ESPNHS Track & XC

Press Release

NEW YORK CITY (May 16, 2012)—Josh Lampron and Ben Malone, who own the two fastest 1500-meter times in the nation so far this season, are among 16 top high school athletes added to the fields for the adidas Dream 100 and adidas Dream Mile at the adidas Grand Prix on June 9, organizers have announced.

Also headlining the roster are Ajee Wilson, the 2011 World Youth Champion at 800 meters, and freshman sensation Alexa Efraimson, the first freshman ever invited to a Dream event.

The Dream 100 and Dream Mile are again destined to be among the most hotly contested events at the adidas Grand Prix on June 9. In its eighth year as one of the premier track-and-field events in the world, the adidas Grand Prix, at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island, will feature dozens of Olympic medalists and World Champions, including Yohan Blake, the reigning 100-meter World Champion, and David Rudisha, the 800-meter World Record-holder, who will be making his U.S. debut. The event will again be the sixth stop on the international Samsung Diamond League circuit and is part of the Visa Championships Series. Tickets are now available at adidasgrandprix.com or by calling 1-877-849-8722.

Lampron, a senior from Mansfield, Mass., last weekend ran 3:45.74 for 1500 meters at a meet in Boston, among the top-20 high school times in U.S. history and the fastest in the nation since 2009. The 2011 national champion in the mile, Lampron is a three-time state champion and will attend Villanova University in the fall.

Malone, a junior from Hillsdale, N.J., is the 2012 National Indoor Champion at 800 meters and holds U.S. high school indoor records for a junior at 800 meters (1:49.94) and 1000 meters (2:23.56). On Monday, he ran the #2 time in the U.S. at 1500 meters, 3:49.84.

A senior from Neptune, N.J., Wilson is one of the top high school athletes in New Jersey history. Currently ranked #2 in the nation at 800 meters, she finished the 2012 indoor season ranked #1 at both 600 and 800 meters. A qualifier for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials, Wilson will attend Florida State University.

Efraimson, of Camas, Wash., has run 4:23.41 for 1500 meters already this season to rank #4 on the U.S. list, and her time of 2:08.92 for 800 meters is #7. She finished 14th at cross country nationals last fall.

Also accepting invitations to the Boys’ Dream Mile are Jacob Burcham, a junior from Ona, W. Va.; who finished seventh at 1500 meters in the 2011 World Youth Championships in 3:46.55, the fastest time by a U.S. prep last year; Brannon Kidder, a senior from Lancaster, Ohio, a four-time state track champion ranked #4 in the U.S. at 1600 meters who is headed to Penn State University; Craig Nowak, a senior from Cypress, Tex., who is a five-time 5A state champion, ranks #2 at 1600 meters and #3 at 3200 meters, and will attend Oklahoma State University; and Craig Engels, a senior from Pfafftown, N.C., ranked in the top 10 at the mile (#3), 1500 meters (#4), and 3200 meters (#10). Engels was the 2012 Penn Relays Mile Champion in front of Burcham, the runner-up, and Malone, who placed third. He will attend North Carolina State University.

Joining Wilson and Efraimson in the Girls’ Dream Mile will be Haley Pierce, a senior from Wilmington, Del., the 15-time State Champion ranked #3 at 3200 meters and #4 at 1600 meters who will attend Georgetown University; Angel Piccirillo, a senior from Homer Center, Penn., who is a two-time state Gatorade Cross-Country Athlete of the Year, a seven-time State Champion, ranks #2 in the mile and will attend Villanova University; Amy-Eloise Neale, a junior from Snohomish, Wash., six-time Washington 3A State Champion ranked #4 in the mile and #6 at 1500 meters; and Paige Rice, a sophomore from St. Mary’s Academy in Portland, Ore., the 6A Oregon Cross Country State Champion ranked #4 in the U.S. at 1500 meters.

Burcham, Wilson, Pierce, Piccirillo and Neale are all making return Dream Mile appearances.

Joining the field of the adidas Boys’ Dream 100 are Raymond Bozmans of Fort Collins, Colo., a senior ranked #3 in the U.S. at 100 meters and #5 at 200 meters who is the 2012 Arcadia Invite Champion and will attend Texas Christian University on a football scholarship; and Khalfani Muhammad of Sherman Oaks, Calif., a junior who is the 2012 Mt. SAC champion at both 100 and 200 meters and 2011 state runner-up in both distances.

Added to the adidas Girls’ Dream 100 are Kali Davis-White of Lauderdale Lake, Fla., a junior ranked #4 in the U.S. and 2012 Florida State 4A runner-up at both 100 and 200 meters to the previously announced Shayla Sanders; and Destinee Gause of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, a senior who is the 2012 National Indoor Champion at 200 meters and is ranked #5 at 100 meters. The 2011 Ohio State Champion at 100 and 200 meters, she will attend the University of Florida.

Fields for the Dream Mile and Dream 100 are being drawn from the winners of three qualifying meets in the adidas Golden Stripes series, as well as from at-large bids. The first meet, the adidas Meet of Champions, was held on March 24, followed by the Kansas Relays in Lawrence, Kan., April 19-21. Next up is the Golden South Classic in Orlando, Fla., on May 26. In addition to the opportunity to compete in a world-class international track event, athletes in the Dream Mile and Dream 100 will also have the chance to receive coaching from mile legend Jim Ryun.

All of the latest news, photos and additional information on the event can be found at adidasgrandprix.com, the event’s pages on Facebook at facebook.com/adidasGrandPrix and on Twitter at twitter.com/adidasGrandPrix. When tweeting, use #agpny. For even more coverage on the Dream Mile and Dream 100, visit adidasgoldenstripes.com.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Sara Hunninghake, Global Athletics & Marketing
media@globalathletics.com
917.972.3656

The Olympic Trials, which will decide which U.S. track and field athletes make it to the 2012 London Games, are just six weeks away.

As the high school season moves toward state championships from coast to coast, we have an eye on which preps may crash the party in Eugene and go head to head with professionals and collegians in competition for a spot in the U.S. Olympic team.

Making it to the Olympics as a high school student (or recent graduate) is exceedingly rare in modern track and field. Dwayne Evans made the team in 200 in 1976, shortly after graduating from Arizona’s South Mountain High School. The same year, Johnny "Lam" Jones, a legend from Lampassas High (Texas) made it in the 100 meters and won a gold medal in the 4x100 relay.

No high school male has competed in the Olympic Games in a U.S. uniform since then.

Sisters Sherri and Denean Howard of Kennedy High (Los Angeles) went 1-2 in the 400 meters at the 1980 Olympic Trials, but that year’s U.S. team didn’t get compete in Moscow, Russia because of a boycott. Denean was just 15 at the time, coming out of her sophomore year. (She would go on to make three more Olympic teams).

