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Pearl's Braden Pickett has been selected as the Gatorade Mississippi boys track and field player of the year for the 2026 season.
Pickett won his first Gatorade Player of the Year honor after it was announced on June 26.
The 5-foot-8, 142-pound sophomore sprinter placed second in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor earlier in June, earning All-American honors for both events. Pickett finished second in the 100 (10.40 seconds) during the MHSAA 7A state championships. He helped the Pirates place third as a team.
"Braden Pickett is a sophomore sensation whose prowess out of the starting blocks deservedly began eliciting comparisons to the great Jordan Anthony in terms of all-time Mississippi-and-beyond dash lore," Rich Gonzalez of PrepCalTrack.com said in a press release. "I think this season laid the groundwork for his continued rise in the years to come."
MORE: Our top performers from 2026 MHSAA, MAIS track and field state championships
The sophomore also posted personal best times in both the 100 and 200 at the Woody Barnett Invitational. His time in the 100 at 10.21 ranks No. 8 nationally among high school boys competitors this spring. Pickett's 200 time of 20.66 is ranked No. 10 nationally.
Pickett joins recent Gatorade Player of the Year winners for boys track and field with Markeith Thompson (2024-25, Natchez), Cooper Rodgers (2023-24, Raymond), Sterling Scott (2022-23, Starkville) and Jordan Anthony (2021-22, Tylertown).
Michael Chavez covers high school sports, among others, for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] or reach out to him on X @MikeSChavez or Facebook at Michael Chavez.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Pearl's Braden Pickett named 2026 Mississippi's Gatorade boys track and field POY
Continue reading...
Pickett won his first Gatorade Player of the Year honor after it was announced on June 26.
The 5-foot-8, 142-pound sophomore sprinter placed second in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor earlier in June, earning All-American honors for both events. Pickett finished second in the 100 (10.40 seconds) during the MHSAA 7A state championships. He helped the Pirates place third as a team.
"Braden Pickett is a sophomore sensation whose prowess out of the starting blocks deservedly began eliciting comparisons to the great Jordan Anthony in terms of all-time Mississippi-and-beyond dash lore," Rich Gonzalez of PrepCalTrack.com said in a press release. "I think this season laid the groundwork for his continued rise in the years to come."
MORE: Our top performers from 2026 MHSAA, MAIS track and field state championships
The sophomore also posted personal best times in both the 100 and 200 at the Woody Barnett Invitational. His time in the 100 at 10.21 ranks No. 8 nationally among high school boys competitors this spring. Pickett's 200 time of 20.66 is ranked No. 10 nationally.
Pickett joins recent Gatorade Player of the Year winners for boys track and field with Markeith Thompson (2024-25, Natchez), Cooper Rodgers (2023-24, Raymond), Sterling Scott (2022-23, Starkville) and Jordan Anthony (2021-22, Tylertown).
Michael Chavez covers high school sports, among others, for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] or reach out to him on X @MikeSChavez or Facebook at Michael Chavez.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Pearl's Braden Pickett named 2026 Mississippi's Gatorade boys track and field POY
Continue reading...
