Boys 100m
The fastest middle schooler in Mississippi in the 100m dash is Ayden Johnson of Clinton. He clocked an 11.14 at the Junior Arrow Invitational #2 this week. Johnson opened his season with an 11.98 in February, and he has already worked that mark down into the low 11s.
Right behind him is Treyvun Tart of Gautier, the second-fastest eighth grader in the state. Tart opened his season with an 11.25 this week, showing major improvement from last year. As a seventh grader, he raced just twice and finished the season with a best of 12.01. Now, he is well under 12 seconds and closing in on sub-11 territory.
Leading the seventh-grade ranks is Zandon Perkins of Clinton. At the Junior Titan Invitational, he ran 11.40. As a sixth grader, Perkins spent most of the season hovering in the high 11s. This year, he has consistently been in the mid-11 range, showing both improvement and consistency. He is one of the few middle school athletes in Mississippi to break 11.50, and he is the only seventh grader in the state to have gone under that mark.
Another standout seventh grader is Nate Cozart of Sumrall, who ranks second among seventh graders and has also dipped under 11.50. Cozart ran 11.47 at the PCS3 meet in just the second meet of his career. Through two meets, he has already posted two mid-11 performances.
Girls 100m
The fastest middle school girl in Mississippi in the 100m dash is currently Ah'Leah Green of Northwest. She ran 12.51 at the JPS Middle School Championships, where she also posted the state-leading middle school time in the 200m. The eighth grader is already atop multiple leaderboards and looks like an athlete to watch once she reaches the high school level.
Close behind her is Trinity Herron of Oxford, who has run 12.60. That time is nearly two seconds faster than her best from last year, a huge jump that shows just how quickly she is developing.
Rounding out the top three is Kourtney Papania of George County, who ran 12.64 just days ago in only her second time ever competing in the 100m dash. While this may be her first season focusing on the open 100m, she has already shown her speed in the 100m hurdles, where her personal best of 15.26 currently leads the state among middle schoolers.
Boys 200m
Leading the way in the 200m is a familiar name: Ayden Johnson of Clinton. At the same meet where he ran the state-leading time in the 100m, he also posted a 23.25 in the 200m. That performance makes him the top middle schooler in Mississippi in both sprint events. With early leads in both races, Johnson is already establishing himself as one of the state's top young sprinters.
Once again, Treyvun Tart of Gautier is right behind Johnson. Tart ran 23.53 at the same meet where he delivered his impressive 100m performance, making him the second-fastest middle schooler in the state in the 200m as well. With plenty of season still left, he will have more chances to keep lowering that mark.
The top seventh grader in the state is Michael Hodges of Pillow Academy, who ran 23.63 at the Jackson Prep Invitational. This is his first season competing, and his progress has been impressive. In just one month, he has improved from 25.23 to 24.35 to 23.63. If that trend continues, he could be one of the biggest risers in the state by the end of the season.
Girls 200m
At the top of the rankings is, once again, Ah'Leah Green of Northwest Jackson. She ran 26.12 at the JPS Middle School Championships, marking her second sub-27 performance of the season. Last year, she was just under 30 seconds, and this season she has already dropped roughly three seconds from that mark.
Sitting second is Allison Oliver of DeSoto Central, who has also broken 27 seconds. Oliver ran 26.63 at the Mid-South Relays, dipping under 27 for the first time and moving into the No. 2 spot in the state.
Then come four seventh graders packed closely together in the 27-second range: Paris Fortenberry of Clinton, Cheney Hodges of Pillow Academy, Joi Gardner of Senatobia, and Kynslee Bradley of George County. For several of these athletes, this is their first season competing, yet they have already established themselves among the top middle school sprinters in Mississippi.