1A-4A State Indoor Preview


BOYS 1-4A Distance Preview

 

The top two finishers in the 1-4A 3200 will be returning to the Tyson Center this Friday. Noah Eskew of Jessieville and Parker Ables of Heber Springs hold the top two times in the 3200 among the 1-4A competitors. Eskew's 9:38 and Ables' 9:44 set them well ahead of the rest of the pack, which justifies them as the favorites to take the 3200 title. Following the two are their teammates. Heber's Lane Carter and Jessieville's Jake Carter hold similar personal best times and will be battling it out to secure big points for their teams. Other top athletes from 2017 that pose threat include Anthony Puerta of Salem, Jakob Martin of Trinity Christian, Marcus Rudick of Cave City and Jacob Mills of Pottsville.

 

Similar to the 3200, the top two returners from the 2017 season in the 1600 are Eskew and Ables. Eskew was narrowly beaten by Conway Christian's Bennet Pascoe in 2017 and will be looking to avenge that defeat this season. Caught up in the race for third place last year, Ables looks to contend for a win this year. Both athletes have personal bests under 4:30 which could make for a quick race on Friday. Adam Bruce of Trinity Christian, Kendall Townsley of Cave City, Ryan Whitehead of Genoa Central, and Carter of Heber fill out the rest of the returners to watch for. All of these athletes have personal bests between 4:38 and 4:43 which will make for an exciting finish.

 

We will see a new champion in the 800 this year as well. Shiloh Christian's Joe Schroeder, who did not compete in the 2017 indoor meet, has the top returning time of1:58 from the outdoor season. Eskew, also with a personal best of 1:58, has shown he has the speed to contend for the 800 title as well, if he races. Top returner from the 2017 indoor meet is Bruce from Trinity Christian with a personal best of 2:02. Other athletes in contention for the 2018 title include Taylor Haisman of Decatur, Dakota Smith of Palestine-Wheatley, Jack Jones of Genoa Central, and Heber's Carter and Ables.

 

Boys 1-4A Sprints/ Hurdles Preview

 

            Ashdown's Ladarius Bishop has a slight edge over the rest of the returning field in the 60 meter dash. He's the only athlete with a personal best under 7.30. The next fastest is Heber's JaQuan Dunaway in 7.34. Following close behind is Cooper Elliot of Pea Ridge in 7.37. The remaining top returners in the 60 include Cole Huddleston of Waldron, Randarius Terry and Kaylon Williams of Crossett, Jordan White of Nashville, and Lorenza Simmons of Joe T. Robinson. Assuming all of these athletes advance out of the preliminary heats on Friday, we could see a close race.

 

            Similar to the 60, Bishop of Ashdown and Dunaway of Heber hold the top two returning times in the 200 at 22.24 and 22.41. The third best time returning from the 2017 season is Joe T. Robinson's Eric Franklin in 22.81. These three athletes are the only ones who have run under 23.00 in the event. Other returning athletes on the verge of hitting that mark include Elliot of Pea Ridge, Luke Forga of Mount Ida, Cameron Lee of Mineral Springs, and Terry of Crossett.

 

            Led by Dunaway of Heber in 51.92, we've got another tight-knit group returning to the 2018 season in the 400. Top returners from the 2017 indoor meet include Griffin Smith of South Side Bee Branch, Tyreke Caldwell of Crossett, and Connor Escajeda of Pea Ridge. Other athletes who have run marks sufficient enough to find themselves in the mix for points on Friday include Herman Brown of Hamburg, Bryson Huff of Mount Ida, Eskew of Jessieville, and Smith of Palestine-Wheatley.

 

            Jordan White of Nashville holds the top returning time in the 60 Hurdles in 8.94. He's the lone athlete in 1-4A who's run under 9.00 in the event. Two returning athletes under 10.00 include Devante McKinney of Earle and Lukas Carnley of Waldron. The rest of the field composed of Kenny Dorsey of Pea Ridge, Kalob Carpenter of Nashville, Jacob Jackson of Genoa Central, Warren Thurman of Rivercrest, and Skyler Haughom of Cave City have all run between 10.15 and 10.34.

 

Boys 1-4A Field Events Preview

 

            The top eight returning marks in the long jump are all within eleven inches. The field of returning athletes is led by Boonville's Brandon Ulmer at 21-9.5. Following closely behind is Ladarius Bishop of Ashdown. The top returner from the 2017 indoor meet is Jovonn Watson of Crossett. His personal best of 21-3 is the third best mark returning from the 2017 outdoor season. Other notable athletes include Quincy Johnson of Joe T. Robinson, Ryan Higgs of Pea Ridge, Anthony Nelson of Ashdown, JaQuan Dunaway of Heber, and Josh Silva of Ozark.

 

            In the triple jump, top returner from the 2017 indoor meet, Darius Martin of Nashville leaped to a personal best 43-2 during the 2017 outdoor season. He's joined by Devon Adams of Pocahontas and Tre Green of Ashdown as the only returning athletes that have surpassed the 23-0 mark. Other athletes that are in contention for a triple jump title include Brandon Atwood of Gentry, Tristian Updagraff of Berryville, Anthony Nelson of Ashdown, Michael Thompson of Crossett, and Reid Fellers of Trinity Christian.

           

            Three athletes that have jumped 6-0 or better will be returning to the Tyson Center Friday night. Quinton Reeves of Piggott, Nelson and Bishop of Ashdown are the early favorites in the high jump. The rest of the field have all jumped at least 5-10 and could easily sneak into a top position in the event. Those athletes include Peyton Hadden of Mineral Springs, Kalob Carpenter of Nashville, Kelton Trembley of Gravette, Dewayne Ashford of Crossett, and Quincy Johnson of Joe T. Robinson.

 

            Rhett Nelson of Trinity Christian has already proved to be an early favorite in the pole vault after his 16-4.75 earlier this month. The next closest mark in the 1-4A pole vault is held by Caddo Hills' Chandler West at 14-0.75 which was set earlier this month as well. Carpenter of Nashville joins him in the 14-0 club after a performance in the 2017 outdoor season. Other athletes to keep an eye out for in the pole vault include Genoa Central's Brayden Hensley and Remington Bearden, Booneville's Austin Dobbs, Justin Herron of Jessieville, and Colton Youngblood of Trinity Christian.

 

            The two returning favorites in the shot put from the 2017 indoor meet are Gentry's Mason Clark and Ashdown's Chris French. Clark threw an impressive 53-2.75 earlier this month at a meet in Joplin, MO. Not far behind him, French threw 50-0 during the 2017 outdoor season. We could see an exciting competition in the shot this year. Notable athletes returning to the 2018 season include Kyvin Carrol of Central Arkansas Christian, Nate Mallard of Piggott, Christian Duggan of Caddo Hills, Cullen Young of Ashdown, Aidan Patton of Gravette, and Rickey Walker of Mineral Springs who have all thrown at least 42-0 in the event.