WATCH LIVE: Florida/Georgia Challenge
Live Results/Heat Sheets
A race by race preview of all of Saturday's running events for the Florida/Georgia Challenge at the Alachua County Sports Center in Gainesville.
Girls 1000m Run - A light field to start off the running events for the weekend with Danielle Baig of Impact Speed Athletics as the top seed at 3:20.
Boys 1000m Run - After witnessing a sub 2:30 solo effort last week by Riley Novack in the 1000 meter run, we could potentially see another similar performance this week with Cambridge Christian's Braxton Legg jumping in the 5 lap event along with another quality entrant in Cypress Creek's Zack Poekert. Last week, Legg jumped into the college meet at the Alachua County Collegiate Invitational and ran a US #2 time of 8:22 in the 3K, which converts to a sub 9 minute for 3200 meters. Meanwhile, Poekert two weeks ago clocked a personal best mile time of 4:16. So great potential between both for a push to run under 2:30 in the 1K.
Girls 600m Run - The nation's fastest high school girls 600 meter time of 1:31.37 was recorded last week by Layla Haynes of IMG Academy at the Alachua County Sports Center and her US #1 time could be tested this week at the same venue by Montverde Academy junior Michelle Smith. The 600 meter could be the perfect indoor event for Smith, who is one of the nation's top returnees outdoors in the 300 (41.86 PR) and 400 (57.86) meter hurdles along with one of Florida's fastest at 800 meters (2:10.93 PR) as well. Smith won the 400 at the RADD Sunshine Showcase two weeks ago in a US top 10 performance of 55.38.
Boys 600m Run - Matthew Raucci of Tavares won the 600 meter last week at the Legends of Alachua County meet with a 1:23.58 effort from a slow heat doubling back from an 800 meter race earlier in the day. He will be fresh this weekend with the 600 being his first race of the meet, so certainly a chance to improve upon his time and push closer to US top 10-15 territory (US #10 right now is 1:22.02).
Girls 60m Hurdles - Aleesa Samuel headlines a deep field for the girls 60 meter hurdles that could require sub 9 second clocking to make the finals. Samuel is currently ranked US #4 in the event from her 8.41 clocking at The Galleria Games in Alabama in December. Last spring's 2A state champion in the 100 meter hurdles from Somerset Academy Pembroke Pines has competed in the sprints in prior meets in Gainesville, but this will be her first time racing in the hurdles at the new indoor venue.
Boys 60m Hurdles - The boys 60 meter hurdles will have two event winners from prior meets at the venue in RADD Sunshine Showcase winner Matthew McKnight and Jimmy Carnes Invitational winner Jabari Armstrong. McKnight defeated Armstrong at the RADD Sunshine Showcase in the finals with a 8.06 personal best over Armstrong at 8.16 in PR.
Girls 60m Dash - The nation's top two ranked runners in the girls 60 meter dash and teammates in Montverde Academy's Micayah Holland (7.21 PR) and Adeajah Hodge (7.24 PR) will see if can continue to push each other to even faster times in the event after going 1-2 last weekend in Gainesville at The Legends of Alachua County Meet with Holland setting the facility record in 7.25 for the win and Hodge right behind her at 7.29. Behind the duo, there is a trio of entrants hovering in the 7.5's range including Sophie Haag (7.53), Aleesa Samuel (7.54), and Aniyah Kitt (7.58).
Boys 60m Dash - After tying for the US #2 all-time in the high school boys 60 meter dash last weekend at 6.59, Montverde Academy's Issam Asinga will get another crack at chasing the national record of 6.57 in the event held by Casey Combest from 1999. Asinga won't have his teammates Micah Larry and Zyaire Nuriddin in the 60 dash field to push him this week in the finals, but will have other Florida top 10 ranked sprinters entered including Valentino Rudolph, Camren McClendon-Ware, and Tyler Azcano with sub 7 clockings already this season.
Girls Mile Run - The fast section should see several runners dip under the current high school facility record of 5:11.35 by Dillard's Raquel Edwards with a handful of girls capable of challenging the sub 5 minute barrier at some point this year. A past 1600 meter state champion Haley Thornton of Palm Harbor University has a total of 8 sub 5 minute races in her high school career will be running in her first indoor meet. IMG Academy's Huntley Buckingham has been on a tear this winter winning a total of 3 races at the Alachua County Sports Center and might be the most race sharp in the field. Meanwhile, a talented group of indoor racing newbies will be in the girls mile including Lindy White of Ponte Vedra, Kate Drummond of Buchholz, Alyson Johnson of Creekside, and Ava Povich of Evangelical Christian.
Boys Mile Run - One of the deepest races of the day with 9 entrants at 4:23 or faster, the top two seeds Zach Poekert (4:16) and Braxton Legg (4:18) will be doubling back potentially from a hard 1K effort earlier in the day. Meanwhile, Buchholz's Emerson Miller will certainly be fresh as a sub 4:20 miler and last time he raced at the Alachua County Sports Center won the 3K at the Jimmy Carnes Invitational with a US #7 time of 8:32. Buchholz boys could show their depth as a group too with Miller's teammates Mason Kawaja, Evan Fleming, and Riley Smith having all turned in strong performances at other distances this indoor season.
Girls 400m Dash - Two 56 second performers will contend for the win in the girls 400 meter dash between Alivia Williams (56.44) of Montverde Academy and Shanel Morgan (56.52) of St. Thomas Aquinas. Williams' teammate at Montverde Academy has the fastest season best time on the season at FL #10 58.11 after winning several slow sections of events just last week, but will be in the fast section this weekend with Williams and Morgan.
Boys 400m Dash - Last year's indoor national leader at 400 meters with a 46.04 indoor best in Zyaire Nuriddin of Montverde Academy will look to drop his time from his US #3 season debut of 47.58 from a week ago at The Legends of Alachua County meet. His teammate Javyian Greene (48.62 indoor best) and sub 47 second outdoor performer Aidan Dixon of Port Orange Atlantic will be pushing him in the fast section.
Girls 4x200m Relay - The T.E.A.M. Blue girls featuring primarily athletes from East Lake High School but also athletes from other Tampa Bay area schools should potentially push for a time close to 1:40 flat including the likes of Sophie Haag, Aniyah Kitt, and Ellis Weekley should be able to roll as a unit.
Boys 4x200m Relay - IMG Academy has shown in recent weeks that they have plenty of depth in the sprints with their athletes individual times including qualifying several last week for the finals of the boys 200 meter dash. Many of those same athletes will come together for a 4x200 meter relay this week with the likes of Dylan Woodruff, Caine Stanley, and Avian Edwards-Pla should make them one of the fastest relays in Florida this year but will be missing Davonte Howell who will be nursing an injury suffered last week.