The Wildcat Invitational will take place this Saturday at Nutter Fieldhouse in Lexington. This is the first major indoor invitational held in Kentucky for the 2007 track season. Only running events will be contested at the invitational, which begins at 12:00pm.
Meet Preview
The early listing of competitors for the Wildcat Invitational is loaded with several of the top returning runners in the state of Kentucky.
Girls
2006 KYtrackXC.com Outdoor Sprinter of the Year Chelsea Brown of Butler is scheduled to compete in the 200m and 400m. The defending state champion in both of these events, she has the top entry times. Chelsea will face a challenge from duPont Manual junior Jennifer Nwachukwu, Rockcastle County's Morgan Thacker, and Ballard junior Lutisha Bowen. Bowen was the 2006 KYtrackXC.com Indoor Sprinter of the Year.
The girl's distances races could be the best of the day. The 800m and 1 Mile are led by two time defending AAA State Cross Country champion Laura Steinmetz from Paul Dunbar. DuPont Manual junior Mary Grace Pellegrini and teammate junior Colleen Campbell, Assumption sophomore Ellen Daly, John Hardin freshman Maggie Mattingly, Woodford County freshman Anna Bostrom, and Muhlenberg South senior Suzanne Holt are others to watch in the distance races.
Boys
Defending Class A 100/200m champ Derrick Stallworth leads the boy's sprints, running in the 60m and the 200m. Lloyd Memorial's JJ Hall, Eastern's Ronald Barlow and duPont Manual's Gerry Cooper will attempt to conquer Stallworth and the rest of the field.
The boy's 800m is led by defending Class A State Champion Ross Hempel. He will be challenged by Woodford County junior Cullen Kuntz, Scott senior Ryne Smith, John Hardin junior Aundreas Lopez, and Tates Creek junior Daniel Norman. Kuntz, Smith, Lopez, and Norman lead the field in the 1 Mile. AAA State Cross Country Champion senior Brian Long is the early favorite in the 2 Mile. Woodford County senior Chris Rice, duPont Manual David Hamm, and Apollo junior Tyler Dickinson will challenge Long.