The Top 10 Athletes To Watch At The Jesuit Sheaner Relays


Bailey Lear

School: Frisco Heritage (TX)

Year: Senior

Event: 400m

The Skinny: We could see an incredibly special race from Lear on Saturday. The University of Southern California signee could potentially go after the Texas state record of 51.96 seconds, which would put her firmly in control of the top effort in the country of the spring thus far. But Lear definitely will have to prove herself. After a light open at the DeSoto Nike Invitational, where she produced a 200m time of 24.71 seconds, followed by a race in the 400m at the Lancaster Meet of Champions on March 9, where she went 55.17 seconds, Lear has some ground to make up if she even wants to be in the picture. Lear's top time over the indoor season was 53.20 seconds and her best returning time from last outdoor season is 53.02. The US No. 1 time right now is 52.82 seconds, owned by Oakland Park Northeast (FL) High's Jan-Taijah Ford. 

- - - 


Kelcie Simmons 

School: Leonard (TX)

Year: Senior

Event: 100m, 200m

The Skinny: Kelcie, along with her sister, Natalie, should make a big impact at the Sheaner Relays. The Duke signee enters as the third overall seed in the 100m (11.92) and the second seed in the 200m (23.84). It's no secret the sprints at the JS Relays are among the most competitive before postseason efforts, so expect for Simmons to make a run at her personal all conditions outdoor personal best of 11.50 seconds, or her wind-legal 11.68 second time in the 100m. She'll be debuting in the 200m on Saturday and potentially could hope to drop her fastest time since 2016, when she went a wind-legal 23.84 (+1.4) seconds in the 200m at the USATF Southwestern Jr. Olympic Championships. 

- - - 


Jasmine Moore

School: Mansfield Lake Ridge (TX)

Year: Junior

Event: Triple Jump, Long Jump

The Skinny: What's sort of scary is that we no longer have to worry about Moore in just the triple jump. The Mansfield Lake Ridge (TX) High junior is quickly becoming one of the top dual-jumpers in the nation. She's already clipped off an all-conditions best of 20-5 at the Mansfield Legacy Bronco Relays. But Moore will be making her outdoor debut in the triple jump, where she owns a wind-legal sophomore class record in 43-7.25 (+0.9). Moore went 20-5.25 in the long jump over the indoor season, finishing third at nationals, and set a junior class record in the triple jump, earning her second straight national title in 42-11.75. Don't miss Moore pop off another big jump at Sheaner. 

- - - 


JaEra Griffin

School: DeSoto (TX)

Year: Freshman

Event: 100m, 4x100

The Skinny: The Eagles have another potential superstar on their hands with Griffin. The freshman is waiting for a wind-legal mark to throw down in the 100m, where she's already popped off an all conditions 11.73 effort, which would put her in the top 5 nationally. As an 8th grader in 2017, Griffin earned a wind-legal mark of 11.94 (+1.0) seconds in the 100m. But this season could be the beginning of something special out of the sprinter, who will contribute to the team's state championship contending 4x100 relay -- and potentially the 4x200 as well.  

- - - 


Bryannia Murphy

School: DeSoto (TX)

Year: Junior

Event: 400m

The Skinny: For every underclassman you need a leader. And Murphy is among the leaders with DeSoto, a perennial state championship-contending team in the highest classification in Texas. At Sheaner, Murphy will focus on improving on her 400m run, which will see her match up with Lear. But right now, Murphy has the inside track with her US No. 4 best of 54.65 from the TSU Relays. Murphy likely has much more pushing her, and that's likely to go under 54 seconds following her career-best 54.02 outing from last season at districts. If Lear does, in fact, go after a state record, expect Murphy to dip below that mark to earn her career-best mark, too.