Great Southwest Classic

Meet Preview

By Steve Underwood
(thanks to Great SW public relations)

Elite Events - Multis - Other Saturday Events

The combination of strong promotion, a fast track at altitude, hot weather, and a spot on the calendar before Nike Outdoor and after the state meets of the south and southwest – all these things have conspired to make the Great Southwest Meet a track and field mecca, especially for sprinters.

2006 is no exception.

Organizers have aptly named their four individual short sprint events “Elite,” and it’s not hard to see why, especially in the 200-meter events that are truly the showcase events of the three-day competition. But there are other fields, especially those in the girls 100 and 300 hurdles, which should provide nearly equal thrills.

Elite Events

The reason why the girls’ 200 is elite? Why, it could be explained in two words – Bianca Knight. The Ridgeland MS jr has been the shining sun of the dashes all year long, indoors and outdoors, especially dominating the 60 (7.26) and 200 (23.26) undercover. But while Knight has the best overall mark this year, she’s actually not on the top 5 yet outdoors. The #1 and #4 members of that (legal wind) list, Deerfield Beach FL jr Brittany Jones (23.31) and Plano TX sr Porscha Lucas (23.51 TX 5A Champ), are here though, as is Ft. Worth TX Dunbar so Victoria Jordan, owner of the 23.45w that won TX 4A.

Throw in St. Thomas Aquinas (North Lauderdale FL) jr Shataya Hendricks (23.70) and Peoria AZ jr Kenyanna Wilson (23.89 and the biggest roar from the crowd all weekend might be when this group comes down the homestretch in that event.

There’s intrigue on so many levels. It’s Texas vs. the other states. It’s Jordan vs. Lucas (they were champs in different classes at Texas state). It’s the outdoor leader (Jones) vs. the overall leader (Knight). Knight and Jordan were 2nd and 3rd here last year behind meet-record-setter Alexandra Anderson (Class of 05).

It’s just about a national championship field.

Most of that field, sans Jones, will have already faced off in the 100, but Knight will probably be tougher to beat in that race, owning the legal US#1 11.28 and having that winter dominance in the 60 emphasizing her invincibility on the straight. Jordan is the defending champ (11.62 last year, 11.38 PR) and has the best chance to beat her.

The highlight of the two elite boys’ sprints should also be the 200, as Littleton CO sr J.T. Scheuerman and Barbe LA sr Trey Harts lead an outstanding field. Scheuerman owns the US#1 mark of 20.74, aided by altitude but run into the face of a 2.6mps breeze, while Harts has scorched a US#2 20.82 at the LA 5A state meet.

Harts has already dealt with being the runner-up in this meet, having finished 2nd to the US#1 20.32 put down by now-graduated J-Mee Samuels that day. The field also includes TX 5A runner-up Jacques Caldwell (Garland, 21.08) and multi-talented Julius Walker (Texas City, 21.28).

In the 100, there’s four Texans, including 10.45 performers Whitney Provost (Texas City, sr, 4A runner-up) and Shawnbrey McNeal (Dallas Madison, jr, 3A champ), but the top seed will be from the home state. Albuquerque Highland runner Jerrell Miller blasted a 10.44 at an early-season invitational to earn the top seed.

The elite events are just the beginning, though, of the massive array of talent assembled in the ABQ.

Other Saturday Events:

The Girls Hurdles: More Titanesses

The girls hurdle races arguably deserve the elite tag, too. They’re just scary good and the organizers really struck gold with entries east of the Mississippi.

The most intrigue will probably come in the shorter race. That’s because of the crowd of talent near the 13.8 mark. Dallas Skyline jr April Williams officially is the top seed at 13.70, but last week Knoxville West TN super soph Jacquelyn Coward marked 13.73 twice into headwinds. Then there’s Evanston IL sr Shalina Clarke at 13.78, two weeks removed from 4-gold glory at the IL state meet.

Also sub-14 are Tulsa Union OK jr Danielle Gilchrist, Littleton CO sr Nikita Eades, Humble TX jr Karyn LaCour, and George Washington CO sr Talaya Owens. And don’t be surprised of Pendleton SC freshman star Jasmine Stowers breaks into that heady group. MORE … Back to Williams, though – She will have extra motivation after a stumble took her out of the TX 100 hurdles.

In the longer barrier race, it will be Clarke, Stowers, Coward, and Williams again, along with Bonneville UT sr Ally Dean in the sub-43 club, plus Gilchrist at 43.80. But Clarke, with a 40.68 PR this year and having already knocked at the magical 40-second barrier at 40.1 last year, is clearly the girl to beat. She and CA superstar Ebony Collins have a chance to be the best prep long hurdlers ever, knocking at the door of Lashinda Demus’s USR 39.98.

More Hurdles/Sprints

The boys hurdle races are also very solid. After his stunning 13.42w at the TX state meet, though, Dallas Carter jr Oscar Spurlock is the solid favorite at the 110H. Three others have broken 14, including Washington CO sr Darius Reed.

Reed will double back at 300H, where his 37.01 is matched against the high-36 times of Cypress TX sr Wesley Bray and Owasso OK’s sr Ross Harlan. Dallas Kimball sr Yerik Fortson should be considered a key contender, too.

In the girls 400, Mineral Wells TX sr Sandy Wooten is the class of the field with a 54.03 mark. Pahrump Valley NV’s Dominique Maloy at 55.19 has the best chance to unseat her as favorite. In the boys 400, six are seeded at 48.10 or better, led by Denver East CO’s amazing sophomore Dominick Roberts at 47.12.

