ESPNHS Track & XC

MOBILE INDEX


One attends a large public school in Louisville, Ky., while the other attends a small private Christian school near Atlanta, Ga.

One is a rising junior, the other has already signed with Texas A&M University.

Yet, those are about the only differences between Butler High’s Tre’tez Kinnaird and Whitefield Academy’s Cameron Thornton.

Both of them are stars in the 800 meters, and both were teammates for the USA in last year’s World Youth Championships in Lille, France. And they’ve had a few battles, now—most recently at the Mobile Challenge of Champions.

“Even though the school that I attend (Butler) is pretty large, few guys come out for track,” Kinnaird said. “Few guys (on the team) are blessed to run those types of races (such as the Challenge).”

“Whitefield is a very small Christian school known more for basketball,” said Thornton. “In track and field, we don’t get a lot of competition during the season.”

That is, except when Kinnaird and Thornton lock horns in an 800-meter race—as they did Saturday.

Kinnaird won that battle, running a 1:51.77 to Thornton’s 1:51.80. In the first 200 meters, that race was anything was smooth, as both runners had to navigate through a very crowded field of 14. But Kinnaird took command soon after, forcing Thornton, the defending meet champion, to play catch-up.

Thornton eventually did, but Kinnaird had just enough left in the tank to secure the win. Yet, the results proved what a lot of observers said all along—the rivalry between Thornton and Kinnaird was just as intense as ever.

“The first 200, we didn’t get out as well as we wanted,” said Kinnaird. “I knew I had to sit back (to let the field sort itself out). I knew Cameron has run a 1:49, and I knew that if he was in front, he would have out kicked me.”

“Tre ran a crazy (good) race,” said Thornton. “It is what it is. The first 200 got a little ugly because there was some bumping. I know it’s going to be that way in college, so I’ll have to get used to it.”

How then, despite the vast difference in student body size, can Kinnaird and Thornton develop such a fierce, yet cordial rivalry in an event that demands not only speed and endurance, but also a killer instinct?

“I don’t know what makes this rivalry so special, but I think it all started when we competed in France,” said Thornton. “Even though we were rivals, we would up being roommates. We got a chance to hang out and do some things while we were there.”

“We’re enemies on the track, but we’re great friends off it,” said Kinnaird. “The first time we hooked up, it was at last year’s New Balance Outdoor Nationals. We were pretty deep in the 800, and then we ran at the World Youth Trials. Even though I won at the trials, Cameron and I both wound up going to France, and we really became close. I know we’re going to push each other. It’s great competition, and Cameron never backs down.”

They have faced off at least five times since last year, and there is the possibility they may face each other again.

“He’s going to be tearing it up in the 800 when he’s by himself next year,” said Thornton, who graduates this year. But I know I’ll see him again this year.”

“We may meet up at New Balance if Cameron doesn’t go to the Juniors,” said Kinnaird. I hope we do meet up again soon, because it’s a great rivalry.”

MOBILE INDEX


When it was announced that Kendell Williams was part of the field at the 20th Mobile Challenge of Champions, that whoosh you heard was the DyeStat Most Valuable Performer award chances for several dozen other elite girls in the meet taking a dramatic plunge.

Williams was entered in the long jump, high jump and 100-meter hurdles and the odds of her becoming the Challenge’s first girls’ triple individual champ were very good. The Kell (Marietta, Ga.) junior got a scare when Quanesha Burks exploded to a 20-foot long jump early, but she responded with a 20-6w (all-conditions national best) that set the tone for what followed: a 5-10 HJ victory, a 13.64 100H triumph and that girls’ MVP plaque.

As it turned out, had Williams not entered, there would have been quite a battle for the MVP between Burks – who also won the triple jump in 39-8 – and impressive soph Marcquita Stalbert, who announced her arrival on the national long-sprint stage with US#3 53.77 400 and #2 23.93 200 performances.

For the boys, the MVP race had considerably more contenders, such as: Tre’Tez Kinnaird, who had nipped Cameron Thornton in arguably the day’s best race, the 800; and Amba Etta-Tawo, who had anchored his McEachern GA 4x100 squad to a fast win, taken second in the open 100, and then ruled the 200. But in the end, it was Hoover (Hoover, Ala.) soph Marlon Humphrey who got tabbed, after he rocketed to a pair of US#6 hurdle victories – 14.12 over the 110s and 37.50 in the 300s – and then finished with a dramatic 48-second leg in the 4x400 that nearly took his school to a win there.

And so it was, that Williams and Humphrey held their MVP plaques next to the big electronic scoreboard featuring their names as the sun set over E.E. Delany Stadium: Another great Challenge, efficiently orchestrated by meet director Steve Schoenewald, and everyone had time to get home for Easter.

GIRLS: Kendell's moment

Given that Kendell Williams does at least three individual events at almost every meet she enters, expecting an unending string of peak performances is unrealistic. However, there will inevitably be something in each competition that reminds you of what a special athlete she is.

Call it the “Kendell Williams moment.”

Saturday, that moment came early. Williams was leading through one round of the long jump with 19-7.5, when Hartselle (Hartselle, Ala.) junior Quanesha Burks – who had never jumped even 19 feet in her career – suddenly unleashed a 20-1.25. Suddenly the event, which had lost some luster when Virginia 20-footer Javanique Burruss withdrew, was the hottest thing going – and fans looked to Williams to see what she would do.

Three jumpers later, the response thundered across the field. Williams sprinted down the runway, struck the board and flew like she had never flown before. The official stared down at the tape, shaking her head in wonderment. “Twenty feet, six inches,” she said.

The funny thing was that Williams wasn’t exactly prepared for any “moment” Saturday. She and her family vacationing for spring break in Panama City en route to Mobile and it hasn’t exactly been the most intense week of training. “I was in the lead at 19-7, and I didn’t think I would even be able to jump that well,” she said. “Now the pressure was on and I had to pull it together.”

Recalling the moment with mock indignation, she added, “I said, ‘What? I have to PR right now???’” But after a handful of Skittles and some quick coaching from Dad, Williams had jumped six inches further than she ever had before – albeit with an aiding wind of 2.6. It was the highlight of the meet.

It was all gravy after that. Williams would go on to hit 20-1.5w and 19-7.25 for her best series ever, and add the 5-10 high jump win an hour later. She then jumped on the track for a strong 13.64, just .07 off her U.S. list leader going into the day.

“I’m really happy with the whole day,” she said.

Burks, meanwhile, was hardly disappointed to see her 20-footer relegated to runner-up status. “I was shocked I could jump 20 feet,” she said. “I’m just happy for both of us.” Burks became the ninth girl to get 20-feet (indoors or out, including wind-aided) in what is becoming a landmark year in the event. In the triple jump, once she got her steps down, she produced the previously mentioned 39-8.

Another surprise was Marcquita Stalbert. As a freshman last year, she was fourth in the Challenge 400 and third in the 200. This spring, she had her bests down to 24.34 and 54.53. But Saturday’s big PRs were beyond reasonable expectation. Though she was completely unpressed in the two races, she showed power and maturity in elevating herself into the top rung of the national elite with the aforementioned 53.77 and 23.93.

“I just did what my coach told me to do,” she said after the 400. “Get to 320 and keep my form.”

In other sprint and hurdle action, Baton Rouge Magnet soph Mikiah Brisco repeated her 100 win from last year, in 12.10 (-0.2w). While defending 100H champ Pine Forest (Pensacola, Fla.) junior Johna Whitaker was limited to third in that event, she reigned in the 300H with a 43.31. Whitaker also helped her team win the climactic 4x400.

Fans thought the distance events might be highlighted by a Carmen Carlos meet record attempt, but the local McGill-Toolen standout, winner last month of the New Balance Indoor Nationals 2-mile, wasn’t up to chasing Laura Zeigle’s 10:23.05 from 2002 – not on a hot day when she was 30 seconds faster than any entrant coming in. So she settled for a more modest pace that led to a 10:44.21 – still winning by 16 seconds and actually a US#1, since most major meets to date have contested 3,200s for distance runners.

An exciting finish in the mile saw DuPont Manuel (Louisville, Ky.) junior Cassidy Hale overtake Carlos’ teammate Sage Blackwell in the final 100 for a 5:03.34 to 5:03.74 win, while Mountain Brook (Ala.) took the 4x800 for the fourth time here in 9:38.98.

Host St. Paul Episcopal got an individual title when junior Chanel Krause won the pole vault in 12-0. Her senior teammate Lacey Dent wasn’t victorious, but still had quite a day with runner-up finishes in the 100H (US#7 14.22) and triple jump (38-1), a third in the long jump (18-6.5) and a fourth in the 300H (45.20).

BOYS: Marlon's maturity

To watch Marlon Humphrey is to see someone who looks and performs beyond his years. Get up close and chat with him, and you get the same feeling. Maybe part of it is being part of an athletic family headed up by Alabama legend and NFL standout Bobby Humphrey; maybe it’s just part of being Marlon.

Count the sophomore boys’ DyeStat Most Valuable Performers over the years. You won’t find any. Marlon is the first.

Fans were waiting for an MVP-worthy performance to come from some of the highly touted entrants in the meet. Maybe a sub-1:50 in the Tre’Tez Kinnaird-Cameron Thornton 800 battle, or a 46 or better when Kavahra Holmes and Michael Newton took the track in the 400. Maybe a sprint double for Jeryl Brazil, a seven-foot high jump from Xavier McAllister, or a 4x400 anchor by Amba Etta-Tawo to go with his 200 win and 4x100 anchor.

But none of those things happened. What did happen was that Humphrey won the 110 hurdles in a US#6 14.12 (+0.3w), then added the 300 hurdles in 37.50 – achieving the same national ranking. Finally, after Humphrey thundered down the homestretch to finish the second leg of the 4x400, bringing Hoover from fifth to first with a 48-point circuit, the MVP selectors were sold. Never mind that Hoover was ultimately nosed out by Smiths Station, 3:18.96 to 3:19.02.

Humphrey also helped get his school’s 4x100 from Friday’s Open race to Saturday’s Invite, where they were fourth. He was nonchalant about the honor, though he admitted, “After the first hurdle race, I started thinking about it a little.” The main thing was coming through for the team and hitting his times. “I said my goals today were to get 14-low and 37.5, and I was able to achieve both of them.”

In the 4x400, Marlon “hit that last 100 and had a burst of energy …We didn’t have one of our fastest guys today; I think we can go faster.”

While Humphrey was deemed the best of all on the boys’ side Saturday, that’s not to say the previously mentioned others didn’t impress or thrill. They did – and none so more than Kinnaird and Thornton in the 800. The 2011 World Youth Champs USA teammates were unimpressive in an indoor race back in late February, but each had recently been closing in on the form that got them to France last summer, and Saturday would be a big test.

An unwieldy field of 14 took off from the line, and while no one went down, it was a physical race. Rummel’s Cyril Grayson burst into the lead down the backstretch and Thornton was one of two following within 5-10 meters, with Kinnaird behind them. Down the homestretch, Kinnaird was dissatisfied with the tempo and ready to take over. He did so at the bell, reached in 56-point.

Kinnaird was in control down the backstretch, but Thornton started coming back in the final 200, then closing with each stride to nearly even on the homestretch. But that zapped him and Kinnaird solidly maintained enough to preserve the win by .03, US#6 1:51.77 to #7 1:51.80.

Kinnaird’s relatively slow start in 2012 was due to a stress fracture in mid-January. Now, he says, he has “a lot of raw speed … But I’m still building up my distance.”

As for the race: “There was a lot of pushing and I came through the first 200 okay, but it was not really what I wanted. Then at 400 we were a little bit slow. I thought if I could get to the last 300 with the lead, that I could win it in the last 200.”

The anticipated high-octane battle between Breaux Bridge (Breaux Bridge, La.) senior Holmes and Sprayberry (Marietta, Ga.) senior Michael Newton never materialized. Oh, Holmes defended his title with 47.75, about a quarter-second faster than he ran last year, but far short of the 46.07 he clocked as the second-fastest prep in the country last summer. But Newton, who notched his first sub-47 a few weeks ago at his county meet, with a 46.93, was even further off form – running slower than 49 seconds in fifth. He cited back problems.

Holmes, meanwhile, revealed his training has been divided between football-specific workouts in preparing for LSU – he signed a scholarship offer there in February – and track. He said he hopes to be in near-PR shape next month for states, but there will be no summer track this time.

Another Louisiana speedster was just about at top form, though; the Loranger junior Brazil smoothly dispatched with the 100 field with a 10.48 into a slight headwind – just .07 off the US#2 mark he came in with. Brazil was entered in the 200, but scratched and fans had to be content with seeing him just once.

The 200 champ was still pretty darn impressive, though. The aforementioned Etta-Tawo had earlier appeared on the track in finishing off his school’s 4x100 – they came in at US#2 40.95 and settled for a decisive 41.69 win – and finishing a well-beaten second in the 100. But in the furlong, it was all Etta-Tawo as he blazed to a US#5 21.33. He and his teammates hoped to make it a relay sweep in the 4x400, but they were too gassed and the distance was too great.

Two more anticipated highlights were the long jump and high jump. A.J. Ward had a recent 24-9.75 leap that topped all entrants in the former, but he could never get things timed right Saturday and barely made 23. The victory went to Auburn’s consistent Cameron Luper with 23-1.5.

Newburgh Free Academy’s McAllister and Breaux Bridge’s Travin Dural both cleared 6-10 in the high jump and then took a run at seven feet. But when the height was too much and they were left tied, a jumpoff ensued. Fatigue would set in for the high flyers and it wasn’t until the bar had inched down to 6-5 that one of them – McAllister – could get another clearance and the victory.

"It was very competitive," said McAllister, though he admitted it wasn't the way he would have preferred to win.

There were a few others who might have said that, too, but with their sterling performances, Williams and Humphrey were hard models to live up to. And both could be back in 2013.

Note: Dallin Farnsworth from Highland High in Pocatello, Idaho made his second trip to New York for the New Balance Nationals. He agreed to do a "Postcard from NY" for us to tell readers about his trip:

New York City and (NBNI) was a great experience! I enjoyed every minute of the trip. From walking around Times Square, to going do to Ground Zero, to riding the subway, to watching the many races, and to building new friendships with others, this trip was a trip i will never forget.

Of course, my favorite part of the weekend trip was racing, even though I got beat out for the win in the final stages of (the 5,000 meters). I still felt very good about my race. Now I hope to run well in my outdoor season and reach my goals! I would like to give a shout-out to my future teammate, Brad Nye. You ran on beast-mode and I am very proud of your accomplishments! I hope you continue to succeed in your outdoor season and that you make it to the Dream Mile. Thank you New Balance for the time and effort that you put into this meet and I hope to come to the outdoor nationals in June. Also thank you to Dyestat for taking the time you spend to travel across the country and for make us high school student-athletes feel like stars and giving us that extra push into the next level.

Sincerely, Dallin Farnsworth

Note: Torie Owers of the Throw 1 Deep club in Georgia was a dominant figure in the shot put this winter, capped by her victory at the New Balance Nationals Indoor. She is a senior at Athens Academy.

Finally we got to High School Nationals at the Armory in New York City — the meet everyone was waiting for. New York City is an interesting place; we had a guy try to sell us socks on the road on the way to the airport. Where else does that happen?? It was fun to watch the meet, especially the throwing events, but I was most excited to compete myself. I was happy to end the season with a PR and a nice national championship! My buddy Avana Story made Sunday morning fun when she busted out a PR and got a national championship (in the weight throw). All around, it was a good meet for our team, and a great way to end the indoor season.

NBNI Index


NEW YORK – Bronxville (Bronxville, N.Y.) sophomore Mary Cain is unquestionably one of the brightest young talents in U.S. track and field, but the 15-year-old’s decision to switch coaches and break away from the girls team has ruffled some feathers.

Cain finished second in the 800 meters on Sunday at the New Balance Nationals Indoor championships, trailing Ajee Wilson (2:06.58) across the finish line in 2:07.26. Bronxville’s girls competed in several relays without Cain.

She said she is unfazed by the criticism her move from successful girls coach Jim Mitchell to boys coach Ed Stickles.

“I have to do what I think is best and that’s always been my attitude toward it,” she said. “I couldn’t be happier with (my training situation).”

