Events: Hurdles
Classification: Senior
Reason to consider
Jalaysi'ya Smith is an elite athlete and one of the best in the nation. The DeSoto hurdler has done just about everything but win a state championship - - yet.
Smith qualified for the UIL 6A state meet in both the 100H and the 300H and scored big points for her state championship winning team by placing second in the 100H and ninth in the 300H. The University of Southern California signee should be considered the favorite as very few in the state have run faster, in fact very few in the nation have fun faster than Smith.
Smith's 2020 season was just getting started when the shutdown happened and she never really got warmed up, but her times showed that she never really got cold either. Smith had four races in both hurdle events; she ran four races 14.18 and better including 13.79 in the 100H and four races 44.80 and under including 43.67.
What needs to be done
With PRs of 13.42 and 42.14 (Texas Relays win), and those were two years ago. With a complete 2021 track and field season, Smith could really blow those marks out of the water. She might need to do that in order to win POY against other girls who could set state records in other events.
Another alternative to winning POY without setting state records could just be to run fast. Only three Texas girls have ever run wind legal sub 13.25 in the 100H and only three Texas girls have run sub 41.0 in the 300H. If Smith can at least join the company of those girls then she could have a good chance.
Challenges
Smith is the hands down favorite as many of the state's top hurdlers have graduated. Unless other hurdlers rise to the very elite level, the only challenger in the way of Smith winning state titles is Aldine Eisenhower senior Jaiya Covington. Covington has a 13.86 wind legal mark and will be markedly improved.