Skyler Franklin, an 8th grader at Somerset Academy Central Miramar, will be making her long-awaited high school track meet debut this weekend at the Louie Bing Classic amongst other age group stars like herself that have dazzled with incredible times as youths growing up in track & field over the years.
Franklin ran a remarkable time nearly 3 years ago as an 11-year-old fifth-grader when she posted a jaw-dropping 400-meter time of 55.29 at the 2019 Georgia Relays. She would go on later that summer to win an AAU Junior Olympic Games national title in the event as well with a 56.32 clocking.
She followed up that season with another banner year in 2020 sweeping the AAU Junior Olympic Games titles in sprints for her age group in the 100 (12.18), 200 (24.61), and 400 (56.29) as a seventh-grader.
While no AAU titles this past summer while finishing up her seventh grade year as a 13-year-old, Franklin did continie to improve by lowering her time in the 100-meter dash under 12 seconds at 11.93 and recorded a 200-meter dash PR as well at 24.11. She also got introduced to indoor track winning the Rising Stars girls 400-meter race at the adidas Indoor Nationals last March.
The state of Florida is not short on talent found within the Class of 2026 with many of those top female athletes attending private schools that allow 8th graders to compete at the varsity high school level.
Franklin as well as Ariyanna Griggs (Somerset Academy) and D'Asia Duncan (Geneva School) are three big names among the age group stars that we are excited to watch compete in their first high school meet this weekend at the Louie Bing Classic. Franklin is set to compete in the 100 and 200-meter dash at Louie Bing, which has preliminary rounds starting on Friday at Traz Powell Stadium in Miami.