Before Title IX became law in the 1970s it was common for teenagers to make the U.S. women’s Olympic team. But the advent of college scholarships, plus professional opportunities, has made it exceedingly difficult for a high school athlete to make the team ever again.

However, the very best prep athletes do make it into the Trials on occasion, soaking up the experience of being one step away from their dream. The starts lists usually include 24-32 athletes per event.

Here is a closer look at where some of this year’s top high school athletes stand. Some of these athletes may choose not to do the Trials for scheduling reasons. The U.S. Junior Championships, which is the qualifying meet for World Juniors (and a trip to Barcelona) is just days before the Trials start at Eugene, Oregon's Hayward Field.

Olympic Trials Qualifying Standards

2012 US High School Leaders

BOYS
Marvin Bracy, Boone (Florida): A report in Monday’s Orlando Sentinel stated that there is hope that Bracy will be able to be at full strength for the Golden South Invitational on May 26. Bracy, who has a wind-legal best of 10.25 seconds (and 10.05 wind-aided), won the Florida state title in the 100 over the weekend, but had to pull out of the 200 with a slight hamstring strain. If he can get back to his best, Bracy should make the cut-off for the Trials. He would be a longshot to make the finals there.

Aldrich Bailey, Timberview (Texas): Based on the sizzling 45.19 he ran a little over a week ago, Bailey is a shoo-in to qualify for the Olympic Trials in the 400 meters. And if he can bring the time down even further, as he has suggested that he will, he could have a realistic chance of advancing beyond the first round. Arman Hall (Florida) and Najee Glass (N.J.) could potentially make it into the Trials, too, but both of them would need to PR and dip below 46 seconds.

Sean Keller, Heritage (Vancouver, Wash.): With the US #2 all-time throw of 244-1 at the end of April, Keller moved into the top 10 nationally (including pros and collegians). His place in the Trials is probably secure, but if he chooses to throw at the U.S Junior Championships the preceding week he may not have a rested arm.

Jacob Blankenship (Ohio), Shawn Barber (Texas), Reese Watson (Texas): During the indoor season, there was a lot of momentum happening for the top boys pole vaulters. But outdoors, not one of them has made 17 feet since April 1. And time is running out. The standard to make the Trials is 18-0.50, which none of them has made yet. However, Barber is eligible to compete for Canada and will likely compete in that nation's trials.

Devin Field (Texas) and Jarrion Lawson (Texas): Field was not allowed to compete this spring in varsity events for DeSoto because of the UIL’s residency issues, but his goal for the spring was 26 feet in the long jump. If he can get close to that number, he could make the Trials field (it takes 25-7 to qualify). Lawson, of Liberty-Eylau, has a wind-aided best of 25-10.75. If he can go big at the Texas state championships (without the wind), then he has a chance of making the cut.

Tyler Sorenson (California): The record-breaking junior racewalker earned a spot in the 20-kilometer even last year as a 17-year-old, making him one of the youngest Trials qualifiers ever for this event.

GIRLS

Haley Crouser, Gresham (Ore.): Only a high school junior, Crouser joined her older brother Sam and cousin Ryan as a national record holder this spring when she threw her javelin 181-2. She is a lock to make it into the Trials (along with Sam and Ryan), but she would need a huge PR in order to make it to London. (The Olympic A standard is 200-1). She has a realistic chance to finish in the top five at the Trials. Avione Allgood (Nev.) has been hoping all spring that her surgically repaired shoulder heals in time to throw at the Trials. She threw 176-8 for fourth at the U.S. Championships last year and competed at the Pan Am Games last fall.

Shelbi Vaughan, Legacy (Mansfield, Texas): She is consistently in the 180s with her discus and hit a best of 191-6 for a new U.S. high school record. That puts her squarely inside the top 10 nationally. On a good day, she could even make the finals at the Olympic Trials. But in 2008, the three who made the U.S. team all threw farther than 205 feet.

Gabrielle Williams, Reed (Sparks, Nev.): Still a little shy of the Trials standard (6-0.50), the U.S. leader has cleared six feet once and has a little more time to make an improvement that could put her into the field. It’s a lot to ask of a high school sophomore.

Shayla Sanders, Boyd H. Anderson (Lauderdale Lakes, Fla.): She has been the dominant high school sprinter this spring in the 100 (11.33) and 200 (23.25), but these are extremely competitive events in the U.S. What will it take for her lineup against the likes of Carmelita Jeter or Allyson Felix? Sanders has met the qualifying standard for the 100, but if a bunch of women run fast at the NCAA championships, it could bump her down the list. If she can improve her time by even a few hundredths, she’d have a good chance of making the field. In 2008, it took 23.12 to make the field in the 200, so that might be out of reach.

Robin Reynolds, Jackson (Miami): The US leader in the 400 (52.19) has the B standard for the Trials, but that’s not a guarantee of making the cut. In 2008, 52.58 was the last accepted entry (out of 27 in the field). Reynolds’ best time would have made the field (22nd). Reynolds also has a long jump best of 20-6.25, about eight inches short of the Trials qualifying mark.

Ajee Wilson, Neptune (N.J.), Mary Cain, Bronxville (N.Y.) and Amy Weissenbach, Harvard-Westlake (Calif.): These are three of the all-time best prep 800-meter runners and all three of them have credentials that could put them into the Trials. In 2008, the slowest woman in the field made it in with 2:04.90. This is becoming a deeper even in the U.S., so it could take something a little faster this time. Wilson ran 2:02.64 last July and has a best so far this spring of 2:05.28. Cain, who is only a sophomore, is coming on strong and has a best of 2:05.90, but split 2:03.7 on a relay last year. She is also very close to the Trials B standard in the 1,500 (4:17.00). Weissenbach, the California state champion, has a PR of 2:02.04, although she has not run a fast one yet this spring.

Trinity Wilson, St. Mary’s College (Calif.), Dior Hall, George Washington (Colo.), Traci Hicks, Long Beach Poly (Calif.): In 2008, Jacqueline Coward (Tenn.) was a prep elite who made the field, qualifying with her best time of 13.20. At the Trials, she ran 13.69 and was last in her prelim, demonstrating how massive the leap is to this level of competition. Wilson ran 13.41 on April 7, but also suffered a hairline fracture of her big toe and hasn’t competed since. If she can return in time to compete in the California state meet, and get back to her PR of 13.15, she could land in the Trials. Hall, a sophomore, is the indoor national champion and has a PR of 13.18 from last year. Hicks has a wind-aided best of 13.22 and could also be on the bubble for a berth. (In 2008, it took 13.24 to make it into the meet).

Brianna Nerud, North Shore (Glen Head, N.Y.): The senior has run a couple of 3,000-meter steeplechase races in order to see if she can make the Trials B standard of 10:15, but has a best so far of 10:24.95. It would take a startling improvement in order to make the field. In 2008, it took 10:09 to make it and this year will probably take something a few seconds faster.