Cain brings a vivacious New York personality to the sport and has all the ingredients to be a star. She loves The Armory and is friendly to her competition. She broke the ice with the Neptune (Neptune, N.J.) senior Wilson before their race by approaching her in the bathroom and asking whether she would like to warm-up together.

“I like talking to people beforehand,” she said. “It’s nice to be happy for the person. I always meet the nicest people at track meets.”

This spring, Cain, who turns 16 on May 3, has the Olympic Trials in sight as an ambitious goal.

“Why not shoot for the stars?” she said. “I’m not sure what event would be my best (this spring). I’ve run more 15s, the 800 is more technical and tactical and I don’t have much experience with it. At some point we’ll make a call on that. Who knows, maybe (the 800) will be my race.”


Robertson out to back up his record

Berea (Berea, Ohio) senior Donovan Robertson ran so well on the way to his 7.57-second national record in the boys’ 60 hurdles at the Brooks PR Invite in Seattle that he feels some pressure to back it up.

On Sunday, Robertson won an intensely competitive final against Potomac (Oxon Hill, Md.) senior Dondre Echols and Martin Luther King (Lithonia, Ga.) senior Jordan Moore and won, partly, because he was willing to dive for the finish line. Robertson said afterward he wasn’t sure if it was a lunge or fall caused by leaning too far forward, but the fall was worth it. He ran 7.70 seconds to win the national title, .01 seconds in front of Echols.

“I met all these (other top hurdlers) in Seattle and I know I had a big target on my back,” Robertson said. “The second to last hurdle I could feel them pushing up. I knew I had to try something (to win).”


Physical finish to girls two-mile

Neither Sachem East (Sachem, N.Y.) senior Rachel Paul nor McGill-Toolen (Mobile, Ala.) junior Carmen Carlos were willing to yield in the final 20 meters of the girls two-mile.

Paul had sped into the lead on the final lap, but in the last few strides she could sense Carlos coming up. Five meters before the finish line, Carlos inadvertently bumped Paul as she passed on the inside. The contact sent Paul sprawling to the ground as she hit the finish line, and at least one runner behind them had to jump over her to complete the race.

“I felt something,” Paul said. “We were both going at it.”

“I tried not to touch you,” Carlos said to Paul.

“I think when you’re running that fast the slightest thing can cause you to fall,” Paul said.

There were no hard feelings. Meet officials reviewed the incident and decided the contact did not warrant a disqualification.

Carlos won in 10:25.30. Paul was second in 10:25.82.


Throw1Deep has a new star on the horizon

The Georgia-based throwing club led by coach Mike Judge brought 20 athletes to the New Balance National Indoor meet.

In addition to championship winners Avana Story (girls weight throw) and Torie Owers (girls shot put), a young new phenom emerged on the boys’ side.

Freshman Kenneth Brinson, from Marist (Atlanta, Ga.), PR’d by more than three feet and won the emerging elite weight throw at 64-4, a freshman class U.S. record.

The 14-year-old began throwing two weeks ago after his wrestling season ended. He placed second in the 195-pound weight class at the Georgia state championships.

“The previous record was held by Wes Wright, who threw 63-6 and he became my best ever (boy) and threw 81 feet,” Judge said. “Kenneth has that kind of ability.”

Another athlete who has taken advantage of Judge’s expertise is multi standout Kendell Williams, the national champion in the heptathlon. Williams won the indoor pentathlon, the high jump and was a finalist in the 60-meter hurdles.

But Williams’ lack of firepower in the throws is a weakness to her heptathlon and so she sought out Throw1Deep.

“Last year my PR in the shot put was 32 feet and I only did that one time,” she said. “Now, in practice I’m hitting 32. And in a meet last week I hit a 34.”


Barber combines diving with pole vaulting

Shawnacy Barber, a senior from Kingwood Park, Texas, has added the sport of diving to break up the daily routine of pole vault workouts.

“Diving and pole vaulting covers a lot of the same ground,” said Barber, who placed second at NBN Indoor with a 16-8 clearance. “They both take a lot of kinesthetic awareness in the air. They don’t work me too hard in the dive class (at school). I like that. It lets me get out and go do my vaulting after school.”

Barber’s dad built a gym with rings, a trampoline, pole vault pit and other stuff that Shawn played with growing up.

“It was almost like gymnastics (in the room) but with no rules,” he said. “I grew up with that the first 10 years of my life and then stopped for a while.”

Barber’s best dive is a reverse one and a half with a one-half twist. He placed seventh in the Class 4A Swimming and Diving Championships two weeks ago in the 1-meter springboard event.

Can diving help him in vaulting?

“Core strength helps,” he said, “and knowing how far away you are, a foot or two away from the board. It’s that awareness in the air of knowing where you are, same as pole vault.”

NBNI Index


NEW YORK – Dior Hall had run a slew of fast times and even won some big races. But during Sunday’s finals in the 60-meter hurdles, the sophomore from Denver, Colo. took it to the next level.

Hall blitzed U.S. Junior and World Youth champ Trinity Wilson and the rest of the New Balance Nationals Indoor field, running 8.19 seconds for No. 2 all-time and another new sophomore class record. It was arguably the most impressive performance of the final session of the three-day affair at The Armory.

Three weekends earlier, in Pocatello, Idaho, Dior ran 8.30 in the prelims of the Simplot Games and then hit the last hurdle the next day as Wilson sped off with the victory and a then-US#1 8.23. Then, on Feb. 26 in Seattle, Wash., Hall lowered her time to 8.28 and bettered Wilson’s class record and won the race. But Wilson was elsewhere.

It all came together in New York. First she ran 8.25, fastest overall in the semifinal round. In the final, Hall got a huge advantage on Wilson at the start and the Californian – who last lost to a prep in 2010 – could never catch up. After the championship race, Hall found her mom – Yolanda Johnson, a former all-time hurdling great – and shared an emotional moment with her.

“I was excited,” Hall said. “I was crying with my mom. I feel like I’m on the right track and (now) it’s on to the outdoor season.”

Before the curtain closed on the indoor season, many of the country’s top athletes took a final stab at leaving their mark on it before moving on to outdoors.

In the boys 400, the highly anticipated showdown with trio Aldrich Bailey (Texas), Najee Glass (N.J.) and Arman Hall (Fla.) lost some of its sizzle when Hall didn’t run fast enough in the prelims to make the fastest section of the finals. So the big show turned into a rematch of the Brooks PR meet – with a nearly identical result.

Bailey got into the lead by the end of the stagger, but Glass was right behind him. Bailey left a seam open on the inside and Glass pressed through it to take the lead. Bailey went wide on the final straightaway to try and win – and was a little short. It was Glass clocking 46.57 and Bailey right there in 46.59.

“I forced myself in,” Glass said. “It was not a big gap. I had to be aggressive.”

Bailey certainly wasn’t expecting the pass on the inside and wasn’t even sure it was legal. “When Najee passed on the inside, I was like ‘What’s going on?’” he said. “I lost my form when he did that.”

Bailey recovered in time to win the 200 meters in a meet record 21.07 seconds, but it didn’t quite make up for the second straight loss to Glass (the difference in Seattle was .01 seconds).

For Edward Cheserek, the final day of NBNI provided an opportunity to pursue individual titles after anchoring two relays wins for St. Benedict’s Prep (Newark, N.J.).

It started with the two-mile, but Cheserek ran even splits on the way to 8:50.53 – a great time by anyone else’s standards, but seven seconds slower than he’d already run in this winter.

It was about 75 minutes that Cheserek took to the track again for the mile, but the race did not turn into the four-event coronation that he may have imagined. At the front, Jacob Burcham (Ona, W.V.) went after Cheserek, trying to surge his way to the lead. Each time, Cheserek responded and rebuffed him.

Laying in the weeds, right behind them, Brad Nye of Kaysville, Utah was watching and waiting. “With 400 to go, I was still in the race,” he said. “I said ‘I’m right here. This is perfect.’”

Nye moved off the final curve, ran past Burcham and Cheserek and took it through the tape in 4:08.67. The Foot Locker champ and 5,000-meter U.S. record-holder was next in 4:09.07 and Burcham was third in 4:10.82. Nye also had a performance at Simplot that set the stage for nationals, except in his case it was a 1,600 victory so dominant – an easy-looking 4:12.39 at high altitude – that many believed he could improve significantly.

Nye was almost stunned by his achievement and quick to be humble. He had watched each of Cheserek’s previous three races and noticed that he was being pushed – or pushing himself – in all of them.

“Wow, he is such a stud,” Nye said. “His whole attitude, his ability, I have nothing but respect for the guy. It was a great opportunity to run with him.”

Two of the other big matchups came in the 800-meter races.

Ben Malone of Pascack Valley, N.J. kicked late and ran a junior class national record and No. 2 all-time 1:49.94 to beat a field that included Zavon Watkins (N.Y.) and Ned Willig (Pa.), who were second and third, respectively. It concluded an amazing undercover campaign for Malone, who is also US#1 at 1,000 meters and has shown great range from 600 to cross-country.

Ajee Wilson and Mary Cain had a rare chance to go head-to-head, and get to know one another. The senior from Neptune, N.J. and the sophomore from Bronxville, N.Y. don’t live far apart, but they really didn’t know each other. Cain approached Wilson in the bathroom and asked if she’d like to warm-up together.

“She’s run 2:02 (for 800), so I just wanted to go out and do my best,” Cain said. “I tried to go after her that last 150. Why not? But that last 100 it was hard to find that other gear.”

Wilson had her eye on Cain all along and was wary of getting into a kicking contest with her. “I wasn’t asleep on (Cain),” she said. “I knew I needed to save something for the last 150.”

Leading off the field events, it was hard to top Avana Story of Woodward Academy (Georgia), already the national leader in the girls weight throw. She hit a two-foot personal best 63-1.5 to move to No. 2 all-time behind her former Throw1Deep Club teammate Shelby Ashe.

“After my third throw of 60 (feet), it was time to go all-out,” Story said. “I’ve been waiting for that 19 meters to come up all season.”

Ashe, who took the year off from entering college in order to train for the Olympics, continues to work out with Story and her teammates. “She’s like my big sister,” Story said of Ashe. “She told me I could do it.”

In the boys weight throw, Rudy Winkler of Averill Park, N.Y. had the four longest throws of the competition – all of them over 24 meters (78-8) – and hit the first 80-foot throw of the year for the winner, 80-11.75 (#8 all-time).

Carla Forbes of Newtonville, Mass. won a horizontal jump title for the third year in a row. The junior won the triple in 2010 and the long jump last year. On Saturday, she was fifth in the long jump with a respectable 19-7.

In the triple jump, Forbes improved to 42-5.25 for a 19-inch season’s best. It was good for No. 10 all-time. “I was kind of angry,” she said of her morning after the long jump. “I said ‘You know what, I’m going to win something this weekend.’ I had to focus on a new day.”

Ariah Graham of Wakefield, N.C. went 3-for-3 in her events. She anchored Wakefield (N.C.) to victories in the 4x200 and 4x400, and also won the individual title in the 400 with 53.95, fourth-fastest in the nation this season.

Wakefield’s 4x200 relay turned in a meet record 1:36.35, also #2 all-time. The 4x400 ran a US#1 3:43.01, good for #8 all-time.

Robert Rhodes anchored the boys of Boys and Girls (Brooklyn, N.Y.) to a relay win for the second straight day. After an emotionally draining 4x800 win on Saturday, Rhodes recovered in time to help his team take the 4x400 decisively, in 3:16.78.

NBNI Index


NEW YORK – To fully appreciate Chariho’s national record Saturday in the boys 4x1 Mile relay, try imagining the vantage point of longtime coach Bill Haberek, who will soon enter his 23rd season as the outdoor track head coach at the Wood River, R.I. school.

There he was, bellied up to the rail, wearing the Steve Prefontaine T-shirt , watching his first three runners log PRs and then once-in-a-career standout Mike Marsella chase Shaker (Latham, N.Y.) anchor Christian Delago with a national championship on the line.

“First of all, I wanted Mike to hold on and win the thing,” Haberek said. “Then, I’m looking at the clock and trying to savor as much as I can. I knew it was going to be close. When I saw (the time) posted, I can’t explain the emotions.”

Tiny Rhode Island doesn’t often barge into a meet like New Balance Nationals Indoor and rearrange the all-time list with a national record. But Chariho turned the stick over to Marsella within striking distance of Delago, right on time and according to plan.

“I had a feeling I’d be 15-20 meters behind the guy in first,” said Marsella, who split 4:11.7. “I just wanted to keep my eyes open and hopefully catch him with 800 meters to go. I was hoping to sit on him, but I knew we had a chance at the national record so I made a move and just had to keep going for it.”

By the time Chariho’s quartet – Dan Kilcoyne, Bryce Kelley, Jake Kilcoyne and Marsella – was kneeling next to the reader board stuck on 17:20.20, it had been nearly forgotten that the squad wasn’t even favored to win the race.

Christian Brothers Academy (Lincroft, N.J.) was expected to be the team that pushed all of its chips into the record chase, but the Nike Cross Nationals (and defending 4x1 Mile) champs fell behind early and were barely a factor in the race.

Meanwhile, Chariho knew it had a foursome that could average close to 4:20 per mile.

“We wanted to stick on the leader and be as close as possible so I could go after him, whether it was CBA or Shaker,” Marsella said.

Dan Kilcoyne split 4:24.1 and Kelley followed that with 4:15.6. Then Jake Kilcoyne, more of a long-distance specialist, stripped six seconds off his mile PR to split 4:28.8. Marsella did the rest.

“It was crazy, absolutely crazy,” Marsella said. “I couldn’t see the time (coming around the final lap), I just knew I had to close as fast as possible. I didn’t want to leave anything out there.”

Chariho took down the 2009 record of West Windsor-Plainsboro North (N.J.), which ran 17:21.58. Shaker ran the second-fastest time in history, clocking 17:21.56.

Relays in the spotlight all day

Chariho’s record came on the heels of a near-miss by The Tatnall School (Wilmington, Del.) in the girls version of the same event.

With pressure coming from Saratoga Springs (N.Y.), Tatnall ran aggressively throughout and put together legs of 5:03, 5:03, 5:00 and 4:54 on the way to 20:00.97. Senior Haley Pierce, who placed second (and #2 all-time) in the 5,000 meters the night before, anchored the race and came up just a second and a half short of the national record.

Saratoga Springs, which set the record of 19:59.24 in 2005, finished second in 20:16.23 – good for No. 6 all-time.

In the 4x800 relays, much later in the day, the Armory crowd was treated to more sensational relay action. The powerhouse Fayetteville-Manlius (N.Y.) girls ran away from the field and won in 8:58.18 – four seconds shy of the national record and No. 4 all-time. The school won the same event in 2010 and then claimed the distance medley relay last year.

NXN championship team members Katie Brislin, Katie Sischo and Jillian Fanning were joined by Heather Martin, who returned to training in January after missing out on cross country with a foot injury.

In the boys 4x800 race, Boys and Girls of Brooklyn produced the No. 2 time in history, 7:41.10, thanks to Robert Rhodes’ heroic 1:52.1 anchor. Rhodes gave it everything he had, to the delight of a roaring home crowd.

“It was all about my team,” Rhodes said. “I was not giving up this race. The whole time I was running I was thinking ‘I’ve come way too far.’ If I would have gave up, and let them pass me, I’d be ashamed of myself. I was too close and I wasn’t letting it go.”

Rhodes paid a price for his effort. He spent nearly 10 minutes doubled over, on his knees, throwing up and trying to recover. But after he and his teammates had their fingers sized for championship rings, it was all worth it.

In the boys sprint medley relay, Edward Cheserek led St. Benedict’s Prep (Newark, N.J.) to its second relay title of the meet. Cheserek anchored with a 1:51.2 800 to bring the baton home in 3:25.88, for No. 4 all-time – outrunning a quartet of the nation’s best half-milers. He will try to add third and fourth titles on Sunday in the two-mile and mile.

Hillhouse (New Haven, Ct.), spurred by long sprint superstar Precious Holmes running on the third leg, won the girls sprint medley relay in 4:00.58. Her teammate Kellie Davis gradually extended the lead on her 800 anchor, then provided one of the day’s best expressions of delight at the finish.

Conley, Blankenship win marquee events

When the coach in your corner is an Olympic champion and an American record holder, it’s a little bit easier to react in the big moment and not get overwhelmed by it.

Sydney Conley made the adjustment she needed to on her sixth and final attempt to win the girls long jump with 20 feet, 1.5 inches.

