Entering as the defending champions with the top three seeds, the Oak Grove Warriors, currently ranked fourth in the state and led by Grayson Taylor's impressive 16:28 5K, eye another commanding victory at the Simpson Academy Invitational.

Don't count out the Forerunners! Fresh from a victory at the MRA Cross Country Invitational, the No. 6 ranked Hattiesburg Forerunners led by Henry Richardson are eager to overturn their past defeat and keep pace with the leading Oak Grove Warriors.

South Jones' Zachary Josiah Nobles, fresh off a sub-17 5K and runner-up finish at last week's MRA Cross Country Invitational, is set to challenge the pack with his burgeoning pace.

Add in 2022 MAIS 6A Cross Country Champion Jonas Cox from MRA, and we have ourselves a stacked Varsity Boys field. 

While the absence of No. 1 ranked East Rankin Academy, who opted for the Clinton Arrow Cross Country Invitational, is palpable, the Simpson Academy Invitational is primed for fiercely competitive racing. With the attendance of No. 2 ranked Columbia Academy, No. 3 Madison Ridgeland Academy, and No. 4 Simpson Academy, the event promises a showdown of the state's top girls' teams.

Highlighting the individual talents, Simpson Academy parades the formidable duo of Lilly Overby and Layla Warren, amid a field adorned with champions: Ella Rankin from Hartfield, an 18:23 5K runner and 5-time MAIS Champion; Emily Ireland from St. Andrew's, a 10-time MHSAA 3A Champion; Lucy Littlejohn from French Camp, a 5-time MHSAA 1A Champion; and Olivia Smith from Jackson Prep, a 4-time MAIS 6A Champion. This gathering epitomizes a clash of champions, where each stride on the course will echo in the looming team rankings.

Riding the wave of a significant runner-up finish at last week's MRA Cross Country Invitational, Simpson Academy enters with amplified momentum, emboldened by competing on their home turf. 

Lilly Overby enters as the defending champion, her footsteps still resonating from last year's record-breaking 18:55 victory.