• 1.  Swine-flu scare = A state meet in June – It will take some incredible performances by Texas athletes to bump the whole issue of rescheduling off the top of the headlines.  Because of some school closings related to the swine flu virus, the Texas regional meets were at first cancelled, then rescheduled, causing the state meet to have to be rescheduled by three weeks, all the way to this June 5-6 weekend.  Many competitors are either forced to choose between the meet or graduation, or forced to make frantic road trips from one to the other, depending on scheduling. 

Among top athletes who are reportedly choosing NOT to make the trip to Austin:  Desoto sr Skylar White and Saginaw sr Donique’ Flemings.  White is the two-time defending champ of both the shot and discus, while Flemings is defending 4A champ in the 300H and 100H.  She is also the state record-holder and last year’s US#1 in the 300H, but had just qualified in the 100H this year.  For those that are missing graduation to come to the meet, the UIL is offering special alternative ceremonies at Myers Stadium each day, in which several dozen athletes are expected to particpate.

• 2. Brutal heat – With the meet three weeks later this year, the meet is obviously closer to the brutal heat of the Texas summer.  Mother Nature has offered up no respite, with temperatures in Austin expected in the mid- to upper-90s both days, perhaps even topping out around 100 Saturday.  In response, the UIL has moved the 3200 races to 8 a.m. each morning, and offered up information regarding heat-related precautions and hydration recommendations.

• 3. Virtual shot put battle – Unfortunately, they won’t compete head-to-head, but watching 72-foot shot putters Stephen Saenz and Hayden Baillio have a virtual battle will be the next best thing.  US#2 Saenz, with a 72-06.50 PR from his region meet, will compete for Rio Grande City in 5A Saturday evening at 6 p.m.  Baillio, whose US#3 PR of 72-02.25 came in the Texas Relays as he beat Saenz in their only outdoor meeting, throws Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. in 3A.  Saenz stood atop the national list until Thursday night, when Nick Vena of New Jersey hit 72-08.  Saenz also has a national title under his belt, winning Nike Indoor in 71-00.50 and beating Baillio in the process.  While Baillio should sweep both the shot and discus in 3A, Saenz will face the state’s top discus man (and US#3) and Humble senior Matt Kosecki in the platter event.

• 4. Marquise’s mission – If there’s one athlete who can carry the crowd in this meet, especially during Saturday’s 5A finals, it’s Rowlett sr Marquise Goodwin.  The sprint/jumps star will compete in five events; he won his regional meet in the long jump, triple jump and 200, and anchored his team’s 4x100 relay, but was edged in the 100 by Prezel Hardy.  In 2008, Goodwin won the long jump, triple jump, and was 2nd in the 100, but he also anchored his team to the 4x100 title in a US#1 time.  His windy 26-01.50 long jump was the best all-conditions jump in the country last year and he has won three national titles in the event, where he was World Junior Champion last year.

• 5. Woodlands distance domination – The brutal heat won’t help anyone run fast times, but it’s possible that The Woodlands could sweep five boys and girls distance events in 5A.  The centerpiece of the effort will be the boys 1600, where seniors Drew Butler and Reed Connor will be favored to go 1-2.  Connor, the NXN Finals champ in cross-country, is also favored in the 3200, while Butler is far and away the top seed in the 800.  On the girls side, Sarah Andrews is top seed in the 1600 and 3200.

• 6.  A Skyline sweep? – If there is a dominant set of stick crews in either gender this year, it would be the Dallas Skyline girls in 5A.  They come into the state meet with the state’s top times in the 4x100 (US#4 45.77) and 4x200 (US#2 1:37.22), and are seeded 3rd in the 4x400 at 3:46.24.

• 7.  Watch out for this Lexus – The best chance for up to three golds on the girls side belongs to Beaumont Ozen sr A’Lexus Brannon in the long and triple jumps and 100H.  In 4A, she is the top seed in the jumps and 3rd in the 100H, behind Evonne Briton and Katie Grimes (the event is without defending champ Flemings).  She swept the jumps last year and is currently US#2 all-conditions in the LJ and #3 legal in the TJ.

• 8.  How fast will LaCour go? – Arguably the state’s top hurdler overall, in either race, is 110H boys US#1 Cameron LaCour of Dayton in 4A.  His 13.48 (+1.9w) from the Texas Relays has stood for nearly two months as the US leader.  He is also in the 300H, but will get a very tough battle from defending champ Chance Casey and others.

• 9. How fast will Duncan go? – One of the most eye-opening marks from the TX region meets was the wind-legal US#2 23.46 200 by Cy Springs’ Kimberly Duncan in Region 2-5A.  She is one of the few athletes in the country with a real chance to take down Chalonda Goodman’s US leader in the 200 which has stood since mid-April.

• 10.  Can Richardson do it again? – Last year, Rochelle TX junior Bonnie Richardson made headlines beyond the Lone Star State when she single-handedly won the 1A title for her school by winning the 200 and high jump, taking 2nd in the 100 and LJ, and 3rd in the discus.  The modest Richardson gets a lot of credit for downplaying the accomplishment, as she indicates in this ESPN RISE profile; she knows her marks didn’t stack up against the stars in 4A and 5A.  Still, she joined just two other Texans, from 1954 and 1976, who had ever accomplished such a feat.  Now, having qualified in the same events, the Texas A&M signee from a school with a graduating class of 14 has a chance for a repeat.