Conley, of Fayetteville, Ark., said it was the first time she had ever pulled out the victory on her final attempt. She needed it because Jasmine Todd of Chandler, Ariz. had taken the lead in the fifth round with a leap of 19-11.5. Todd’s jump surpassed Javanique Burruss of Louisa County, Va., who took the early lead with a second-round 19-8.75.

There were four current 20-footers in the loaded event, including defending champ and Newton North (Newtonville, Mass.) junior Carla Forbes, who was fifth.

The boys’ pole vault competition lost some of its luster despite the presence of three vaulters who had scaled 17-6 or better this winter. Jacob Blankenship won the competition with a clearance at 17-0 and then took the bar up to 17-8.5 and missed all three attempts at that height.

Reese Watson of Spring, Texas had been nursing a quadriceps injury that he hoped would heal in time to compete. But when he tried to run on it at the start of the competition, the leg didn’t respond as he’d hoped. He ran through three times and didn’t attempt a jump.

Shawn Barber of Kingwood Park, Texas worked his way up and over 16-8 – good for second place – but couldn’t summon the energy he needed to keep pace with Blankenship.

“I was going slow,” Barber said. “(I was) trying to get up, trying to get moving. I had a hard time getting down the runway, getting upside down. I tip my hat to (Blankenship).”

Blankenship, of Lincoln (Gahanna, Ohio) had a few early misses, but then found his rhythm and made majestic first attempt clearances over 16-8 and 17 feet. It was his second NSSF title, following his triumph last June in the outdoor meet.

“At the end, sometimes you run out of adrenaline,” Blankenship said. “There was so much competition, I was worried about Reese Watson being there and Shawn Barber. That’s good for me, but maybe I kind of played it a little long. It worked out well, though.”

Blankenship has two more indoor meets scheduled (Ohio has not had its state meet yet) in which to try and surpass the national record of 17-9.75.

In the boys’ long jump, US#1 Devin Field of DeSoto, Texas won his first New Balance championship, finding a 24-footer on his fourth attempt. It wasn’t an easy day for Field, who has been suffering from back pain and also had cramping issues in his calves. He sought help from the meet trainer three times during the competition and fouled his final two attempts.

“The last jumps I tried to hide (the pain,) but I really couldn’t (go),” Field said.

The 2011 U.S. junior champion has a 25-5.75 from earlier this year. But he has been ruled ineligible to compete this spring for DeSoto because residency issues. He has transferred twice in the past year. He may be able to compete unattached in a few meets, but he will not be allowed to defend his state title in the long jump.

The nation’s top-ranked shot putters closed the deal on NBNI titles as well.

Torie Owers of Athens Academy (Georgia), part of the Throw1Deep Club’s contingent, threw a new PR of 51-0.75 to win the event as well as move to No. 11 all-time. She won by three feet.

Braheme Days, Jr. of Bridgeton, N.J. continued his dominance of the boys shot put, throwing 68-10.75 to win the competition by more than eight feet.

“It’s all about development,” Days said of his progress this winter. “I didn’t throw 70 feet today, not even close, but I’m more happy about the win. It’s my first national championship and I’m excited. A lot of guys can say I threw this far, or threw that far, but I like titles.”

NBNI Index


NEW YORK – Erin Finn decided that she’d had enough of driving to the lead in big races and then getting passed at the end. That happened to her in the Foot Locker XC Finals this past December and it happened again at the Brooks PR Invitational two weeks ago.

It didn’t happen on Friday.

Instead , the junior from West Bloomfield, Mich. charged to the front and kept on charging. She buried the field on the way to smashing the U.S. high school indoor 5,000 record by more than 15 seconds – crossing the finish line in 16:19.69 to win her first national championship at New Balance Nationals Indoor at The Armory. The previous record was set in this meet just last year: 16:35.15 by Waverly Neer.

“I told myself this is my chance,” Finn said. “I’ve come in second and third too many times. This is my race, my night, and everything worked out so well. God blessed me tonight, I’m so happy.”

Haley Pierce, of the Tatnall School (Wilmington, Del.) – who was second at NXN and second ahead of Finn in the Brooks PR two-mile – figured there was a chance that she could stick with her evenly paced plan and catch back up to Finn. She briefly edged closer in the middle of the race, but Finn’s pressure was too relentless.

Finn opened with 2:31 for 800 meters and went through 1,600 in 5:07. She then hit a succession of laps mostly in the 39s, with just one over 40.

“I was a little disappointed that I was slowing down,” Finn said. “I think my ego got the best of me. I knew if I went out and held on as long as I could I’d (get the record).”

Pierce also had reason to think she could break through with her biggest win since last year’s 3,000 at the Penn Relays.

“I was pretty confident,” Pierce said. “I know she goes out hard, but sometimes you can pull her back in, you know? I was just trying to stay relaxed in my head. I was trying for the national record and I could win if I got the record, but (Finn) ran an amazing race so I can’t feel too bad.”

Pierce also ran under Neer’s 2011 standard, running 16:31.86. Brianna Nerud from North Shore (Glen’s Head, N.Y.) was third in 16:43.56 and 2011 New Balance Outdoor 5,000 champ Wesley Frazier of Ravenscroft (Raleigh, N.C.) was fourth.

Finn wasn’t the only success story from Michigan on Friday.

The girls distance medley relay squad from Grosse Pointe South (Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.), featuring junior twins Hannah and Haley Meier, chased Mountain View of Utah’s 8-year-old national record (11:35.43) and came up just four seconds short.

GPS turned in the No. 4 time in history, clocking 11:39.29 and winning by nine seconds. And it could return intact next year to make another attempt. In addition to the Meier sisters, the quartet included sophomore Kelsie Schwartz (800 meters) and freshman Ursula Farrow (400).

Hannah Meier took the final baton pass needing to run about 4:42 to get her team the record. And the mixture of adrenaline and nerves drove her to a 65-second first 400.

“There was a lot of nerves,” she said. “I felt different than I usually do before races. I just got out there pretty fast and went for it.”

Meier, who won the mile at the Brooks PR Invite two weeks ago, split 4:47.3.

The third final for girls on Friday was the high jump, and Kell, Ga. junior Kendell Williams lived up to her No. 1 ranking in the event. Williams needed a third attempt to make 5-9.25 but then cleared 5-11.25 on her first try.

Williams, who will begin the indoor pentathlon Saturday and also has the 60-meter hurdles on her plate, was able to overcome nagging discomfort in order to focus on her event and win the high jump title. She spent at least 20 minutes trying not to think about her full bladder.

“I’ve never had to high jump when I had to go to the bathroom like that,” Williams said. “I’m just glad I could still jump. I just tried not to think about it, to look at something else.”

After outlasting 2011 runner-up Maddie Morrow of Hoover (North Canton, Ohio) and Dakota Dailey-Harris of LaSalle Academy (Providence, R.I.), Williams was given permission to leave the competition for a few minutes to address her emergency and then returned to take three attempts at 6-0.5.

In the boys DMR, the irrepressible Edward Cheserek made his first appearance in the meet a memorable one. He anchored St. Benedict’s of Newark, N.J. to the championship in 10:10.08.

Cheserek took the stick in sixth place but burned through a 54-second 400 to catch everyone in front of him and move up to the lead. From that point he ran only as hard as he needed to in order to stay in front of Piscataway’s Tim Ball.

Ball made Cheserek work for it, but the Foot Locker champ and 5,000-meter record holder had enough in the tank to bring his team the victory. He has three more events on his weekend to-do list: The sprint medley relay on Saturday and the two-mile and mile on Sunday.

The meet concluded Friday with a stirring finish in the boys 5,000. Foot Locker finalists Daniel Lennon of Peru, N.Y. and Dallin Farnsworth of Pocatello, Idaho traded the lead and neither one of them could shake the other. For 25 laps they went, not separated by more than a stride.

Lennon sped to the lead with 220 meters left and tried to put the race away but Farnsworth responded. Coming around the final curve Farnsworth slide wide and tried to make one final pass but he ran out of room and lost by less than a foot. It was Lennon in 14:37.25 and Farnsworth, the Simplot Games two-mile champion, in 14:37.32.

Lennon was gracious, calling it a “co-championship” because the race was so close.

“I got to the last 100 and started to see his shadow and thought, ‘I’ve got to go,’” said Lennon, who summoned everything he had to get to the finish line first. “I had no idea (who won). In all honesty, I thought he was going to get me. I consider it a co-championship. He closed on me faster than I closed on him and it was both of us together the whole race.”

NBNI Index

Girls High Jump (Friday, 6 p.m.)
This should be a great battle between a trio of jumpers who have cleared 5-10 or better, led by 2011 runner-up and top returnee Madeline Morrow OH. Morrow was known last year for a big handful of great duels with fellow Ohioan Taylor Burke (2011 NBNI champ), who has now moved on to college. But she’ll hardly have the stage to herself. Multi-event star Kendell Williams GA, always a national championship threat in any one of several indoor or outdoor events, is entered here – though she recently said she might just focus on the 60H and pentathlon. The HJ has perhaps been Williams’ best event (and favorite) this year, so it would be surprising if she skipped it. If she’s here, she’ll likely battle Morrow to the final jump. A later add to the field is fast-rising Rhode Island star Dakota Dailey-Harris, coming off her New Englands title a week ago. Finally, the deep field includes 13 jumpers at 5-8 or better, so if the stars falter at the higher elevations, it could be anyone’s gold.
Top Three Picks: 1. Williams, 2. Morrow, 3. Dailey-Harris.
Winning Height: 5-11.25

Girls Distance Medley Relay (Friday, 6:10 p.m.)
The last time a powerhouse girls distance program from Michigan was a threat for a national relay title was back in the early 2000s when Rockford was fielding some of the nation’s best. Now enter the girls of Grosse Pointe South, which won the Michigan D1 state XC title (MI teams aren’t allowed to run NXN) and feature the Meier twins – both sub-4:50 milers (See Baker’s Dozen story about their record chances). There are a handful of other teams that could run in the mid-11:40s to 12:00, including LaSalle RI (US#3 11:53.36), Ocean Lakes VA, and meet-record holder Saratoga Springs (US#4 11:55.14), but it’s hard to imagine anyone beating the Michigan squad. Defending champ Fayetteville-Manlius is only running the 4x800.
Top Three Picks: 1. Grosse Pointe, 2. LaSalle, 3. Kinetic (Saratoga).
Winning Time: 11:34.50, USR

Boys Distance Medley Relay (Friday, 6:40 p.m.)
CBA NJ assistant coach Chris Bennett said Friday that their US#1 squad was pulling out of this event, better to focus on Saturday’s 4x1 Mile relay – the assault on a record taking precedence over scoring a potential sweep of the three longest relays. That leaves the door wide open for US#2 St. Benedict’s NJ to take the win, with star Ed Cheserek’s path to a potential DMR/SMR/2M/1M quadruple growing a bit easier. That’s not to say there are no other contenders. Marshfield MA with its distance duo of Kevin Thomas and Joel Hubbard, Piscataway NJ with Tim Ball, and Pembroke MA with Wesley Gallagher all have a chance to run 10:10 or better. Still, if Cheserek gets the stick within 6-8 seconds of the lead, it’s lights out.
Top Three Picks: 1. St. Benedict’s, 2. Marshfield, 3. Piscataway
Winning Time: 10:06.40, USR

Girls 5,000 (Friday, 7:10 p.m.)
The rematch of Erin Finn MI, Haley Pierce DE, and Wesley Frazier NC is the story here (see Doug Binder Story, SteveU’s Baker’s Dozen) and, as has been mentioned, Brianna Nerud NY is also highly capable of winning. If Pierce is on form, she should win, but the fact that she has been prone to an occasional collapse or major mid-race fade opens the door for anyone else. Whoever is most on their game definitely has a national record shot.
Top Three Picks: 1. Pierce, 2. Finn, 3. Nerud
Winning Time: 16:31.20, USR

Boys 5,000 (Friday, 7:55 p.m.)
There aren’t going to be any record chases this year, but the 5k should still be a very good competitive race with national class talent. Dallin Farnsworth ID and Dustin Wilson PA are both familiar with the 5k on the track; Farnsworth was 4th in this race last year and Wilson was 5th in the NBON 5k last June. On top of that, they were 11th and 13th, respectively, at Foot Locker Finals last fall. Farnsworth is really on a roll, though, coming off his meet record Simplot 3,200 win. Also, New Yorkers Thomas Awad and Dan Lennon should be solidly in the mix, especially Awad, whose marks have been strong nearly all winter.
Top Three Picks: 1. Farnsworth, 2. Awad, 3. Wilson.
Winning Time: 14:33.70

NBNI Index


There’s so much to love at the New Balance Nationals Indoor, the second straight year of a single national championship meet indoors for preps to settle who’s the best in the U.S. Here’s a primer to Baker’s Dozen best of the best over the three-day stretch (boys followed by girls, but in no pecking order).

Boys 800: Talent and drama to burn
The boys 4-lapper at NBNI isn’t getting the buzz of, say, the 400 or pole vault, but there’s no doubt that there will be high drama, especially with the following four protagonists:
Liverpool (Liverpool, N.Y.) senior Zavon Watkins: Defending champ and the only sub-1:50 (outdoors) in the field, Watkins had a great run of mile victories, but at shorter distances (600, 800, 1k) he’s dealt with a few defeats and a DQ. He still has something to prove.
Columbus (Bronx, N.Y.) senior Strymar Livingston: USRs at 500 and 600, but definitely has something to prove at 800 (2nd at Simplot), which will be his main outdoor event.
Great Valley (Malvern, Pa.) senior Ned Willig: Still US#1 at 800 this winter at 1:51.25, he “won” the 1k where he and Watkins were DQ’d and might still be burning a little from his 10th at Millrose (mile).
Pascack Valley (Hillsdale, N.J.) junior Ben Malone might be the most talented of all. He was the official winner of the NB Collegiate 1k (2:23.56) when the DQs came in, and has a US#1 4:11.66 1600, a 1:51 800 relay leg, and even a 1:21 600 to his credit. A dark horse who could take it all for sure, but he’s also entered in the mile.
Don’t be surprised if Robby Andrews' USR comes under attack and more than one runner goes under 1:50.

Boys PV: Best indoor trio ever
There have never been three pole vaulters at 17-6 or better in a single year, indoors. And, suffice it to say then that there has never been an undercover competition with three guys doing battle at such high altitude. It’s not completely shocking that Spring (Spring, Texas) senior Reese Watson and Lincoln (Gahanna, Ohio) senior Jacob Blankenship have reached that level, given their creds from 2011. But Kingwood Park (Houston) senior Shawn Barber was “only” a 16-6 vaulter when the season began. With his 17-8 outdoors last weekend, he actually leads the trio now. Interestingly, Texans Watson and Barber have not met this year, with Watson winning previous meetings between them before Barber’s big improvement. Blankenship has never vaulted against either of them, but his creds certainly match up: He was the surprise New Balance Nationals Outdoor (NBNO) champ last June and then earned a bronze at the World Youth Champs. These are three of the top six indoor vaulters in history, enjoy them.

Boys 400: From teammates back to rivals
While the above-mentioned vaulters have relatively little competitive history between them, the top guns in this epic 2-lap battle could hardly be more familiar with each other (See Doug Binder story). Still, the drama could hardly be higher. St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) senior Arman Hall was the man almost all of last year – winning NBNO and World Youth titles – except when he was beaten by Timberview (Arlington, Texas) senior Aldrich Bailey at the World Youth Trials. That surely gave Bailey confidence, despite being second fiddle again at the World Youth Champs, and he came out sizzling this winter with 47.05 and 20.99 marks in January. But then St. Peters Prep (Jersey City, N.J.) Najee Glass – a runner-up in the biggest races last year – finally got his, too, when he beat Bailey by .01 at Brooks Feb. 26. Their 46.06 and 46.07 times are #2 and #3 all-time (all tracks). Hall has done little indoors, but is down to 46.41 outdoors now (his 46.01 PR is the best of the three). And that’s what has transpired to create a matchup that, despite the rivals’ familiarity with each other, will be as dramatic as any race in the meet. And don’t forget, Bailey and Hall are racing the 200, too.

