Runners To Watch: Girls

Landri Wilcox: Cookeville High School

Dinah Winders: Henry County High School

Leigh Walters: Page High School

We've had the opportunity to see these 3 underclassmen go head to head twice now this season and each time Landri Wilcox has come out on top. Landri's times have been a little bit up and down but then again so has her competition. She has only lost to Sasha Neglia and Jenna Hutchins so far this year but each time she has raced premier competition she has PR'd. I expect her to continue to rise to the competition and be the top finisher from the mid-state in the Large School - Division I competition Saturday.

Leigh Walters is going to be right behind her. Her 5k progression from the end of last season to now is a consistent downward trend. She is locked in when the gun fires and just keeps getting better every race regardless of the competition around her. Whatever training plan she is on is working and if she can peak on Saturday she may sneak into the top 3.

Dinah Winders will be a fringe top 5 contender on Saturday. She opened the season with a second place finish to Landri and beat Leigh but as Leigh kept improving towards 18:00 flat Dinah has danced around 18:30's and 18:40's for majority of the season. With a PR on Saturday she may sneak into the top 5 but will have to beat fellow freshman Andie-Marie Jones of Maryville and Senior Skylar Boogerd of Arlington (who she beat at Memphis Twilight) to do so.

Other Favorites: 

Kaelyn Meier: Merroll Hyde Magnet - Small School Division I

An odd omission from last year's state competition. Currently sits 2nd in the class rankings. In order to end the season at the top will have to beat strong competitors out of Dresden and Signal Mountain. 

Coco Holliday: Brentwood Academy - Large School Division II

The clear favorite in her division. Last season looked to be plagued with an injury but she has bounced back strong and looks to run away with the individual title as well as a team title in the process.