Cayla Hatton, Phillips Academy (Andover, Mass.): She ran an eye-popping 10,000 meters time of 33:17.28 at a low-key college meet – second-fastest in U.S. high school history. At the time, it seemed like she might be a lock for the Trials. Now, it appears that time won’t make the cut. In 2008, 33:24.10 secured the last spot in the field. This time around, it is much more competitive thanks to a couple of fast races this spring at Stanford (April 6 and 27). Twenty-nine women broke 33 minutes in those two races.

Kendell Williams, Kell (Marietta, Ga.): Has she gotten well-rounded enough to score 5,600 points in the heptathlon? That’s what it takes to make it into the Trials (at a minimum), and last year as a sophomore Williams was an age-group record-breaker with 5,170. Williams can compete with the best in the hurdles, high jump and long jump. She was reportedly working on her throws with the Throw1Deep Club in Georgia and that was a smart move. If her shot put and javelin are consistently superior to where they were a year ago, 5,600 is within her range.

Texas 5A Region 1 Results

Aldrich Bailey of Timberview (Arlington, Texas) ran the fastest 400 by a U.S. prep in 17 years on Saturday at the Texas 5A Region 1 meet in Lubbock, Texas.

Bailey ran 45.19 seconds to better the National Federation (high school-only competition) record of 45.25 set by Calvin Harrison in 1993. However, his time ranks No. 6 all-time among preps, according to Jack Shepard's High School Track, trailing Darrell Robinson's 1982 record of 44.69, Jerome Young's 45.01 (1995), Henry Thomas' 45.09 (1985), Obea Moore's 45.14 (1995) and William Reed's 45.17 (1987).

Bailey also broke the Texas state record.

"I was expecting (to run fast)," Bailey told Dyestat after the race. "I surprised myself a little bit, but not all the way. My goal is to run 44 this year."

In contrast to other races this year, Bailey decided to get out fast and not let himself rest.

"In other races I've been relaxing too much," he said. "You can't slow down much in the 400. It's a sprint. I got out good, picked it up on the curve and stayed strong."

Bailey thought he might dip under 45 seconds but said he slowed just a little before the finish line.

Bailey also split a reported 44.8 anchor leg on Timberview's 4x400 relay, which ran 3:12.71. And the school's 4x100 relay ran 40.46. Both of those relay performances are new US#1s.

"My team had a good day," Bailey said.

ARCADIA COVERAGE

Four laps into the 3,200 meters at the Arcadia Invitational, Craig Nowak had a sinking feeling over what he saw on the clock: 4:33. He and the other runners at Arcadia’s signature event needed to pick up the pace if they wanted to dip under nine minutes.

“I was extremely nervous,” the senior from Cypress Woods (Texas) said. “I knew I was I great shape and I’d heard all the great things about the race at Arcadia. I was thinking ‘I can’t come all this way and not break nine.’”

Collectively, 31 runners went through the midpoint of the eight-lap race between 4:31 and 4:36. Twenty-three of them ran the second half of the race faster than the first. Winner Futsum Zeinasellassie of North Central (Indianapolis) ran 4:33.37 for the first half and 4:14.38 for the second, according to FAT split data compiled by EPI Sports.

And no one closed as hard as Nowak, who ran 27.25 seconds for his final 200 and 56.33 for his final 400.

“I was more excited than any race I’ve ever been in,” he said. “When I saw 7:52 on the clock with one lap to go, I thought if I ran like 63 I’d get my goal time.”

Nowak finished third – behind Zeinasellassie and Cibola (Arizona) junior Bernie Montoya – in 8:49.12. That’s the second-fastest 3,200 time ever by a Texas runner.

And in the wave of runners over the finish line ahead there were a total of six new state records: Indiana (Zeinasellassie), Arizona (Montoya 8:48.25), North Dakota (Jake Leingang 8:51.23), Montana (Zach Perrin 8:55.24), Idaho (Dallin Farnsworth 8:55.28) and Delaware (Sam Parsons 9:00.61).

The pace probably came off perfectly. Zeinasellassie ensured a fast first lap when he bolted out to a 64.77. Then, the entire field slowed down on Lap 2 to 72-73. The third lap picked up to 67-68 for most of the field and the fourth lap was slightly faster.

Jonah Diaz of Palos Verdes (Calif.) was in the lead at the midpoint (4:31.72). And Tony Smorgawiecz of Rapid City Central (S.D). edged into the lead on the fifth and sixth laps as the pace improved a bit more.

“It was a big group, but Jonah picked it up and so did Tony,” Nowak said. “They set up the middle of the race.”

Montoya asserted himself with a seventh lap in 61.54 and Zeinsellassie, back in the lead, ran 61.91. Montoya’s burst propelled him into the lead on the back stretch and he was the first to 3,000 meters (8:18.81), a half-second up on Zeinasellassie and three seconds ahead of Nowak.

Zeinasellassie caught Montoya with about 75 meters left and won it in 8:47.75 for an Indiana record. Montoya (previous PR: 9:22) was next in 8:48.25 for an Arizona record. And on it went.

Nowak feels he could have been in the hunt if he’d gone with the leaders from 600 out, instead of try to reel them back in from 400. It’s a recurring theme for him, because he has finished with similar late flourishes as Nike Cross Nationals and the Brooks PR Invite mile.

But three days later, the afterglow had not worn off.

“It’s boosted my confidence tremendously, in a big way,” Nowak said.

Futsum on college, Cheserek

Zeinasellassie is the one of the top recruits nationally who has not yet made a decision on which scholarship offer to accept.

He said Saturday that he is still weighing the pros and cons of the five schools he has visited: Indiana, Purdue, Butler, Northern Arizona and Oklahoma State. The first three schools are all close to home, in Indiana, and the fourth is where his older brother, Bahlbi Gebreyohanns, runs.

UPDATE (4/12): Zeinasellassie has chosen Northern Arizona, according to the Indianapolis Star.

Zeinasellassie also commented on the absence of Foot Locker champion Edward Cheserek from Arcadia’s 3,200.

“I wish he was in this race, but he would have been 10 seconds or 20 seconds ahead of me,” Zeinasellassie said. “He’s having a great track season, so good luck to him the rest of the season.”