Boys 60H: Can Robertson confirm?
The boys short hurdle scene (55, 60) coming into 2012 was characterized by a big handful of guys with similar PRs, but no one having quite broken through to the super-elite level yet. And by the Brooks PR meet, the story was the same, with Potomac (Oxon Hill, Md.) senior Dondre Echols (7.17 55H) and Berea (Berea, Ohio) senior Donovan Robertson (7.87 60H) having pushed closes to all-time great territory. But then, shockingly, Robertson became that super elite performer Feb. 26 at the Brooks PR meet, hitting 7.77 in his prelim and then an eye-popping 7.57 in the final – cutting .03 off Wayne Davis’ 2099 standard. On Sunday, Robertson gets a chance to back it up. There will be eight other hurdlers in the deep field who have run 7.27 or better for 55H, or 7.89 or better for 60H. Robertson will have a big target on his back and it will be fun to watch if he can “get to the first hurdle first” (his words) and do it again, or if a challenger will rise up and take him down. One more thing worth remembering: In Robertson’s last national meet, NBNO last June, he led 110H qualifying (13.74, -0.1w), but finished last in the final. Think he won’t be motivated by that?

Ed Cheserek: Doing the “Verzbicas”
The races and circumstances may be a little different, but for all intents and purposes, Ed Cheserek looks to be trying to pull a “Verzbicas” this weekend at NBNI. No, he won’t be running the 5,000 and going for a record there – he’s already done that this winter. But he is expected to anchor St. Benedict’s (Newark, N.J.) US#2 DMR (Friday) and US#1 SMR (Saturday), both with a solid chance to win. And he is entered in both the 2-mile and mile on Sunday. If he (and his team in the relays) wins all four, would it be as big a deal as what Verzbicas did last year? In comparing the Friday-Saturday part, Verzbicas pushed fairly hard to break his own 5k mark Friday before resting Saturday. With his respective 1600 and 800 relay legs, Cheserek would probably have to run PR-level marks to carry St. Bene’s to victories. On Sunday, Verzbicas had to beat Cheserek himself in the deuce, whereas Ches will not have nearly as tough a foe. And in the mile, Verzbicas faced a more experienced field for sure, but not necessarily more talented than what Cheserek will encounter. By Sunday night, we’ll see how the two historical efforts compared.

Boys Distance Relays: Can the Brothers beat ‘em all?
Whether or not a top cross-country program carries it through all year long to be a top indoor and outdoor distance power, in individual events and relays, is more hit and miss than people think. Some harrier outfits aren’t as well suited for the mile on down at the national level. So what the Christian Brothers Academy (Lincroft, N.J.) has done already this winter – US#1s in the 4x800 (#2 all-time) and DMR – and are poised to do this weekend is pretty special. Besides the favorite’s role in the above-mentioned events, you certainly have to give them the nod in the 4x1 Mile, where they are defending champions. Could they win all three, something no boys’ school has ever done? Certainly; they look to have a good margin on the fields in the 4x1 Mile and 4x800, while Ed Cheserek and St. Benedict’s (2011 outdoor champ) may offer the toughest challenge in the DMR. As for national records, CBA might not have quite the top-end power to take down the very tough 4x800 or DMR marks, but WWPN’s 17:21.58 4x1 Mile from two years ago could go down.

Girls 800: Cain chases Ajee chases the clock
One can hope for more competitive drama, but in all likelihood, the girls 800 will turn into three races:
1. Neptune (Neptune, N.J.) senior Ajee Wilson chasing the clock, trying to strengthen her hold on #2 all-time or even, perhaps, making a decent run at Mary Decker Slaney’s 38-year-old USR.
2. Bronxville (Bronxville, N.Y.) soph Mary Cain running in no-man’s land for a fast time, somewhere in the 2:05-2:08 range.
3. The rest of the pack having a good race for third place.
Can Cain challenge Wilson? Maybe, on a really good day. And remember, Wilson is a racer – not someone who’s often tried to push alone in a race where she’s the clear favorite. But for Wilson, who has run all of her fast races this winter against elites in the U.S. Open, Millrose Games, and New Balance Boston Indoor GP, what other motivation would there be to run here? She won last year in 2:06.17 and to come to The Armory Sunday just to run to win seems pointless. Been there, done that. Thus, if she really lays it on the line, maybe we’ll see something as special as we presumed two years ago when she authored that epic relay leg at NBON. Stay tuned.

Girls distance relays: New girls on the block
If you assess the girls distance relays starting with the 4x800 and 4x1 Mile, you’ll notice some typically good fields with a handful of teams that could go low 9s or just under 9:00 in the former, and another potential challenger (Haley Pierce and Tatnall, Del.) to Saratoga’s 2005 USR in the latter. But then you check out the girls DMR – now THAT could be interesting. Grosse Pointe South, Michigan and the amazing Meier twins have never entered a national meet relay since they burst on the scene two years ago. Now, just off 4:43.24 (Hannah Meier) and 4:48.10 (Haley Meier) indoor mile PRs at the Brooks PR meet, they will see if their combined talents can attack the 11:35.43 USR by Mountain View, Utah from 2004. Remember, they also have Kelsie Schwartz who has run 4:59 for 1600 and Ersula Farrow, who has run 5:05. One wonders why they didn’t go for the 4x1 mile, but running the Friday night DMR allows the Meiers a day of rest before tacking Sunday’s mile (Hannah his defending champ). If Schwartz and Farrow can combine for a 60-62 400 and a 2:18-20 800, the twins ought to be able to do the rest.

Girls 5K: Rematch for elite trio
While Tatnall (Wilmington, Del.) senior Haley Pierce, Ravenscroft (Raleigh, N.C.) junior Wesley Frazier and West Bloomfield (West Bloomfield, Mich.) junior Erin Finn may have a broader perspective on Friday’s 5,000 than how it compares to their NBNO 5,000 last June – the comparison is certainly interesting to fans (see Doug Binder’s story). Pierce’s creds coming in last spring had made her an exciting favorite, but when she faded mid-race, Frazier and Finn put on quite a show in finishing 1-2. Since then, Pierce and Finn both had national runner-up finishes in XC (NXN and Foot Locker, respectively), while Frazier was off form. But as evidenced by their 2-3-4 finishes in the Brooks 2M, quite a battle should be ahead. In grave danger may be the 16:35.15 USR set just last year by Waverly Neer. And don’t forget about North Shore (Glen Head, N.Y.) senior Brianna Nerud, who could beat all three with a really good day.

Girls 60H: Hall gets another shot at unseating the queen
St. Mary’s (Berkeley, Calif.) senior Trinity Wilson has been one of the nation’s elite hurdlers since before her high school years and she has absolutely owned the 60H and 100H for the last year-plus. But if there’s anyone that could deliver the upset, it’s George Washington (Denver, Colo.) super soph Dior Hall. As the track world saw at Simplot, Hall pressured Wilson to be at the absolute top of her game at Simplot, only to stumble herself at the end and finish sixth. Atonement was sweet at Brooks, as Hall lowered her 60H PR to 8.28. Now she gets a rematch with the World Youth 100H champion, with both having to face a very good field. Can the young gun top the senior veteran? Or might Wilson be better than ever and take down Jackie Coward’s 2008 USR of 8.16? Watch and see.

Girls LJ: Battle of the 20-footers
Given that the national record in the girls indoor long jump is 21-7.5 (Carol Lewis, 1981), a 20-foot jump isn’t necessarily something to get really excited about. But five of them in the same years is pretty good, and having four of those five competing together for a national title is special indeed. The key players really haven’t crossed each other’s path much and don’t have a lot in common. Newton North (Newtonville, Mass.) junior Carla Forbes (20-1.25) is defending champ (and 2010 Nike Indoor TJ champ), so this meet is familiar to her. Fayetteville (Fayetteville, Ark.) senior Sydney Conley (20-1.5) has Olympic genes (her father is 1992 TJ Gold Medalist Michael), but is a relatively late bloomer and this is her first NSSF championship, in or out. And in Virginians Javanique Burress (junior AA champ from Louisa County at 20-1) and Shakeela Saunders (senior AAA runner-up from Nansemond River at 20-0.5), you have another national newcomer who’s made a big leap up this winter (Burress) and a veteran all-arounder (hurdles, TJ, long sprints) who has starred since her frosh year but popped that huge one way back in December (Saunders). These four girls have PRs within an inch of each other.

Multis: Familiar names
If it seems like Kendell Williams has been around forever, you may be surprised to realize that the Kell (Marietta, Ga.) junior is … still just a junior. Williams is everywhere, whether it’s in the number of events she competes in at a meet, or the number of meets she competes in during a given year. One of her many successes last year was winning NBNI with 3,792 points (#3 all-time) and while she must missed Shana Woods’ soph USR, she can get the junior class mark with just a 36-point improvement. Oh, and she’s also entered in the high jump (current US#1 5-10.75) and 60H (US#4 8.39). Meanwhile, on the boys side, the last name of the leading light should be familiar (Lazas), even if the first name (Jake) isn’t. Jake’s older brother Kevin battled Gunnar Nixon in 2010 in becoming one of history’s great multi-eventers in and out and is now a star at Arkansas (as is Nixon). But Jake, now a Brentwood (Tenn.) senior, has struggled with injuries somewhat. There’s no question, however, that he has tremendous physical talent and attributes and with a healthy senior year could challenge or surpass some of his brother’s marks. So don’t be surprised if you see a coming out party.

Girls sprint relays: Open the door for new powers
When you think of schools that have been all-around sprint and sprint relay powers at the nationals in the past several years, you think of Long Beach Poly, Eleanor Roosevelt, Benjamin Cardozo and Medgar Evers. But it may be time in 2012 to open the door to some new names, like Wakefield (N.C.) and Martin Luther King (Ga.). Wakefield isn’t new on the scene, but they’ve never run like they have this year, led by senior Ariah Graham and with US#1 marks of 1:38.35 4x200 and 3:45.64 4x400. Meanwhile, MLK – with athletes trained by Sprint Athletics – has developed stars like Felicia Brown (US#2 53.53 400) and Jada Martin (US#3 24.00 200). Perhaps the sprint relay race of the meet for either gender will be the 4x200, where both schools, plus Poly, will lock up.

KENTUCKY INVITE MEET INDEX




There is not a single indoor track in the state of Georgia. And Kendell Williams made a point regarding how cold and rainy it’s been there for outdoor training in recent weeks, a sentiment no doubt shared by many of her compatriots. But no matter. It was, as Jim Kaiser put it, a “Peachtree Invasion” Saturday during the 19th Annual University of Kentucky High School Invitational in Lexington – and who could argue with him?

It wasn’t just Williams – the Kell (Marietta, Ga.) junior (The Heat TC) who defended her titles in the 60 hurdles, long jump and high jump, the latter with a US#1 5-11 – who sparked Georgia’s dominance. It was also Martin Luther King (Decatur, Ga.) senior Felicia Brown (Sprint Athletics), who shocked herself and her coach with a US#1 meet record 53.88 400.

“You did that! You did that!” shouted Sprint Athletics mentor Eric Merriweather, over and over, to an equally overjoyed Brown as she tried to recover enough for an interview. “I hoped she could run as low in the 54s as she could, maybe break the meet record (54.07),” he added, turning to reporters. “But we didn’t expect this.’

It was also Union Grove (McDonogh, Ga.) senior Jordan Moore, who blasted to a US#1 7.80 60H. And it was certainly Sprayberry (Marietta, Ga.) senior Michael Newton and Brown’s MLK and Sprint Athletics teammate Jada Martin, who each came up with outstanding sprint doubles. Newton ripped a US#2 47.58 400, then came back with a #4 21.56 triumph in the 200. Meanwhile, Brown started with a US#8 7.55 60 dash victory, then added the 200 as well, with a US#3 24.00.

In all, Georgians came up with the meet’s three new national leaders and three other US top-four marks.

“It was hard with the events so close together,” said Williams of her triple, still looking a little drained at the end of the day, even though she passed on the 200 where she had also been entered. “I thought I remembered there being a few little breaks between.”

When it came to distance running, on the other hand, it was Ohio’s turn to dominate. Reynoldsburg (Reynoldsburg, Ohio) senior Tsehaye Hiluf outkicked Oakland (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) junior Brock Baker in a great 2-mile, hitting US#2 9:10.31. Earlier, 4:06 outdoor miler and Lancaster (Lancaster, Ohio) senior Brandon Kidder won as he pleased in his specialty, with US#3 4:13.57, while MacAuley (Cincinnati, Ohio) senior Danielle Pfeiffer easily defended her 800 title with US#3 2:11.78. Medina (Medina, Ohio) senior Anna Boyert also took the girls mile in 5:01.75.

Along with the aforementioned US#1s, there were 20 other US-top 10 marks in the meet, the annual fixture on the University of Kentucky’s 290-meter oval that this year attracted entries from 15 states, plus Canada and Antigua.

USATF CROSS COUNTRY INDEX

At first glance Saturday, it looked like the weather would be the big winner at the USATF Cross Country Championships at St. Louis’ Forest Park. The temperature was at 20 degrees at the time the junior races went off, with a wind chill below zero.

“Those were the coldest conditions that I have run in,” La Costa Canyon (Encinitas, Calif.) senior Darren Fahy told his coach, Bill Vice.

“Well, you better get used to that,” his coach replied. Fahy recently committed to Georgetown University.

The weather was just another setback for Fahy (more on him, later), who would finish 7th in the Junior Men’s race. But among those who seemed to get through the frigid conditions with flying colors was St. Mary’s (St. Mary’s, W. Va.) junior Maggie Drazba. The West Virginia AA-A state champ (fastest in all classes) was the highest prep finisher in either Junior race, taking 2nd in 21:07.7 for 6K behind University of Michigan frosh Shannon Osika (21:04.3) in the Women’s battle.

There were no IAAF World Championship berths on the line for the first time as that meet has gone to an every-other-year format and will not return until 2013. But Drazba will join the 11 other collegians from the two races in qualifying for Team USA for the North America, Central American, & Caribbean (NACAC) Cross Country Championships, which will be conducted in Port of Spain, Trinidad on March 17, 2012.

Drazba was not even on the radar in the pre-race discussion, though she also finished the fall off with a 13th place finish at the Foot Locker South Regional.

“I decided to jump in the race in mid January,” Drazba said. “My training was looking good and we thought it was a good chance to get some big meet experience. I had my biggest mileage week in early January. It was 80 miles. I had pretty high mileage coming into it. I backed down a lot last week coming into the meet, because I wanted to do well.”

The pack thinned out quickly during the race. By the halfway point, there were only five runners contending for the lead as Gabrielle Anzalone of the University of Wisconsin set the tempo. But it was Drazba that seemed to want the pace to go faster.

“My strategy was just to stick with them and see what I could do,” she said. “My goal was to qualify for the NACAC team, but I just wanted to do my best. I was just trying to stick with it and stay out of the wind. I did not think that I was pushing the pace.”

In the last 1k, Drazba made a veteran move that only Osika responded to. Osika – a 2010 Foot Locker 8th-place finisher who’s had an amazing winter for the Wolverines, including a 4:38 mile – would kick to win by the three-second margin. Drazba had made her first national team. She was no longer a novice on this stage, no longer an afterthought. A smile from ear-to-ear on her face in the back of the chute confirmed that.

“I thought that I might qualify,” she said, “but finishing in second was more than I could hope for.”

“We knew that she had that race in her,” said her coach Glenda Cottrill. “She is a special runner. She looked so strong throughout the race.”

On this Saturday, it was the runner from the small West Virginia town along the Ohio River turn to shine. In the town of St Mary that has over 2000 people living there, she is a household name. This race opened the door for her to become a household name on the national spotlight.

Fahy’s La Costa teammate Emma Abrahamson, was the second prep in the race in 7th place (21:37.8). Xavier College Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.) junior Sarah Fakler was 11th (22:00.1), Eureka (Eureka, Mo.) frosh Hannah Long 13th (22:07.9) and Chilne (Chilne, Ariz.) senior Rolonda Jumbo 16th (22:13.8). Three-time Foot Locker Finalist and Presbyterian Day (Macon, Ga.) junior Grace Tinkey, among the early leaders after being considered the strongest prep entry, faded to 18th.

On the men’s side, the high-schooler expected to finish highest was Fahy, but in addition to the weather adjustment, he entered Saturday’s race after being sick for the last week. This had also happened to him at the Foot Locker National Meet where he ran sick and finished 17th after going unbeaten in California all fall.

