The experienced veteran vs. the rising star. The reigning champ trying to defend her title. The newcomer trying to take the torch. The grand finale of a season-long duel. Vicksburg vs. Warren Central.

There are all kinds of juicy storylines for the girls’ 100 and 200 meter dashes heading into Saturday’s MHSAA Class 6A state track and field meet at Pearl High School. Both Vicksburg High’s Amiyah Hall and Warren Central’s Adria Burrell insist, however, that any sort of bitter rivalry between the two elite sprinters is not among them.

“I don’t even consider us rivals. We’ve got a good relationship with each other. We always congratulate each other at the end of each race and tell each other good luck before every race,” said Burrell, who on Thursday announced she has committed to run in college at West Alabama.

Hall agreed. She said hugs, not hate, define her competition with Burrell.

“First or second, it doesn’t matter. We’re going to hug it out,” Hall said. “The thing I don’t like is when people try to make me and Adria go against each other. I know we’re competitors, but me and Adria will never be like that. We hug it out every time we’re done with a race. The 100 we hug it out, the 200 we hug it out, relays we even hug it out. We know she’s going places in track, I’m going places in track, so why do that?”

Burrell, a senior, won the Class 6A championship in the 200 meters and finished second in the 100 in 2024. She’ll run both events, as well as the 400 meters, on Saturday.

Hall, a sophomore, was part of Vicksburg’s 4×200 meter relay that won the state title last season and will compete in individual events at the state meet for the first time. She’s in the 100 and 200, as well as the 4×100 and 4×200 meter relays.

This season, Burrell and Hall have engaged in a running duel — no pun intended — in the 100 and 200 meters.
They’ve gone head-to-head at six meets and finished first and second in eight of the 12 races. Four of those 1-2 finishes were decided by less than a tenth of a second. Besides each other, they haven’t lost to a Class 6A opponent.

“The competition is always fun. That’s the thing about track and field, is it’s always unpredictable. So the little rivalry or whatever has been good. I’ve enjoyed it this whole season,” Burrell said. “It’s always crazy. The lead is never too big. It’s just been good.”

Each runner has beaten the other in both races, but lately they’ve staked out their own lanes. Burrell won the 100 and Hall the 200 at the Region 2-6A and Class 6A North State meets. The one that didn’t win finished second.

Hall said Burrell gets better starts in the 100, which has helped her gain the upper hand.

“Her blocks. I’ve got to work on my blocks. When she steps out the blocks she’s gone. I’m still behind and I’ve got to catch up,” Hall said.

In the 200, Hall added, her training and top end speed have helped her win the past two meets.

“My trainer taught me very well how to run the 200 and I’ve got it down,” Hall said. “When I practice I run it back to back to have more energy for when I run it just once.”

Ironically, Burrell said energy is one thing she’s struggled with. She also runs the 400 meters, which comes between the 100 and 200 meters on the meet schedule. She said the extra, longer sprint often takes just enough out of her that it’s hard to keep up with a talented opponent like Hall.

“That 400 between the 100 and 200 does take something out of your legs. It’s just something you’ve got to mentally and physically prepare for. It’s nothing that I can’t get past,” Burrell said.

Burrell is trying to finish off a stellar high school career with at least one state championship on Saturday. This will be her third time competing in the 100 meters — she placed fifth in 2023 and second last year — and second in both the 200 and 400.

“It’s going to mean a lot to me to see where I came from my ninth-grade year. My ninth-grade year I didn’t make it to state and in 10th grade we placed in a relay. I came back my 11th-grade year and was top two for the 100 and 200,” Burrell said. “Now I’m ranked No. 3 in the state for the 400. I have progressed a lot and I thank God for it. I’m looking at leaving with three medals.”

Hall is just getting started. She already has one gold medal from the 4×200 meter relay last year, and seems destined to build a collection before she’s finished.

“My goal this year was to go for both of my individual races, and I did. I hope I get on the podium for both. That’s what I’m trying to do,” Hall said.

Burrell said having two of the state’s best sprinters from the same town was special.

“It’s good for the school district because track is not really a big sport. So having a good sprinter from Warren Central and a good sprinter from Vicksburg, that hasn’t been seen in a while,” she said. “I’m glad we can bring that diversity together and put that on for the school district.”

And while they both want to win the 100 and 200, Burrell and Hall agreed they’ll be just as happy to hug it out one last time with a 1-2 finish in both events.

“It’s going to happen. We’re going to speak it into existence,” Burrell said. “I know that’s going to happen for both of us. We’re the top runners in the state for 6A, so I know that’s definitely going to happen.”