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Yes, there are individual/open events which feature strong talents, but the priority for this weekend

The indoor track season is set to truly kick-off this weekend and the upcoming action is primed to make for a thrilling few days of performances and standout results. One of those meets that will provide us with some headline-worthy action is the Arkansas Invitational. With teams like Arkansas, Oklahoma State and Tulsa set to clash this weekend, and numerous top-level distance runners preparing to make their season debuts, the results that we will see in Fayetteville over the next few days will surely catch our attention. Here are a few key entries that we wanted to highlight... Shafiqua Maloney to Run 800 Meters It shouldn't at all be a surprise that an 800 meter runner who has posted a personal best time of 2:01 would be running that exact event to get her season started. However, we should note that Maloney actually ran unattached earlier this season back in December, posting a strong time of 2:46 for 1000 meters at the Woo Pig Classic. On paper, Maloney should still have extra indoor track eligibility remaining, leaving us to wonder why she was racing unattached earlier this season. In theory, one could argue that Maloney is redshirting this winter season, but that wouldn't explain why she is entered as a runner for Arkansas this weekend instead of being entered as "unattached". Either way, Maloney should be the overwhelming favorite to take home the win this weekend in the women's 800 meters. She is easily the most accomplished woman in this field and it's not even close. However, teammate Quinn Owen is a promising and underrated middle distance runner. She is also entered in this race with personal bests of 2:06 (800) and 2:49 (1k). Maloney will be able to win this race whichever way she wants, but Owen will keep things somewhat honest. Expect to see this Razorback duo going 1-2 in what should be one of the more predictable races of the weekend. Roe, Moss & Auerbach vs Prinsloo in 1000 Meters This might be the most underrated matchup of the weekend. The Oklahoma State contingent of Taylor Roe, Stephanie Moss and Sivan Auerbach will toe the line to face Arkansas' newest distance weapon, Carmie Prinsloo, in the 1000 meters. On paper, Prinsloo is the favorite...we think. The newest Razorback star has a wide-ranging arsenal of track times from the 800 meters up to the 5000 meters. Her personal best time in the 1000 meters sits at 2:47 and based on her other marks, she should be able to acclimate to a variety of different race scenarios. That said, this Cowgirl trio could cause enough problems to stop Prinsloo from securing gold. Roe, as we all know, is a distance running superstar, putting herself in an elite status in the 3000 meters and up. We should also note that her mile PR sits at 4:39, but given her ongoing improvements and her 1500 meter personal best of 4:13.99, Roe is positioned for a mile mark that is much faster than her resume currently shows. Of course, this isn't the mile we're talking about. The 1000 meters is still a fairly significant drop down in distance for Roe. With the kind of talent that she is facing, there is no guarantee that she comes away with a win. After all, this is likely going to be a speed-refining race for the Oklahoma State star anyways. We also need to mention Auerbach and Moss. As freshmen, these two young ladies showed plenty of promise, specifically in the middle distances. Auerbach, strictly on paper, may actually be the favorite to take home the win despite Roe and Prinsloo headlining the field. The second-year Cowgirl has run 2:05 for 800 meters and owns an eye-catching personal best of 2:46 for 1000 meters. It's a similar story for Moss. She hasn't run the 1000 meters before, and that inexperience certainly doesn't help, but her 2:05 personal best for 800 meters gives her the necessary speed to thrive in this kind of setting. This is going to be a crowded race with numerous women who are capable of earning the win. If I had to take a guess, I'd say that Auerbach is my favorite to win. Her success in the longer distances should allow her to effectively move up in distance (slightly) from the 800 meters to the 1000 meters. Taking down this field would also validate suspicions that Auerbach can be a nationally competitive name in the middle distances throughout the rest of this season. Hentemann to Battle Hyde in Mile, Rookie Sydney Thorvaldson to Run Attached One of the more underrated matchups of this weekend will be Oklahoma State's Gabby Hentemann toeing the line against Arkansas' Gracie Hyde. These two women are each underrated distance talents on their respective teams, often not receiving the proper credit that they deserve for the value that they bring to the table. Based on their resumes, Hyde is the main talent to watch here. She was outstanding last winter, throwing down marks of 4:37 in the mile and 9:18 for 3000 meters...in the same meet. Hyde would eventually qualify for the indoor national meet in the mile and then advance to the outdoor track season where she ran 9:57 for the 3000 meter steeplechase. On paper, Hyde has everything you could want. She had plenty of momentum from last year, boasts big-meet experience, own numerous times that put her in a nationally competitive tier and has trained/raced with a powerhouse program. What's not to like? As for Hentemann, she is a very solid talent and arguably at her best when she is racing in the longer distances, specifically cross country. Even so, that doesn't take away from the fact that she ran 4:42 in the mile last winter, as well as 16:00 in the 5000 meters during the spring. We could try to dissect how Hentemann is a stronger endurance-based runner and how that helps her in this race, but the fact of the matter is that Hyde comfortably owns the fastest mile PR between these two women. Even if Hyde were to post a mile PR that was a few seconds slower than her personal best, she would still be a few strides ahead of Hentemann, and that's assuming that Hentemann can replicate her best mile performance this weekend. Before we wrap up this section, we should also note that high school phenom Sydney Thorvaldson is running the mile this weekend for Arkansas. The