3. Jake Merrell
Class: Senior
School: Turkey Valley (TX)
College: Signed to Baylor University
Events: 800m, 1600m
Why to watch: Merrell's appearance at Air Force marks a really important moment for the dual-athlete out of West Texas. This will be the Baylor signee's first introduction to indoor competition since he began competing in the sport, and it will also be the earliest he's put in base work since jumping on the track in 2015. That could mean a swoon of eventual accolades for Merrell, who's a three-time Class 1A state champion in the 800m, with a PR of 1:51.56. He's also run a PR of 4:13.00 in the 1600m and is two-time state champ at the distance. But a year ago, Merrell got a late start to the spring and endured injury, only ramping up to a PB of 1:54.10 and 4:15.17 at those distances. While Merrell still played football and basketball this year, a decision to compete indoors does give an indication that the senior is ready to cut time in his favorite events. That all begins at Air Force.