2021 champion: Bennett Ferguson (Oak Grove High School) | 17:05

Meet / course record: Bennett Ferguson (Oak Grove High School) 17:05

No. 1 seed: Bennett Ferguson (Oak Grove High School) | 16:09

Bennett Ferguson of Oak Grove is leading off the entries, and he could potentially take back-to-back wins at the Simpson Invitational.

He has had a top-notch season thus far, with his most recent performance coming from Saltillo, where he ran 16:14 for fourth place in the fastest Mississippi race this season.

Ferguson will be accompanied by his teammate Gavin Wheat who has had a phenomenal 2022 campaign in his own right. He got the better of Ferguson at Saltillo, finishing third in a new PR of 16:12.

Currently, Wheat and Ferguson's record against each other is 2-1, with Wheat ahead by one. 

Expect these two to key off as they move to the front of the pack at Neely Farms.

Also, look out for Oak Grove's 3-4 runners, Jaden Gray and Luke Skinner, who have both gone 16:40 in the 5k.

Another name to look out for is the red-hot Dallas Stricker. He had a monster performance this past weekend at the Pass Christian Invitational, going 16:27 for the 5k. Expect him to mix it up with the Oak Grove duo and be in contention for a big finish.

Lastly, look out for the Hattiesburg Forerunner, Henry Richardson, a 16:48 5K runner, who is coming off a win at the MRA Invitation and has had steady progression this season.

State Editor's Pick: Not too much to dissect on this one, as Oak Grove is the No. 1 High School Boy's Cross Country team in Mississippi.

READ NEXT: 2022 Mississippi High School Boys XC Team Rankings

Stricker is coming off of a fantastic weekend, but Ferguson and Wheat are on another level right now. We don't necessarily know what order, but Ferguson and Wheat will go 1-2, and a potential third-place finish from Stricker.