Sprints
The best race of the weekend is the girls 60 meter hurdles (10:50 AM prelims/4:35 PM finals Saturday), featuring Alexis Duncan, Tara Davis, and Tonea Marshall. It's the season debut for all three. Duncan is a World Youth finalist in the 100 meter hurdles, while Marshall was second at New Balance Outdoors last year. Below are their hometowns and career bests in the event.
Duncan 8.35 (SR/DeSoto, TX)
Marshall 8.39 (SR/Arlington Seguin, TX)
Davis 8.70 (JR/Agoura, CA)
The US leader is Anna Cockrell at 8.29, and only two girls have gone sub-8.50 this year, so this list will likely shake up the national picture.
There are four more huge sprint names making their season debuts in College Station this weekend. Three of them competed at this meet last year, and all turned in performances last year that should temper your expectations for this year. (That's pretty normal for elite sprinters, who want to be at their sharpest in the summer.)
These first three athletes are all from Texas.
Keshun Reed is entered in the 400 (5:00 PM Friday prelims/Saturday 4:40 PM final) and the 60 meters (Sat. 11:45 AM prelims/4:55 PM Sat. final) this weekend. Though the senior from Arlington Martin went on to run 45.75 in the outdoor 400 last year, this was his only indoor meet last year. He went 51.17 in the 400 and 22.36 in the 200, finishing outside of the top seven in both events.
Like Reed, Shamon Ehiemua was the best athlete in Texas in his event in 2015 and used this meet as a rustbuster. Ehiemua--a junior from Fort Bend Marshall--ran 22.47 and took 15th here last year; he was 5-0 in 200s the rest of the season, culminating in his 20.89 win and #1 time at the Texas state meet. He's entered in the 200 (Friday 7:50 PM prelims/Saturday 5:05 PM final) this weekend.
Isaiah Lucas finished his 2015 season with a World Youth title in the 100 hurdles, and he started it with an 11th place finish in the 60 meter hurdles here. The senior from Cypress Falls is entered in the 60H (Sat. 11:10 AM prelims/Sat. 4:30 PM finals) again this year. He has an 8.00 personal best in the event. That time has only been bettered by two boys in the country this season.
The top Floridian in the sprints, Symone Mason, is making her earliest season debut ever. Last year, she started her season with a 58.62 indoor two-lapper and worked her way down to 52.80 outdoors. (She was also the New Balance Outdoor runner-up). This year, she's coming to College Station for her second ever indoor 400. The prelims are slated to begin at 6:25 on Friday evening, and the three-section final is scheduled for 4:45 on Saturday.