Peter Dorrell (VA) a favorite in the mile at the Montgomery Inv.
(Photo by John Herzog)
The South finally jumps into the indoor action this weekend as the Arkansas H.S. Inv. hosts some top talent from Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas. On the east coast, the Molloy Stanner Games have a handful of showcase distance events, while the Dartmouth Relays, Montgomery Inv. and CNU Showcase bring together the best of a numerous states. See what's in store this weekend.
National Weekend Preview
Arkansas High School Invitational (AR)
Arkansas H.S. Invitational Meet Page
The University of Arkansas has perhaps the best track facility in the entire country. Year after year the NCAA holds their DI Indoor National Track and Field Championships there, and most of the top sprint schools in the nation try to get a chance to blaze on the track before the national meet. This year the Arkansas High School Invitational showcases some of the top talent in the land at the prep level, especially on the girl's side. A handful of the top sprinters, field event and relay standouts will be participating in the 2008 edition of the event.
The girl's sprint event steal the show this year. Nationally ranked Victoria Jordan (TX), Ashley Collier (TX), Alishea Usery (MO) and Shakeia Pinnick (IL) square off in a variety of events. Jordan and Collier, teammates at Dunbar H.S., square off in the 60m dash, while Jordan, Collier and Usery are all scheduled to meet in the 200m dash. Down the line, Usery and Pinnick are both entered in the 400m dash. All four athletes were ranked in the top fifteen in at least one sprint event in 2007, except for Pinnick, who finished seventh however at USATF Junior Nationals in the heptathlon.
In the girl's field events, a star-studded Texas contingent, led by U.S. #1 Shade Weygandt, compete in the girls pole vault, that should be one of the highlight events of the day. Weygandt, and fellow Lone Star participants Stephanie Foreman and Staci Yahn, should each challenge the 13 foot barrier and Weygandt will be trying to improve on her 13-07 effort at the Reno Pole Vault Summit last weekend.
Brittany Borman (MO) enters as the favorite in the shot put while returning as one of the top putters in the nation from 2007. Also, the various sprint relay events should be quite interesting as Texas sprint powers Jenks, DeSoto, Dunbar and Skyline are all entered in the various sprint relays.
The boy's side is not nearly as stacked with individual talent, however three athletes stick out from their 2007 results. Jack Whitt (OK) has been on a tear in the pole vault this year so far. His 16-06 ranks him in the top five nationally presently, as he looks to improve upon that mark. Richard McCoy (KS) and Geoffrey Tabor (OK) enter as two of the national favorites in their respective events. McCoy is one of the top long jumpers in the land, while Tabor is one of the top shot putters. It should make for one heck of a field event day in Fayetteville.
Dartmouth Relays (NH)
A half dozen states will converge on Dartmouth College this weekend to participate at the Dartmouth Relays. Loaded fields across the board should provide some excellent results Saturday. The girls mile should provide the highlight event of the day. Distance stars Sam Roecker (NY), Georgia Griffin (NH), Jeanne Mack (RI), Mary Kate Champagne (NY) and Caitlin Lane (NY) lead the strong field. All five of these young women can break the five minute barrier, so expect the times to be very fast in this event.
In the field events, three highly ranked athletes will take to their respective events. In the girls shot put, US #2 Becky O'Brien (ME) leads the way, hoping to push the magical 50 foot barrier she is less than two feet away from already this season. Triple jump US #1 Steve Crouse (NY) is entered in both the long jump and triple jump, as well as the 55m hurdles. Crouse's busy day many not push him towards another massive triple jump mark, but his consistency this year should carry him to victory. Jim Schwendtner (NY) is also ranked in the top three nationally in his event of the weight throw. Schwendtner will face solid competition in the event, and will need to stay on his game if he hopes to win.
While six states take advantage of such an organized event, a few Canadians are entered in the event as well, mostly athletes from Quebec. Olivier Paquet and Gabriel El Hanbli are entered as either the first or second seed in their respective events. Paquet is the number two seed in the 400m dash, while El Hanbli is the top seed in the 600m dash. El Hanbli was a World Junior T&F Championships competitor for Canada in the 400m dash last year. Antonio Reynolds (FL) is entered in both the 400m and 600m, and is ranked top two in each event. It will be interesting to see which event he decides to run.
CNU Showcase (VA)
Preview by MileStat.com's Brandon Miles
The Eastern Region will be coming out in full force for this weekend's CNU Showcase in Newport News. Many of the state's top teams will be testing to see where they are at with less than two months before the indoor state championships in George Mason. Virtually all of the top girls teams will be at the Freeman Center including the Landstown girls, who had some of the state's fastest sprint relays last winter and spring. Northern Region powerhouse Lake Braddock and defending AAA state indoor champion Midlothian girls will also be bringing their "A" teams into Newport News. Landstown is not the lone great team out of the Eastern Region though as Booker T. Washington, Grassfield, and Western Branch girls will have relays and athletes making noise at CNU.
The fast sections of the girls 1000, boys 300, and girls 4x400 are clearly the featured events on Saturday at CNU. Here are the names why...
Girls 1000: Paige Johnston, Tasia Potasinski, Kerry Hartman, Brittany Sevachko
Boys 300: Curtis Campbell, Daniel Nix, Keith Ricks, Taylor Sykes
Girls 4x400: Landstown, Grassfield, Booker T. Washington, Bethel
There will be several meet and high school facility records expected to go down this weekend as there were actually be three current facility record holders in the building back to improve upon their Freeman Center records including Oscar Smith's Frede Spellman in the shot put and the Bethel boys' 4x400 meter relay.
Molloy Stanner Games (NY)
Molloy Stanner Games Meet Page
Distance events reign supreme at the Molloy Stanner Games. The boys and girls elite miles are the yearly showcase event, and this year's version should prove equally as exciting as year's past.
The girl's mile pits two in-state rivals in New York's Shelby Greany and Hannah Davidson. The athletes ran well all fall, as both Greany and Davidson are Foot Locker National qualifiers. On the track both are standouts and this mile could very well produce the top time in the nation this year.
The boy's mile originally had perhaps the best field of the year thus far, but as of right now the field is a bit more uncertain, with certain rumors floating around that frontrunners Brandon Jarrett (NJ), Kyle Merber (NY) and Brad Ackerman (NY) will not be participating. Regardless, this field is loaded with talent, especially from the state of Connecticut. Foot Locker finalist Andrew Judd and NTN participants Willie Ahearn and Matt Terry will represent their state well.
Montgomery Invitational (MD)
Montgomery Invitational Meet Page
Preview by MileStat.com's Brandon Miles
The invite mile race at Saturday's Montgomery Invitational in Landover, Maryland is not an automatic qualifier for the Millrose Games high school mile. But when a total of six sub 4:20 milers get together, the winning performance is bound to have at least one runner Madison Square Garden-bound. Click Here for Entire Preview
LSU H.S. Indoor Classic (LA)
LSU H.S. Indoor Classic Meet Page
Generally the LSU H.S. Indoor Classic hosts a variety of top sprinters in the nation each winter. While the talent does not seem as deep as year's past, some good individuals and relays will participate in Baton Rouge, and fans can expect some very fast results. Top sprinters from Texas and Louisiana are participating.
William Wynne (GA) leads the strong sprint competition, as the talented senior is entered in the 55m hurdles. Wynne is one of the top returning hurdlers from 2007. Erica Alexander (TX) leads the girls field, returning as one of the top sprinters in the land in 2008. Alexander is entered in the 55m dash and 400m dash.
Peter Dorrell (VA) a favorite in the mile at the Montgomery Inv.
(Photo by John Herzog)