The pace in the 8K Junior Men's race was cautious considering the severe weather conditions. Through the 5k mark, there were 10 runners together coming by in a pedestrian 15:47. Coaches yelling at their athletes, “Let someone else lead! Be patient!”

Going into the final 2k loop of the Forest Park course, Fahy decided to make the first move while the group of predominately college runners just sat and let him do the work.

Fahy was in position to win or at least make the top six, despite being under the weather. “I felt good,” he told his coach, “so I decided to push the pace. I felt like I needed to make the move.”

In the hilly back section of the course, Syracuse frosh Jace Lowry made a definitive move that the rest of the pack could not respond to. He cruised to a 3 second win over the University of Minnesota duo of Adam Zutz and Aaron Bartnik. Fahy was the first high school runner to cross the line with his 7th place finish in 25:09.2.

“Despite that he was feeling bad and did not want to run, he ran a great race,” said Vice.

The next two preps were Hebron (Carrollton, Texas) senior teammates Kevyn Hoyos and Robert Domanic, in 11th (25:27.2) and 13th (25:35.3). Cypress Woods (Cypress, Texas) senior Craig Nowak, who was 3rd at NXN Finals and didn’t lose to the above rivals all year, was 16th (25:49.6) this time.

Meet Index


In a venue that high school tracksters own for so many days and nights over the long winter, it was only fitting that the The Armory’s first-ever hosting of the Milrose Games should have been a special one for preps. Yes, for the previous years of the meet in Madison Square Garden, there were many special boys and girls miles, plenty of good relays, and some occasional forays by preps into elite races. But in 2012 with the promise of the 200-meter track encouraging fast times, meet organizers brought in three of the nation’s very best – St. Benedict’s (Newark, N.J.) junior Edward Cheserek, Neptune (Neptune, N.J.) senior Ajee Wilson, and Christopher Columbus (Bronx, N.Y.) senior Strymar Livingston – to battle the pros and chase records and added a few relays as well. It all added up to a very heady brew in the sold-out historic structure.


And guess what? The meet lived up to the hype – especially when the preps mixed it up with the elites. In the men’s 5,000, Cheserek started fast, shook off the lack of consistent pacing, and finished strong to nail his first USR: a 13:57.04 that took more than nine seconds off of Lukas Verzbicas’ 2011 mark (14:06.78). Fellow Kenyan-born stars Bernard Lagat and Lawi Lalang (U. of Arizona), who gave Cheserek a little boost when they lapped him, set American and collegiate records ahead of him and the trio celebrated together afterward.

The women’s 800, on the other end of the spectrum, could hardly have been more tightly packed, and that Wilson was right in the thick of that pack was a tribute to what she’s learned in her third race in three weeks against the elites. It wasn’t strategically perfect – she was pinned on the curb mid-race and swung extremely wide in the last 100 – but it was aggressive and that’s what counted most. Wilson’s reward was a US#1 2:04.13 that’s #2 all-time and netted her 4th in a field of eight.

Only Livingston wasn’t elevated on this day by racing the elites. After two spectacular records in three weeks, he couldn’t get in the rhythm in a slow-starting field and wound up 6th out of six in 1:03.39.

Meanwhile, the prep miles were typically strong and deep, with good storylines, even if they weren’t world-beaters on the clock. US#1 North Shore (Glen Head, N.Y.) senior Samantha Nadel was the overwhelming favorite to win and take down the Millrose record – and didn’t have to PR to do so. With somewhat tired legs, she settled for a 4:46.19 victory.

Liverpool (Liverpool, N.Y.) senior Zavon Watkins was the boys favorite (though not as overwhelmingly as Nadel), but in the third quarter of the race he had drifted into next-to-last place. No problem; Watkins woke up before the final lap and delivered a sledgehammer of a kick (28.5), finally stomping across the line with a triumphant growl.

The prep relays, overall, didn’t quite live up to pre-meet hopes; for example, the nation-leading Christian Brother Academy (Lincroft, N.J.) boys 4x800 and Boys & Girls (Brooklyn, N.Y.) boys 4x400 squads didn’t field their ‘A’ teams for various reasons. B&G’s boys did, however, sweep the PSAL 4x400 and Metropolitan 4x800 titles, while CBA got an impressive Suburban 4x400 victory. Another sweep came in the newest relay events, the sprint medleys for boys and girls, as St. Anthony’s (Melville, N.Y.) claimed both races. The most impressive stickwork, however, came in the girls Metropolitan 4x800, as Garden City (Garden City, N.Y.) ripped a US#1 9:00.92, #10 all-time.

New meet records were established in the girls mile and weight throw, and nearly all of the prep relays.

Cheserek and his fast friends

The aftermath said it all: First, Edward Cheserek on the track celebrating as part of a trio of Kenyan-born record-breakers. Then, Edward Cheserek delivering softly, quickly spoken short answers and sentence fragments in the interview room, leaving as quickly as he politely could. Finally, Edward Cheserek back on the track, getting into his warmups while happily chatting with the middle man of the aforementioned trio, Lawi Lalang.

Except for the rare occasion, the St. Benedict’s junior prefers to do his talking with his feet. And breaking records is a lot more fun when you have comrades from home to share it with.

Though Cheserek had run very fast times in the Stanner 2-mile and the New Balance Games mile (the elite race), until now he had never entered a race set up for a record attempt with all of the inherent hype. There was reportedly supposed to be two pace-setters for Cheserek, but the way things unfolded, he only truly had pace help for a few laps. At the beginning, there really wasn’t any need as Ches hung on the back end of the lead pack and went through 1,600 in a too-fast 4:16. That put him more than 14 seconds up on record pace. Shortly thereafter, he fell off the back. He got a few laps pace help from Ben Bruce, but then Bruce dropped out and Ches was back on his own, starting to lose ground, but still passing 3,200 in 8:48 with a dozen seconds to spare.

As his 200s started slipping above 35 seconds, Cheserek got a boost when Bernard Lagat and the other leaders lapped him. “When someone passes me, I usually slow down,” he would say later with a wry smile, “but not tonight.” He managed a 67-second in the middle of that final mile and while he then slipped back to 35 second laps and a couple slower, he was now closing in on the finish and the energy of the crowd and announcer carried him the final two circuits.

So, in the final 50-seconds of the 5,000, three records were broken: First, Lagat sprinted home in 13:07.15 for the American record, just holding off the 13:08.28 collegiate record effort of Lalang. Then, finishing 8th out of nine in the remarkable field was Cheserek, receiving a champion’s reception and raising his arms as he crossed in 13:57.04, taking away Lukas Verzbicas’ only indoor record less than a year after he set it.

Cheserek admitted the experience of running so far back yet breaking a record was kind of “crazy, but it was okay, though.” He added that “it was important to break the record” and he liked having someone pace him (for the few laps that it happened). Not surprisingly, he said, “I was very happy with my time.”

Then Cheserek left the interview room and while he was changing and chatting with Lalang, his coach Marty Hannon finally made his way down to congratulate his star pupil. “We knew up front it would be very fast and Edward would have to try and hold back. This was the best 5k field ever, here,” he said moments later. “To break the record by nine seconds, and to do it with the guys he looks up to, was awesome.”

Wilson proved she belonged

Unlike Cheserek’s presence in the 5,000, or even Livingston’s in the 300, there was little hype as Ajee Wilson lined up with America’s finest half-milers. Perhaps that was partly because it’s become commonplace for the Neptune (Neptune, N.J.) senior to line up with the elites. First, in the US Open, she had finished 2nd of four – not a particularly good field overall – with a 2:09. Then in the New Balance meet in Boston, she ran a faster 2:07.37 against a better field, but fell off the back and was not competitive. Would she be able to change the game here against the best field of the season?


After a stumble necessitated a recall, the field was off again, with Wilson getting inside and staying there. One athlete immediately fell back, so it was basically a 7-woman race. This time, Wilson never lost contact with the lead group, smartly holding her position, running steady 31-second laps, and setting herself up for a big improvement.

Then in the final 120 meters, Wilson really impressed by gathering herself and sprinting around the outside for a final kick. She ran very wide, but was able to sustain it all the way to the finish, passing three women for 4th – including sub-2:00 pros Maggie Vessey and LaTavia Thomas. When the times came up, the magnitude of what Wilson had done became further apparent: 2:04.13, a 2-second improvement on her indoor PR. With that mighty kick, she had zoomed past legends like Joetta Clark, Tameka Grizzle and Chanelle Price on the all-time list. Only Mary Decker, with her otherworldly 2:01.8 from 1974, is ahead of Wilson now.

Wilson is rarely one to jump around and celebrate, but she was definitely smiling and had a look that said, ‘So that’s what it feels like.’ Then she revealed what made the difference this week: “I know this sounds strange, but I didn’t care as much. I didn’t put so much pressure on myself.

“This week I just ran my own race and stayed close. After I got through the second lap, I felt good, so I said ‘stick in there for one more.’ On the last lap, I heard my coach say, ‘Get to the outside,’ and I made my move. I enjoyed it more this week.

Watkins: Call him “Hulk”

What was up with that, Armorytrack.com asked Liverpool (Liverpool, N.Y.) senior Zavon Watkins after he stomped across the finish line after his boys HS mile victory, letting out a roar and throwing the finish tape to the track in a mostly beastly manner?

“The Incredible Hulk,” he said. “I was really excited.”


Whether Watkins will dye his skin green next time to better resemble the Marvel Comics superhero or this was a one-time deal remains to be seen, but he certainly was emotional about a victory that came in a most improbable fashion.

For the first six laps, Watkins looked lost, like someone who’d just squeaked into the field instead of the favorite. With three laps to go, he had drifted to dead last. But after a 63-2:06.5 start, the leaders were hardly hammering the third quarter anyway and Watkins woke up and passed a few runners to get within striking distance. Still, he hardly looked like the winner with a quarter to go (3:12.5).

Chariho (Wood River Junction, R.I.) senior Mike Marsella had led since taking it from New Providence (New Providence, N.J.) senior Everett Price at 600 and, with his 4:09 mile PR from outdoors last year, was certainly a worthy potential champion. He had pushed the pace, then let up before three quarters as if to make sure he had enough for a kick. With 300 to go, there were still nine in contention – with a surprise off the back end being Great Valley (Malvern, Pa.) senior Ned Willig, with a 4:15 mile best this winter as well as that great NB Collegiate 1k and a US#1 1:51.25 800 to his credit. He would finish 10th.

Coming down the home straight for the bell, however, Watkins suddenly exploded and passed seven runners into the lead in a matter of about 40 meters. By the backstretch, the race was over, with Marsella giving earnest chase but just not having the same wheels. The “Hulk” crossed in 4:13.83, with a 28.5 last lap, followed by the Rhode Island star in 4:14.68 and the rest of the group at 4:17 or slower.

Watkins admitted emotions got him at the finish, that he was just so excited to win. “This was something I really wanted,” he said, “ever since Millrose last year when I got tripped up. I was really upset about that.”

He added that he wasn’t sure why he drifted all the way to the back so late in the race, but “I never count myself out. I really have a lot of confidence in my kick.”

Watkins plans to go back to his cornerstone event at New Balance Nationals, however. “I definitely want to run the 800 and go under 1:50,” he said.

Nadel: Winning was the most important thing

When you race the way Samantha Nadel has this winter, so successfully and with steady frequency, there will be times when you can’t quite achieve everything you want. So you settle for the most important thing.


For Nadel in the girls HS mile Saturday night, that was winning – and defending her title. Chances are pretty good that if someday Nadel has grandchildren she wants to entertain with tales of her running prowess, one thing she’ll be able to claim is being the only girl to win a Millrose at both Madison Square Garden and The Armory. But the record she aspired to, Emily Lipari’s New York state mark of 4:42.04, would have to wait for another race.

In the past, Nadel has fallen victim to starting too fast, but this winter she has overcome that and Saturday she relaxed through the first quarter to see what everyone else might do. The pace was fast enough, 71.9, but when the inevitable slowdown happened for the others, Nadel took command. Victory was never in doubt at that point and she won as she pleased in 4:46.19, easily crushing the Games record and just .08 off her PR and track record of 4:46.11.

After that, the battle was for second, which was something Nadel’s teammate Brianna Nerud badly wanted. When it came to the final kick, Cosby (Midlothian, Va.) senior Megan Moye had more and edged Nerud at the finish, 4:49.95 to 4:50.12.

“Winning was the first priority,” Nadel admitted. “And it feels really great to win this meet again. The atmosphere here tonight was great.”

There was a good reason, though, that she didn’t have PR form. It turns out Nadel had tripled in a mid-week Section 8, Class B County meet. But she had no regrets – there are big races like Millrose strewn throughout the year, but she and Nerud also had business to accomplish for their team, and their performances helped North Shore win an 18th straight title there. “My legs were feeling it tonight,” she said.

Relays: Garden City shines brightest

Compared to the other fireworks in the individual events, the relays were a tad underwhelming, especially without the aforementioned CBA 4x800 boys and Boys & Girls 4x400 boys not at full strength. B&G star Robert Rhodes ran the Metropolitan 4x800 as the school took that title in 7:51.83, but having battled the flu during the week, the coaches gave him a break in the PSAL 4x400, figuring they still had enough to win in style – which they did, in 3:18.83.

Meanwhile, CBA was without top guns George Kelly, who had battled the flu most of the week, as well, and Tom Gorman – who was going to run the mile anyway, but didn’t do that either because of the same illness. The school still took 6th in the race with 7:58.87 and refocused on putting out a great 4x400. Mission accomplished, as CBA took the Suburban 8-lap affair in a US#3 3:19.61. “We were a sprint school today,” said CBA assistant Chris Bennett. “Our 4x4 stole the show. And three of these four guys will be coming back next year, including our anchor (Theo Foster), who we had in 48.8 today.”

The top relay performance of the meet went to a fresher group, the Garden City (Garden City, N.Y.) girls. In the Metropolitan 4x800, they ripped a US#1 9:00.92. They came into the meet having qualified for both this race and the Long Island 4x400 and, given their US#2 3:50.03 status in the 4x4, they had their choice of where to make their mark.

“We’re really happy with the time,” said freshman Emily O’Neill, whose older sister Katie is also part of the quartet. “We wanted to run that fast, but I’m not sure we really thought we could.”

Added fellow frosh Emma Gallagher, “This is only the second time we’ve run this relay this year. We wanted to win and hopefully run a US#1 time.”

Senior Taylor Hennig admitted as a sprinter, she preferred the 4x400, but was thrilled nonetheless and said that even though she’s older than her teammates, “they’ve taught me at least as much as I’ve taught them. It’s an honor to run with them.”

Also racking up the victories were the sprint medley foursomes from St. Anthony’s (Melville, N.Y.). The relays were just added this year and the school lived up to favorites’ status in both. The girls improved their own US#1 from 4:06.08 to 4:02.62. Senior Olicia Williams anchored in 2:12 and said that Chynna-Monica Chung’s third leg got them in position where they could get a seasonal best. “She put us ahead and I took it from there. We wanted to get a good time to get ready for nationals.”

The boys followed late in the meet with a 3:34.76 triumph.

Dunn, others shine individually

In the Women’s USATF Championship 1-Mile Racewalk, the field was boosted by the presence of several top preps from New York and the Northeast. The best of them turned out to be Edward Little (Auburn, Maine) senior Abby Dunn, who strode to a 7:28.36 in 3rd place, which she said was “just about” a PR. Like the other preps who were able to mix with elites, she enjoyed the experience tremendously. “I got to come last year and I was really excited to do it again, to have the chance to compete against women like Lauren Forgues (winner from N.Y.A.C. at 6:48.62),” she said. “I love this track.” Dunn also won the NBIN mile walk here last year and hopes to repeat in March.

Two more new events were the 55 dashes, with the star entry being Paramus Catholic (Paramus, N.J.) senior Myasia Jacobs – the defending NBIN champ in the 60 and the silver medalist from last summer’s World Youth 100. Jacobs indeed dominated, rolling to a 6.91, just .04 off her current US#2 best. For the boys, it was Sweet Home (Amhearst, N.Y.) senior Wayne Gordon hitting 6.46 to get the win.

The weight throws, contested Friday, were to feature two of the nation’s best: US#2 Averill Park (Averill Park, N.Y.) junior Rudy Winker for the boys and US#1 Woodward Academy (Atlanta, Ga.) senior Avana Story for the girls. Winkler scratched, leaving the win to St. Anthony’s senior Bryan Rhodes with 63-9.5, while Story just missed her national leader with 57-8.5.