Event 34 Men 3200 Meter Run Invitational (FinishLynx Image)
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Name Year School Finals
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1 Futsum Zienasellassie 12 Ind. N Cen (In) 8:47.75
64.77 (64.77),2:17.44 (72.67),3:25.83 (68.40),4:33.37 (67.54),5:39.89 (66.53),6:48.75 (68.86),7:50.65 (61.91),3K-8:19.38 (28.73),8:47.75 (28.38)
2 Bernie Montoya 11 Cibola (Az) 8:48.25
67.40 (67.40),2:20.73 (73.33),3:27.77 (67.05),4:35.33 (67.57),5:40.99 (65.66),6:49.33 (68.35),7:50.86 (61.54),3K-8:18.81 (27.95),8:48.25 (29.44)
3 Craig Nowak 12 Houston CyprW(TX 8:49.12
64.85 (64.85),2:17.68 (72.83),3:25.95 (68.28),4:33.04 (67.09),5:39.87 (66.83),6:48.47 (68.61),7:52.80 (64.33),3K-8:21.87 (29.08),8:49.12 (27.25)
4 Jake Leingang 11 Bismarck(ND) 8:51.23
65.83 (65.83),2:19.44 (73.61),3:26.49 (67.06),4:33.91 (67.43),5:40.67 (66.76),6:48.84 (68.18),7:52.66 (63.83),3K-8:22.15 (29.50),8:51.23 (29.08)
5 Michael Clevenger 12 MacArthurGen(IL) 8:54.12
67.14 (67.14),2:19.54 (72.40),3:27.31 (67.78),4:34.49 (67.19),5:41.26 (66.77),6:49.60 (68.34),7:54.97 (65.38),3K-8:25.45 (30.49),8:54.12 (28.67)
6 Darren Fahy 12 La Costa Cnyn/SD 8:54.51
66.94 (66.94),2:18.10 (71.16),3:26.25 (68.16),4:33.86 (67.61),5:40.46 (66.61),6:49.52 (69.06),7:55.12 (65.61),3K-8:26.48 (31.36),8:54.51 (28.04)
7 Blake Haney 10 Stockdale /ce 8:54.65
66.03 (66.03),2:18.69 (72.67),3:26.70 (68.01),4:33.42 (66.73),5:40.32 (66.90),6:49.28 (68.96),7:55.46 (66.19),3K-8:25.61 (30.15),8:54.65 (29.05)
8 Zach Perrin 11 Flathead (Mt) 8:55.24
65.69 (65.69),2:19.07 (73.39),3:26.19 (67.12),4:33.69 (67.50),5:40.19 (66.51),6:49.16 (68.97),7:53.94 (64.78),3K-8:23.90 (29.97),8:55.24 (31.34)
9 Dallin Farnsworth 12 Highland (Id) 8:55.28
65.46 (65.46),2:18.13 (72.67),3:25.90 (67.77),4:32.89 (67.00),5:40.03 (67.14),6:49.30 (69.28),7:54.61 (65.31),3K-8:26.06 (31.45),8:55.28 (29.23)
10 Craig Engels 12 Ronald Reagan(NC 8:55.51
66.11 (66.11),2:18.83 (72.72),3:26.75 (67.92),4:33.95 (67.21),5:40.97 (67.02),6:48.95 (67.99),7:52.92 (63.97),3K-8:24.16 (31.25),8:55.51 (31.35)
11 Leland Later 12 New Trier (Il) 8:55.61
66.08 (66.08),2:18.52 (72.45),3:26.82 (68.30),4:34.68 (67.87),5:41.40 (66.72),6:49.55 (68.15),7:55.45 (65.91),3K-8:26.17 (30.73),8:55.61 (29.44)
12 Jack Keelan 11 St.Ignatius (Il) 8:55.86
66.43 (66.43),2:20.38 (73.95),3:27.96 (67.59),4:35.13 (67.18),5:41.68 (66.55),6:49.76 (68.09),7:55.69 (65.93),3K-8:26.45 (30.77),8:55.86 (29.41)
13 Thomas Graham 12 Cary Acad (Nc) 8:56.21
66.54 (66.54),2:19.20 (72.66),3:26.61 (67.42),4:33.90 (67.29),5:40.53 (66.63),6:49.11 (68.59),7:53.27 (64.16),3K-8:24.76 (31.50),8:56.21 (31.45)
14 Tony Smoragiewicz 12 Rapid City C (Sd 8:57.10
65.64 (65.64),2:18.18 (72.54),3:25.75 (67.57),4:32.64 (66.90),5:39.59 (66.95),6:48.24 (68.65),7:53.14 (64.90),3K-8:24.52 (31.38),8:57.10 (32.58)
15 Jacob Thomson 11 Holy Cross (Ky) 8:58.12
66.89 (66.89),2:18.93 (72.04),3:27.18 (68.26),4:34.99 (67.81),5:43.11 (68.12),6:50.37 (67.27),7:58.10 (67.73),3K-8:29.04 (30.95),8:58.12 (29.09)
16 Brock Baker 11 Oakland (Tn) 8:58.51
67.04 (67.04),2:19.94 (72.91),3:26.97 (67.03),4:34.13 (67.17),5:40.76 (66.63),6:48.96 (68.20),7:53.05 (64.10),3K-8:24.05 (31.00),8:58.51 (34.47)
17 Billy Gaudreau 12 St. Margarets/SS 9:00.24
66.69 (66.69),2:18.80 (72.12),3:27.23 (68.43),4:35.44 (68.22),5:43.24 (67.81),6:51.98 (68.74),7:59.42 (67.44),3K-8:30.67 (31.26),9:00.24 (29.58)
18 Sam Parsons 12 Tatnall (De) 9:00.61
66.34 (66.34),2:20.07 (73.73),3:27.17 (67.11),4:34.53 (67.36),5:41.58 (67.05),6:49.83 (68.25),7:55.83 (66.01),3K-8:28.20 (32.38),9:00.61 (32.42)
19 Korey Krotzer 12 Auburn Riv (Wa) 9:01.11
65.56 (65.56),2:18.77 (73.21),3:27.03 (68.26),4:34.89 (67.87),5:40.75 (65.86),6:49.69 (68.95),7:57.08 (67.39),3K-8:29.12 (32.04),9:01.11 (32.00)
20 Jonah Diaz 12 Palos Verdes /ss 9:01.42
67.01 (67.01),2:18.40 (71.39),3:25.33 (66.93),4:31.72 (66.40),5:39.41 (67.69),6:48.57 (69.17),7:54.96 (66.39),3K-8:27.33 (32.38),9:01.42 (34.09)
21 Tyler Yunk 11 Belvidere N (Il) 9:03.09
66.88 (66.88),2:20.29 (73.42),3:27.62 (67.34),4:34.23 (66.62),5:41.78 (67.55),6:50.70 (68.92),7:59.22 (68.53),3K-8:32.52 (33.30),9:03.09 (30.58)
22 Thomas Joyce 12 Campolindo /nc 9:03.23
66.82 (66.82),2:20.06 (73.24),3:27.43 (67.38),4:35.58 (68.16),5:42.75 (67.17),6:51.68 (68.94),8:00.34 (68.66),3K-8:32.69 (32.35),9:03.23 (30.55)
23 Drew White 12 Festus (Mo) 9:04.08
66.39 (66.39),2:19.06 (72.67),3:26.58 (67.52),4:34.41 (67.83),5:41.95 (67.55),6:50.90 (68.96),7:58.24 (67.34),3K-8:31.27 (33.04),9:04.08 (32.81)
24 Bryan Guijarro 12 Knight /ss 9:07.42
65.04 (65.04),2:17.93 (72.90),3:25.98 (68.05),4:33.14 (67.17),5:40.08 (66.95),6:48.90 (68.82),7:56.41 (67.51),3K-8:30.89 (34.49),9:07.42 (36.54)
25 Cameron Miller 12 Stockdale /ce 9:08.08
65.94 (65.94),2:17.08 (71.14),3:25.10 (68.02),4:33.64 (68.55),5:41.42 (67.79),6:50.46 (69.04),7:59.76 (69.30),3K-8:33.89 (34.14),9:08.08 (34.19)
26 Sam Roberson 12 Needham Br (Nc) 9:08.58
66.64 (66.64),2:20.50 (73.86),3:26.92 (66.42),4:34.15 (67.23),5:41.02 (66.87),6:49.18 (68.17),7:56.47 (67.29),3K-8:31.26 (34.80),9:08.58 (37.32)
27 Keifer Johnson 12 ThunderRidge(CO) 9:11.01
66.61 (66.61),2:20.02 (73.41),3:27.41 (67.40),4:35.07 (67.67),5:42.16 (67.09),6:51.23 (69.08),8:02.70 (71.47),3K-8:37.51 (34.82),9:11.01 (33.50)
28 Kevin Bishop 12 Monta Vista /cc 9:13.24
66.27 (66.27),2:18.49 (72.22),3:26.30 (67.82),4:34.22 (67.92),5:41.84 (67.62),6:51.01 (69.18),8:02.96 (71.95),3K-8:37.88 (34.93),9:13.24 (35.36)
29 Gil Walton 12 McCallie (Tn) 9:18.11
66.63 (66.63),2:19.34 (72.72),3:27.70 (68.36),4:35.23 (67.54),5:43.82 (68.59),6:55.24 (71.43),8:09.07 (73.83),3K-8:43.85 (34.78),9:18.11 (34.26)
30 Troy Fraley 11 Glacier (Mt) 9:26.78
65.95 (65.95),2:19.38 (73.43),3:26.51 (67.14),4:34.86 (68.35),5:43.63 (68.78),6:58.27 (74.64),8:13.73 (75.47),3K-8:50.56 (36.83),9:26.78 (36.23)
DNF Anthony Armstrong 12 Kamiakin (Wa)
65.30 (65.30),2:19.80 (74.50),3:27.76 (67.97),4:36.28 (68.53),5:46.04 (69.76),7:01.58 (75.55),8:20.70 (79.12)

