10 Girls To Watch At The Arkansas HS Invitational
* Ashton Torns long jumped 24-3.50 last indoor season
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Ashton Torns (Austin Westlake HS, TX)
Torns is the second-best returning indoor long jumper from the 2022 season. He leapt 24-3.5 to finish as the runner-up in the championship boys section at New Balance Indoor Nationals a year ago. He also finished runner-up at the Texas UIL state championships. Torns will compete in the 60m and the 200m as well.
Dawson Welch (Har-Ber HS, AR)
Welch is scheduled to compete in the 800m and the mile. He ran 1:53.5 in the 800m last indoor season at NSAF Indoor Nationals. He focused on the 1,600/mile outdoor and that focus paid off. He ran 4:10 1,600 at Texas Distance Festival and 4:08 in the mile at HOKA Festival of Miles.
Zavien Wolfe (Memphis Central HS, TN)
Wolfe enters the weekend as the U.S. No. 1 long jumper over the 2023 indoor season and a U.S. No. 3 triple jumper. He jumped 24-5.25 last weekend at the KYA HS Indoor Classic and went 49-1.75 in December at the The Galleria Games. He is scheduled to compete in both this weekend.
Eli England (Richmond Foster HS, TX)
England is one of the top sprinters so far in the 2023 indoor season. He ran 6.99 in the 60m prelims at the LSU High School Classic and followed that up with a 6.91 in the finals for the win.
Sam Boyer (Rogers Heritage HS, AR)
Boyer will compete in the mile this weekend at Arkansas. He ran 4:22 last indoor season and lowered that during the outdoor season to 4:15.
* Jelani Watkins ran 6.94 in the 60m and 21.50 last year in the 200m
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Jelani Watkins (Klein Forest HS, TX)
Watkins will compete in the 60m and the 200m this weekend. The defending Texas UIL 6A champion in the 200m ran 6.94 and 21.5 last indoor season.
Angel Sanchez (Fort Worth Diamond Hills-Jarvis HS, TX)
Sanchez is listed to compete in the 3,000m. He is the Texas UIL 4A state champion in the 1,600m and the runner-up in the 3,200m. He recently won the UIL 4A cross country state championship and was a finisher at the Champs National Cross Country Championships last month.
Alexander Chukwukelu (Forney HS, TX)
Chukwukelu is a U.S. No. 1 hurdler so far this indoor track and field season. In the 60mH, he ran 7.83 in the prelims and ran even faster in the finals with his 7.80 at the The Galleria Games.
John Scott Kendricks cleared 16-5.25 last weekend in the pole vault
John Scott Kendricks (Oxford HS, MS)
Kendricks will pole vault this weekend at Arkansas. Last weekend he won the event at the LSU High School Classic with a 16-5.25; the Mississippi No. 1 currently ranks U.S. No. 4.
Tavon Underwood (Mead HS, CO)
Underwood is a U.S. No. 5 performer this indoor season in the 400m. He ran 48.74 last weekend at the USATF All-Comers #1 and will compete in the event this weekend in Fayetteville.
Cooper Williams (Fayetteville HS, AR)
Williams jumped 6-6 last indoor track and field season and he improved to 6-10 outdoors. So far this year, he has already cleared 6-8 for the winning jump at the Prentice Gudgen Invitational last weekend.
Jonathan Simms (Allen HS, TX)
If you're a fan of track and field then Simms' name isn't new to you. He has set several AAU age group records in the 400m and 800m events. He now sets out for his sophomore year and begins this weekend He will compete in the 400m and pick up where he left off last year with a 47.68 and the second ranked freshman in the country.