Gold Girls 5K
*Brookelyn Morgan and Ella Rankin finishing the 2021 Watson Cross Country Classic
2021 champion: Ella Chesnut | 18:32
Top Mississippi finisher: Brookelyn Morgan | 19:00
Course record holder: Brooklyn Biancamano | 18:03
No. 1 seed: Lindsey Baxter | 18:33
The Rundown:
Simply put, the Varsity Girls Gold 5K race is a very complex puzzle to solve.
Four of the seven new All-Milesplit Mississippi XC High School girls are in this race to prove why they are the best of the best in Mississippi. We could see the potential for many different winners depending on how race day plays out with pacing and managing the pressure. Let's discuss the case for each possible winner.
For starters, Brookelyn Morgan has an impressive resume this year. She is the only Mississippi High School girl that has not taken another loss to another Mississippian. The Tupelo sophomore is gritty and a savvy racer who knows how to handle herself around others who can keep pace with her. Morgan has also proven herself at bigger meets like the 2022 Jesse Owens Classic.
However, a multitude of Mississippi elites will stand in Morgan's way on Saturday.
Lilly Overby is definitely one to keep an eye out for. The All-MileSplit Mississippi XC No. 2 has one of the state's most aggressive second and third miles.
*Lilly Overby, Simpson Academy
On paper, she is the fastest Mississippian, with a PR of 18:55 in the 5K. If she puts herself in a good position leading up to the hill that goes to the 4K mark, there is a solid chance that Overby could be the 2022 Watson Cross County Classic Champion.
We also can't forget about Hartfield Academy's Ella Rankin. The All-MileSplit XC No. 3, Rankin went 19:01 just behind Morgan at the 2021 Watson High School Cross Country Classic. The 2021 MAIS 6A Cross Country Champion is always a force to be reckoned with and will surely be in the mix with one mile to go.
*Ella Rankin, Hartfield Academy
Two more All-MileSplit Mississippi XC team members, Layla Warren and Leah Collipp will be wildcards in the front pack. They have a lot of momentum going for them right now with their most recent performances at the 2022 Frank Horton Night Classic. They both ran lifetime bests in the 5K at this meet and raced with some substantial competition. At another large meet like the 2022 Watson Cross Country Classic, the two runners may be able to navigate the field and find themselves in a position to chase a PR.
There will also be some pressure from out-of-state runners, ranging from Louisiana, Arkansas, and Alabama. Those entries include Jenna Key, Lindsey Baxter, Morgan Trauth, Hannah Vaughan, Grace Rennhoff, Elise Brown, Brynn Kelso, and Emma Bourg.
Some other honorable mentions in the field that reside in Mississippi include Jessica Cartwright, Kaitlyn Burge, Riley Jackson, and Audrey Mayatte.
State Editor's Pick: This is easily the most high-caliber field that Mississippi has assembled thus far and is undoubtedly tough to call.
Morgan versus the best girls that MAIS Large School is a matchup that will be very exciting to see and could be especially exciting once you throw in talents such as Jessica Cartwright, Kaitlyn Burge, and Anna Caroline Crouch.
Brookelyn Morgan and Layla Warren are some of the most aggressive front-runners in Mississippi, while Lilly Overby and Ella Rankin are some of the most aggressive closers. As for Leah Collipp, she will always stick her nose in it and put herself in a good position. All of that, combined with the likes of Jenna Key, Morgan Trauth, and Lindsey Baxter, make for an entertaining Gold Varsity Girls 5K.
Morgan and Rankin were the top two Mississippi finishers from last year. Overby is the only Mississippi girl that has broken 19 minutes in the 5K this year, and Cartwright is the only returning Mississippi girl that did it last year.
Many factors go into who will win or who will be the top Mississippi finisher in the Gold Varsity Girls 5K on Saturday. However, if we're going off of a hunch, we really like the momentum that Lilly Overby has created for herself in her last few races. If she does what she has been doing all year, putting herself in a position to close, then we don't know if anyone can hang with her.
We could also potentially see a bounce-back performance from Cartwright.
However, do not think we are counting out the other athletes that were mentioned above - We know that this is potentially anyone's race, and we can't wait to see how it all plays out in the end.
Gold Boys 5K
*Gabe McElwain and William Fugate finishing the 2021 Watson Cross Country Classic
2021 champion: Keegan Leverett | 15:37
Course record holder: Christian Balcer | 15:15
No. 1 seed: Gabe McElwain | 15:30
The Rundown:
The Varsity Boys gold division 5k is perhaps the deepest field of Mississippi High School cross country runners ever assembled. With seven runners having broken 16 minutes in the 5k this season, something special is bound to happen in the gold division.
The newly named All-Milesplit No.1, Gabe McElwain, holds the fastest seed time of 15:30 from the 2022 Jesse Owens Classic. In his most recent performance, he threw down a 15:43 to win the 2022 Pontotoc Invitational. The Walnut senior has five wins in total in 2022, and has only lost to one other person from Mississippi this season.
However, he will be accompanied by Mississippi's best. The duo from Tupelo, Jaheim Bridges and Taylor Brown are perhaps the most consistent performers in the state.
*Jaheim Bridges and Taylor Brown going 1-2 at the 2022 Tupelo Invitational
Photo credits: Chris Bell, Milesplit Mississippi
Bridges and Brown have gone 15:35 and 15:38, respectively, and are ranked as the All-Milesplit No. 2 and No. 3. They have mastered the art of racing as an elite duo and will be a force to be reckoned with.
An athlete who has popped onto the map as one of the best in the state is Pearl's Jaquavion Bryant. Coming off of back-to-back sub-16 5k performances, Bryant has proven he can race with just about anyone in the state. Most recently, he took the victory in the Jesse Owens Classic silver division, running a big-time personal best of 15:40 after a win at the 2022 Clinton Arrow Cross Country Invitational.
*JaQuavion Bryant, Pearl High School
In addition to these names, Sidney Stegall will surely be in the mix. Ranked as the All-Milesplit No. 4, The Heritage Academy senior has two sub-16 5k performances. Aside from Gabe McElwain, Stegall is the only other runner to have beaten Jaheim Bridges and Taylor Brown, doing so at the 2022 Southern Showcase in a PR of 15:44.
Madison St. Joseph's William Fugate is another MAIS star to look out for. He has amassed three wins this season, and he recently took the win at the 2022 Clinton Arrow Cross Country Invitational on the way to his first sub-16 performance and PR of 15:59.
Some honorable mentions in this elite Mississippi field include Pearl's Farren Oberto, Saltillo's Parker Shannon, Oak Grove's Bennett Ferguson and Gavin Wheat, Falkner's Chandler Ray, Starkville's Giles Jones, and Hernando's Graham Weiss.
State Editor's Pick: The only thing we can say with full confidence about this race is that this may be the most elite Mississippi field ever assembled. To be frank, this race can play out in various ways and may be too challenging for Milesplit Mississippi to nail on the head.
That said, it's hard not to call Gabe McElwain, the recent All-Milesplit MS XC No. 1, the favorite to take Watson. His most recent two performances have been remarkable, and it's safe to say he is on a high heading into the 2022 Watson High School Classic.
McElwain, combined with the consistency of Bridges and Brown, the tenacity of Jaquavion Bryant, the track speed of Sidney Stegall, and the mental toughness of William Fugate, will undoubtedly make for a thrilling race.
There are definitely going to be some that surprise us. However, we're going to go out on a limb and say we would be stunned if the winner didn't come from one of the runners mentioned above.
Milesplit Mississippi is obviously a group that takes statistical analysis very seriously, and McElwain has the highest percentage of taking the win.