Before the outdoor track season began, senior Shelbi Vaughan of Legacy (Mansfield, Texas) set a goal to break the U.S. high school record in the discus.

“I thought it would take until the very last meet of my high school career,” she said.

Instead, she pocketed the record by the end of March. Last Friday at the Texas Relays, Vaughan uncorked a 191-foot, 6-inch throw to break the 2009 record of Anna Jelmini by 15 inches.

She has three months, maybe more, to set out after her next goal: Becoming the first prep girl to break the 200-foot barrier.

Vaughan began the week ranked third in the U.S. in the women’s discus – including pros and college athletes – and has a very real chance to be in the field at the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore. in June.

Only five women threw farther than 191 feet at the 2008 Olympic Trials and one of them, Stephanie Brown Trafton, went on to win the Olympic gold in Beijing, China.

Vaughan said she hasn’t changed her technique since last year, when she threw to a US#1 prep ranking and second place finish in the World Youth Championships at Lille, France.

“I’m not doing anything different,” she said. “I think I’m just bigger and stronger.”

A week prior to the Texas Relays, Vaughan hit a PR throw of 176-9 at the Keller Invitational, exceeding her 2011 best by four inches. She said she threw as far as 195 feet in practice leading up to the Texas Relays, so the distance on her second throw didn’t come as a complete surprise.

“I tend to throw left of center and at the end (of the throw) it went over to the side a little bit,” she said. “It’s normal for the discus to do that.”

Vaughan said she had no clue just how far she’d thrown at first.

“I was just hoping it was far,” she said. “(When I heard the distance) I kind of froze for a moment. Then I turned and saw my coach and went over to give her a hug, and then gave my mom a hug.”

She still had four throws remaining and she used them to try and duplicate her big throw.

“At that point, I was trying to remember what I did and repeat it, see if I could get another one out there,” Vaughan said. Three of her throws were fouls. One of them, she estimates, might have been in the upper 180s. Two others went over her previous PR in the low 180s.

Even though much of the country is just getting into the outdoor season, Vaughan has just four meets left in Texas. After a small meet on Thursday, she has districts, regionals and the state championships.

“I try to throw hard every meet,” she said. “I’m trying to PR every meet.”

So the record is by no means safe. Vaughan is looking to keep launching her discs further into the horizon – and she is starting to take a closer look at where she stands relative to the rest of the top throwers in the country, regardless of age.

“I am starting to (think about the Trials),” she said. “My goal was to get the (Olympic Trials) ‘B’ standard and I did that.”

The A standard, which would guarantee her a berth in the Trials field, is 196-10 (60 meters). If Vaughan really does get to 200 feet, and can throw that far in Eugene, all of a sudden she could be a legitimate contender for an Olympic team berth. (The Olympic A standard is 203-5).

That’s heady stuff, and it can probably wait just a bit.

In the meantime, Vaughan is happy to celebrate one goal before pursuing the next one.

“It’s been exciting,” she said. “I’ve had lots of people texting and saying ‘Congratulations.’ There’s been a lot of attention.”

Shelbi Vaughan knew that the U.S. record in the girls’ discus was within her reach.

The senior from Legacy (Mansfield, Texas) said she threw 195 feet in practice last week, so Friday's second-attempt flight of 191-6 at the Texas Relays was not a complete shock. It was, however, a shock to those outside her inner circle – fans who had seen a thrower who has been in the 170s since last spring suddenly improve nearly 15 feet and from #18 on the all-time list to the very top. It was also the highlight of a day that also saw a US#1 20-3 long jump by Fayetteville (Fayetteville, Ark.) senior Sydney Conley, four more national leaders in the relays, pole vaults above 17 feet (boys) and 13 feet (girls), and a general assault on the current national lists.

But no one was better than Vaughan, who not only broke Michelle Carter’s meet record, but took down the national standard of 190-3 set by Californian Anna Jelmini in 2009.

