SCOTLANDVILLE AND STA BATTLE IT OUT IN '23 MCNEESE INDOOR NO. 2 GIRLS 4X800!
55m
In the girls' division, keep your eye on the GOAT-of course we are talking about Scotlandville's Makeriah Harris. Some sprinters seem to have trouble with the surface at McNeese. Adversely, Harris eats up the track in the Rec Center.
The boys' 55m will be very interesting. We are going to have our eye on Glen Oaks Na'ryan Delone from Glen Oaks. He excelled in 400m during last trip to the Rec Center. He drops down to the 55m for this meet. He will have to contend a couple of sprinters from Texas who have the top seeds in this event.
If you want a future star, look no further than Scotlandville's Fayden Brown. He is seeded No. 17 with a time of 6.90. He has competed well and turned in some of the fastest times state-wide for the freshmen class.
READ MORE: Throwback Thursday: '23 McNeese Indoor No. 2 55m Finals!
400m
Yet another Scotlandville sprinter who is a must watch in this event--Sade Gray. We have said much about the Lake Charles girls in this event, but none of those girls are running in this one. Instead, Gray is the top seed. Will she be able to run a LA#1 time? We think it's going to be close. Also, keep an eye on the record in this one. Gray's seed time is 55.96. The meet record is 56.59 set by Morgan Stewart in 2017.
In the boys' division, the meet record (49.07) is held by Sean "Squirrel" Burrell in 2019. Five sprinters have seed time which are under 50 seconds. Of the Louisiana sprinters in this category are Delone, who set the meet record in this event at the McNeese Indoor No. 1 two weeks ago, and Catholic's Cameron Brazell.
Another one to watch in this event is Central Lafourche's Samuel Hodson. He finished fourth in the LHSAA Class 5A state outdoor championship with a time of 48.49. He is seeded No. 6 here.
No freshmen to watch in this event, but we will give you a couple of sophomores to watch, including the No. 1 ranked sophomore in the state-Hamilton Christian's Kaleb Bigwood (51.54). Another is one of the most improved 400m runners in Louisiana-C.E. Byrd's Wyatt Ditt. Ditt ran a 56.57 last year as a freshman. He opened up with a 52.72 at the Arkansas HS Invitational. The time ranks No. 4 among all Louisiana sophomores.
800m
The meet record in the girls 800m should fall. And the new meet record holder should be Louise Mcgehee's Kali Magana. She comes in with the No. 1 seed with a time of 2:12. The meet record is held by Haylen Senegal (2:18.13).
The last time we saw Calvary's Jackson Burney, he was battling LCA's Talan Sievers for an LHSAA State Cross Country Championship. While the bid fell short, it was a big cross country jump for Burney, who stopped playing wide receiver for the Cavaliers so that he could concentrate on his running.
Make no mistake about it. The 800m is his specialty. He proved as much this summer when he ran 1:52.34 in the 15-16 boys' 800m at the USATF Junior Olympics in Eugene, Oregon.
This will be Burney's 2024 debut.
1600m
While the McNeese Indoor No. 2 will not be Jenna Key's indoor debut, it will be the seniors first time running state. She opened her indoor season at the Arkansas HS Invitational with a time of 5:21.16 in the 1500m. She is seeded No.1 here.
In the boys' division, there are three seniors and a freshman who have the best shot at coming away with a win. Catholic's Matthew Maynard, Teurlings Catholic's Noah Bernard, and Parkway's Alex Gomez are the top three seniors. The freshman in the mix is LCA's Sievers.
3200m
Key is the favorite her with a top seed time of 11:09 over thirty seconds faster than the next.
The boys' 3200m is one of the races we are looking forward to the most. Parkway has the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds with senior Gabriel Falting and freshman Brennan Robin, who earlier this year was the US#1 freshman miler in the nation. Behind Falting and Robin, Catholic's Johnathan Thompson and David Lemann are in the No. 3 and No. 4 position.
The meet record is 9:54 which was set by Lemann at last year's meet.
READ MORE: Will David Lemann Retain 3200m Record At McNeese Meet?
55m Hurdles
Would be surprised if Scotlandville's Makeriah Harris is challenged in this event. Would not be surprised if--despite the lack of competition--she produces an incredible time.
In the boys' division, we mentioned Brown, the Scotlandville freshman in the 55m. He is seeded No. 3 here so it could be an opportunity for the first podium finish of his high school career.
Catholic's Porter Tanner (8.37) has the No. 1 seed.