Elijah Akindolie, Hope High
Hope is primarily known for the number of quality sprinters it has produced over the years. But along the way, the school has also produced a few that have excelled in the middle- and long-distance events and this Blue Wave senior is among that list.
Akindolie has both speed and endurance and should be among the upper-tier of harriers this fall. At last year's State Meet, Akindolie finished 12th overall with a quality 16:32 clocking. He ran his 5K best of 16:06 on the generous terrain of the Skee Carter Invitational and was sixth at the Class A Championships.
During the indoor and outdoor track seasons, Akindolie posted times like 1:28 for 600m, 1:58 for 800m, 4:12 for 1,500m and 9:22 for 3K. With his range, he's certainly proven he has the ability to crack the top seven this season and land a spot on the first-team, all-state team.