With the state team formats, the relays are something of a crap shoot, with most teams not giving seed times.

Texas should certainly be devastating in the sprint relays, though, as they came up with seed times of 43.80 and 39.99 for the girls and boys 4x100 races. Colorado’s girls will be shooting for 8:52 in the 4x800; that state’s boys have the top seed at 7:36. Both 4x400s should be tight battles with times around 3:45 for the girls and 3:07-3:10 for the boys.

Distances

Delray Beach Atlantic sr. Jackie Areson is by far the class the distance runners in Albuquerque; she’s listed in all three events and who knows which she’ll pick. Her specialty is the mile (4:45.01) where she was NIN champ this winter. But it may come down to who can handle the altitude best, which gives Tooele UT’s Samantha McMillan, Albuquerque’s Julie Brasher, and others a great chance.

Areson is listed at 2:11 for the 800. She could be challenged by stunning Fargo ND 8th-grader Laura Roesler or Littleton CO’s Leigh Ann Ganzar. Also leading the list at the 3200 is Areson at 10:33. Kaysville UT’s Candace Eddy is next at 10:52.

In the boys 1500, on the other hand, Albuquerque’s Matt Tebo is the favorite AND altitude-trained. More of a cross-country and 3200-star (is the US#2 at 8:52.23), he still has the best seed in the 1500 (a 4:18.20 1600). Chris Sweeney Highlands Ranch has the next best mark at 4:20.60.

The boys 800 features New Bern NC sr Karjuan Williams, who has had injury problems some of the spring, but ran history’s #2 time indoors in February (1:50.74). Franklin TN’s Gregory Hudgens II is listed 2nd at 1:52.41.

Mustang OK jr Kevin Schwab leads a group of four OK runners at 9:10 in the 3200. But altitude-trained runners like Galena NV’s Dan Geib, seeded closer to 9:30, could battle for the lead, too.

Girls Field Events

Niwot CO sr. Sarah Griffin-Matthews was the queen last year with her 21-2 long jump and MVP performance, and will have a chance to repeat here. El Paso TX Parkland sr Tina Madry at 19-07 is the top challenger.

McKinney TX sr Britany Parker is inexplicably seeded at 12-0, but she has cleared 13-00.25 this spring and 13-06 indoors. Eight others are tabbed as 12-footers, including Desert Vista AZ sr Jacquelyn Perryman and surprising Mansfield TX fr Shade Weygandt, both 12-9 performers.

Four triple jumpers are crowded between 39-05 and 39-10, with Harpeth Hall TN state champ and jr Gabrielle Gioia coming all the way from Nashville to battle hometown girl (Highland HS) Deanna Young and the El Paso duo of Jessica Ubanyionwu and Madry for the title.

Three discus throwers have exceeded 150 feet, led by Owasso OK jr Kylie Spurgeon at 158-08. Sonni Russell (Friita Monument CO sr ) at 5-9 and Kelsey Lloyd (Amarillo TX) at 5-8 lead the high jumpers. Nanaimo BC Canada’s Emma MacCorquodale paces the hammer entries at 172-00, and Hannah Carson of Chandler AZ is the top jav thrower at 138-00.

DeSoto TX 46-footer Tiera Hall will be the shot favorite. Chandler AZ has the top two seeds in the jav with Hannah Carson and Amesthyts Boyd.

Boys Field Events

If you really want to see something special, make sure you come the cage Saturday by for the boys discus. The event could be the personal showcase of incredible Ardmore OK soph Geoffrey Tabor, who at 200-05 is the No. 2 sophomore in national history. No one in the field is within 19 feet of him, but others near the 180 mark lurk, including veteran Troy TX sr thrower Trey Jordan.

Tabor, Jordan, Norman OK fr Cameron Tabor, and DeSoto TX sr Jason Guillory (61-03) are all between 59-00 and 61-03 in the shot.

Two 24-footers are entered in the long jump, including Texas City TX sr Whitney Provost (24-04) and Grand Prairie TX sr Malcolm Williams (24-03.5). Three others have seeds beyond 23-06. Williams, though, is the top seed in the triple jump at 50-01, a foot up on Wallis Brazos TX sr Thomas Lang.

It’s a great year for pole vaulters, and one of Texas’s finest, Midlothian sr Nick Frawley (17-00) is among the national leaders. Three others have done 16 feet. The high jump sports three 7-footers, including Texans Grant Lindsay (7-2) Julius Walker (7-0) and Tony Triplett (7-0, Edmond OK). Three others have done 6-10.

Shadow Ridge NV sr Jarrod Walters is the class of the jav field at 200 feet, while Surprise AZ’s Jacob Nicol has the best hammer throw coming in at 176-05.

Multis: Decathlon (Boys) and Heptathlon (Girls)

Not many prep athletes get to do a decathlon (boys) or heptathlon (girls), but one of the best opportunities is here. Fields of 18-20 each will contest the boys and girls 2-day events Thursday and Friday.

Experienced Bismarck, North Dakota athlete Weston Lentz, who is seeded with a score of 6700 points, will lead the field. Wesley Bray of Houston, Texas, who is seeded with 6453, will probably be his top challenger. The top New Mexico athlete should be Daniel Gooris of Rehoboth.

Brittany Williams (Willowridge, Sugarland TX) is established enough to rank #10 among Juniors in the USA (top prep) with a score of 4815. But she will have a battle on her hands with Brittany Borman out of DeSoto, MO, seeded with a score of 4700 points.