“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” That’s what the New International Version of Proverbs 27:17 reads. I usually prefer the NIV version, but for this instance, I prefer the King James Version, “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” And as you can see from the image below, Jordan Coleman and Dijon Stanley are friends who are most certainly sharpening each other’s countenance. And they make each other better.

They ran two races against each other yesterday, trading spots in first place in the 100M and 200M invitational heats at the 2023 Simi Valley Invitational. Jordan edged out Dijon in the 100M in a photo finish (first image above) 10.601 to 10.602. Dijon took over at the 100M mark in the 200M and won running away in 20.97 with Jordan at 21.25. Both times broke the previous meet record.

I’ve known both of these young men for a long time; Jordan since the day he was born and Dijon (Doodie) since he was running with my sons at Valley United on their way to USATF Junior Olympic National Championships. They both possess obviously exceptional athletic skills, but they are both exceptional young men as well. It was a real joy to watch them both race yesterday, along with numerous other kids I’ve been watching since they were in elementary school. Jordan and Dijon are just two of many reasons why I donate all profits from my photo sales to youth track and field programs. Congrats to both of them on their performances yesterday. I can’t wait to see more!