(Kole Mathison leading the 3200 at the Summer Finale Distance Open earlier this summer)
With the Dave Fulkerson Classic set for tomorrow, we're taking a look at meet entries and giving you our Top 5 boys to watch.
MileSplit Indiana will be live on-site to capture photos and race video which will be available to view shortly after the meet concludes.
Dave Fulkerson Classic: Entries, Schedule Of Events
Warren Central's Otto De St. Joer enters 2021 as one of the state's premier athletes in the 200 Meter Dash. St. Joer won both the Greyhound Classic and the Indiana Track Club Open last winter. His best time of 22.33 last season was second only to Jahn Riley, who now runs track for Purdue.
St. Joer will open his senior campaign this weekend at the Dave Fulkerson Classic, where he should see close competition from Leo's David Slick. Slick won the Indiana Runner Indoor Invitational last season, and notched a third place finish at the Blackwell AAU Invitational earlier this year.
Mason Childers is already a winner in 2021. The Dartmouth commit won the 800 Meter Run at the Blackwell AAU Invitational in 2:00.34 on January 2nd, a two second improvement on his best indoor time last season. The Bloomington North Senior should be one of the best middle-distance runners in the state this year, and he'll have a chance to prove it this weekend at Warsaw.
Carmel's Kole Mathison became a star on the cross country course last fall, winning every race he competed in before finishing third at the State Finals. This weekend, the Sophomore will look to tame the 1600 Meter Run. Mathison did run a few indoor meets in 2020, including a third place finish in the One Mile Run at the Indiana Runner Sprint and Distance Showcase where he finished in 4:27.03.
While Mathison's 1600 pace remains a bit of an unknown, he has proven to be one of the best distance runners in the state and should be the favorite on Saturday. His closest competition could come from Carmel teammate Hudson Alden, who finished ten seconds behind Mathison at the Indiana Runner Sprint and Distance Showcase in 2020.
Evan Conley only got to compete in one meet last year, but he made the most of it. The Delta thrower won the shot put at the OWL Invite with a mark of 52'1", more than seven feet clear of second place. Now a Senior, Conley has one last chance to prove he's an elite thrower. His quest begins at Warsaw, where he is the heavy favorite to win the shot put.
Brownburg's John Colquitt had a spectacular season last winter, winning both the Long Jump and the Hurdles at the Sparkplug Qualifier and the West Lafayette Individuals. Colquitt is only signed up for the 60 Meter Hurdles this weekend. That race should be a close one between Colquitt and Zachary Cox, who burst onto the scene last year with a win in the 55 Meter Hurdles at the Indian Runner Sprint and Distance Open. Cox's time of 7.83 that day is just slightly slower than Colquitt's best time in that distance, a 7.73.