Daphne, Ala., July 12, 2021 – Bayside Academy rising senior Patrick Daves won the 110m hurdles (17-18 division) at the USATF Youth Outdoor Nationals in Rome, Georgia, on June 26 and has been named an All American hurdler following his 5th place finish at The Outdoor Nationals presented by Nike in Eugene, Oregon, on July 2.
Patrick has been a member of Bayside Academy’s track and field program since the 7th grade. According to Bayside’s track and field coach Joe Swagart, “Patrick has a big heart for this sport and works diligently to improve both his fitness and technique.” Since his humble beginnings as a middle school athlete willing to try sprints, jumps, hurdles, and multi-events, Patrick has found his true calling in both hurdles and jumps.
With strong support from his parents, Patrick won his first individual state championship in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 8.88 seconds as only a freshman. Since that 2019 indoor season, Patrick has gone on to win 10 additional individual state championships, all in hurdle and jumping events. Patrick’s individual success helped contribute to a team indoor championship in 2020.
In this year’s 3A AHSAA State Meet in Cullman, Patrick won all four individual events in which he competed. Patrick is the only athlete, regardless of classification, to score 40 points at any of the AHSAA State Meets. Through his efforts, he helped the young Bayside Academy team accomplish a second outdoor state runner-up title in three years (the 2020 outdoor season was lost due to COVID-19).
Below are some statistics of how Patrick ranks within the AHSAA and the nation in hurdles, high jump, and triple jump according to MileSplit.com. He is currently ranked 1st in Alabama and 25th in the nation for 110 meter hurdles, as well as 2nd in the state and 73rd in the nation for 300 meter hurdles as of July 10. Additionally, according to the MileSplit rankings in early June, he is the 21st top recruit for the class of 2022. According to MileSplit, “This past winter, he was ranked at US No. 10 in the 60m hurdles, US No. 32 in the triple jump, US No. 67 in the high jump and US No. 2 in the pentathlon. It’s one thing to be a highly-ranked multi-event specialist, but to be so highly ranked in a handful of events that are so different is wildly unique and beyond impressive.”
Patrick Daves’s 11 individual state championships thus far:
· 2019 indoor 60 meter hurdles (8.88 seconds)
· 2020 indoor triple jump (42’ 5.25”)
· 2020 indoor high jump (6’ 0”)
· 2020 indoor 60 meter hurdles (8.32 seconds)
· 2021 indoor triple jump (45’ 1.5”)
· 2021 indoor high jump (6’ 0”)
· 2021 indoor 60 meter hurdles (7.99 seconds)
· 2021 outdoor triple jump (43’ 1.25”)
· 2021 outdoor high jump (6’ 2”)
· 2021 outdoor 300 meter hurdles (40.09 seconds)
· 2021 outdoor 110 meter hurdles (13.92 seconds)
Bayside Academy is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory day school for students in grades PK3–12.