“The 191-6 felt effortless and smooth,” Vaughan said. “It was a tailwind today and that wasn't ideal.” She also mentioned she had a sore arm, but that it affected her shot putting more than the discus (Vaughan is entered in Saturday’s SP, as well).

Given that it wasn’t necessarily the perfect scenario Saturday, then, one can only wonder if Vaughan can push toward 200 feet. Her series Friday also included two more throws just over 180, plus three fouls. The 2011 World Youth champ can set her sights on bigger goals, like the Olympic Trials and World Juniors. Only nine U.S. women threw further than Vaughan last year and she has now surpassed the Trials “B” standard (the “A” is 196-10). And only two women (both from Germany) are ahead of Vaughan on the World Junior list.

Field event battles

The other field events were much more competitive. Conley – the New Balance Nationals Indoor long jump champ – was engaged in a great battle with Plano East (Plano, Texas) senior Jennifer Madu. Conley got her winning 20-3 (+1.2w) on her second attempt, the same round where Madu hit 20-0.75w (+2.2).

In the boys pole vault, Shawn Barber – the Kingwood Park (Kingwood, Texas) senior – had his fourth meet of the year over 17-6 (in and out) and was close to his US#1 17-8 PR. He couldn’t quite get 18 feet. “I was glad to win today,” he said. “This is a little bigger meet than when I went 17-8. My best was 16-6 last year, but I’ve been working very hard and it’s paying off.”

Spring (Spring, Texas) senior Reese Watson, who went 17-7 indoors in February but could not clear a bar at NBNI due to injury, got back up to 16-6.75 for third. Meanwhile, Avarado senior Dylan Bell became the third Texan above 17 feet this year with a 17-2.75 in second.

In the girls pole vault, Argyle (Argyle, Texas) senior Jessie Johnson was also short of her U.S. leading mark (13-6), but settled for victory with 13-1.5.

San Marcos (Texas) senior Allex Austin cleared 7-0.75 to win the high jump, just off his nation-leading 7-1. He came in at 6-0, which he made with the old scissors-kick style, and missed twice at 6-8. But those were his only misses until he went out at 7-3.

“I felt really good,” he said. “I changed my approach this week and feel like I’m faster. It’s now longer and wider, so I get more speed. This is a good facility and I like jumping here.”

US#1s were achieved, however, in all four medley relays. The Woodlands (The Woodlands, Texas) swept the girls SMR and DMR with marks of 3:59.23 and 12:00.64. The SMR saw Lindsay Wilken (25.9), Alexis Crowe (25.4), Kaitlynn Lindsey (57.3), and Katie Willard (2:10.2) combine for the win. “I’ve been thinking about this race for a while,” said Willard. “I was worried (Lancaster had a sizeable lead after 3 legs), but I just ran my own race (out in 62.3). With about 250 to go, I thought we had a good chance. I turned it on the last 150 when they stayed with me. I didn’t want another mishap (crossed the line 2nd at state, but disqualified for interference as the winner tried to pass in the last 50 meters).”

The Woodlands DMR team saw legs from Ashley Guidot (3:44.1), Michelle Creasman (62.8), Katie Willard (2:17.1) and Madi McLellan (4:56.7). Kingwood had a big lead after 3 legs, but McLellan went out in 68.8, and caught Sandi Raines from Kingwood the last 400. “I like to go out and chase people,” said McLellan. “The first 400 was fast, but I felt good. I wanted to get away from Courtney, who’d run so fast last week (Southlake Carroll’s Kreigshauser 4:57.71 last week, got the baton 3rd today).

“With about 300 to go, I felt like I had a good chance. We’ve been working on accelerations in practice this week so I treated it (last 300) like one.

Kingwood got the win in the boys’ SMR, with Justin Brinkley coming from behind with his 1:51.9 anchor to complete a 3:23.44 effort. With James Steptoe also having a 46.9 leg, the makings of a national championship contender are there.

Southlake Carroll, the NXN runner-ups with a 17:22 4x1600 under their belt this spring already, were the faves in the DMR and came through with a nation-leading 10:10.19. Said anchor Trevor Gilley, who got the baton with a good lead and ran 4:15.9: “It’s tough to run by yourself. I felt a lot better this week than last week (2nd at Jesuit-Sheaner). The wind wasn’t bad at all, especially since the track is pretty low and the stands block it. I’m running the 1600 tomorrow (state 4th as a soph in 4:09.37). I’m hoping we can dip under 4:10. I’d like to get a good time to qualify for some big post-season meets like the Dream Mile.”

Coverage of the 2012 Texas Relays
March 28-31, 2012 -- University of Texas, Austin, Texas

BOYS ENTRIES | GIRLS ENTRIES
LIVE RESULTS

University of Texas meet site

HIGHLIGHTS

• G-2K Steeple: Claire Hodges of Kingwood (Kingwood, Texas) won the Thursday evening's first high school race in 7:28.93.
• B-2K Steeple: Nate Moore of Lockhart (Lockhart, Texas) ran an impressive 5:56.59 to win by 10 seconds and was the only racer to break six minutes.
• A full day of action is scheduled Friday, including multiple relay events, the 110/100 hurdles, prelims in the 100 meters, and field events.

Devin Field doesn’t hold any bitterness toward the Texas University Interscholastic League (UIL) for ruling him ineligible to compete this spring for DeSoto High School or denying him a chance to defend his state titles in the long and triple jump.

The truth is, he is in violation of the UIL’s residency policy because he doesn’t currently live with a parent. Field understands that, and if it means jumping in the junior varsity section of DeSoto’s meets – a ludicrous scenario for the national champion – so be it.

“It bothered me at first,” Field said.

The high school junior has already seen enough of the track and field world – including trips to the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Oregon, Idaho, Florida and New York – to know how to set his goals higher than a Texas state title. Earlier this month, despite an ailing lower back strain, he managed to win the New Balance Nationals Indoor long jump title at the Armory in New York City.

If permitted, he would like to compete at the Texas Relays and Arcadia Invitational – unattached if necessary – in order to have some semblance of a season. Beyond that, he is determined to graduate early and enroll in college next January.

Either way, Field wouldn’t change any of the decisions that led to his UIL eligibility issue.

Blown off course

Elissa Field had to think fast, but really there was no other choice but to heed the warning and evacuate Port Arthur.

It was the third week of September, 2005, and Hurricane Rita was headed right for the Texas coastal city. The single mother of three might have stubbornly stayed put and rode it out, but not this time. Not after watching New Orleans drowned by Katrina just a month earlier. Forecasters said Rita was just as big as that.

She loaded her kids in the car, grabbed armloads of their clothes, some important papers, and her nurse’s uniform. “We rode around for hours,” she said. “I didn’t know where to go.”

Elissa knew a friend in Dallas and so she decided to go in that direction. The freeways were jammed. A six-hour trip took 15 hours.

“We stayed in a hotel,” she said. “We ended up staying there for three months.”

