MileSplit MS, The Weekend Ahead: Edition No. 2

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The Mississippi high school track and field season is heating up with some exciting action set to take place at the St. Andrew's Invitational this weekend. With some of the state's top athletes set to compete, there will be no shortage of thrilling performances to watch.

Headlining the entries are Ridgeland stars Jamari Page and Valencia Watson, both undefeated so far this season and holding the Mississippi No. 1 spots in their respective events.

Also making his outdoor season debut is Cooper Rodgers, the reigning MHSAA 4A 400m champion, who will be entered in the High School Boys 200m and 400m dash.


*Cooper Rodgers at the Mississippi Track & Field Meet of Champions

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Rodgers is coming off a Mississippi No. 1 performance of 49.09 in the indoor 400m, and could potentially give chase to the 49 second barrier. 

The meet will also feature some exciting matchups in the distance events, with William Fugate and Tavon Davis set to compete in the High School Boys 1600m, and Emily Ireland looking to defend her home turf in the long-distance events. The St. Andrew's Invitational promises to be a great showcase of Mississippi's top track and field talent, and fans can expect some impressive performances from athletes across the state.

The Forerunner Warm-up Meet is set to be a showcase of top-notch track and field talent in Mississippi this weekend. Among the headliners are Liv Jordan and Emma Kate Welford of PCS, who are expected to excel in the sprinting and hurdle events. Another highlight of the meet will be the exciting race between Homeschool standout Jeb Hamilton and MSAIS star Dallas Stricker in the High School Boys 1600m run, where both athletes are aiming to break the 4:40 barrier.

*Jeb Hamilton at the 2022 All-Mississippi Cross Country Championships

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In the High School Girls 800m run, the match-up to watch is between Rachele Chung of PCS and the dynamic duo of Briley Speights and Macy Robertson of Columbia Academy. Meanwhile, Isabella Bailey will showcase her versatility as she competes in the High School Girls 1600m run and High Jump, entering as the No. 1 seed in both events.

Fans can also look forward to the High School Boys 3200m run, where Stricker and Sam Johnson of Tupelo Spartans are both eyeing the elusive 10-minute barrier. The meet will be a great opportunity to see top Mississippi track and field athletes in action and is not to be missed.

At the upcoming South Panola Invitational, two standout 400m specialists are expected to battle it out for the top spot in their event. Caleb Wilder of Leake Central and Samyra Wright of South Panola will be looking to secure a win in their specialty event. Wright has been dominant so far this season, remaining undefeated in the 400m. Meanwhile, Wilder, a MHSAA 4A medalist, will be opening up his outdoor season and hoping to get off to a strong start.

In addition to the 400m, the South Panola Invitational will feature some other standout athletes. MHSAA 6A Shot Put qualifier Gabrielle Burt of Grenada will be opening up her season and hoping to come away with a win in both the Shot Put and Discus events.

With a talented field of competitors, the South Panola Invitational promises to be an exciting and competitive event. Fans of Mississippi High School Track and Field won't want to miss this opportunity to see some of the state's best athletes in action.

The Oxford Relays, also set to take place this weekend, will offer some of the most exciting competition in Mississippi high school track and field. The meet, which attracts top athletes from across the state, will feature a highly competitive field in the distance events, with Mississippi College signee Sidney Stegall from Heritage Academy leading the pack.

*Sidney Stegall at the 2022 RunningLane Track Championships

Stegall is the No. 1 seed in both the 1600m and 800m runs and is coming off a successful indoor season where he secured the Mississippi No. 1 ranking in the 1600m after running a 4:23.6 mile.

In the 800m run, Stegall will face off against MHSAA 6A 1600m Champion Jaheim Bridges, in what promises to be an intense competition. Both athletes have the potential to go after the Mississippi No. 1 time in the event, which adds to the excitement of this head-to-head battle.

The High School Boys 1600m is another star-studded event with Desoto Central High School's Kaleb Tackett leading the way with a time of 4:36.47. Right behind him is his teammate Gavin Brown with a time of 4:37.78. Austin Winstead from Senatobia High School is also a strong contender with a personal best of 4:44.10. Walnut High School's Gabe McElwain, the reigning MHSAA 4A Cross Country Champion and No. 1 ranked Cross Country runner in 2022, is another name to watch, as well as MHSAA 4A Cross Country Champion Lukas Dykes from Mooreville High School. Rounding out the top seeds is Bailey Kosko, a MHSAA 6A standout from Oxford High School. 

While the distance events will undoubtedly be the main attraction at the Oxford Relays, there will also be plenty of other high-caliber athletes vying for top honors.

JaBrysten Abram is potentially the best hurdler in Mississippi, and he will showcase that in the High School Boys 110mH and 300mH at the Oxford Relays.

*JaBrysten Abram, Senatobia High School

Abram is also entered in the High School Boys 100m dash, where he will try and go 1-2 with teammate Carlando Crump. Both Abram and Crump are undefeated this season. 

Brookelyn Morgan, the two-time MHSAA 6A 3200m Champion, headlines the High School Girls distance events at the Oxford Relays. She is the heavy favorite in the 3200m run, and is also the No. 1 seed in the 1600m and 800m. However, she will have to worry about some tough competition, including Hannah Sanders of Mooreville High School, who is the 2022 MHSAA 4A Cross Country Champion, Elsie Wilbanks of Corinth High School, who is the MHSAA 4A Cross Country runner-up, and Sophie Santucci of Tupelo High School, who ended this past indoor season as the No. 1 performer in the 800m and 1600m.

In the 800m, Morgan will again face off against Sanders and Santucci, as well as MHSAA 6A 800m qualifier Kaelyn Fair of Tupelo and Madison Jordan of Senatobia. 

Lastly, one final notable entry is Senatobia's Meagan Richardson, the reigning MHSAA 4A Discus Champion, who will be going after the Discus and Shot Put double. 

MileSplit Mississippi will be on-site at the Oxford Relays to bring you all the exciting action, including standout performances from Sid Stegall, Brookelyn Morgan, and other top Mississippi high school athletes. With a talented field across all events, this meet is sure to bring out some of the best competition in the state, and we can't wait to see what unfolds on the track and in the field. Be sure to follow along for all the latest updates and results from this weekend's meet!