JESSE OWENS CLASSIC
We kick off this preview with the Jesse Owens Classic. Three of the top teams in Mississippi will be demonstrating what the state has to offer this weekend in Oakville, Alabama. Big names that will be competing here are Brookhaven High School and Hernando.
The boys' race has much to offer with what looks like a fair amount of the best talent in the south region. There are countless runners that have run below 16-minutes for 5k and could be a breakthrough meet that the Panther's top talents need for a breakthrough race. The boys will be competing in the gold division, the most elite division, which speaks the truth about how strong Brookhaven's team is this year.
Note from the State Editor: Just to go on how elite that gold division is, Grayson Childress is the #12 seed with his 15:40, and Sam Arnold is #23 with his 15:59. This weekend will be Brookhaven's toughest test yet, as for the first time this season, they will not be the #1 seed going in - the same goes for the duo of Childress and Arnold. However, they deserve to be in the gold division. Pack running will be their best friend in this race, and Childress/Arnold along with Jake Thompson/Trey Knott/Collin Kellum will need to stick together through the crowd tomorrow.
We also have the Oxford boys taking on the silver division, where their top 3 of Luke Johnson, Ethan Knight, and Matthew Singletary all have the chance to place inside the top 5. Johnson is the #1 seed by 25 seconds.
Note from the State Editor: It's a shame that Johnson and his teammates could not get in the gold race, as they definitely deserve to be in that level of competition. However, it does give them a chance to simply 'go after it' in a low-pressure situation. Sometimes, those situations are when your breakthrough performances can come out.
On the girls' side, Hernando takes the spotlight in the silver division. Jessica Cartwright will be able to challenge herself against other girls that have broken 19 minutes for the 5k, as well as Riley Jackson. Jackson will have more opportunities to find other runners to carry her times into the low 19's and Cartwright might be able to break the envied 19-minute barrier.
Note from the State Editor: Cartwright has stepped up the occasion in her last couple of big meets and is gaining a lot of momentum in the second half of her season. Cartwright and Jackson also find themselves in a situation in which they will potentially not get stuck in a crowd and more towards the front in their race. With that being said, hopefully, these girls are willing to take risks and go for it tomorrow, as races like these do not come often.
And finally, last but certainly not least, we have the #1 girl in the state of Mississippi, Brooklyn Biancamano going for it in the Gold Division.
Note from the State Editor: There are some really fast girls in this one tomorrow and the best thing Biancamano can do is to simply get out there and compete. This race will obviously be a slightly different atmosphere, with the crowd, course, and competition, but that does not mean she needs to change the way she races. She could definitely finish top 10 in this race tomorrow, and that is nothing to shrug your shoulders at. All in all, it will be exciting to see what this talent can do with some competition pushing along with her.