Aliquippa’s best
M.J. Devonshire is fast, but he still doesn’t hold the “title” he desires.
Aliquippa standout sprinter M.J. Devonshire has a chance to join Tommie Campbell this weekend as the only athletes in Aliquippa history to win a PIAA title in a track event. Last week, Devonshire erased Campbell from the WPIAL record book.
But it doesn’t matter whether Devonshire can rub elbows with Campbell in Aliquippa history, or break Campbell’s records. Devonshire still can’t beat Campbell. Literally.
Call it the clash of Quips — past and present. It happened Saturday when Devonshire and Campbell had a friendly race. After winning the WPIAL Class 2A 100-meter dash last Thursday and breaking Campbell’s meet record, Devonshire talked about wanting to race Campbell, the former Aliquippa speedster who still spends time in Aliquippa.
The two got together two days later and had a runoff. It was on a turf football field — not a track. It was 50 yards — not 100 meters.
And Campbell won by a yard.
Aliquippa track coach Sherman McBride wasn’t present, but he has video of the race sent to him by Desmond Patrick, another former Aliquippa football player and sprinter. Devonshire couldn’t catch Campbell and, apparently, neither could Father Time. Campbell is 31. Devonshire is a high school senior and a University of Kentucky football recruit.
The video is humorous. After about 20 yards, you hear Campbell yelling, “C’mon, man.” Just as he crosses the 50, Campbell again blurts, “C’mon, man.”
“Tommie said, ‘I’m still the undisputed champion of Aliquippa,’” McBride said.
But should we be surprised that Campbell won? After all, he played in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans from 2011-14. He eventually ended up in the Canadian Football League where he now plays for the Montreal Alouettes and is considered one of the top defensive backs in the CFL.
Campbell left Sunday for the start of Alouettes training camp. But first, there was the race. McBride laughs heartily when he tells the Campbell-Devonshire story.
“We had Antwan Brooks win the WPIAL in the 100 and 200 two years ago and I guess they feel like they have to challenge the champion [Campbell],” McBride said. “Well, Tommie whupped Brooks, too.
“Tommie said he wanted M.J. bad because M.J. was running that mouth and Tommie had to get him. If I would’ve been there, I wouldn’t have let them race. But Tommie was leaving Sunday, so he said he had to get him Saturday night.”
It was all in good fun, of course. But Devonshire seriously has a good chance at becoming Aliquippa’s second PIAA track champion. Campbell is the only other one, winning the Class 2A 100 in 2005. Aliquippa has four PIAA champions in field events.
Devonshire is the No. 1 seed this year in the Class 2A 100 with a time of 10.67 seconds. He is seeded second in the 200. He also will run on Aliquippa’s 400 relay team, a three seed.
A year ago, Devonshire finished fifth in the 100 with a time of 11.01 and did not qualify for the finals in the 200, running a 22.17 in the semifinals. At the WPIAL championships this season, Devonshire won the 100 in 10.67 seconds and the 200 in 21.73.
Devonshire has done so well in track this season that he is now considering also running at Kentucky, as well as playing football. He was heavily recruited in football and was the Pitttsburgh Post-Gazette co-Player of the Year.
After finishing up the PIAA track championships Saturday, Devonshire will head to Harrisburg to practice for the Big 33 all-star football game. Devonshire will play in the game for Pennsylvania against Maryland Memorial Day in Harrisburg.
Devonshire is one of 14 WPIAL athletes who are seeded first in an event at the PIAA championships Friday and Saturday at Shippensburg University. Shady Side Academy’s Melissa Riggins is seeded No. 1 in two events — Class 2A 800 and 1,600.
Riggins has a chance to make history. She could be the first WPIAL runner to win the 800 and 1,600 in consecutive seasons since the PIAA started girls championships in 1974. The only WPIAL runner to win the 800 and 1,600 (or their equivalent in yards) in the same year is North Allegheny’s Kathy Byrnes, who won the 880-yard run and the mile in 1977.
The other No. 1 seeds in girls events are Avonworth’s Hayden Robinson (3A 100), Brownsville’s Gionna Quarzo (2A 3,200), Beaver’s Emma Pavelek (2A high jump), Waynesburg’s Taylor Shriver (2A pole vault) and South Park’s Marua Huwalt (2A javelin).
On the boys side, seven WPIAL athletes — besides Devonshire — are seeded No. 1 in events.
North Allegheny’s Zach Kinne is No. 1 in the Class 3A 3,200 and also No. 2 in the 1,600. The other No. 1 seeds in Class 3A are Hempfield’s Jared Bannon (110 hurdles), Mt. Lebanon’s Patrick Anderson (1,600) and Indiana’s Kendall Branan (800).
The other No. 1 seeds in Class 2A are Waynesburg’s Daniel Layton (110 hurdles), Riverside’s Calvin Wetzel (300 hurdles) and North Catholic’s Joe Kearney (long jump).