Coverage of the Millrose Games
Sat., Feb. 11, 2012 - The Armory, New York, NY
LINKS: A Special Night for Preps at The Armory, by SteveU
Results | DyeStat Elite | Meet's Own Site | Video Replay
PHOTO GALLERIES:
Preps with Pros - Cheserek breaks 5k record; Ajee #2 all-time in 800
Miles - Samantha Nadel and Zavon Watkins again
4x800 - Garden City girls US#1, B-G Boys US#6
Sprint Relays - St. Anthony's sweeps SMR
====================================

HIGHLIGHTS

• M-5,000: A NEW HIGH SCHOOL RECORD for St. Benedict's NJ jr Edward Cheserek NJ as he runs 13:57.04 against the elites (8th overall) to break Lukas Verzbicas' one-year-old record.
• W-800: US#1 and #2 all-time 2:04.13 for Neptune NJ sr Ajee Wilson as she takes 4th against an elite field of eight.
• G-Mile: 4:46.19 for North Shore NY sr Samantha Nadel, just .08 off her US#1 mark, to defend her Millrose title. Cosby VA sr Megan Moye just outkicks Nadel's teammate, Brianna Nerud (US#7 4:50.12).
• B-Mile: US#3 4:13.83 for Liverpool NY sr Zavon Watkins, coming from almost the back in third quarter and kicking home to win. US#6 4:14.68 for Chariho RI sr Mike Marsella in 2nd as he and Watkins repeated their NB Games finishes.
• G-4x800: US#1 9:00.92 for Garden City NY, #10 all-time, as they lead a total of five teams at 9:15 or better, including US#5 9:10.59 for Strath Haven PA and #6 9:11.16 for Red Bank Catholic NJ.
• G-SMR: US#1 4:02.62 for St. Anthony's NY, improving their own national lead with a 2:12 anchor by Olicia Williams. US#4 4:09.40 in 2nd for St. John Villa NY.
• B-4x800: US#6 7:51.83 for Boys & Girls NY, as 8 schools break 8:00. US#1 Christian Brothers NJ is 6th as they hold out some of their top guns.
• B-4x400: Christian Brothers NJ breaks out with a US#3 3:19.61 to win the Suburban race. Boys & Girls NY, already US#1 at 3:15.12, rolls to the PSAL win in 3:18.83 w/o star Robert Rhodes. Uniondale NY takes the Long Island race in 3:22.22.
• G-4x400: Medgar Evers NY improves their US#4 to 3:51.46 to beat Benjamin Cardozo NY #5 3:52.37 for PSAL title. Massapequa NY wins the Long Island race in 3:57.17 (with Garden City putting its top runners in the 4x8), and the Suburban title goes to New Rochelle NY in 3:56.44.
• B-SMR: US#8 3:34.76 for St. Anthony's NY as they complete the boys/girls sweep in the event.
• W-RW: Edward Little ME sr Abby Dunn is the best of several preps in the USATF Women's Championship, clocking US#1 7:28.36 for 3rd.
• G-WT: Woodward Acad. GA sr Avana Story takes it with 57-8.5, just off her US#1 58-2.25.
• G-55: 6.91 for Paramus Catholic NJ sr Myasia Jacobs, close to her US#2 6.87.
• M-500: 1:03.39 500 for Christopher Columbus NY sr Strymar Livingston, taking 6th vs. the elites, but off form from his 1:01.68 USR from last month.

====================================

PREVIEW: Best Millrose for preps ever has full menu

The 105th Millrose Games, the first in the Armory facility, promises perhaps the best exhibition of top prep talent in its history, with three all-time prep greats in their respective events mixed in with the pros in great opportunities to break records and/or move up the all-time lists. That’s on top of the typically great boys and girls high school mile races and a big schedule of prep relays.

The preps competing with the pros include the following:

• St. Benedict’s (Newark, N.J.) junior Ed Cheserek, is running with the elites in the 5,000, getting pacing help with hopes of breaking Lukas Verzbicas’ 2011 USR of 14:06.78. Cheserek has already made strong bids for the 2M and 1M prep USRs – following an 8:43.16 deuce (just short of his own #3 all-time 8:42.66 from last March) at the Molloy Stanner Games Jan. 14 with a 4:02.21 last weekend during the Elite Mile (#2 all-time) at the New Balance Games. But this will be the first paced record attempt that Cheserek has contested and, if he sticks with the plan, he has a great chance at the Verzbicas mark. He has to average less than 34 seconds a lap and his best in this event is an outdoor time of 14:02.xx last spring. Ahead of Cheserek, pro Bernard Lagat is trying to retake the American record – Galen Rupp ran 13:11.44 last year to top Lagat’s 13:11.50 from 2010.
• Christopher Columbus (Bronx, N.Y.) senior Strymar Livingston, will be sprinting with the pros in the 500 with a chance to reset his own 1:01.68 USR. Seemingly perfectly suited for these odd distances only found indoors, Livingston has clearly become the greatest long sprinter ever with his 500 USR and his second 600 USR in two years. Meanwhile, pro Lashawn Merritt is in the field, going for the 1:00.17 world best and American record set back in 1987 (not an official IAAF event). The event is so infrequently contested at this level that there has only been one revision in the all-time top 10 since 1992.
• Neptune (Neptune, N.J.) senior Ajee Wilson, competing with pros for the third straight weeks in hopes of improving her US#1 2:07.37 and perhaps her indoor PR of 2:06.17 (on this track at New Balance Nationals last March), which is #6 all-time. Her task competitively will be no easier than last week, when she was 6th out of six in the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix 800, despite a US#1, as pros Morgan Uceny, Phoebe Wright, and Maggie Vessey head up the loaded field.

The boys and girls miles are typically well-loaded affairs.

• Girls Race: Unbeaten North Shore (Glen Head, N.Y.) senior Samantha Nadel has already taken down the track record last month with her US#1 4:46.11, claimed the US Open title with a surprisingly fast 4:47.29 on the tiny Madison Square Garden track, and also stands as US#1 in the 3,000. While the field that will be surely chasing her is a strong group of 4:48-5:00 milers, expect Nadel to set out on her own and only have herself for competition. Though she doesn’t start notorious fast most of the time, she is a confident pace-setter. The rest of the field is headed up by three other sub-4:50 performers from this winter: Bronxville (Bronxville, N.Y.) soph Mary Cain (4:48.96; also has US#1 2:47.29 1k and 4:17 1500 last spring), Friends Academy (Locust Grove, N.Y.) senior Kelsey Margey (4:49.03; 4:43.91 career best outdoors), and Cosby (Midlothian, Va.) senior Megan Moye (4:49.36). Nadel’s teammate Brianna Nerud, runnerup in the US Open with 4:54.65, should not be counted out, either.
• Boys Race: There is definitely not a heavy favorite in this race, but you certainly have to place Liverpool (Liverpool, N.Y.) senior Zavon Watkins and Great Valley (Malvern, Pa.) senior Ned Willig atop the list of contenders. Watkins has won the New Balance Games mile three weeks ago in 4:14.52, making him the fastest qualifier. He followed that up with a US Open win in a tactical race. That set up a showdown last week at the New Balance Collegiate 1,000 meters with Willig, a fast-rising talent with his own new 4:15.61 PR and a US#1 1:51.25 at 800. The appeared to go 1-2 in this 1k ahead of Alan Webb’s USR, only to get DQ’d due to lane violations and give the win to Ben Malone. Now Watkins and Willig get to go at it again at a mile, where they also have nearly identical 1600 PRs from last spring of 4:11.13 and 4:11.99. And though those two are the favorites, don’t forget about the eight others who have run 4:17 or faster indoors this winter, including Chariho (Wood River Junction, R.I.) senior Mike Marsella – who was 2nd behind Watkins at the New Balance Games and owns the best mile PR in the field overall with his 4:09.09 last spring outdoors.

Other prep individual events

• 55 Dashes: Paramus Catholic (Paramus, N.J.) senior Myasia Jacobs heads up the girls field with her US#2 6.87 (6.82 career best). Her long resume includes a NBIN 60 dash title last winter and a World Youth Champs silver last summer in the 100. Sayville (West Sayville, N.Y.) junior Chris Belcher is the top boys’ seed at 6.53.
• Weight Throws: US#2 Averill Park (Averill Park, N.Y.) junior Rudy Winkler, with a best of 76-11 (#12 all-time) leads the boys field, while US#1 Woodward Academy (Atlanta, Ga.) senior Avana Story with a best of 58-2.25 (also #12 all-time) paces the girls.
• Women’s USATF Nat’l Championship Mile Racewalk: While this is a “senior” USATF championship event, about half of the entrants are preps. Townsend Harris NY junior Ji Won Kang (current US#5 7:13.73 1500) and Auburn ME sr Abby Dunn (US#3 7:41.22 mile) look like the top contenders.

Prep Relays

• Boys: The top 4x800 and 4x400 seeds will be challenged to top their New Balance Collegiate fireworks. Christian Brothers (Lincroft, N.J.) is the heavy favorite in the Metropolitan 4x800 after their US#1 7:41.53 last weekend (#2 all-time), while Boys and Girls (Brooklyn, N.Y.) has the same status in the PSAL 4x400 after their nation-leading 3:15.12 made them #4 all-time. Long Island and Suburban 4x400 crowns will also be awarded. New this year is the SuperRunners CHSAA Sprint Medley, with St. Anthony’s NY the favorite.
• Girls: In the 4x400s, US#2 Garden City NY (US#2 3:50.03) is the Long Island fave, while Medgar Evers NY (US#4 3:54.46) is the PSAL top seed. The SuperRunners Metro 4x800 battle should come down to US#2 St. Dominic’s NJ and #3 Lenape NJ, while US#1 St. Anthony’s NY is the clear pick in the Joe Fox Memorial CHSAA Sprint Medley.

Full fields:

BOYS



55-meter Dash

  1  Timoy, Malcolm              Snyder                 6.72

  2  Gooden, Brandon             John Bowne             6.63

  3  Jackson, Mark               Longwood               6.59

  4  Belcher, Christopher        Sayville               6.53

  5  Gordon, Wayne               Sweet Home             6.58

  6  Dixon, Danito               Sheepshead             6.61

  7  Campbell, Kareem            Mt Vernon              6.64

  8  Spooner, Gabe               Xavier                 6.77 



Larry Byrne New Balance Mile

  1  Watkins, Zavon              Liverpool, NY          4:14.52

  2  Marsella, Mike              Chariho, RI            4:15.27

  3  Willig, Ned                 Great Valley, PA       4:15.61

  4  Delago, Christian           Shaker, NY             4:16.00

  5  Price, Everett              New Providence, NJ     4:16.22

  6  Surkont, Konrad             Stuyvessant, NY        4:16.31

  7  Lewandowski, Stephen        Mountain Lakes, NJ     4:16.66

  8  McIe, Adam                  Brewster, NY           4:17.10

  9  Holt, Eric                  Carmel, NY             4:17.42

 10  Gorman, Tim                 CBA, NJ                4:17.67

 11  Napolitano, Rob             Red Bank Catholic, NJ  4:19.67

 12  Rog, Connor                 Fairfield Prep, CT     4:20.08 



PSAL 4x400-meter Relay

  1  South Shore, NY                                   3:28.15

     1) Candio, Alex                    2) Lawremce, Kevin

     3) Lewis, Christopher              4) Morency, Kevin

  2  DeWitt Clinton, NY                                3:26.91

     1) Asante, Godfrey                 2) Beckford, Rudje

     3) Hudson, Montel                  4) Obeng-Agyapong, Jeremiah

  3  Medgar Evers, NY                                  3:26.80

     1) Ali, Roger                      2) Daniels, Alex

     3) Davis, Delroy                   4) Merchant, Jenoy

  4  Samuel J. Tilden, NY                              3:25.10

     1) Applewhite, Kwasi               2) Charles, Dwayne

     3) Europe, Corwin                  4) Ventour, Justin

  5  Boys & Girls, NY                                  3:19.90

     1) Grant, Javaun                   2) Johnson, Joel

     3) Renwick, Curtly                 4) Rose, Richard

  6  Harry S Truman, NY                                3:25.05

     1) Cherry, Shane                   2) Hall, Michael

     3) Mathis, Kevin                   4) Tomlinson, Jason    



Long Island 4x400-meter Relay

  2  Massapequa                                        3:30.87

     1) Caraciolo, Joe                  2) Deluna, Danny

     3) Maione, Andrew                  4) Poole, Brian

  3  Elmont, NY                                        3:30.50

     1) Aristide, Calvin                2) Atkins, Brandon

     3) Barker, Chad                    4) Obadare, Ayomiede

  4  Port Jefferson, NY                                3:29.20

     1) Conte, Cole                     2) Keresztes, Andrew

     3) Neiman, Benjamin                4) Walsh, Dennis

  5  Uniondale, NY                                     3:23.99

     1) Armour, Chris                   2) Chardonette, Nyder

     3) Goodwin, Tresean                4) Ingram, Derrick

  6  Freeport, NY                                      3:28.68

     1) DeVore, Tremanie                2) Grant, Justin

     3) Greenwood, Jonathan             4) Jenkins, Caleb  



Suburban 4x400-meter Relay

  1  New Rochelle, NY                                 3:30.94

     1) Bajulaiye, Temi                 2) Clarke, Jordan

     3) Lawrence, Aaron                 4) Wheeler, Roland

  2  Pearl River, NY                                  3:26.40

     1) Bateman, Brenden                2) Bonaro, Tom

     3) Brennan, Kieran                 4) Lueders, Hans

  3  Mount Vernon, NY                                 3:25.02

     1) Austin, Raheem                  2) Gayle, Steven

     3) Samuels, Chevaun                4) Taylor, Donnell Avery

  4  Union Catholic, NJ                               3:23.76

     1) Costello, Darryl                2) DeAngelis, Mike

     3) Eke, Allen                      4) Jimerson, Jordan

  5  Newburgh Free Academy, NY                        3:20.27

     1) McAllister, Xavier              2) Moore, Terrel

     3) Valentine, Isaiah               4) Wimboly, Shaquille

  6  Christian Brothers, NJ                           3:21.52

     1) Foster, Theo                    2) Mangini, Clark

     3) McDermott, Zack                 4) Rodio, Matt 



Metropolitan 4x800-meter Relay

  1  Boys & Girls, NY                               7:52.45

     1) Rhodes, Robert                  2) Rose, Richard

     3) Wickham, Nebroth                4) Williams, Darryl

  2  Christian Brothers, NJ                         7:56.53

     1) Kelly, George                   2) Lippert, Conrad

     3) McClemens, Mike                 4) Olsen, Kevin

  3  Colonie, NY                                    7:56.65

     1) Holmes, Jon                     2) Johnson, Jacob

     3) Luizzi, Matt                    4) Sainato, Giancarlos

  4  Arlington, NY  'A'                             7:57.44

     1) Hanson, Sibby                   2) Koenitzer, Chris

     3) Lotocky, Krystopher             4) Merenda, Eddie

  5  Collegiate, NY  'A'                            7:58.42

     1) Garcia, Will                    2) McDonald, Alex

     3) McDuffie, Will                  4) Pompilj, Marco

  6  Strath Haven, PA  'A'                          8:02.96

     1) Butera, Dylan                   2) Huemmler, Jack

     3) Seelaus, Jeff                   4) Stewart, Dan

  7  Bronxville, NY  'A'                            8:03.71

     1) Dennen, John                    2) Flannery, Dayton

     3) Flannery, Johnny                4) Harrison, James

  8  Shaker, NY  'A'                                8:04.60

     1) Hausamann, Ethan                2) Libruk, Mike

     3) Morgan, Max                     4) Phillips, Dan

  9  Bellport, NY  'A'                              8:07.06

     1) Correa, Travis                  2) McGlynn, Ryan

     3) Palafox, Derek                  4) Santana, Brandon

 10  Bronx Science, NY  'A'                         8:07.28

     1) Berkmans, Pier                  2) Destefano, John

     3) Ledger, Joe                     4) Yohanan, John

 11  Pawling, NY  'A'                               8:08.50

     1) Hunter, Kevin                   2) Konchan, Mike

     3) Souter, Colin                   4) Souter, Taylor

 12  Pleasantville, NJ  'A'                         8:03.77

     1) Arias, Dagoberto                2) Clark, Isaac

     3) Clark, Jacob                    4) Narinensingh, Radcliffe 



SuperRunners CHSAA Sprint Medley Relay

  1  Bishop Ford, NY                                   3:40.96

     1) Lopez, Bryan                    2) Messam, Chad

     3) Mitchell, Devon                 4) Rocks, Devin

  2  Xavier, NY                                        3:38.73

     1) Arvanitis, Phil                 2) Camacho, Isidro

     3) DeNiro, Dominic                 4) Spooner, Gabe

  3  Fordham Prep, NY                                  3:38.60

     1) Crossdale, Malik                2) Graziosa, Giovanni

     3) Keefer, Lucas                   4) Kennelly, Dennis

  4  Kellenberg Memorial, NY                           3:38.55

     1) Capozzoli, Tyler                2) Evelyn, Enoch

     3) Maulo, Joseph                   4) McGee, Raul

  5  St. Anthony's, NY                                 3:36.35

     1) Adegbite, Adekola               2) Graw, Daniel

     3) Kreider, Kevin                  4) Ridley, Stanton

  6  St. John the Baptist, NY                          3:37.11

     1) DuPlessis, Thomas               2) Ferguson, Sean

     3) Rowan, Pat                      4) Selle, John   



Weight Throw

  1  Barnett, Donte                   NY      43-08.00

  2  Walton, Blake                    NY      54-04.00

  3  Pensa, Chris                     NY      50-09.00

  4  Wilson, Tim                      NY      50-11.00

  5  Gallagher, Keith                 NY      51-02.00

  6  Rosario, Angel                   NY      58-08.00

  7  Rhodes, Bryan                    NY      64-04.00

  8  Winkler, Rudy                    NY      74-04.00



GIRLS



55-meter Dash

  1  Shanus, Julie               Rye Country            7.41

  2  Rogers, Robbi               Mt Vernon              7.28

  3  Hannon, Valenica            Elmont                 7.19

  4  Jacobs, Myasia              Paramas Catholic       6.98

  5  Philson, Lateisha           Cardozo                7.12

  6  Smith, Jordan               Paramas Catholic       7.19

  7  Yarde, Tanaya               Mt Vernon              7.29

  8  Marcus, Jalilissa           St. Edmunds            7.48 



New Balance Mile

  1  Nadel, Samantha              North Shore, NY        4:46.11

  3  Cain, Mary                   Bronxville, NY         4:48.98

  3  Margey, Kelsey               Friends Academy, NY    4:49.03

  4  Moye, Megan                  Cosby, VA              4:49.36

  5  Paul, Rachel                 Sachem East, NY        4:52.95

  6  Chase, Sophie                Lake Braddock, VA      4:55.79

  7  Batzel, Audrey               Ocean Lakes, VA        4:58.06

  8  Nerud, Brianna               North Shore, NY        4:58.45

  9  Gerlach, Tori                Pennridge, PA          4:58.67

 10  Sargent, Sara                Pennsbury, PA          4:59.07

 11  Panisse, Alexis              Benjamin Cardozo, NY   5:00.87

 12  Seykora, Maria               Notre Dame, PA         5:01.09 



PSAL 4x400-meter Relay

  1  Campus Magnet, NY                                  4:04.92

     1) General, Thea                   2) Green, Monique

     3) Lindor, Danielle                4) Stobbs, Samiesha

  2  Benjamin Banneker, NY                              4:04.03

     1) Chestnut, Bryanna               2) Cummings, Breanna

     3) Harrison, Khadejah              4) Meadows, Nzinga

  3  Port Richmond, NY                                  4:01.07

     1) Delacruz, Amanda                2) Doway, Alison

     3) Humes, Shi-Anne                 4) Wilson-Jones, Yazmin

  4  DeWitt Clinton, NY                                 4:00.11

     1) Adams, Britttney                2) Lambert, Katrina

     3) Tidball, Kianna                 4) Wright, Marlena

  5  Medgar Evers, NY                                   3:54.46

     1) Baird, Kadecia                  2) Cameron, Janai

     3) Tasher, Ashley                  4) Thompson-Charles, Paige

  6  Benjamin Cardozo, NY                               3:56.61

     1) Anderson, Akayla                2) Panisse, Alexis

     3) Philson, Lateisha               4) Southerland, Sabrina



Long Island 4x400-meter Relay

  1  Bayport Blue-Point, NY                            4:08.74

     1) Dooley, Courtney                2) Hasher, Casey

     3) Triani, Sami                    4) Walker, Bailey

  2  Brentwood, NY                                     4:04.94

     1) Reid, Brianna                   2) Richardson, Bionca

     3) Richardson, Brittany            4) Smith, Roslyn

  3  Massapequa, NY                                    4:00.78

     1) Bourgal, Andrea                 2) McBrien, Shannon

     3) Sweeney, Heather                4) Yevoli, Kristen

  4  Bay Shore, NY                                     3:59.97

     1) Anderson, Jacqueline            2) Andrade, Cesia

     3) Gelibert, Jessica               4) Rowe, Danielle

  5  Uniondale, NY                                     3:58.84

     1) Linton, Stephanie               2) Powell, Adrianna

     3) Roberts, Kadesha                4) Webley, Brittany

  6  Garden City, NY                                   3:59.74

     1) Jaeger, Laura                   2) Lawkins, Kelly

     3) Punturo, Kelly                  4) Yeboah-Kodie, Alexis



Suburban 4x400-meter Relay

  1  Washingtonville, NY                               4:05.43

     1) Connors, Kerry                  2) Hehir, Lauren

     3) O'Neill, Alayna                 4) Robinson, Raheema

  2  Weequahic, NJ                                     4:04.28

     1) Cooper, Saborrah                2) Frett, Shenique

     3) Jones, Jasmine                  4) Uhunwangho, Amenza

  3  Winslow Twp, NJ                                   4:03.79

     1) Cross, DeAnn                    2) McNeil, Stey’ce

     3) Oguledo, Christine              4) Robinson, Torie

  4  New Rochelle, NY                                  4:01.56

     1) Donaldson, Alicia               2) Marshall, Selena

     3) Stevens, Deajah                 4) Wiggins, Ashley

  5  Suffern, NY                                       3:59.75

     1) Adler, Sara                     2) Shedler, Sara

     3) Solan, Imani                    4) Theard, Soraya

  6  Mount Vernon, NY                                  4:00.14

     1) Cameron, Shanice                2) Harney, Lexus

     3) Rogers, Robbi                   4) Yarde, Tanaya     



SuperRunners Metropolitan 4x800-meter Relay

  1  Mt. St. Dominic, NJ                               9:09.69

     1) Corbosiero, Amanda              2) Fields, Ashlynn

     3) McCurdy, Kathleen               4) O'Driscoll, Kelsey

  2  Garden City, NY                                   9:21.62

     1) Gallagher, Emma                 2) Hennig, Taylor

     3) O'Neill, Emily                  4) O'Neill, Katie

  3  Red Bank Catholic, NJ                             9:21.71

     1) Bellaran, Lindsey               2) Dooley, Mary Kate

     3) Marzano, Liana                  4) McMullin, Meghan

  4  Strath Haven, PA                                  9:21.84

     1) Grossman, Hannah                2) Irons, Bri

     3) Miller, Kristen                 4) Wilson, Allie

  5  Holy Names, NY                                    9:22.31

     1) Close, Kaitlin                  2) Maloy, Catherine

     3) Scott, Kaylee                   4) Triller, Leah

  6  Lenape, NJ                                        9:23.71

     1) Duffey, Emmy                    2) McGee, Emily

     3) Ocasio, Natalia                 4) Restivo, Amanda

  7  West Potomac, VA                                  9:26.50

     1) Boyle, Colleen                  2) Lescher, Dale

     3) Passacantando, Sophia           4) Underwood, Sarah Jane

  8  St. Anthony's, NY                                 9:27.55

     1) Fontana, Lauren                 2) Mitchell, Taylor

     3) Russ, Sloane                    4) Worth, Delaney

  9  Colonie, NY                                       9:30.20

     1) Kaminski, Kirsten               2) Malecki, Jackie

     3) Schillaci, Kaitie               4) Shannen, Kerin

 10  Bronxville, NY                                    9:30.26

     1) Campbell, Courtney              2) Hoffer, Emilie

     3) Phillips, Amelia                4) Rizzo, Meredith

 14  Pearl River, NY                                   9:34.50

     1) 1363 Hayes, Kelly               2) 1364 Kohlbrenner, Maria

     3) 1365 McMorrow, Ceili            4) 1362 Shine, Molly

 11  Morris Hills, NJ                                  9:38.09

     1) Clyne, Ailis                    2) Polanco, Jennifer

     3) Polimeni, Krissa                4) Thompson, Ulana

 12  Boys and Girls, NY                                9:45.60

     1) Diarra, Sally                   2) Singh, Omawattie

     3) Sterrett, Jhanee                4) Wickham, Carol

 13  Mamaroneck, NY                                    9:46.60

     1) Banks, Anima                    2) Devore, Katie

     3) Paras, Paulina                  4) Rauls, Leonie 



Joe Fox Memorial CHSAA Sprint Medley Relay

  1  St. John the Baptist, NY                          4:27.97

     1) Hollomon, Jasmind               2) McLeod, Krystal

     3) Penn, Chelea                    4) Rivera, Lauren

  2  Archbishop Molloy, NY                             4:21.50

     1) Morrison, Niamani               2) Salas-Ali, Tiana

     3) Woods, Kathleen                 4) Woods, Mary Ellen

  3  Holy Trinity, NY                                  4:19.84

     1) Bartolo, Marrianna              2) Brown, Caroline

     3) Luebke, Rachel                  4) Sandowski, Amanda

  4  Kellenberg Memorial, NY                           4:19.44

     1) Belcher, Jasmin                 2) Belot, Odrine

     3) Conroy, Ashlin                  4) Montgomery, Carly

  5  St. Anthony's, NY                                 4:06.08

     1) Chung, Chynna-Monica            2) Fielder, Megan

     3) June, Melissa                   4) Williams, Olicia

  6  St. John Villa, NY                                4:13.12

     1) Claudio, Dominique              2) Claudio, Mariah

     3) Simon, Alexandra                4) Taddoni, Kristi    



Weight Throw

  1  Cooper, Monae                    NY      35-05.50

  2  Bishop, Sochima                  NY      36-04.00

  3  Furman, Heidi                    NY      39-11.00

  4  Brown, Briyah                    NY      40-09.00

  5  Rodriquez, Danely                NY      41-10.00

  6  Collins, Jordan                  NY      42-01.00

  7  Borriello, Danielle              NY      42-04.00

  8  Darby, Dominique                 NY      47-01.00

  9  Story, Avana                     GA      55-11.00

=====================================

SCHEDULE

Time Order Event
9 am Millrose Collegiate Invitational
4 pm 1 Women's Club Championship Distance Medley Relay
4:15 pm 2 Men's Club Championship Distance Medley Relay
4:28 pm 3 Women's Club Championship Sprint Medley Relay
4:37 pm 4 Women's USATF National Championship Mile Walk
4:47 pm 5 Long Island High School Boys' 4x400-meter Relay
4:54 pm 6 Joe Fox Memorial CHSAA Girls' Sprint Medley Relay
5:01 pm 7 Long Island High School Girls' 4x400-meter Relay
5:08 pm 8 Suburban High School Girls' 4x400-meter Relay
5:15 pm 9 SuperRunners Metropolitan HS Girls' 4x800-meter Relay
5:27 pm 10 NYRR Youth Girls' 4x200-meter Relay
5:32 pm 11 NYAC Youth Boys' 4x200-meter Relay
5:37 pm 12 Metropolitan High School Boys' 4x800-meter Relay
5:49 pm 13 Masters Women's 4x400-meter Relay
5:59 pm 14 Masters Men's 4x400-meter Relay
6:06 pm 15 Susan Rudin USATF National Championship Men's Mile Walk
6:15 pm 16 Metropolitan College Men's 4x400-meter Relay
6:22 pm 17 NYRR Fastest Kid on the Block
6:27 pm 18 Suburban High School Boys' 4x400-meter Relay
6:34 pm 19 Men's Club Championship 4x200-meter Relay
6:40 pm 20 Gotham Cup Metropolitan College Women's 4x400-meter Relay
6:47 pm 21 Men's Club Championship Sprint Medley Relay
6:55 pm 22 Women's 60-meter Hurdles
7 pm 23 Men's 60-meter Dash
7:05 pm Opening Ceremony
7:15 pm 24 HBCU Men's 4x400-meter Relay
7:21 pm 25 NYAC Women's Club Championship 4x200-meter Relay
7:26 pm 26 John Thomas Men's High Jump
7:30 pm 27 PSAL Boys' 4x400-meter Relay
7:40 pm 28 Byron Dyce College Men's Distance Medley Relay
7:55 pm 29 Fred Schmertz Women's Pole Vault
8 pm 30 NYRR Wanamaker Women's Metric Mile
8:10 pm 31 Mel Sheppard Men's 500-meter Dash
8:20 pm 32 New Balance Men's 5,000-meter Run
8:35 pm 33 Women's Long Jump
8:37 pm 34 Howard Schmertz Women's 400-meter Dash
8:42 pm 35 New Balance High School Girls' Mile
8:52 pm 36 High School Boys' 55-meter Dash
8:57 pm 37 High School Girls' 55-meter Dash
9:02 pm 38 Mushin Men's 60-meter Hurdles
9:09 pm 39 Women’s 60-meter Dash
9:14 pm 40 Larry Byrne New Balance Boys' High School Mile
9:21 pm 41 PSAL Girls' 4x400-meter Relay
9:28 pm 42 Women's 800-meter Run
9:35 pm 43 SuperRunners CHSAA Boys' Sprint Medley Relay
9:49 pm 44 NYRR Wanamaker Mile

Coverage of the 2012 USATF XC Championships
Forest Park, St. Louis MO
LINKS: Meet Home Page | Junior Entries
Runnerspace.com Webcast
Scroll down for schedule

HIGHLIGHTS

• St. Mary's WV jr Maggie Drazba, the WV state champ and 13th at FL South, was the top prep in either junior race, taking 2nd with 21:07.7 for the Junior Women's 6k. DyeStat alum (8th in 2010 Foot Locker Finals) Shannon Osika, a U of Michigan frosh, won overall in 21:04.3. La Costa Canyon CA soph Emma Abrahamson was 7th (21:37), Xavier Prep AZ jr Sarah Fakler 11th (22:00), and Eureka MO frosh Hannah Long 14th (22:07).
• In the Junior Men's race, La Costa Canyon CA sr Darren Fahy was the top prep, finishing 7th in 25:09.2 for 8k, just out of the money for NACAC team. Former Indiana prep Jacy Lowry (now a Syracuse frosh) won in 24:54.3. Hebron TX senior teammates Kevyn Hoyos (25:27) and Robert Domanic (25:35) were 11th and 13th, topping fellow Texan and Cypress Woods sr Craig Nowak's 16th (25:49).
• Phillips Andover Acad. MA sr Cayla Hatton, who was 2nd last weekend in the NB Indoor GP girls mile, ran a very strong 13th in the Open (senior) Women's race with 28:26.6 for 8k. Sara Bei topped Molly Huddle in a battle of DyeStat alums for the win, both clocking 26:50.1.

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PREVIEW: Fahy, Tinkey lead prep entries

By Bob Geiger and SteveU

The year 2012 is a very unusual one in international cross country: For the first time, since the meet was inaugurated back in 1973 (previously ICCU Championships since 1903), there will be no IAAF World Cross Country Championships. The sport’s international governing body made the decision in 2009 to go to an every-other-year format beginning with 2011, so the only Team USA berths on the line are for the NACAC Cross Country Championships, a continental meet taking place March 17, 2012, at Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Hence, there’s less incentive for preps (or collegians or elites) to travel to St. Louis in the middle of February to battle over hill and dale in the Junior or Senior races.

Still, a hardy handful of top high schoolers from last fall’s harrier wars will take part in the Junior event, as well as some “DyeStat Alums,” and there will be some storylines worth following.

Junior Men’s 8K Race: Fahy’s chance at redemption

If there’s one prep to watch with an eagle eye Saturday, it’s Darren Fahy. The LaCosta Canyon (Carlsbad, Calif.) senior was ranked in the top 3-4 in the country much of the year as he went undefeated through Foot Locker West, winning the Stanford and Mt. SAC Invitationals, as well as the D2 state meet. In front of the home crowd at Balboa Park for Foot Locker Finals, however, Fahy was a crushing 17th. Before he starts the track season, this is a chance at redemption for the Californian – if he can fare well in what might be dismal weather.

