Girls Preview

Field Events

The girls' high jump should be one of the most competitive events of the day, with 5 girls that have gone 5' 4" or higher in the field. Meghan Jean-Baptiste (Oakton VA), a solid heptathlete, has a PR of 5' 6", the exact height that Libby Florence (Cedar Ridge) is aiming for this season. Amara Bell (Southeast Raleigh) has a 5' 4" jump on her record, while two top jumpers from last spring are looking to return to that form: Elizabeth Olesen (Hickory Ridge) and Margaret Edwards (Ravenscroft). Bre'anna Warren (Western Guilford) is likely to collect her third indoor win of the season in the shot put, although the battle for second place could see as many as six legitimate contenders. The return of Tyra Lea (Wakefield) to the triple jump, along with the presence of Jean-Baptiste, could be the spark that is needed to kick-start the performances in that event; Dejah Hayes (Western Guilford) and Kelsey Perry (Jordan) will need to respond with good jumps. Ama-Selina Tchume (Southeast Raleigh) is the new state leader in the long jump, but there is a fleet of 17-footers in this meet, and you certainly can't count out Courtney Crawford (McMichael).

Distance

The 3200 is looking like the most exciting race of the meet. Fresh off her blistering mile at last weekend's NCRunners Elite Holiday Invitational, Wesley Frazier (Ravenscroft) is looking to post a solid time to qualify for some of the prestigious indoor postseason meets. Ryen Frazier was also impressive in the mile, while Eliza Dekker (Durham Academy) is the wild card at the front of the race: this is her first race back from an injury, but she certainly has the talent to run well here. Oakton (VA) girls Kristi Carrigan and Grace Stewart hold the top two seeds in the 1600, but don't be surprised if Gabby Merritt (Greensboro Day) is right there with them at the end of the race. Jennie Cunningham (Pinecrest), having won the Invitational 800 last weekend, will now try to post a strong 1000 time. She will face tough competition in Oakton teammates Briana Stewart and Allie Klimkiewicz, plus Merritt and Hana Ratcliffe (Durham School of the Arts). Let's not forget the 4x800, either, which pits Oakton against Cary in the first relay of the season for each team (and don't be surprised if Southeast Raleigh gets right in the middle of that battle, too).

Sprints & Hurdles

Paisley Simmons (TW Andrews) impressed last weekend with a win in the Invitational 60, although Imari McLean (Hillside) and Sabrina Moore (North Mecklenburg) will have their chances for revenge on Saturday. Keep an eye on freshman Jessica Morris (Granville Central), who will get her first test against big competition this weekend. The hurdles could be a three-girl battle between Hunter Roberts (Southwest Guilford), Aminah Ghaffar (Fayetteville Academy), and the versatile Jean-Baptiste (see the field events above); Charity Shaw (Southern Guilford) could get into the think of things with a good race. Layla White (Cary) will run her customary 500 and will also try her hand at the 300, although fatigue could be a factor in the second race. White will have tough competition from Maya Evans (Fike) and Ro'Daijah Faucette (Cummings) in both races, plus Simmons will be a factor in the 300. Jasmine Dawson (West Johnston) was looking good in both the 55 and the 300 last weekend, but suffered a injury during the meet; if she is OK, then that adds another contender to both races. Finally, Wakefield's 4x400 will be on display once again and should dominate, although there could be a fun battle for second place between Cary and Southeast Raleigh.

Boys Preview

Field Events

The field events feature three top-flight, nationally-ranked athletes that are definitely worth watching. Jon Beyle (East Chapel Hill) should dominate the shot put, although he has already demonstrated the ability to push himself to new heights. Likewise for Ethan Smith (Cedar Ridge) in the pole vault, as so far this season his only real competition has been the crossbar. Finally, Isaiah Moore (Cummings) has an advantage of almost two feet over the next best competitor in the long jump. There should also be some very competitive battles in these events, albeit for second place. It will be interesting to see where Myquon Stout (Carson) is in his first shot put competition of the season, and Jalen Peterkin (Southern Durham) is always strong. Lucas Wratschko (Oakton VA) and Jose San Miguel (Cardinal Gibbons) both have 14-foot potential in the vault. The high jump features a whopping 8 athletes seeded at 6' 2", and a few of those could break through to challenge Caleb Conwell (Wakefield) for the win. Jordan Warren (Hickory Ridge), one of the top returning triple jumpers in the state, will compete in the event for the first time this winter; Kyheem Cheetham (North Brunswick) and Noah Tyson (Asheville) should be the primary contenders. Behind Moore, the long jump field is pretty weak, although Bernard Freeman (Knightdale) and Marthony Hobgood (West Charlotte) are legitimate 21-footers. Keep an eye on Sandy Chapman (Southeast Raleigh), who is jumping for the first time this year.

Distance

Bakri Abushouk (Cary), having already posted the top mile time in the nation at the NCRunners Elite Holiday Invitational, has now set his sights on a strong 3200 time. He may have to push himself, something that has become common for him, although there are several runners in the field that were cross country stars: Tanis Baldwin (East Henderson), Nik Kreiling (Jordan), and Patrick Sheehan (Lake Norman) come to mind. Philip Hall (Terry Sanford) makes his season debut, and after a strong fall and then a lengthy layoff for training, he has to be chomping at the bit to turn it loose. Collin Loy (Southern Alamance) had a fantastic day at Liberty earlier this season, and he will be looking to back that up with another strong race. Clayton Wilson (Greensboro Day) had his best mile time of his career last weekend, and it will be interesting to see what Abel Tecle (Cary), Sheehan, and Baldwin can run. Hall also headlines the 1000, although he might not be at his best in the second race of the day for him. Loy and Wilson are both stepping down in distance to see what they can do in the 1000; I would love to see them skip the 1600 and run this fresh, but I probably won't get my wish. Cary teammates Josh Barrett and Justin Lane, having helped produce the top 4x800 in the state last weekend, will be right in the mix in this race. Speaking of the relay, Southeast Raleigh and Knightdale will continue their long-time rivarly, and both teams have deep squads; Oakton (VA) and Pine Forest could also contend.

Sprints & Hurdles

James Drummond (Lexington) has been one of the stars of the indoor track season so far, but he will have a lot of competition in both the 55 and the 300. Jahmaal Daniel (Terry Sanford) won the 4A 100m state championship in the spring, while William Buckley (East Chapel Hill) and William Cameron (Southern Durham) have both run fast times indoors this season. Dejuan Massey (Hopewell) has a big polar bear time, but will need to run well indoors to be considered as a contender at the state meet. Moore and Cummings teammate Thomas Jones II should once again control the hurdles, although Xavier Carter (West Johnston) has also run well. Like Massey, Brandon McLean (Triton) and Kyheem Cheetham (North Brunswick) have put up great times outdoors (especially in the 300), but they need to back those up on the flat 200 track. Xavier Jones (Ragsdale) is always a contender, though moreso in the 300 than in the 55. The 500 should be very competitive, with Knightdale teammates Marquavioius Johnson (fresh off a sub-50 400 last weekend) and Henry Kiedy taking on Michael Parkins (North Mecklenburg) and Jamaree Murray (Southeast Raleigh).