High School Boys

William Fugate, Madison St. Joseph

2021 Champion: Will Triplett (Madison Ridgeland Academy) | 17:12

Meet Record: Chase Rose (Oxford High School) | 16:40

Course Record: Christian Balcer (East Central High School) | 15:15

No. 1 seed: William Fugate (Madison St. Joseph) | 16:00

The Rundown:

Madison St. Joseph's William Fugate is the clear favorite when heading into the 2022 MRA Invitational. 

So far this season, Fugate had an impressive eighth-place finish at the 2022 City Auto Memphis Twilight XC Classic, finishing in a 16:15 for 5K. 

READ NEXT: Meet recap - 2022 City Auto Memphis Twilight XC Classic (podcast)

Following Memphis, Fugate had a dominant first-place finish at the 2022 Benton Academy Invitational. 

A top runner in not only the MAIS but the entire state of Mississippi, Fugate has a clear pathway to add another win to his resume this cross-country season. 

Some other notable entries include Sam Johnson and Jeb Hamilton of the Tupelo Spartans.

Johnson had an impressive PR of 17:32, taking nearly a minute off his previous best time, and Hamilton is a 4:43 miler.

In addition to the Spartan duo, look out for the talented freshman Henry Richardson of the Hattiesburg Forerunners, who boasts a PR of 16:48 and is in the hunt for a high finish on Monday. 

Henry Richardson, Hattiesburg Forerunners

State Editor's pick: While this is a strong MAIS/Homeschool field, we simply can't bet against William Fugate. He is one of the most consistent performers in the state, and his elite endurance on the grass should add another win to his MileSplit profile. We're expecting a win by at least 20 seconds, as well as a meet record on Monday at the 2022 MRA Invitational. Henry Richardson is our pick for second place.