At least another half dozen preps bear significant watching. Three of the other top entries are Texans. Cypress Woods (Cypress, Texas) senior Craig Nowak was tremendous last fall, taking his 5A state meet and then embarking on a nationals double quest: He was third at NXN South, then won Foot Locker South. After a tremendous third in Portland at the NXN Finals, he wound it up with a somewhat disappointing 14th in San Diego. So maybe he’d like a little redemption, too, but he’s still one of the most intriguing entries given that he’s considered a miler above all in track and could be tearing it up on the indoor oval.

That same Texas 5A meet saw Hebron seniors Kevyn Hoyos and Robert Domanic take third and fourth. At NXN South, Hoyos was 2nd and Domanic 7th, so while Hoyos then was 34th in Portland, Domanic went to Charlotte and placed 10th at Foot Locker South and 20th in the finals. Saturday, they’ll be racing together again.

Finally, not surprisingly the St. Louis location for USATFs has drawn some top Missouri runners. Rockhurst (Kansas City, Mo.) senior Zach Herriott was 4th at NXN Midwest, then 9th in the Finals. Festus (Festus, Mo.) senior Drew White was the 3A state champ, then 17th at NXN Midwest.

The favorite in the Junior Men’s race will be Ohio State freshman Michael Bradjic. Bradjic, who as a prep broke Bobby Kennedy's state meet course record, just competed last month in the Great Edinburgh International Cross Country Team Challenge, where he finished seventh to help lead the USA squad to the team title.

Junior Women: Tinkey leads contenders

In the Junior Women’s race, a pair of USATF Junior XC veterans from Arizona and a 3-time Foot Locker Finalist are among the prep contenders.

The latter would be Presbyterian Day School (Macon, Ga.) junior Grace Tinkey, who was 6th in the Finals in December after taking 10th and 20th as a soph and frosh, respectively. Tinkey recently ran 10:04 for 3000 meters at the Jimmy Carnes Invitational in Florida. The Arizonans include Chinle senior Rolonda Jumbo, who was 9th as a frosh in 2009, then 31st and 12th the past two seasons. Xavier College Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.) junior Sarah Fakler was 11th here last year for a NACAC berth.

As for local favorites, watch for impressive Eureka frosh Hannah Long, who was 2nd in the Missouri 4A state meet and 11th at Foot Locker Midwest. Then a pair of Californians to watch for are two-time NXN Finals top-20 finisher Rebecca Mehra (Palos Verdes senior; 3rd in 2009, 16th in 2011) and Emma Abrahamson a soph for powerhouse La Costa Canyon. From West Virginia, there’s St. Mary’s jr Maggie Drazba, state champ and 13th at Foot Locker South.

Some post high school runners to look out for include Julie Nacouzi, who was a member of Team USA at last year's IAAF meet in Punta Umbria, Spain, and 3rd at the 2010 Foot Locker Finals. There’s also former Michigan preps Gabby Anzalone (now at Wisconsin; 11th in 2010 Foot Locker) and Shannon Osika (now at Michigan and a sub-4:40 miler; 8th in 2010 Foot Locker), for New York prep Shaylyn Tuite (now at Syracuse; 7th in 2010 NXN Finals).

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SCHEDULE:
8:30 a.m. High School 4 km
9:00 a.m. Community Race 4 km
9:45 a.m. Masters Women's 8 km
10:45 a.m. Masters Men's 8 km
11:45 a.m. Junior Women's 6 km
12:30 p.m. Junior Men's 8 km
1:15 p.m. Open Women's 8 km
2:00 p.m. Open Men's 12 km

This is a list of reported Division I college commitments updated with news of this week''s signings. It is arranged by home state. Please let us know if any of these non-binding commitments have changed. We know this list is far from complete. Tell us where you are headed next fall and we can add you to the list. After you sign, send us a photo for our gallery and/or Facebook wall. Names in bold are confirmed as signed. The complete listings of college choices is HERE.

Alabama
Andrew Harris (distance) - Alabama
Kevin Shannon (throws) - Alabama
Quincy Smith (sprints) - Alabama
Jonathan Stiegler (jumps) - Alabama
Lacey Dent (sprints) - Alabama
Joy Maneice-Marbury (sprints) - Alabama
Analisa Patrick (distance) - Alabama

Arizona
Trae Armstrong (football/sprints) – Idaho
Jasmine Todd (sprints/jumps) - Oregon
Bacall Sterling (hurdles/sprints) - Sacramento State
Ashley Weber (throws) - Arizona State

Arkansas
Sydney Conley (jumps) - Alabama

California
Trinity Wilson (hurdles) - UCLA
Cami Chapus (distance) – Stanford
Amy Weissenbach (mid-distance) – Stanford
C.J. Albertson (distance) – Arizona State
Carrie Verdon (distance) – Colorado
Darren Fahy (distance) – Georgetown
Dylan Blankenbaker (distance) – Oklahoma
Kevin Mihalik (distance) – Air Force
Savannah Comacho (mid-distance) – Oklahoma State
Allison Sturges (distance) – Duke
Cameron Miller (distance) – Stanford
Kevin Bishop (distance) – Stanford
Cody Crampton (high jump) – UCLA
Rebecca Mehra (distance) – Stanford
Deon Pinder (jumps) – Oklahoma
Lyndsey Mull (distance) – UCLA
Blake Selig (sprints/jumps) – UCLA
Julian Todd-Borden (hurdles) – Drake
Ashlyn Dadkhah (mid-distance) – California
Shea Taylor (jumps and hurdles) – BYU
Kendal Nielsen (jumps) – Cal Poly
Rachel Bush (distance) - Cal Poly
Justin Unno (distance) - UCLA
Annie Grove (distance) - South Carolina
Erika Reddish (distance) - BYU
Adriana Olivas (distance) - Arizona State
Klyvens Delaunay (jumps) - Arkansas
Danica Wyson (distance) - BYU
Ashton Padberg (distance) - San Diego
Steve Michaelson (throws) - Wake Forest
Rashard Clark (sprints) - Arizona State
Alex Conner (distance) - Yale
Melanie Joerger (distance) - Loyola Marymount

Colorado
Sierra Williams (sprints) - Florida State
Kirk Webb (mid-distance) - Penn
Karina Ernst (distance) - Syracuse

Connecticut
Connor Rog (distance) – Virginia
Matt Klein (distance) - Dartmouth
Clark Shurtleff (distance) - Penn

Delaware
Julie Macedo (distance) – Florida
Haley Pierce (distance) – Georgetown
Sam Parsons (mid-distance) - N.C. State

Florida
Marvin Bracy (football/sprints) – Florida State
Robin Reynolds (sprints) – Florida
Arman Hall (sprints) – Florida
Shayla Sanders (sprints) – Florida
DerRenae Freeman (jumps) – Florida State
Kyri Tabor (sprints) - Alabama
Dwight Davis (sprints) - Alabama
Carly Thomas (distance) - Florida State
Katelyn Greenleaf (distance) - Alabama
Randy Johnson (sprints) - Miami

Georgia
Cameron Thornton (mid-distance) – Texas A&M
Jonathan Jones (football/hurdles) – Auburn
Reed Hancock (jumps) - Alabama
Caroline Kissel (distance) - Georgia Tech
Sarah Howard (throws) - North Carolina
Avana Story (throws) - North Carolina
Devon Williams (multi) - Georgia

Idaho
Emily Nist (distance) – Syracuse
Rebecca Lassere (distance) - Seattle

Illinois
Malachy Schrobilgen (distance) – Wisconsin
Morolake Akinosun (sprints) – Illinois
Trevor Holm (distance) - Western Illinois
Danielle DeVito (distance) - Bradley
Lindsey Rakosnik (distance) - Illinois
Sydni Meunier (mid-distance) - Notre Dame
Jacob Bender (sprints) - Nebraska
Chelsea Blaase (mid-distance) - Tennessee
Zeke Elkins (mid-distance) - Drake
Ali Olson (distance) - Northern Illinois
Ellen Renk (jumps) - Northern Illinois
Olivia Herzog (throws) - Northern Illinois
Leah Raffety (distance) - Northern Illinois
Mallory Abel (distance) - Northwestern
Jacquelyn Thate (distance) - Murray State
Ben Bowers (mid-distance) - Penn
Rebecca Stearns (mid-distance) - Loyola Chicago
Will Crocker (distance) - Missouri
Leland Later (distance) - California
Tom Schutt (throws) - Ohio State
Dan Vitale (hurdles) - Northwestern
Jaylaan Slaughter (hurdles/sprints) - Northern Illinois
Lauren Lindholm (distance) - Illinois-Chicago
Carl Heinz (jumps) - Duke

Indiana
Mary Davis (distances) - Miami (Ohio)
Maggie Bell (sprints) - Indiana
Meredith Jackson (mid-distance) - Baylor

Iowa
James Harrington (sprints) – Alabama
Hannah Savage (mid-distance) - Northern Illinois
Taylor Twedt (jumps/multi) - Wisconsin
Tyler Donels (hurdles/jumps) - Missouri

Louisiana
Kavahra Holmes (football/sprints) – Louisiana State
Kelci Lyons (mid-distance) - Columbia

Maine
Abbey Leonardi (distance) – Oregon
Matt McClintock (distance) - Purdue

Maryland
Champ Page (sprints) - Ohio State
Ronald Darby (football/sprints) - Florida State
Justin Ahalt (distance) - Alabama

Massachusetts
Jennifer Esposito (sprints/hurdles) - Elon

Michigan
Tyrus Conley (throws) - Tulsa
Zachary Kughn (distance) - Montana State

Minnesota
Thomas Anderson (throws) - Arizona State
Brandon Clark (distance) - Penn
Riley Macon (distance) - Minnesota
Mark Harries (distance) - North Dakota

Mississippi
Justin Fondren (HJ) - Alabama
Conner Foxworth (jumps) - Alabama
Asia Cooper (sprints) - Ole Miss

Missouri
Dorial Green-Beckham (sprints/jumps) - Missouri
Brittany Kallenberger (sprints/jumps) - Central Missouri

Nebraska
Morgan Woitzel (mid distance) - Nebraska

New Hampshire
Hillary Holmes (hurdles/jumps) - Cornell

New Jersey
Ajee Wilson (mid-distance) – Florida State
Tim Ball (distance) – Notre Dame
Caroline Kellner (distance) – Cornell
Holly Bischof (distance) – Duke
Blake Udland (distance) – Duke
Najee Glass (sprints) – Florida
Myasia Jacobs (sprints) – Georgia
Samuel Mattis (discus) – Penn
Alicia Osley (sprints) - Northern Illinois
Darrell Bush (sprints) - LSU
Elly Wardle (jumps/multi) - Lehigh
Greg Caldwell (hurdles) - Princeton
Jermaine Collier (hurdles) - South Carolina
George Kelly (distance) - Michigan
Stephen Lewandowski (distance) - Clemson
Theresa Picciallo (throws) - Penn
Everett Price (mid-distance) - Princeton

New York
Samantha Nadel (distance) – Georgetown
Brianna Nerud (distance) – Syracuse
Katie Sischo (distance) – Providence
Kelsey Margey (distance) – Villanova
Alexis Panisse (distance) – Tennessee
Zavon Watkins (mid-distance) - Penn State
Lauren Fontana (mid-distance) - Texas A&M
Olicia Williams (sprints) - Baylor
Giancarlo Sainato (mid-distance) - Georgetown
Thomas Awad, (distance) - Penn
Brendan Smith (distance) - Penn
Valencia Hannon (sprints) - Clemson
Daniel Lennon (distance) - Syracuse
Patrizio Grandinali (distance) - High Point
Cody Israel (sprints/jumps) - Lehigh
Heather Martin (distance) - Georgetown
Christie Rutledge (distance) - Dartmouth

North Carolina
Samantha George (distance) – N.C. State
Thomas Graham (distance) – Stanford
Craig Engels (distance) - N.C. State
Tevin Hester (sprints) - Clemson
Gabrielle Gray (sprints) - South Carolina
Anna Gelbach (sprints) - North Carolina-Charlotte
Alexis Perry (hurdles/jumps) - N.C. State
Hezekiah Ward (hurdles) - North Carolina-Wilmington
Francesca Evans (sprints/jumps) - North Carolina A&T

Ohio
Destinee Gause (sprints) – Florida
Donovan Robertson (hurdles) – Ohio State
Maddie Morrow (high jump) – Duke
Coy Blair (throws) - Purdue
Taylor Hatfield (distance) - Alabama
Jacob Blankenship (pole vault) - Tennessee
Stephen Lyons (throws) - Eastern Michigan

Oklahoma
Isaiah Duke (sprints) - Baylor

Oregon
Megan Fristoe (distance) - Oregon
Sara Fristoe (distance) - Oregon State
Ashley Maton (distance) - Oregon
Kira Kelly (distance) - Oregon State
Jefferson Jarvis (throws) - BYU

Pennsylvania
Angel Piccirillo (distance) – Villanova
Tori Gerlach (distance) – Penn State
Drew Magaha (distance) – Penn
Thomas Pitt (HJ) - Penn
Imani Brown (jumps) - Alabama
Kyle Felpel (throws) - Alabama
Chris Williams (hurdles) - Washington
Kyle Long (throws) - Arizona State
Margo Malone (distance) - Syracuse
Ned Willig (mid-distance) - Brown
Meredith Speakman (distance) - Syracuse

South Carolina
Chris Brown (football/jumps) – Notre Dame

South Dakota
Tony Smoragiewicz (distance) – Michigan
Kari Heck (sprints/jumps) - Nebraska

Tennessee
Rebecca Stover (distance) - Alabama
Emily Yarnell (sprints) - Tennessee
Emily Davis (sprints) - Belmont
Will Templeton (distance) - Liberty

Texas
Daniel Vertiz (distance) – Texas
Craig Nowak (distance) – Oklahoma State
Cali Roper (distance) – Rice
Jessie Johnson (pole vault) – Auburn
Reese Watson (pole vault) - Texas
Aldrich Bailey (sprints) - Texas A&M
Shelbi Vaughan (volleyball/discus) – Texas A&M
Hector Hernandez (mid-distance) - Texas A&M
Laura Craig (distance) - Texas A&M
India Daniels (sprints) - Texas A&M
LaKesha Jelks (mid-distance) - Texas A&M
Jennifer Madu (sprints/jumps) - Texas A&M
Sierra Patrick (HJ) - Texas A&M
Brittany Wooten (pole vault) - Texas A&M
Samantha Turner (throws) - Jacksonville
Jordan Chavez (distance) - Richmond
Taije Jordan (hurdles) - Baylor
Brianna Richardson (jumps) - Baylor
Richard Gary (sprints) - Baylor
Felix Obi (jumps) - Baylor
Alex Reece (sprints) - Baylor
Chris McElroy (mid-distance) - Baylor
Kristin Smithey (throws) - Baylor
Jonathan Wells (sprints) - Wichita State
Jermaine Authorlee (sprints) - Alabama
Hayden Reed (throws) - Alabama
Susie Kemper (distance) - Alabama
Chance Griffin (jumps) - Columbia
Kierra Hamilton (sprints) - Kansas State
Shelby Poncik (pole vault) - Texas Tech

Virginia
Ahmed Bile (distance) – Georgetown
Megan Moye (distance) – N.C. State
Shaquera Leach (sprints) - Virginia Tech
Harrison Scharf (sprints) - Penn
Nick Wolfe (distance) - Alabama
Kimberly Ficenec (distance) - Alabama
Hannah Brown (mid-distance) - Stanford
Joel Coleman (sprints) - Virginia Tech

Washington
Maddie Meyers (distance) – Washington
Anthony Lee (distance) - Vanderbilt
Andrew Matthews (sprints) - Kansas
Aaron Castle (throws) - Arizona
Jacob Smith (distance) - Portland

Wisconsin
Molly Seidel (distance) – Notre Dame
Joshua Dixon (jumps) – Arkansas
Olivia Pratt (distance) - Butler
Andrew Faris (distance) - Alabama
Ali Olson (distance) - Northern Illinois
Taylor Vinhal (distance) - Northern Illinois