WATCH LIVE: THE TEXAS A&M BLUEBONNET INVITATIONAL
AIRING LIVE ON MILESPLIT FROM MARCH 4-5
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After a weekend of mass cancellations across the state, this weekend brings us the first outdoor high school meet hosted by Texas A&M University.
The Texas A&M Bluebonnet High School Invitational is this Friday and Saturday. The meet entries are out and we now know who will compete in which events.
Here are seven athletes we believe you should keep an eye out for this weekend.
Autumn Wilson (Austin St. Dominic Savio)
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Wilson has yet to line up this outdoor season, but she has had plenty of reps in the 60m this winter. Wilson has competed against some of the best high talent nationally, as well as some post-collegiate and professional competition.
The University of Georgia signee has progressively run faster as the indoor season endured. She ran 7.52 in the 60m at the Arkansas High School Invitational, then lowered that mark to 7.43 at the Kentucky HS Invite and also went a U.S. No. 2 time of 7.26 PR against the pros.
This weekend, she is entered in the 100m and 200m. The latter is where she will look to lower her times, as she has run 23.94 and 23.74 over her last two meets at the distance.
Wilson enters with seed times of 11.29 and 23.60. This meet is not only a tune-up for the 2022 outdoor season, but also for her race at the New Balance Nationals Indoor meet next weekend in New York City.
Camryn Dickson (Clear Brook)
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Dickson has meet entries of 11.41 and 23.28 in the 100m and 200m, respectively, and is set up for a big weekend as the Texas A&M University signee will get her first set of high level races this outdoor season with top notch competitors.
That could lead to some early season performances.
With matchups against Wilson in both the 100m and 200m, personal bests could be coming this weekend.
Realistically, the 100m will be a tough event, but the more likely of the two for her to win this weekend is the 200m.
She ran 23.29 last year at the UIL Region 3-6A championships and then 23.28 at the state meet. It's possible to see 23 lows and possibly 22 high times in the 200m this weekend.
Reese Vannerson (Houston Strake Jesuit)
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Vannerson will compete in the 1,600m and the 3,200m this weekend.
The Houston native and high school junior has entry times of 4:12.76 and 9:15.48, respectively, which are his PRs from last year. He was a Texas UIL state meet finalist in the 1,600m last year and during the 2021 cross country season he had a 5K PR of 15:23.50.
Vannerson has already run 4:15.44 in the 1,600m this outdoor track and field season.
He will have an opportunity to lower his season best and personal records this weekend with the likes of Kevin Sanchez (Austin Vandegrift), Ruben Rojas Betanzos (Katy Seven Lakes), Carter Gordy (Montgomery Lake Creek) and a host of other boys who have run under 4:19.
He has yet to run the 3,200m this season, so we'll get to see how fit he currently is.
There are six entries with sub 9:30 performances. Betanzos, Gordy and a host of Denton athletes will keep the pace honest and fast.
Suzan Ogunleye (Pflugerville Henderickson)
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Ogunleye is another athlete a week away from the Indoor Nationals, but she will have some big time jumping opportunity this weekend at Bluebonnet.
The North Carolina A&T recruit is the top-seeded triple jumper with her 41-10, which is the US No. 2 indoor performance.
Ogunleye currently also has the outdoor national lead with her 41-3.5 two weeks ago at the Lake Travis Invitational. She is also listed to compete in the long jump.
The triple jump competition will be a loaded event with jumpers like Skylynn Townsend (Prosper Rock Hill), who is the US No. 3 indoor ranked triple jumper with her 41-8.75. Also entered is the current US No. 2 outdoor jumper Avery Segura (Austin Vandegrift).
Brandon Green (Ruston)
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University of Oklahoma signee Brandon Green was a busy man a couple of weeks ago at the Louisiana Indoor State Track and Field Championships.
This weekend, he could be just as busy in College Station.
Green has entry marks of 23-3 in the long jump, 50-4.25 in the triple jump, and a time of 38.72 in the 300 meter hurdles.
As impressive as those are marks and times are, they aren't accurate. Green jumped 23-5 to win the indoor state meet and a whopping 51-6 for the win in the triple jump.
Now that Green will compete outdoors, we'll see how the late winter/early spring elements will affect his performances.
Will they make it harder or will they help him improve on his already jaw dropping performances?
Bryanna Craig (Ruston)
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If Brandon Green didn't impress you, then watch out for his teammate.
Craig returns to Texas after moving out after last year -- from Lubbock -- and has landed at Ruston High School.
In 2021, Craig won the Texas UIL 5A State Championships in the long jump, was second in the 100mH, and was fifth in the high jump. She just wrapped up indoor season at the Louisiana state meet by placing third in the 60 meter hurdles and winning the high jump in 5-9.75 and the long jump in 18-5.25.
This indoor season, Craig also ran 57.21 in the 400m, 2:24.75 in the 800m, and threw 30-5.25 in the shot put.
She'll compete in the long jump and the high jump where she'll have some of the best competition she will see for a couple of weeks.
Sam Alves (Rockwall)
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Alves had an impressive indoor season, which followed his third-place finish in the 2021 UIL 6A Texas UIL State Championships in 110mH.
He'll compete this weekend in the 110mH and the high jump. With performance entries of 13.75 and 6-5, he could be in the mix for wins in both individual events.
He has already run 14.2 a couple of times this year and run mid 22s in the 200m to complement his speed in the hurdle events.
With entry seeds of 13.75 and 6-5, if Alves comes close to those at this point of the season, consider him officially primed and ready for 2022.