W2W4 At Jesuit-Sheaner Relays

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The Jesuit-Sheaner Relays is back in full effect this year and it will be explosive as ever. In 2020, the meet was cancelled due to COVID-19 and they returned at a scaled down clip in 2021 and 2022. There is nothing scaled back about the 2023 meet that's scheduled for this Friday and Saturday.

In fact, this weekend's meet may be one of the most explosive meets so far of the year in the DFW area. The 58-year old event is back to being as strong as ever with talent laden teams from the Metroplex, but also with teams from Killeen, Conroe, College Station, Hallsville, Austin, Leander, Tyler, Smithson Valley, along with Clarksville, Arkansas and Rogers, Arkansas.

From the field events to the track, there will be a total of eight Texas ranking leaders including three national leaders. Here are some events and athletes you'll need to look out for.

The sprinters in the girls 100m can absolutely fly! There are a lot of NWI performances by girls in this meet that give us an indication of a barn burner type of girls 100m.

Aaliyah Gipson (Duncanville) is having a great junior season. She has a 11.51 mark on the season from the Skyline Michael Johnson Invitational. Hannah Lowe (Garland Sachse), Skylar Brazzell (Northwest Nelson), and Aliyah Johnson (Fort Worth Southwest Christain) also fast NWI marks with 11.61 for Lowe and 11.67 for both Brazzell and Johnson.

In Texas, there are a lot of wind aided times and non wind legal times, but this year we have some wind legal and FAT readings to go on. Marquis Shorten (Arlington Martin) checks in with a 10.60 this year from the  UTA High School Relay Showcase. He'll be joined by Jordan Byles (Mansfield Lake Ridge) who is right behind him with a 10.61 SB.

Two guys who were indoor stars will also be showcased in the 100m Miles Jones (Mansfield Lake Ridge) and Ashton Torns (Austin Westlake) were blazing fast indoors with Jones running 6.71 and Torns going 6.83 (more on these two in the jumps section).

The girls 20m will be just as entertaining as the 100m. Lowe, Brazell and Johnson will again line up for the longer sprint, but they'll have a bolstered up group to race it out with. The 2022 UIL 3A fourth place finisher in the 200m, Royaltee Brown (Dallas Skyline) has a 24.18 on record for the outdoor season and we already know she can run 23 mid for the event. The 2022 UIL 6A 400m state champion Lauren Lewis (Prosper) ran 23.90 indoors and the University of Texas signee ran 23.81 at the Prosper Dan Christie Relays.

The 5A boys race could be a showdown between Nick Byrd (Lancaster) who has been on fire this season in the 200m and 400m. Byrd has a 21.25 SB on record and continues to get faster and stronger. He'll contend with Omari Mitchell (Mansfield Timberview). Mitchell has a couple of swift 100m races under his belt this year and we'll see him in the deuce for the first time this year.

The 6A boys race will have a couple of Duncanville speedsters who are legit in the 100m and will be looking to make names for themselves in the 200m. DaKoriean Moore (10.63), Jalen Washington (10.59), and Caden Durham (10.44) are just a couple of Panther sprinters who make up the best open 100m crew in the state, but they'll look to make it a qualifying statement in the 200m as well.

The girls 400m is loaded. Defending UIL 6A 400m champ Lauren Lewis will again line up and she'll have 55 second 400m runners Kyla Lewis (Rock Hill) and Ivana Odonkor (McKinney) to deal with. Don't overlook defending UIL 5A 800m champ and 1600m and XC finalist Kailey Littlefield (Lovejoy). While the 400m is just a complimentary event for Littlefield, she is very capable in the 400m. She ran 55.91 last year and has already run 2:07 in the 800m and several legs on the 4x200 relay; there isn't much she can't do.

The boys 400m has seven boys with sub 50 second entries. Of those boys, three UIL state meet finalists are entered including state leading Jonathan Simms (Allen) (46.35). Other state meet finalists entered are Dominic Byles (Mansfield Lake Ridge) who ran 47.03 for fourth place last fall and UIL 5A runner-up Jonah Roberson (Royse City)

The girls 800m will be one of the more sneaky but exciting races with two of Texas' best half-milers.

Littlefield will turn her sights to her premiere event after her 400m prelim race. She is the top outdoor performer so far this season with her 2:07. She is the reigning defending UIL 5A state champion from 2022. The other elite performer is Keller senior Sasha Crawford.

Crawford was third at last year's UIL 6A state meet and had a 2:08 PR during the season. So far, the TCU signee ran 2:11 indoors and has been focusing on her 800m complementary events by turning in PRs in the 400m in 56 seconds and a 5:21 in the 1600m.

Expect big competitive pushes from Taryn Bailey (DeSoto), Amy Morefield (Lucas Lovejoy), Mia McGlade (Allen), and Waverly Hassman (Cooppell). Bailey has already run 2:12 this season, showing she is ready to showcase her speed this year. Morefield and McGlade have been 2:15 and 2:18 times recorded this year respectively and Hassman was a UIL 6A state meet qualifier her sophomore year when she ran a 2:09 PR.

The boys 800m will showcase two UIL state meet qualifiers for last seasons. Killeen Ellison senior Aaron Crittenden was third last season at the UIL 6A state meet and Andrew Lutkenhaus was eighth in the UIL 5A state meet.

University of Houston signee, Crittenden has a 1:53.17 mark this year and that currently ranks him TX No. 3. Lutkenhaus, who has signed to the University of Tulsa has a 1:53.62 best on this season and he ranks TX No. 7.

