Skyler Cunningham, D'Anna Cotton, Chase Hunter Among Top Entries At Mondo Elite High School Invitational

By Keenan Gray of DyeStat

Victah Sailer photo

Despite the recent winter storm that has hit all the eastern side of the country, the Mondo Elite High School Invitational remains on schedule to welcome top competition Jan. 30-31 at JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, N.C.

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Nike Indoor Nationals All-American Skyler Cunningham (Greater Atlanta Christian GA) headlines the girls 55 meters and 300 meters races. Cunningham has a lifetime best of 6.89 in the 55 and will make her 300 debut.

Shiasia Mitchell (Mallard Creek NC) is also entered in the 55 with Cunningham. Mitchell was fourth at the VA Showcase in the 60 final in 7.48.

Another athlete competing in multiple events is D’Anna Cotton (Cummings NC), scheduled to appear in four. The North Carolina A&T commit is entered in the girls 55 hurdles, high jump, triple jump and long jump. Cotton jumped a season’s best and US#7 40 feet, 9.5 inches in triple jump at VA Showcase, which is a little over three feet off her lifetime best of 43-10.

Chase Hunter (Jordan NC) leads the boys high jump competition with his US#2 7-2, which he jumped to win the VA Showcase.

Cameron Tucker (Robinson NC), the North Carolina outdoor 400 and 200 champion, will race his second 300 of the season. His 33.21 from the Tryon HS Meet on Jan. 8 is US#4.

Bryce Cooke (Parkwood NC), who won the ASICS Holiday Invitational 1,000 at JDL in December, is the top entry in the boys race with his US#9 2:29.17.

Rachel Riley (Mount Tabor NC) returns to JDL for another 1,000 race three weeks after running a US#3 2:47.27.

Kai McCullough (Austin Vandergrift TX), seventh at Nike Cross Regional South, will look to break 9 minutes in the 3,200 for the first time. He’s the top entry in the boys race with a 9:03.55.

Nike Cross Nationals top 40 finisher Georgy Helmers (E.E. Smith NC) leads a competitive girls 3,200 field, which also features Elle Dawson (Ragsdale NC), Ava Lindsey (Greenville SC) and Bailey Brackett (Rabun Gap-Nacoochee NC).

Lindsey is also scheduled to run in the 1,600, racing Kaitlyn Estep (Cardinal Gibbons NC), Louisa Betz (Broughton NC) and Kasey Dingman (Lake Norman NC).