We took a look at the Florida entrants in the Championship sprint events at New Balance Outdoor Nationals, here are a few potential story lines to keep an eye out for this weekend.
Boys Championship 100m Dash
Da'Marcus Fleming has a chance to make some headlines against three of the nation's best sprinters. He's more than a month removed from his double state win, but could be a factor if he is still fit.
Joseph Fahnbulleh (MN) is University of Florida bound next year and has a best of 10.23. Kennedy Lightner (AR) is University of Arkansas bound and blasted a 10.34 (0.7) and a 20.48 (-0.4) at the Great Southwest Classic last weekend, Lightner has a windy best of 10.31(+3.7) from 2017. Cameron Miller (TX), another University of Florida signee, is in the same boat as Fleming in that he hasn't posted a top time in more than a month.
Fleming clocked a 10.62 (-0.9) and 21.01 (-0.3) at the FHSAA 3A state meet a month ago. He comes in as one of the few juniors and he is ready to make some noise.
Girls Championship 100m Dash
Tamari Davis has posted a 11.27 (0.8) matching her best time from the Florida Relays in March and a 22.96 (-0.4) in a double win at the Atlanta Georgia Relays in May. She is primed to get her summer season going. She'll be the best of the field by a fairly good margin of 0.2s and could be in the hunt for Candace Hills HSR, sophomore record and age 16 record of 10.98 in the 100m.
Jacious Sears, a Miami Hurricane signee, has a chance to finish off her season near the top and improve on her FHSAA 4A title. Keep an eye out for Makhaila Mills, a sophomore out of Creekside who split a 11.66 (0.7) at the FHSAA 3A state meet and fellow sophomore, Cydney Wright, of Maitland, who has clocked an 11.95 (0.7) at the state meet as well.
The future is fast with three Florida sophomores looking to mix it up at the top.
Boys Championship 200m Dash
Da'Marcus Fleming will have another chance at the tab himself as one of the nation's top sprinters in the 200m. Fleming won the FHSAA title out of one of the timed sections a PR of 21.01. He'll have his hands full with three sub 21 second performers including Kennedy Lightner who sped to an altitude aided 20.48 at the Great Southwest Classic last weekend.
Keep an eye out for Xzavier Henderson, of Miami Columbus, he finished second at the FHSAA 4A state meet in the event in a time of 21.57 and comes in with a PR of 21.53.
Girls Championship 200m Dash
Once again, Tamari Davis, has posted a 22.96(-0.4) in a double win at the Atlanta Georgia Relays in May. Her 22.48 PR from last year's state meet is much is close to Candace Hill's sophomore and age 16 record of 22.43. Allyson Felix's 22.14 high school record came from the altitude of Mexico City in 2003.
Super frosh and 16 year old Kayla Davis of NC will also be in the field. Davis posted a 23.08(NWI) and 11.68(NWI) at the Mark Trail Invitational on the same weekend as Tamari Davis' performance. She also sped to a 52.08 400m frosh record breaking Robin Reynolds' mark of 52.15. Interestingly, Kayla Davis' team is coached by Bershawn Jackson who's sister is Robin Reynolds.
Cydney Wright, Jacious Sears, and Makhaila Mills join Tamari Davis as the group of Floridians that will mix it up in this event.
Boys Championship 400m Dash
Orange Park junior, Alex Collier, will have his hands full with new 400m star, Justin Robinson (MO). Robinson was the New Balance National Indoor 400m champ and stunned the HS world with a 44.84 to move to No. 2 on the high school all-time list behind Darrell Robinson's 44.69 set in 1982 and ahead of Jamal Walton's 44.99 set in 2017.
Collier and Columbus' Xzavier Henderson and Jordan Highsmith, could be in the mix for a top five finish as the top five have under 47.60 personal bests.
Girls Championship 400m Dash
Florida's top performers (the 2A, 3A and 4A state champions) will all be in this race and it has the chance to come out with outstanding results.
Leading the way will be US No. 1 Jan'Taijah Ford. The decorated senior is bound for the University of Southern California next year and is living up to the Trojan legacy already. She blasted her nation leading time of 51.57 by winning the Great Southwest Classic last weekend. That put her at No. 2 on the Florida all-time list behind Sanya Richards' High School Record and Florida all-time record of 50.69.
Ford will be pressed by 4 who have run 52.40 or better! That list includes Piper freshman, Aaliyah Butler, the FHSAA State Meet record holder and unbelievably, the second fastest freshman in the field behind Kayla Davis, the high school freshman record holder with a 52.08. Also throw in University of Tennessee signee, Britton Wilson, a 52.06 performer and the 600m indoor American record holder, Athing Mu.
This event is going to be one of the best 400 meter races in high school history to watch. It is so deep!