100/110/300 Meter Hurdles

The girls 100m hurdles will be loaded!

Duncanville has an entire hurdle crew that is having a fantastic 2023 season. Trezur Connley, Kennedy Brown, and Indiya Walton all have run under 14.4. With great weather, they could have three girls sub 14.2.

The Lady Panthers will have several other elite hurdlers who could help ensure the finals are at a blitzing pace. Denton Ryan junior Kailyn Head has already run 14.24 this year at the Lewisville Relays and she'll be a force to reckon with. 

They will also have three state meet hurdlers in the field with them. Gunter's Abigail Elmore was fourth in the 100 hurdles at the UIL 3A state meet, Alexandra Harber from McKinney North was third in the UIL 5A 100 meter hurdles, and Michigan signee Signey Green will also be in the field.

The 300 meter hurdles are also stuffed with talent. Green was third last year at the UIL 6A state meet and has already run 42.72. Team her with Kirin Chacchia (Frisco Heritage) who has already run 43.11, Amelliah Birdow (DeSoto) 43.17, Kailyn Head (Denton Ryan) at 43.49, Harber who was third last year at state, and the Duncanville crew and the race will be full-on!

In the boys 110 meter hurdles, UIL 5A medalist Austin Kiser (Denton Braswell) is the headliner. He has a 13.83 on the books this season, but he'll have Luke Herring (Dallas Highland Park) to contend with who has a 14.06 entry seed. Cameron Bates (Mansfield Timberview) also checks in with a 14.17 seed.

In the 300 meter hurdles, Bates and Kiser again should be looking to get big time performances. Bates has a 37.39 this season and Kiser has a 37.87. Justin Northwest senior Kenan Reil has a 37.44 on the season and will be a major contender.

4x100 Relay

The girls 4x100 relay could be a state ranking defining race. There are seven teams who have run in the 47s or faster. That faster comes with Duncanville's 46.14, Skyline's 46.48, and Mansfield Timberview's 46.94. I wouldn't be surprised to see one of those teams dip in the 45s.

The boys have 12 teams who have run under 42.0, so to qualify for the finals will be a tall task. Duncanville and Mansfield Lake Ridge have already run under 41.0 this season and one of the could take the state leading ranking this weekend.

Boys Long Jump And Triple Jump

Adam Colston can do it all when it comes to jumping. Look out for him in the triple jump as he will take on a couple of Lancaster studs (Tomadric Jessie and Kameron Robinson). Jessie and Robinson are 22 high with the LJ and add Bryant Westco (Midlothian) and they could push the 23 footer Adamson to produce a big time jump.

It doesn't look like we'll get the Miles Jones vs Ashton Torns competition we would like with Miles electing not to jump. However, Torns is scheduled to jump and we could see him push for a 24 high or even a 25 footer.

All eyes should also be on the triple jump pit. Mansfield Lake Ridge jump coach James Whisenhunt and his jump crew are putting in some major work. Abisauyloouwa Gbakinro and Jordan Tetsopguim are nearly jumping out of pits. Gbakinro has a 50-4 mark this season and as the weather warms up, he could drop a bomb at anytime. Tetsopguim has a 47-10.5 SB jump and he looks primed for an even bigger jump as well.

Girls Triple Jump

There are eight girls who have entries over 37 feet this year. What to look for? Well, Skylynn Townsend (Rock Hill) is one of the top in the country. She has a 41-4.25 in the outdoor rankings and that is good and all, but her limits are far beyond that. Two weeks ago Townsend jumped 43-6.50 at the Nike Indoor Nationals to win a national championship. If she gets any help from mother nature or just calm cooperation she can pop another big time jump. 

Taylor Fingers (Mansfield Timberview) is also a heck of a talent. She has a 40-2.50 SB outdoors, but she also has a fantastic 41-98.25 from the indoor season.

Girls High Jump

Possibly the best competition of the meet could be the girls high jump. Abigail Elmore (Gunter), Skyler Schuller (Coppell), and Claire Lowrey (Rockwall) are all three 2022 UIL state meet qualifiers.

Lowrey was third overall at the UIL 6A state meet and she doesn't even have the top performance this year. She comes in with a 5-8 this season and she'll have to count on her experience to get the win as the winning jump could be from 5-9 to 6-0. 

Megan Judd (Coppell comes in with the TX No. 2 ranking with a 5-9 clearance. The senior knows how to jump and with this field she could raise the bar.

Add Mansfield Lake Ridge senior Elizabeth Abiara who also has a 5-9 clearance this year and we have five girls who will keep the high jump pit alive!

Girls Pole Vault

There are three girls who have already jumped 13-0 feet this year and another state meet medalist entered who'll keep the competition on fire.

Skyler Schuller has two UIL 6A state meet runner-up finishes in the pole vault. She has a 13-6 SB along with Jacqueline Rose (Keller) who checks with a 13-6 on the season. Rose City junior Jacelyn Neighbors has a 13-3 outdoor best and McKinney North senior Alexandra Harber is the back-to-back reigning UIL 5A state champion.

Girls Discus

Two of the best discus throwers all-time in Texas will go at it this weekend. Madeleine Fey (Midlothian) and Emma Sralla (Marcus) are a cause for heads to be up near the discus ring. They can throw it beyond expectations with ease.

We could see them both throw 170 fee and if a 190 gets cranked out, don't be surprised. 198-09 is the state record, so be on record breaking watch.