April 8-9, 2005

June 17-18, 2005

Mississippi's Bianca Knight
Rolls in for 200/400 double!!
23.06/52.96 as frosh last year!!

Nation's Top Young sprinter, Mississippi's Bianca Knight rolls into Arcadia.

One of the finest young sprinters in US High School history, Ridgeland Mississippi's Bianca Knight, will roll into Southern California in a week to batle the Golden State's best! Hoping to continue the deep South's tradition of Zundra Feagin (Cocoa, Florida), a prep National Track & Field Athlete of the Year, who battled with then-prep Marion Jones, and Erica Whipple (Sun Coast, Riviera Beach), who blasted the Golden State's best with an 11.57-23.46 sprint double in 1999, Knight will be stepping over a half (200m) and a full lap (400m) in a week at Arcadia.

Last year Bianca set a National Frosh 200 meter record of 23.06 in winning the National Junior Olympics title for her age-group, and added a 52.96 for the 400 meter distance in that same meet. Her 200 best marks her as one of US Prep History's top fifteen all-time with three more prep years to go! She is the nation's top returning half-lapper, and the #2 400m runner back in the country! While other sprinters may prance, or have a smooth combination of quickness and a pretty stride, the impression one has of Knight's running is one of pure power. In the National JO title runs she exhibited an acceleration during the final part of the 200 and 400 that was quite stunning as she lifted away from talented groups. Part of a four-family generation of tracksters in the Pearl area of Mississippi, Knight won the 100, 200, 400, anchored the winning 4x100 and 4x200 relays squads and raced on the third place finishing 4x400 group at state last year! She is a fine basketball player, but in an interview for the National Scholastic Sports Foundation prior to the Nike Indoor Championships, her mother stated that she has given up all other sports for her running.

Bianca is coming off a hot indoor season, with a win at the Nike Indoor Championships over 200 meters at 24.05. Interestingly, she will be facing National outdoor 400m leader (53.30 from Pasadena games) Sade Williams (Rancho Cucamonga) at the 400 and 200 distances at Arcadia, with Williams second at the Nike Indoor 200 at 24.61 from another Finals race. Williams took the 400 in the Maryland Indoor Nike affair at 55.47 with Knight second in that same contest at 56.75, so a great sprint double match-up is set up! Sade's 53.30 win a week ago outdoors was achieved with impressive power and pacing, so the inland empire star looks ready for something bigger with good competition!!

Should be a cooker, with the Girls half and full lap events worth the trip alone!