Happy New Years! With a new year, comes a new crop of freshmen looking to make a name for themselves. We've identified five freshman that we need to keep an eye on in 2024. Who else will add their names to this list?
1. Rowan Carr (Penncrest)
Carr was our 2023 XC Freshman of the Year, so seeing him on this list is no surprise. Carr is a talented distance runner, and it'll be interesting to see which event he thrives in this year. He was a standout miler in middle school, running 4:33.56 over the distance to win New Balance Nationals.
But we could see him take a step up in distance after running 15:36.80 on the XC Course. Regardless of avenue, he has the opportunity to be exceptional.
2. Mackenzie Magness (Freeport)
Pennsylvania is a Pole Vault State. Mackenzie Magness is another example of that. The freshman cleared 11-6 earlier this season to win the SPIRE HS Holiday Classic. With that mark, she ranks fourth all-time amongst Pennsylvania freshmen.
Magness is also a Middle School National Champion. At adidas Outdoor Nationals, she won the Middle School Championship with her jump of 10-11.5. She also competes in the Triple Jump and even ran cross country this past fall.
3. Kendall Payne (Central York)
Early on, Payne has established himself as one of the leading freshman jumpers. At the Franklin and Marshall High School Invite #1, Payne long jumped 20-2.5 and high jumped 5-9.
Payne was a standout in Middle School as well. He posted Middle School Personal bests of 20-7.25 in the long jump and even ran 54.41 over 400m.
4. Amiya Henderson (West Catholic)
Henderson currently ranks ninth in the state in the 60m dash and 10th in the state in the 200m dash with times of 7.96 and 26.02. She leads all freshmen with those respective marks.
Last year, Henderson competed at New Balance Nationals Indoor and finished 10th overall in the middle school 60m with a time of 8.10. She has since improved, and if she can continue to move in a positive direction, she stands a great chance of cracking the PA All-Time Freshman Top-20.
5. Shymir Bevins (West Catholic)
Bevins is the second West Catholic athlete to make this list, and for good reason. Bevins is a talented long-distance sprinter, excelling over the 400-meter distance. Last outdoor season, he ran 52.30 and won the AAU Region 2 Qualifier.
He also sports a 2:05.2 800m personal best. If he can put the pieces together, he could move into the state's upper echelon of middle-distance athletes.