Jan 05, 2023

WATCH LIVE: THE LSU HIGH SCHOOL CLASSIC

BEGINS AIRING ON JAN. 7 AT 10:00 A.M. CST

A return to the purple and grey oval in Baton Rouge is in order for Saturday.

A selection of the top athletes from Louisiana and Mississippi will descend upon the campus of Louisiana State University for the LSU High School Classic, one of the state's premier regular season indoor track and field meets.

In many ways, it marks the beginning of the year for so many athletes, optimism for many more, and a litmus test for elite prospects looking to chop down state records.

The meet will be filled with superb competition. Below, we highlighted seven of the top athletes entering the meet on Saturday. For full coverage, head over to the meet page on MileSplit Louisiana.

7. Rachel Fereday, Dutchtown (LA)

Events: 400m & 800m

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Fereday claimed a Louisiana Class 5A title in the 800m to finish her outdoor season, clocking a personal best time of 2:15.94.

Just how good was that performance?

The senior from Geismar, Louisiana culminated the year with Louisiana's No. 1 half-mile time and the 29th-best effort in state history.

As with anything, there's room for growth. Saturday's meet could witness Fereday aiming for those heights, including knocking down her indoor PRs of 1:01.83 in the 400m and 2:17.90 in the 800m.

6. John Scott Kendricks, Oxford (MS)

Events: Pole vault

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The younger brother of Olympic medalist and World Champion Sam Kendricks ended his 2022 season at his highest.

Clearing 16-9.5, 16-6.5 and 16-8 in three of his last four meets, Kendricks showed the kind of consistency that likely will make an impact in 2023.

He won a national title at adidas Outdoor Nationals, but enters his indoor season looking to chop down his personal best of 15-7 from last December.

On Saturday, Kendricks will enter as the event's top seed and could have 17-feet on the mind.

5. Broderick Davis, Scotlandville (LA)

Events: 60mH, 4x400, LJ & TJ

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Davis is legitimately elite in three events.

Which one is his best? That question may be answered in 2023.

We'll say this: The high school junior from Scotlandville has a particular strength on the runway, where he scored a best of 23-1 in the long jump over the outdoor season. Indoors, Davis claimed marks of 22-11.25 and 44-4.25 a season ago.

But he's also one of the state's top short hurdlers. David won an indoor state title (above) with a time of 8.00 in 2022.

On Saturday, he'll be opening his season right where he begun last year. Expect Davis to be one of the meet's brightest stars.

4. Julie Segroves, Biloxi (MS)

Events: Pole vault

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Two of Mississippi's top athletes are headed to Baton Rouge on Saturday.

Segroves, a high school sophomore from Biloxi who in December cleared 12-feet in the pole vault and opened her season with a 13-2 mark at the Texas Pole Vault Explosion, enters as the top seed in the event.

The Biloxi athlete pocketed a personal best height of 13-feet to end the 2022 outdoor season and earned a victory at the Mississippi Meet of Champions. She also claimed a runner-up finish at the MHSAA Class 6A Championships. Before the new year, she cleared 13-2 in Texas.

As a freshman, Segroves finished the year just inside the top 50 performances in the pole vault nationally and was ranked No. 2 in the Class of 2025 overall, just behind Veronica Vacca, who set a national class record in the event indoors.

3. Winston DeCuir, Catholic (LA)

Events: 800m, 3,200m & 4x400

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The senior from Baton Rouge Catholic had a breakout season in 2022, winning a Louisiana Class 5A title in the 800m before anchoring his Catholic squad to a U.S. No. 32 time in the 4x800 in 7:47.77. That performance was also a new state record. He ran PRs of 46.90 and 1:54.97, respectively, in the 400m and 800m over the outdoor season.

He'll return to the indoor oval on Saturday with a triple in front of him.

He'll enter as the prohibitive favorite in the half-mile, but he'll have some robust competition in the 3,200m, including Zachary's Rhen Langley.

The expectations may not be the moon for DeCuir, who will open his season at the meet, but they also shouldn't be too reserved, either. DeCuir should be able to clamp down on his 1:59.66 indoor PR from 2022.

Who will turn in the most impressive performance at the LSU Indoor Classic?

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2. Krosse Johnson, Holy Cross (LA)

Events: 60m & 4x200

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The reigning Louisiana Class 5A state champion in the 100m and 200m -- who already has a football offer from Texas Tech -- enters as one of the state's top sprints talents in 2023.

But a state title won't come easy.

A year ago, he was second at the state indoor championships in the 60m, finishing behind fellow peer Ra'hji Dennis, a junior from Ednar Karr. The Louisiana duo are ranked No. 16 and No. 21 on MileSplit's most recent recruiting list in the Class of 2024.

While Dennis won't be at the meet on Saturday, that could offer some positives for Johnson: One among them, in fact, will be reps. A solid start to the season could give Johnson and set up a juicy matchup down the road with Dennis. This weekend, Johnson will line up in the 60m and 4x200.

1. Makeriah Harris, Scotlandville (LA)

Events: 60mH, 400m, 4x200 & 4x400

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There's nothing like a four-event haul in January. And there's nothing like a season debut, either.

Harris will be scheduled for a split double on Saturday, including two sprints and two relays.

All this work isn't new for Harris, who's already established herself as one of the top athletes in the country -- she's the fifth-ranked recruit in the Class of 2024, in fact.

In many ways, these performances are barometers for current and long-term fitness, along with and crucial race-prep tools down the road. Harris should be considered the favorite in each of her individual events.

A year ago she clocked a top time of 8.60 in the 60mH, which won her a Louisiana state title. While she hasn't run an indoor 400m since 2021, Harris posted an open 400m time of 57.15 last outdoor season.