It was a disruptive move for Devin, her middle child. He lost his focus in the turmoil, lost ground at school, and was forced to repeat the sixth grade.

When Elissa returned to Port Arthur to survey the damage, she found that one of the large trees in the yard had been uprooted and had crashed into the side of the house. There was very little that she was able to salvage.

“When it happened, it was kind of stressful,” Devin said. “Before that week our life was based on staying in Port Arthur.”

The fortunate turn was that one of his friends in his new school in Dallas asked him to come out for the track team in the seventh grade.

“When I started trying to see where I fit in, I knew I could jump and I started trying to hurdle (too),” Devin said. “Coach said ‘try the triple jump’ and I beat everyone in the triple jump.”

He continued to play football into the ninth grade, but it became apparent that pure athletic talent fit track and field better.

“I knew Devin was gifted since he was five years old,” Elissa said. “But I never pushed my kids (into sports). If that’s what you want to do, then I’m behind you.”

Devin entered Lancaster High School and gravitated toward Vincent Johnson, the jumps coach. They became close and the freshman began to think he’d found a mentor and father figure. Johnson asked his athletes what they wanted to do with their lives.

Devin’s reply was immediate: “I want to go to the Olympics.”

A national name

Devin won the Texas 4A title in the long jump as a freshman, then won it again for Lancaster last year as a sophomore. He took the triple jump, too.

In the spring of 2011, Devin was churning out 24-footers like they were automatic. He set a goal to make the Junior Pan Am team and went to the USATF Juniors in Eugene, Ore. to try and qualify. Once there, he would have to compete with 19-year-old college freshmen in order to place in the top two and make the U.S. team.

Devin did even better than that, popping a 24-2 on his first attempt and the working his way up to 24-8.50 in the fifth round. He won the title by a quarter inch. A mere inch and a half separated the top four places.

At the Junior Pan Am Championships in Miramar, Fla., Field was on his game again, going 24-10.50 to win the gold medal.

But the summer also brought change. Coach Johnson accepted a job at Kansas State University. Elissa found out that her mother’s cancer had resurfaced after 15 years in remission. She wanted to go back to Port Arthur and help take care of her.

For the sake of the family, Devin was willing to move back to Port Arthur.

“Devin’s a family person,” Elissa said. “Family comes first and he said ‘Let’s go.’ We dropped everything and left and went to Port Arthur because I was worrying so much about (my mom). It was a relief for me that Devin went for it and (my daughter) Kayla went for it.”

Devin and his younger sister enrolled in Port Arthur Memorial, but there were problems from the outset. He had a difficult time getting into the classes that he knew he needed in order to graduate early. He felt he couldn’t find a sympathetic ear and he knew he would find a better academic climate back in the Dallas area.

He tried Port Arthur Memorial for two months, but came to the realization that he needed to move back. In November, he moved in with a family friend, Trent Gamble, one of the assistant coaches for the Texas Faces track club. Gamble lives in DeSoto, seven miles due east of Lancaster. So Devin entered DeSoto, where he quickly got into the classes he needed to be in to stay on schedule for early graduation.

The move was tied to academics more than sports. That’s why when the eligibility issue arose, Devin didn’t worry about it. He works out daily with DeSoto track athletes, but probably won’t be able to pursue a state championship with them.

“He is a great kid,” said DeSoto coach Mark Brady. “I mean, for having to bounce around the way he has, he’s very respectful and has great work habits. I do wish we could run him somewhere this year, but the rules say you have to live with your mom.”

Devin’s grandmother is back in good health now, cancer-free once again. Elissa plans to move back to the Dallas area with Kayla in April. That could alter the eligibility verdict, but even if it doesn’t, Devin has made peace with it.

With or without a season in Texas, the junior is focused on his goals. He wants to fly past 26 feet in the long jump, go beyond 51 in the triple jump. He’d like to get his 110-meter hurdles time down to a cool 13.8. And he’d like to wear the Team USA uniform again this summer, at the World Junior Championships in Barcelona, Spain.

Devin said it occurred to him a few weeks back that if it hadn’t been for the hurricane, his track career may never have left the ground back in Port Arthur.

So he is focusing more on what he has than what he doesn’t have.

“Maybe the storm (was a blessing),” Elissa said. “If it took Rita to push us out of (Port Arthur) to see the light we should have seen, to get my kids to their destination, then it was a push we needed.”

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.”

The top three boys pole vaulters in America – Texans Reese Watson and Shawn Barber and Ohio’s Jacob Blankenship – will compete side by side for the first time and launch an assault on 18 feet at the New Balance Nationals Indoor championships on Saturday afternoon at the Armory.

All three of them have topped 17-6 already this year and progressing in the direction of Tommy Skipper’s 2003 outdoor record of 18-3. (Andrew Irwin set the national indoor record in 2011, 17-9.25).

But there are subtle in how Watson, Barber and Blankenship get that high off the ground.

There three are important factors to consider: Size of the pole (length and also its weight rating, which correlates to how much the pole will bend. Most vaulters use a pole with weight rating of 20 pounds higher than their actual weight). The placement of the hold (if an athlete is using a 16-foot pole, they may “hold” at 15-6, for instance). And third, is the number of inches over the hold that the athlete can get their bodies over (usually 24 inches, or higher).

“Everyone is trying to do the same thing, but everyone does it different,” Blankenship said. “We all have our own technique.”

Barber, of Kingwood Park, Texas, moved slightly ahead of the others when he jumped 17-8 at an outdoor meet on March 2. Barber has a best of 17-6.50 indoors, from Jan. 7.

Barber typically uses a 16-foot or 16-foot, 1-inch pole weighted between 175 and 185 pounds. He has jumped on a five-meter (16-5) pole but hasn’t incorporated it into meet competition yet. He holds near the end of his 16 (or 16-1) pole.

When Barber lowers the end of his pole into the box at the end of the runway, it’s eight inches deep. So if he’s holding at about 16 feet, then he loses those eight inches in pole length. To get over a bar at 17-8, he has to rise 28 inches over his hold.

Watson, of Spring, Texas, is the current US#1 with a clearance of 17-7 on Feb. 4.

Watson holds at 16 feet on a 16-foot pole weighted for 190 pounds. In order to make 17-7, he’d have to get 27 inches over his hold.

Most vaulters make a progression, moving onto “bigger” poles (length and weight rating) as a competition moves to higher bars.

Watson has a 16-5 pole that he has experimented with but he is still working on getting proficient with it.

“If I’m out there having a really good day, I could use it,” he said. “You can’t be scared to try big poles.”

Even though Watson and Barber are from Texas their paths cross only occasionally. Barber competes for Class 4A school, Watson in Class 5A.

