The race between Malia Ellington (above) and Sydney Foreman in the 3200 should be one of the highlights of the day.
The Marvin Ridge Invitational has become one of the biggest early-season meets in the state, and with a favorable forecast of 76 degrees it could produce a number of state-leading performances. The meet has also become known for breakout performances, with off-the-radar athletes attracting attention for the first time. The meet is very balanced this year, with good talent in nearly every event, and therefore should also give us a good idea of which teams in the Charlotte area have the best overall strength. Performances in March may not mean much in the long run, but they can be indications of things to come, and this meet should give us a lot of information to work with. NCRunners will be on-site all day, so keep up with the great performances via Twitter, and check back for photos and results later on in the weekend!
Girls Preview
Distance
This will be the first big meet for both Ardrey Kell and Providence, two girls' teams loaded with state-level talent. Throw in Hardin Valley (TN), which also has strong distance runners, and you could see a great battle in the very first event, the 4x800. Individually, this is the meet where Malia Ellington (Community School of Davidson) first turned everyone's head last year, and she will be the favorite in the 1600. Teammates Hannah Feiten and Emma Mashburn (Hardin Valley TN) are both strong runners, and they could provide a push for Ellington. Gina Daniel (Providence) will likely run away with the 800, although it will be interesting to see Allie Castro (North Lincoln) in that race (she is normally in the longer races). Castro's teammate Caitlin Potter, though, had a strong 1000 time this past winter and could do the same in the 800 here. Sydney Foreman (Ardrey Kell) is back after spending the winter swimming (as usual), and she is a force in the 3200; her race with Ellington should be very enjoyable to watch.
Sprints & Hurdles
Ebony Williams (Parkland) had a very strong indoor season, and given the warm temperatures she could put up big times in both hurdle races. Sabrina Moore (North Mecklenburg) is the girl to beat in the 100 and 200, although she will certainly be challenged by the cadre of strong sprinters that Parkland brings to the table. In particular, watch out for Myshale Spigner (Parkland) in the 200. Freshman McKinley McNeil (Parkland) has had a strong start to her high school career, and could sneak into first place in the 400 against a field that lacks a dominant runner. The Parkland girls are the team to beat in all three sprint relays, and deservedly so, as their depth is only exceeded by one other group of girls in the state.
Field Events
Bre'Anna Warren (Western Guilford) should dominate the girls' throws, although she might get some competition in the discus from Tamia Crockett (Hardin Valley TN). Warren's temmate Dejah Hayes is the top long & triple jumper in the meet, and with the warmer temperatures she could be looking for 18 and 38. Butler's Alexis Davis will provide strong competition in the triple jump, and that should only help both girls' performances. Elizabeth Olesen (Hickory Ridge) is a threat to win in any high jump competition, and Sydney Blue (Ardrey Kell) has a 5' 4" PR, enough to make things interesting. The pole vault lacks a clear favorite, and with windy conditions forecast for Saturday it is anyone's guess who will prevail.
Boys Preview
Distance
Weddington, Charlotte Catholic, and Hardin Valley (TN) all have good, deep groups of distance runners, and that could make for a fun 4x800. There could also be some great racing behind those three, as North Meck, East Meck, and Ardrey Kell all have talent; any of those three teams could even move up to challenge the leaders with a good race. Aaron Templeton (Hardin Valley TN) is a nationally-known runner who has run the mile in 4:18 and the two-mile in 9:02 (he is also a sub-15 5K runner). Those times clearly make him the class of the 1600 field, and could leave even good runners like David Hager (Woodlawn School) and Wyatt Maxey (Providence) battling for second place. Templeton is not entered in the 3200, though, which leaves the door open for runners like Matt Burns (Weddington), Ryan Shannon (North Lincoln), and Evan Georges (Charlotte Catholic) to win. In fact, the 3200 could have a lead pack of as many as five deep into the race, as Lachlan Dickie (Hardin Valley TN) and Travis Leppi (North Buncombe) both ran under 10 indoors. The 800 looks like a great race, with Josiah Elliott (Parkland) and Maxey both racing at their favorite distance; Elliott might have the edge due to fresher legs, as Maxey will be coming off the 1600.
Sprints & Hurdles
The 110 Hurdles is absolutely wide open, with nobody in the race that has broken 16 this year, and could come down to who has the cleanest race in the final. Gevontae Hardy (North Forsyth) got valuable experience in the 55 Hurdles this winter, and that could pay off here. Also, Hardy and Devon Sutton (North Mecklenburg) are solid 300 hurdlers, and could find themselves racing for the win down the final stretch. James Drummond (Lexington) is the favorite in the 100, although Christopher Hancock (Butler) has a strong hand-time that he will be looking to back up. Xavier Jones (Ragsdale) is the clear favorite in the 400, and likely the only athlete in the field that will break 50. Jones is also a contender in the 200, but he will have to hold off Drummond and a few other strong sprinters; this could be one of the best races of the day. The boys' 4x200 looks like it could be won by a number of schools, and that's why smooth exchanges are so important (often neglected in the longer sprint relays, but they make a difference). On the other hand, it looks like Butler is loading up their 4x100, and they have enough talent to pull away from the field there. The 4x400 looks like a great race; keep an eye on Rocky River and Parkland, two squads that have had a lot of success in that event. At the end of the first long invitational of the spring, the 4x4 can often come down to the team with the most experience.
Field Events
The boys' throws should be very competitive, with Marcus Abraham (Metrolina Christian) and Winston Craig (Ragsdale) strong in both the shot and the discus. Throw in Peter Kalambayi (Butler) in the shot put and you have a real battle! Immanuel Henderson (Ardrey Kell) leads a handful of 21-foot long jumpers coming into the meet, and if he can get to 22 feet (he is only an inch away so far this year) he will most likely win. Jordan Warren (Hickory Ridge) is one of the best field-event athletes in the state: his high jump PR of 6' 5" makes him the favorite here, and his indoor triple jump mark of 47' 2" is by far the best in the field. The closest competitor in the triple will likely be Henderson, who jumped 44 last spring, but he doesn't have a mark from this season yet. Finally, Thomas Popek (Ragsdale) is the best vaulter in the meet, although the conditions are predicted to be windy and that can create havoc with this event.
