Weekend Preview: August 27, 2022

Brooks High School Tennessee River Classic

Jaheim Bridges and Taylor Brown, Tupelo High School

High School Boys

Defending champion: Trey Hurt (Florence High School) | 16:28

Meet record holder: Blaise Binns (Grissom HS) | 15:44

Course record holder: Blaise Binns (Grissom HS) | 15:44

No. 1 seed: Jaheim Bridges (Tupelo High School) | 15:50

The rundown:

Two of the best distance runners in Mississippi will officially be making their 2022 cross country debut at the 2022 Brooks High School Tennessee River Classic. 

That's right - We're talking about Tupelo High's Jaheim Bridges and Taylor Brown

Going into the 2022 season, Bridges is the top returning athlete in Mississippi and also leads the state in the All-Milesplit XC rankings.

RETURNER RANKINGS: 2022 Mississippi High School Boys XC 5K

He is the highest seed going into the meet, according to the entry lists, and will look to start off his season in dominating fashion

Joining Bridges is his Tupelo teammate and sophomore sensation, Taylor Brown.

Currently ranked 3rd in the All-Milesplit XC rankings, look out for Brown and Bridges to key off each other and be the up-front leaders come Saturday.

READ NEXT: High School Boys Preseason All-MileSplit Mississippi XC No. 3

Another Mississippi standout to keep an eye on is Corinth's Parker Legoff. A runner-up at the 2021 MHSAA 4A Cross Country Championships, he could be a significant presence at the Tennessee River Classic on Saturday. 

RESULTS: 2021 MHSAA 4A Cross Country Championships

Lastly, a name that we absolutely have to point out is the younger of the two Browns, one of the best middle schoolers in Mississippi history, Andrew Brown

ALL-TIME RANKINGS: Mississippi 7th-grade boys 5K Rankings

After an outstanding seventh-grade year both during cross country and on the track, which included a 4:41 converted 1600m, expect Andrew to have an explosive campaign on the grass this fall.

Here is our pick: The big question is can Bridges and Brown go 1-2 on Saturday? Another bold call would be to say that Bridges, Brown, Legoff, and Andrew can all place inside of the top 10? 

We think that both can definitely happen, but that the latter statement has a better chance of happening. However, we think there is a 100% chance that they can place inside of the top three. 

What do you think?



High School Girls

Defending champion: Savannah Williams (Lawrence County HS) | 19:27

Meet record holder: Mary Claire Ridgeway (Florence High School) | 18:20

Course record holder: Mary Claire Ridgeway (Florence High School) | 18:20

No. 1 seed: Ava Mcintosh (Huntsville HS) | 18:32

The rundown:

Another very talented duo from Tupelo High making their 2022 cross country season debut is Brookelyn Morgan and Sophie Santucci

This is a duo that we are very excited to finally toe the line together. 

For starters, Morgan is coming off of a phenomenal freshman season, which includes defending her state title in the 3200m and finishing as the top Mississippi at the 2021 Watson High School, running 19:00 for 5K. 


RESULTS: 2021 Watson High School Meet

Morgan is going into the 2022 cross country season ranked as the All-Milesplit XC No. 3. Look out for her to challenge some of the top Alabama talents on the grass. 

Last year at this meet, Morgan ran 19:47 to finish second overall. 

RESULTS: 2021 Brooks High School XC Classic

Another stud from the Tupelo area, now competing for Tupelo High School, is Sophie Santucci. She only raced twice last year, but there is no doubt that she will shake up MHSAA 6A this season. Expect Santucci to be a crucial point scorer for the Lady Golden Wave this season.

Lastly, keep an eye out for the Corinth High senior, Emma Hall and Tupelo freshman Abbey Sanders. Hall had a top-five finish at the 2021 MHSAA 4A Cross Country championships, and Sanders is coming off of a state championship berth at the 2022 MHSAA 6A Track and Field Championships, qualifying in the 3200m. Both will look to carry their momentum in the 2022 cross country season. 

Here is our pick: We think it would be a very impressive outing for the Tupelo pair to both finish inside of the top five. According to the entry list, Morgan is seeded No. 5 and Santucci No. 9 heading into the 2022 Tennessee River Classic. It's a bold call, but we think they can pull it off, and we definitely think they can at least beat their seed position.