place to begin the year by posting a blistering time of 11.02. Nearly cracking into 10-second territory so early into a career is rare, Starkville head coach Tory Reeves said, and it’s a feat he’s only seen happen one other time.
“It’s very quick. The last five or six years we’ve only had one guy break 11 (seconds), a 10.9-something. For a kid to come out on the first meet of the year and do that is impressive, and being a freshman is really impressive.”
Not only did Hall claim first in the 100-meter, but he also left with first place in the 200-meter run with a time of 22.63. So far into the early season, Hall’s 100-meter and 200-meter times are the second fastest recorded in the state, just behind Hattiesburg’s Davion Young’s times of 10.92 and 22.57, respectively – and Hall accomplished all it not far removed from a hip flexor fracture.
Hall spent all of last summer rehabbing and grinding to get back to the starting blocks. He said the injury ended up making him faster.
“I think it motivated me,” Hall told The Dispatch.
Reeves said he had heard about Hall’s potential when he was still in middle school and once he got to see him in action he knew that Hall could be special.
“I knew a little bit about him and he came out for indoor (track) when ninth grade football ended in October or early November, and we started doing some block work and some speed work,” Reeves said. “I could tell he had a lot of potential. I was really ready to see what he could do and he put that 11.02 out and it was an eye opener for sure.
“That’s the thing, you get some kids who know they are fast and they just think, ‘I can just show up to a meet I’m racing in and I’m fast,’ No. You have to work at it, and he comes in every day and hasn’t missed a practice. He works hard, so he’s going to be a joy to coach I believe.”
Hall, though, is not satisfied completely with his 100-meter time and has his sights set on a faster pace before the season closes.
“By the end of the season, my goal is like a 10.6,” he said.
And to get there, he laid out the groundwork, which turned out to be pretty simple.
“Work,” Hall said. “Work. Work.”
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