“It’s definitely good to have people up there with you to push you,” Watson said. “We’re all going after that record. Shawn is one inch above me and I know Blankenship is trying to beat that and go an inch higher.”

Blankenship, of Lincoln (Gahanna, Ohio), has a different approach. He grips at about 15-2 feet on a 16-foot pole weighted at 210 pounds. His best jump so far was 17-6.50 on Feb. 25, meaning he was more than 30 inches over his grip.

So why take a lower grip on a stiffer pole?

“It’d doesn’t make sense,” he said. “I’ve been working more on my technique and it’s just what works for me.”

Blankenship also uses a fiberglass pole which has a slightly heavier “carry weight” than the carbon fiber poles used by Watson and Barber.

On Saturday, all of those slight difference will be at play when the three of them go into competition.

Blankenship said he’s been eagerly waiting a chance to meet Watson and Barber and get know them a little bit this weekend.

“I’ve been wanting to jump against these guys for a long time,” he said.

The feeling is mutual for all three.

“I’m excited for it. It should be a good competition,” Barber said.

Rick Baggett, a popular club coach in Oregon, has been paying some attention to this year’s Big Three vaulters.

“I have seen them jump on Youtube,” he said. “They’re strong, fast and their technique is good. You’ve got to be big and strong and fast.”

Baggett should know. He coached Skipper when he was at Sandy High School.

“When Tommy jumped 18-3 he was holding at 16-3 and got 35 inches over his hand hold,” Baggett said.

Over the next three to four months, Watson, Barber and Blankenship will try to get that high too – by whatever means works best.

“I honestly think one of us three will break that (record) this year,” Blankenship said. “Shawn and Reese have been putting up PRs left and right. One of us three will get up to that point.”

Blankenship hopes it’s him.

He’d like to reach the Olympic qualifying standard – (5.60 meters) 18-4.50.

“I’m hoping to get up there,” he said. “That would be awesome.”

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.

NBNI Index


When Arman Hall, Najee Glass and Aldrich Bailey meet up this week at the New Balance Nationals Indoor, they will greet each other as old friends and then race for the 400-meter title as arch-rivals.

The seniors share history as part of a gold medal winning medley relay team (along with Ronald Darby) while representing the U.S. at the World Youth Championships last year in Lille, France.

Although none of them has cracked the 46-second barrier yet, all three of them have been on the cusp of crashing through in the past two weeks.

“I’m looking forward to (New Balance) Nationals Indoor,” Glass said. “It’s going to be me and Arman and (Aldrich), so there’s no telling what kind of time that’s going to be. … I’m pretty sure we might come out with something nice.”

Glass said those words moments after running 46.06 at the Brooks PR Invitational in Seattle on Feb. 26. His lean beat Bailey, who finished right next to him, running 46.07. Although the race was run on an oversized 307-meter track, only Elzie Coleman’s 2004 national record of 45.92 is faster indoors. (Coleman set his mark at altitude, at the Simplot Games).

Meanwhile, Hall of St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), ran 46.41 for an early US#1 outdoors on Saturday at the Sam Burley Invitational in Miami. He ran 47.66 the same weekend last year.

"I'm so anxious (about NBNI)," Hall said. "I feel stronger than ever and more determined than I've ever been."

Hall and Bailey will also toe the line in the 200 at NBNI.

Bailey, of Timberview (Arlington, Texas), hadn’t raced in six weeks prior to the Brooks meet – that effort at Arkansas including the previous 400 US#1 of 47.05 and the still current 200 #1 of 20.99. He is focused on the upcoming outdoor season and has not been shy about saying he wants to shoot for sub-45 in 2012.

Glass, of Saint Peter’s Prep (Jersey City, N.J.) may have a couple of advantages this week. He’s close to home, familiar with the Armory oval, and running well. Until the Brooks meet, he’d had a bit of a bridesmaid tag against the top dogs the past year, finishing second in the indoor national meet last year, plus New Balance Nationals Outdoor, the World Youth Trials, and during longer indoor races against record-setting Strymar Livingston this winter.

Bailey and Hall stand to benefit from their warm-weather climes and the opportunities to begin running fast times outdoors in March. The last time the three of them met was at the World Youth Trials last June in South Carolina. Bailey won it, followed by Glass and Hall. Just 11 days earlier, at New Balance Nationals Outdoor in North Carolina, Hall won it, followed by Glass and Bailey.

“It’s (basically) who’s better on that day,” Bailey said. “In my mind, I’m better than them. And in their minds, I’m sure they think they’re the best.”

Rivals have past, recent connections

Although they are separated by thousands of miles, there are personal connections.

Bailey and Glass have known each other through age-group track since they first started racing at national meets when they were nine years old.

Bailey and Hall got to know one another at the Caribbean Scholastic Invite last June in Puerto Rico. Then, they were roommates in France.

As a side note, Hall may have Bailey to thank for his gold medal in the 400 meters at the World Youth Championships. After placing third in the trials – behind Bailey and Glass – Hall was crushed. Since Bailey had already earned a spot in the 200 he gave up his spot in the 400, primarily because he saw how much it meant to Hall. (Hall stepped up big in France, running 46.01 for the gold medal).

"I surprised me a lot and I was very appreciative that he would do that for me," Hall said. "Then I made it count."

If there wasn’t a friendship in place, would Bailey have given that slot to Hall?

“Probably not,” Bailey said. “I did it because he’s a good guy.”

Glass and Hall will become training partners next fall. They have both signed with the University of Florida. Bailey’s headed to Texas A&M.

Poised to join all-time greats

Individually and collectively, these three could be on the verge of an historical season. The years that produced the best trio of senior “quarter milers” were 1985 and 2002.

In 1985, Henry Thomas (Hawthorne, Calif.) ran US#3 all-time 45.09, Tony Allen (Jasper, Texas) ran US#23 all-time 45.74 (converted) and Danny Everett (Los Angeles) ran US#28 all-time 45.76.

In 2002, Kelly Willie of Houston, Texas) ran US#15 all-time 45.52, Jeremy Wariner (Arlington, Texas) ran US#17 all-time 45.57 and Ashton Collins (New Orleans) ran US#21 all-time 45.72.

Keep in mind, out of that group Everett (relay) and Wariner are Olympic gold medalists.

Can the class of 2012 join those groups?

As is stands right now, Hall has a PR of 46.01, followed by Glass (46.06) and Bailey (46.07).

"I feel like Najee has the most strength," Hall said. "(Bailey) is more of a finesse runner with a lot of speed. I think I'm sort of in between."

Another senior to keep an eye on his Kavahra Holmes of Breaux Bridge, La. Holmes is an LSU football signee with 2011 best of 46.07.

This week, the finishing order is anyone’s guess.

"I'm sure I'll be friendly and still talking and hanging out (with them) until the gun goes off," said Hall, who is making his first trip to New York. "Then it's all business."

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.