3A Boys State Meet Preview By Event

500 Meter Dash


Another runner who did not qualify for the indoor state meet last winter, Milford Mill's Aariq Nixon is looking for his first medal after placing 10th in the 400 at last year's outdoor state finals. (Photo by Craig Amoss)

AthleteSeason BestRegional Performance
Aariq Nixon, Milford Mill1:04.81 (New Balance Games)1:06.65 (1st, 3AC)
Demontay Snowden, Northeast1:06.32 (Virginia Showcase)1:07.14 (2nd, 3AC)
Juan Parra, Centennial1:06.58 (HoCo Champs)1:07.68 (1st, 3AE)
Randy Serville, Oxon Hill1:06.89 (PG Champs)1:10.33 (1st, 3AW)


Milford Mill senior Aariq Nixon wasted no time jumping to the top of the 500 state leaderboard this winter when he clocked a 1:06.80 effort in a win at the HoCo Winterfest. Since then it's been full steam ahead, winning the Montgomery Invitational in his first sub-1:06 effort and reaching another level at the Hispanic Games when he dropped a 1:04.81. Since 2016, only Oxon Hill alum Gary Ross has run faster.

Three other 3A boys have gone between 1:06 and 1:07 this winter, the fastest of whom has been Northeast's Demontay Snowden who finished only half a second behind Nixon at the 3A Central Regionals. Centennial's Juan Parra and Oxon Hill's Randy Serville each won their respective regional titles, as well as their respective county titles.

Of the four, Nixon may be the only one having not run a race prior, as Snowden and Parra qualified for the state meet in the 300 and Serville ran a leg on the Clippers' state-qualifying 4x800 relay.