NEW YORK – The New Balance Nationals Indoor returns to the Fort Washington Armory this weekend (Friday, March 8 – Sunday, March 10). This marks the 9th year the National Scholastic Athletics Foundation (NSAF) indoor high school championship has been contested at the Armory and with their partners from New Balance.
More than 3,700 athletes are expected from more than 40 states and Canada – looking to run, hurdle, jump, throw and walk their way to titles and All-American honors in 48 boys and girls Championship events — plus 40 more Emerging Elite and Freshman events.
Here are some of the top performers and events to look for:
· Athing Mu (Trenton TC, Trenton, NJ junior) shocked the T&F world last month when she set an American women’s record – the first prep girl to do so in more than 40 years – in the USATF 600m (1:23.57). She will try and break the prep girls 800m record (2:01.78) Sunday and win her third NBN title in the event.
· Katelyn Tuohy (North Rockland HS, Theills, NY junior) has won seven NBN indoor and outdoor titles (incl. relays), and set four prep national records in the distances during her storied career. She’ll try to add to those totals in the distance and sprint medley relays, plus either or both of Sunday’s mile and 2-mile.
· Anna Hall (Valor Christian, Highlands Ranch, CO senior) is going for her third straight NBNI pentathlon title and trying to again break her new prep national record. She was the USATF Championship runner-up last month with 4,302 points, beating all but one elite woman.
· The Bullis School (Potomac, MD) boys will try and improve on the two prep national relay records they set in January: 1:25.60 for the 4×200 meters and 3:12.53 for the 4×400 meters.
· The boys’ 60m dash field includes three challengers to Casey Combest’s 6.57 prep national record from 1999: Lance Lang (McCluer North, Florissant, MO senior) with a best of 6.62 seconds, Micah Williams (Benson HS, Portland, OR junior) at 6.64 and Marcellus Moore (Plainfield North, IL junior) t 6.65.
· Taylor Ewert (Beavercreek, OH junior), who already owns scores of racewalking records and is a top national class runner, as well, will try and defend her 1-mile RW title and capture All-American honors in the 2-mile. She won the USATF Women’s 1M RW at the Millrose Games with a prep national record 6:28.21.
· Tamari Davis (Fla.), who swept the NBNI 60m and 200m dashes as a freshman last March is back to defend her titles. A key challenger in the 60 is her Florida rival Brianna Williams – last summer’s World U20 100 and 200 champ.
· Trey Knight (WA junior), who has smashed national weight throw class records each year, will try and defend his title in the event and come closer to Conor McCullough’s junior class and overall records.
Some others include girls’ triple jump 2-time defending champ Jasmine Moore (Mansfield Lake Ridge, TX senior); the St. Benedict’s (Newark, NJ) boys 4×800 and sprint medley relays, where they are favored and could threaten records; the Loudoun Valley (Purcellville, VA) boys’ 4×1 mile relay (national record setters in 2018); and the Bullis and Western Branch (Chesapeake, VA) girls shuttle hurdle relay teams – which have been trading national records the past few years.
