Tuesday Top 10: Super Sophomores

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A few weeks ago we looked at 10 incoming freshman; this week we decided to feature 10 Super Sophomores.

(Rankings current at time of Publication)

1. Hannah Long, Eureka

MO: 1st – 800 (2:11.90), 2nd – 3200 (10:27:49)

USA: 8th – 800, 14th- 3200

USA SO: 1st – 800, 1st- 3200

What a way to start off with our super sophomore list. The best sophomore in the nation!  Hannah burst onto the scene as a middle schooler and has only continued to develop with time.  Her 2:11 beats her freshman best by over two seconds and her 10:27 puts her among the best in state history. The only times we have better than that come from Emily Sisson, Taylor Werner, and Megan Thompson. It is exciting to think about what Long can accomplish over next two and a quarter years at Eureka.

2. Morgan Prather, Penney

100m – 12.39 (6th in MO)

200m – 25.10 (1st in MO, 19th SO in US)

400m – 57.78 (3rd in MO, 33rd SO in US)

800m – 2:23.93 (15 in MO)

While Penney lost one of the most versatile athletes in Missouri Track history in Lindsay Vollmer, Morgan Prather is displaying unique range.  This kind of résumé almost reminds me of Sam Levin or Whitney Adams in that she can go anywhere from 100m-800m. Add on a 12th place finish this fall in Class 2 at the Cross Country State meet and you have yourself a dynamic threat.  Currently sitting in first in Class 2 for two events (with a close second in the others), Prather could score Penney a chunk of points come May.

3. Stephen Mugeche, Blue Springs

1600m - 4:19.91 (5th in MO, 5th SO in US)

3200m – 9:29.74 (7th in MO, 18th SO in US)

Last summer I compared Mugeche to Noah Kauppila using their freshman year.  While it may be hard for him to win the 3200m considering Kauppila’s recent performance, Mugeche might come away with better sophomore bests than the Marquette junior (not to mention Mugeche actually finished one place higher in his sophomore cross season than Noah).  Already dipping under 4:20, Mugeche is one of only five sophomores in the nation to complete this feat.

4. Khalil Davis, Blue Springs

Discus 180-9 (2nd in MO, 1st SO in US)

Khalil starting heating up last year with a strong AAU performance, finishing 15th overall. He made the trip across the state early this year and unleashed the discus over 180 meters, earning him the current #1 spot in the nation for sophomores. 

5. Allison Hinson, St. Clair

Shot Put: 43-4 (2nd in MO, 41th in US, 5th SO in US)

Discus: 90-8

Hinson finished last season with an 8th place finish, which isn’t bad for a freshman.  The only thing is, her mark at State was two feet shorter than she threw the entire month leading up to State.  She wasted no time this year, throwing over 40 in her first two meets including the 43 foot 4 inch bomb to put her among the best sophomores around the country.

 

6. Lydia Harrold, McCluer

400m – 59.25 (7th in MO)

LJ: 18-1.5 (4th in MO, 16th SO in US)

Harrold, who is fourth in the LJ for the state, is sitting behind three state champions (*Friar’s come from TJ but two TJ titles have to count for something). After running a couple 100m and 200m races a freshman, her coaches found her niche in the 400m and LJ. To start out the season she was two seconds behind Whitney Adams in the 400m.  Being two seconds behind Whitney Adams in the 400m as a sophomore is saying something!

 

7. Kyle Pudenz, Park Hill

800m – 2:01.03 (15th in MO)

1600m – 4:27.68 (15th in MO)

This Park Hill sophomore has shown tremendous improvement from last year. He has already run three and a half seconds faster in the 800m and eight seconds faster in the 1600m than in 2012 (and his bests come from the same meet). Kyle put up a good fight against teammate Cain Winebrenner to finish 1st and 2nd at Jerry Crews this past week. While comparing him to Stephen might be a bit unfair, Kyle is in the top fifty for freshman in this event (not bad for a good who hasn’t run cross country according to our database).

8. Sophia Racette, Nerinx Hall

800m – 2:32.31

1600m – 5:17.83 (9th in MO)

3200m – 11:37.09 (23rd in MO)

Those in the St. Louis area saw this girl coming from a mile away as she would beat top high schoolers in road racers in her middle school days.  In high school she has been a bit in the shadows of Hannah Long and now Taylor Werner, but Racette has made a name for herself.  She already has improved on her PR, running 5:17 in her first meet of the season. 

 

9.Carlos Davis, Blue Springs (8th in MO,  #4 Sophomore in US)

Shot 53-7

An 8th place finisher in the Shot at AAU last summer, Carlos started off the 2013 season by launching the Shot Put 53-7 at the Mule Relays. He went on to win the event at Festus and the Rusty Hodge meets before finishing 2nd at the Hillcrest Invitational.

 

10. Jacob Ledgar, Oak Grove

400m – 50.69 (15th in MO)

Jacob, who had a best of 52.58 coming into his sophomore year has only won as a sophomore.  He ran indoors to begin the season at UCM clocking in at 53.19.  While he had to wait a bit, it was worth it as Ledger busted a huge personal best at Kearney this past week, missing the 50 second barrier by a bit over half of a second.  With Tyler Banks in their recent history, Oak Grove knows what its doing in the 400m.  

 

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