'23 INDOOR PREVIEW: Boys' 60m --SPEED Kills!

      It was a tight race last year in the LHSAA Division I State Indoor Boys 60m. In the end, it was Karr's "Roadrunner"--Ra'hji Dennis (6.85), who separated himself from the field to narrowly defeat Captain Shreve's "Macho" man--Marquez Stevenson (6.92). The impressive collection of sprinters in the finals was not short on nicknames, elite speed, nor youth. 

      As we enter the 2023 season in five weeks, Dennis, now a junior, and Stevenson, who enters his final season of high school track and field, will be working hard to answer the question...who is the fastest high school athlete in the state of Louisiana?

      Oh by the way, the third place finisher at last year's state indoor meet--Holy Cross' Krosse Johnson--would like a say in the discussion. If the aforementioned question had to be answered solely on the merits of 2022 LHSAA State Outdoor Championships, there is no doubt in anyone's mind it was Johnson, who not only won the 100m state championship with a wind aided 10.54, but also put on an exhibition on his anchor leg in the 400 meter relay. 

     Johnson (6.94)finished third at the LHSAA Division I State Indoor Meet. 

     While Dennis, Stevenson, and Johnson are the three headliners in the event going into the indoor season, there are several sprinters within striking distance of claiming the title Louisiana's fastest HS Athlete.

      Carencro's Kohen Beavers (6.99) finished fifth in the LHSAA Division I 60m last year. In the LHSAA Dvision II 60m finals, McDonough #35's Tyrus Morris finished second with a time of 6.96. 

      The empty lane in the finals? It belonged to Karr's Deantre' Jackson, who ran an impressive 6.99 in the prelims to qualify. Jackson was unable to compete in the finals due to an injury.

       While they did not go sub 7 in the 60m at the LHSAA State Indoor Meet, Scotlandville's Darryl George and Parkway's Jaylan White did crack the mark at LSU's Indoor Qualifier #2. George finished third with a 6.98. White was just behind George, finishing fourth with a 6.99.

        Edna Karr isn't the only school with two of the top ten fastest athletes in the state. Woodlawn has J'marcus Sewell (No. 10, 7.02) and Jay'veon Haynes (No. 9, 7.02). While not listed in the Top 25 returning sprinters below, Woodlawn also has Jordan Matthews, who finished fourth in the Class 5A state meet in the 100m with a time of 10.66. 

        While LCCP's JaRell Joseph is more of a 400m specialist, he does possess tremendous speed and finds himself just outside of the Top 10 returners in the 60m. His best a year ago was 7.07, which was good enough for a third place podium finish in Division II state indoor meet. 

        It will make for interesting LSU Indoor Classic on Saturday, January 7th. Will these familiar names begin to make a case for Louisiana's fastest high school athlete. Or, will there be newcomers to step and surprise track and field fans? What do you think? One thing is for sure, MileSplit will be there to bring you the action. And we cannot wait!