Top 10 Moments of 2017 - Numbers 10 & 9

Top Ten Moments 2017

Jul 10, 2017

No. 9 - Lanae-Tava Thomas vs. Halle Hazzard Spring States Battle

Two exceptional athletes, with three exceptional years of matchups. And it would all come down to one final race, the D1 100m Final. Neither were moving on to New Balance Nationals, and Halle Hazzard (St. Anthony's) was set to graduate. But Lanae-Tava Thomas (Rush-Henrietta) had something left to prove. Two titans were set up for a duel in the sun, and what a race it was.

There was clear history between the pair. Lanae-Tava had taken the 55m title over Hazzard in 2015 and 2016. Halle reclaimed it for the first time this winter. Halle had taken the 100m in 2016, but Lanae had the faster personal best in both 2016 and 2017. The match-up was as even as you could imagine.

Heading into the race, Hazzard was fresh off medaling at the International CARIFTA Games. Thomas was coming off a wind-aided State Record in the Long Jump. Both were primed. IN the trials, Hazzard took home the fastest time in 11.90, however, Thomas followed that up with a 12.03, battling a 3.2mps headwind. Correcting for wind, that means Thomas was at 11.72, and Hazzard was at 11.84. It was anyone's race.

In the finals, the pair lined up together, dead center of the track. The wind was strong, steady at a -2.0mps headwind. The gun went off, and the pair exploded out of the blocks. Hazzard got the better start, and got half a meter on Thomas. The lead extended to a meter and half by 50m. Then Thomas found another gear, and closed it to less than an inch off the leader. The pair came across the line together, Thomas reaching in with the lean....

But it wouldn't be enough. Halle Hazzard pulled off the win by 0.006 of a second. Both came across in 11.78, tied to the hundredth. She had defended her State Title. It would close out her career under the Saint Anthony's uniform. Thomas would later go on to win the 200m in a NY #2 All-Time mark, as well as set the meet record in the Long Jump. Thomas will return next year, taking on all new challengers. But this matchup's story will live on in history.