Razorback rookie was a megastar at the high school level, running 9:15 for 3000 meters and 9:47 for 3200 meters. She has also run 16:19 for 5000 meter and 4:43 in the mile. We should note that this is technically not Thorvaldson's collegiate debut. She ran unattached at the Woo Pig Classic back in December, settling for a time of 9:30 for 3000 meters. However, according to the entries, the Razorback youngster is expected to don an Arkansas singlet this weekend. Could Thorvaldson mix it up with Hyde and Hentemann this weekend? Potentially, yes, she could. However, at the same time, it would take one of the best races of Thorvaldson's star-studded career for that to happen. There is little doubt that this Arkansas runner can be a top-three finisher this weekend. However, it's just a matter of a) how fast she runs and b) how close to the top women in this race she will be. Men's 1000 Meters: Kemboi vs Kibet vs Taylor vs Akers The men's 1000 meters at the Arkansas Invitational is admittedly a bit head-scratching as there doesn't seem to be one overwhelming favorite in this race. That said, it also seems safe to say that Kemboi, despite this being an "off" distance for him, should be able to take the win if this race unfolds like we think it will. Kemboi, the established veteran star of this Arkansas program, has run 2:23 for 1000 meters before and has even dipped under 1:50 for 800 meters in the past. Based on those times alone, he should be able to pull out the win as long as he doesn't get lost in any unnecessary tactics or racing nuances. At the same time, an 800 meter standout like Kieran Taylor, who has run 1:48 (800) and 2:23 (1k), should be able to challenge Kemboi. Unlike his teammate, Taylor's reputation has been built in the middle distances. He is far more familiar with the speed required to compete in these races and simply has the experience factor over Kemboi. And yet, how can we forget the fact that Taylor lost to Kemboi by 0.49 seconds in this exact distance at this exact meet last year? Taylor can certainly come away with the win this weekend, and it would be a huge confidence booster if he did, but more factors favor Kemboi than they do the middle distance veteran. On paper, fellow teammate Andrew Kibet could also mix it up in this race. The Arkansas runner has a great resume in the longer distances, but his middle distance success is quietly strong as well. He has run 2:24 for 1000 meters along with a mark of 4:02 in the mile. Kibet has been improving over the last few seasons and this drop down in distance to the 1000 meters is more beneficial for Kibet than a drop down in distance to the 800 meters. Keep an eye on him this weekend as he toes the line against his veteran teammates. We'll wrap up our conversation for this race with Tulsa's Isaac Akers and Arkansas' Elias Schreml. On paper, Akers doesn't have the 800 meter or 1000 meter prowess to make him a major name in this race. Even so, he has run 3:42 for 1500 meters. That kind of mark could translate into a solid performance for Akers this weekend, but his bigger priority will likely be the mile. It's a similar story for Schreml. He hasn't run faster than 1:52 for 800 meters, but his 1500 meter PR of 3:43 is hard to ignore. That's an impressive mark and if he can translate that PR to the indoor oval this weekend, then he could be a key name to watch. Kemboi Headlines Loaded Men's Mile Field This might be one of the better men's distances races of the entire weekend. Arkansas' Amon Kemboi headlines a mile field that is loaded with numerous underrated talents who could make things very interesting this weekend. Kemboi enters this race aiming to further refine his middle distance speed. Of course, with personal bests of 3:39 for 1500 meters and 3:58 in the mile, his current level of speed should prove to be effective enough to give him the win this weekend. Everything about Kemboi's resume suggests that he'll be able to secure gold this weekend, but the Oklahoma State men could very easily play spoiler to that prediction. Together, Cowboy distance standouts Shea Foster (4:03 mile), Alex Stitt (4:02 mile) and Ryan Schoppe (N/A) could make this race very interesting. In fact, they could opt to work together in an effort to overtake Kemboi in this race. The mile times that we've seen out of Foster and Stitt are very strong. In this kind of field, we could see them improve upon their current times. This race shouldn't be too fast or too slow for these two men, giving them an ideal race for them to craft a race plan that they can go out and execute. At the same time, second-year teammate Ryan Schoppe is the x-factor in this race. He hasn't run a mile or a 1500 meter race since entering the NCAA, but with personal best marks of 8:01 (3k) and 13:43 (5k), he should have enough talent to put himself near the top pack. Yet, despite all of that, this race is likely being viewed as a speed tune-up for guys like Foster and Schoppe, so their goal for this race may differ a bit from Stitt who was made for an event like the mile. Of course, the Oklahoma State men aren't the only team that Kemboi will need to fend off. Tulsa has entered both Isaac Akers and Scott Beattie for this mile race. Much like Foster and Schoppe, these two men are likely aiming to refine their speed for the longer distances. That being said, Akers has run 3:42 for 1500 meters and Beattie just put together a monster race back in December en route to a 5000 meter personal best of 13:40 (and a win). Are either Beattie or Akers expected to win the mile this weekend? No, not necessarily. Even so, there is a lot to like about their respective resumes, especially Beattie who seems to be on a hot streak right now after a solid cross country season. They probably won't win, but don't be surprised if the Tulsa men are mixing it up with the top guys in this race.

. (#/#): First number indicates how much the individual has moved in our rankings. The second number indicates where the individual was ranked in our last update. 25. As such, he was listed as a "Just Missed" name in our preseason individual rankings. But then he didn't race individually on the national stage again until the 2022 NCAA XC Championships We had largely yet to see how Correa would fare against the nation's top individuals, but the answer