MileSplit MS The Weekend Ahead, Edition No. 4 (part 2)

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Mississippi Track and Field has been full throttel this season, so much so that we had to split The Weekend Ahead into two parts.

Nonetheless, MileSplit Mississippi is here to bring you all the thrilling action, and in anticipation of the weekend ahead, we've compiled one-sentence previews to keep you informed and excited about the must-watch events and standout athletes.


Battle of the Crossroads hosted by Corinth HS

  • HS Boys 1600m: Features Corinth's 4:36 miler Ross Evans a MHSAA 4A distance standout who placed runner-up at the 2022 MHSAA 4A Cross Country Championships.

  • HS Boys 800m: Evans will double back and go for the double win with teammate Parker Legoff.

  • HS Boys Long Jump: JaThan Hatch, a 24-0 long jumper from Biggersville High School, is primed to continue his undefeated season. Hatch is currently ranked Mississippi No. 1 and US. No. 6 in the event. 

  • HS Girls 1600m: Elsie Wilbanks from Corinth High School, a 5:43 miler and 2022 MHSAA 4A Cross Country runner-up, is well positioned for her second 1600m win of the season.


Desoto County Track and Field Championships hosted by Desoto HS

  • HS Boys 1600m: Features two sub-4:40 milers; 4:30 miler Gavin Brown and 4:36 miler Kaleb Tackett, as well as Hernando's Graham Weiss

  • HS Boys Triple Jump: Center Hill senior Kielon Jones, the current Mississippi No. 3 in the Triple Jump, is poised to add another victory to his outdoor campaign.

  • HS Girls 1600m: Hernando's Kaitlyn Burge, currently the fastest female miler in Mississippi, will take on the HS Girls 1600m with fellow Tiger Riley Jackson, the reigning MHSAA 6A runner-up in the 3200m. 

  • HS Girls 800m: Burge and Jackson will double back to compete with their teammate, Jessica Cartwright, a 2:21 half-miler and 3 x MHSAA 6A state champion. 


Winona High School Invitational hosted Winona HS

  • HS Boys 400m: Leake Central sophomore Caleb Wilder is prepped to challenge for the victory in the 400m and improve upon his 50.42 from the 2022 MHSAA 4A State Championships, which earned him 3rd place. 

  • HS Boys High Jump: Kelton Jones, a 6-3 high jumper from Grenada High School, is set to show down against Terrence Marco, a 6-2 high jumper from Charleston High School. 

  • HS Girls 1600m and 3200m: Lucy Littlejohn, a 4 x MHSAA 1A State Champion, is set to double the 1600m and 3200m, where she holds respective personal records of 5:35 and 12:09.  

  • HS Girls Discus: Gabrielle Burt, a returning MHSAA 4A top 5 discus thrower, is set to be positioned for another event victory this season. 

  • HS Girls Long Jump: Kosciusko senior Raven Pernell, a 17-6 long jumper, will look to crack into the state top 10 in the event.


Bianca Knight Invitational hosted Clinton HS

  • HS Boys 100, 200m: State leader in HS Boys 100m dash, Omari Hampton is set to square off for the 100m and 200m double. He will have the likes of Kendarius Wade of Callaway HS to contend with in the 100m, along with Cooper Rogers of Raymond HS in both events.

  • HS Boys 400m: State leader and Mississippi No. 7 all-time in the 400m, Cooper Rogers is looking to continue his dominant streak and improve upon his 47.61 from the 2023 McComb Invitational.

  • HS Boys 800m, 1600m: Two sub-2 athletes this season, Clinton's Miguel Bankston and Raymond's Tavon Davis are set to match up against each other and challenge for a win and potentially a top Mississippi mark. 

  • HS Boys 110mH, 300mH: State leader in the 110mH, Jamari Page is set to toe the line in the 110mH and 300mH. Rkhyzon Cleveland of Callaway HS, Mississippi No. 2 in the 300mH, is a top contender in both events, alongside Javarius Molden, 2022 MHSAA 5A, runner-up in the 110mH

  • HS Boys High Jump, Long Jump: Look out for an explosive day on the jumping side as teammate's Maximus Littleton and Tyler Nichols (clinton challenge each other for the top spot in the state in both the high jump and long jump. Littleton, a USM signee, will also look to win the triple jump.  

  • HS Boys Discus: Brodie Ezell, a Brookhaven senior, is set to continue his reign of terror in the discus, and improve upon his state leading mark of 167-6 in the event. 

  • HS Boys Shot Put: Julian Winters from Madison Central, Mississippi's No. 2 currently in the shot put, will face off against Ezell in a matchup to remember. 

  • HS Girls 100m, 200m: Valencia Watson and Tacherria Lawson are poised to square off in the 100m and 200m. Mississippi No. 1 in both the 100m and 200m, Watson will be toe to toe with Lawson, Mississippi No. 2 and No. 3 in the 100m and 200m, respectively. 

  • HS Girls 400m: It will be a MHSAA vs. MSAIS showdown between Gulfport's Lania McDonald and MRA's Evie Ewing. Both girls have gone low-58, and each athlete leads their respective classification. 

  • HS Girls 800m, 1600m: Pearl High School's Katherine Neal, Mississippi No. 3 in the 800m and 1600m, and Hannah Moore,  Mississippi No. 2 in the 800m, are in contention for the 800m adn 1600m victories, alongside East Rankin's Leah Collipp and MRA's Mae Ellen Mallet

  • HS Girls Long Jump: Fans will be in for a treat as four athletes enter with personal bests above 17 feet, including the spectacular Lenasia Drummond, middle school sensation Charve Gibson, private school stud Evie Ewing, and MHSAA 6A standout Sahara Cooper

  • High School Girls Shot Put, Discus: A name we all know well, Mississippi State signee Meagan Womack is back on her home track, and is likely to continue her reign in the HS Girls throwing events at the Bianca Knight Invitational.