AFTER A LACKLUSTER dash in the semis, Jordan Anthony entered the final a slight enigma. The 20-year-old redshirt soph at Arkansas had won the 60 indoors, and his 9.75w run at Regionals put him fastest in the field. But his sluggish run in the prelims made him the last qualifier for finals.
No matter.
Anthony surged to the win from lane 9, outleaning Max Thomas of USC — next to him in 8, the second-to-last qualifier — for the win in 10.07. It was a tight race, with the top 6 all within 0.10 on the clock. The sprinters of Auburn and Tennessee — each school had two in the final — showed up early, but it was the Razorback on the outside in the end.
“In my mind I’m like ‘God blessed me, there’s no way I lost this race, it was too efficient,’” Anthony said, explaining the momentary confusion over results. “The results came and JA was on top.”
At the Indoor Anthony also came out on top. But then he said he had to work on his start, owing his relative slowness to playing receiver in the fall for the Razorbacks and growing accustomed to fighting through a cornerback at the start of every route. In prelims on Wednesday, he also got out slowly, and he qualified for the final by time after finishing only 4th in his heat.
“Everyone had a lot to say after Wednesday,” he said after the race. “I don’t care what anyone did previously.”
Anthony blazed to the 9.75 at Regionals, aided by a 2.1 wind just barely over the legal limit.
“The world was surprised by that, including myself,” he said on Friday.
Of his rocky semi here, he said, “On Wednesday, I know a lot of critics had a lot to say about how I didn’t look the same, but this is what I’m made of. From being doubted and coming from nothing. I’m on an island by myself in lane 9 and you’re either going to survive or you’re going to die so today, I decided to survive. That’s really the race mentality I had. I really didn’t care about anybody else in the race. I ran fast Wednesday, like I said previously, and indoors. I’m a proven warrior. I’m a championship guy and you see what I can do on championship days.”
MEN’S 100 RESULTS
FINAL (June 13; wind +0.7)
1. **Jordan Anthony (Ar) 10.07;
2. *Max Thomas (USC) 10.10;
3. ***Jelani Watkins (LSU) 10.10;
4. **Kanyinsola Ajayi’ (Aub-Ngr) 10.13;
5. **Davonte Howell’ (Tn-Cay) 10.17;
6. **Jaiden Reid’ (LSU-Cay) 10.17;
7. ***Israel Okon’ (Aub-Ngr) 10.18;
8. *T’Mars McCallum (Tn) 10.24;
9. **Eddie Nketia’ (USC-NZ) 10.30.
SEMIS (June 11)
I(0.1)–1. McCallum 10.03; 2. Thomas 10.09; 3. **Jehlani Gordon’ (Ga-Jam) 10.19; 4. **Neo Mosebi’ (FlSt-SA) 10.21; 5. *Kalen Walker (Ia) 10.23; 6. Connor Washington (Ar) 10.23; 7. *Jamarion Stubbs (AlSt) 10.25; 8. **Malachi Snow (TxT) 10.54.
II(-0.2)–1. Watkins 10.02; 2. Okon’ 10.07 =PR; 3. Nketia’ 10.10; 4. Abdul-Rasheed Saminu’ (SFl-Gha) 10.11; 5. Travis Williams’ (USC-Jam) 10.21; 6. Taylor Banks (USC) 10.24; 7. ***Ernest Campbell (TxAM) 10.30; 8. *Jaleel Croal’ (SFl-BVI) 10.38.
III(1.6)–1. Ajayi’ 9.92 PR; 2. Reid’ 10.02 PR; 3. Howell’ 10.05 =PR; 4. Anthony 10.06; 5. *Chance Cross (KennSt) 10.17; 6. *JC Stevenson (USC) 10.19; 7. *Tristyn Flores (LBSt) 10.19; 8. *Mason Lawyer (WaSt) 10.20.
