NSAF On-Site at U-Kentucky Inv.: Brooks, Willis, 4x4s score US#1s

by Steve Underwood


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(291m oversize  track; * before US performance ranking denotes "all-tracks" rankings)


Super national leaders: Big PRs for Brooks, Willis; blazing 4x4s

  • US#1 7-2 boys’ high jump by Jaron Brooks (Kentucky Elite/Henry Clay, KY sr), an in/out PR by the defending NBNO/NBNI champ and 2015 CSI champ.  He cleared on his 1st attempt, after having made 7-0, and then missed thrice at 7-3.  In 2nd with a PR and US#3 6-10 was Rahman Minor (Indiana Storm/Pike, IN jr).  Brooks and Minor were 2nd and 3rd at the World Youth Trials last summer.
  • *US#1 and meet/fieldhouse record 21.04 boys’ 200m dash by Maxwell Willis (Archbishop Carroll, DC sr), improving his indoor PR by .04 and winning decisively.  Eric Harrison (St. Johns College, MD jr) was 2nd at *US#5 21.44 and Willis’ teammate Stedman Cook 3rd at *US#7 21.55.  Freshman Brian Herron (Flight 400 TC/Lakeside HS, GA) won the 3rd section and was 6th overall at 21.70, the 2nd fastest all-tracks 9th grade time ever.  Herron set the frosh nat’l record at 21.84 early in the season before Tyrese Cooper captured it a few weeks later (21.54).  Willis also anchored Carroll’s winning 4x4 (see below).
  • *US#1 3:45.00 girls’ 4x400m relay by Motor City TC/Oak Park HS, MI, with a fantastic come-from-behind anchor by Anna Jefferson.  Regulation tracks nat’l leader Bullis, MD – running without their leading sprinter Masai Russell – was 2nd at *US#2 3:45.66, while WAR TC/Nansemond River HS, VA took 3rd at 3:52.13.
  • *US#1 3:16.11 4x400m relay by Archbishop Carroll, DC, with 200 champ Maxwell Willis anchoring, improving their previous nat’l leader by two seconds.  Fayette County TC (KY), with 400 champ Will Allen anchoring, was 2nd at 3:18.39 and Sprint Athletics TC 3rd at 3:19.86.  Eight teams ran under 3:22.  Carroll is also US#2 on regulation tracks at 3:18.71, holding the national lead there until Huntington, NY topped it at the Millrose Games (also Saturday).
More great US top 10s: Super doubles for Hall, Rogers; Allen kills it again
  • 7.39 60m dash, *US#2 23.70 200m girls’ sprint double by Cassondra Hall (Sprint Athletics/Warner Robins, GA sr), overcoming very tough competition in both.  In the 60, where she shares US#1 (7.36), she edged previous US#1 Lynna Irby (Indiana Stormy/Pike, IN jr) at US#5 7.45 and Tonea Marshall (North Texas AC/Arlington Seguin, TX sr) at 7.49.  In the 200, Hall outran 60H champ Brandee’ Johnson (WAR TC/Nansemond River, VA sr) at *US#5 23.90 and previous US#1 Danyel White (North Texas AC/Cedar Hill, TX sr) at 23.94.  Second section winner Irby at 24.07 was 4th overall.
  • Meet/fieldhouse record (both) 72-7 weight throw, 63-8.25 shot put boys’ throws double by Isaiah Rogers (Throw 1 Deep/Campbell, GA sr), just off his US#3 indoor PRs of 76-9 and 64-7.75.  He was followed in both throws by Nick Lane (Bowling Green, OH jr), who entered the meet at US#4 (75-11) in the weight, at 71-3.5 and 56-1.75.
  • *US#2 47.12 boys’ 400m dash by William Allen (Fayette County TC/Paul Dunbar, KY sr), defending his 2015 title and just .16 off the meet/fieldhouse record of 46.94 by Reggie Witherspoon from 2003.  Freshman Brian Herron (Flight 400 TC/Lakeside HS, GA) was 2nd in 47.68, just off the 47.39 9th-grade all-tracks/all-time best he ran last week behind Allen in Ohio.  Also under 48 were Quincey Wilson (Sprint Athletics/Arabia Mtn, GA sr) at 47.75 and section 2 winner James Burnett (Oxford, MS sr) at 47.79.
  • US#2 58-0.25 girls’ weight throw by Kamryn Brinson (Throw 1 Deep/Marist, GA sr), taking it on her 3rd throw.  She was followed by Carroll Pauley (Riverdale, OH jr) at 53-6.25 and Shoshana Trotman (Centerville, OH sr) at 52-10.25.
  • 1:52.78 boys’ 800m run by Terrell Jackson (Memphis Mustangs/Memphis U. HS sr), just off his *US#2 1:52.28 best.  He was followed by Daniel Nixon (Unatt./Spain Park, AL sr) at US#9 1:53.32, Ryne Bevan (Unatt./North Paulding, GA jr) at 1:54.14 and Cameron Cooper (Motor City TC/Oak Park, MI jr) with 1:54.64.  Four others broke 1:56.
  • *US#3 54.59 girls’ 400m dash by Taylor Manson (Motor City TC/East Lansing, MI sr), taking it out of the 2nd section after a 55.42 won the “fast section.”  Manson prevailed over Syaira Richardson (WAR TC/Nansemond River, VA jr), who ran 55.17.  Though Dajour Miles (Waubonsie Valley, IL frosh) didn’t win, her 55.42 fast-section time was very impressive for a 9th-grader, as she beat senior stars Jaevin Reed (NTX Jackrabbits/Plano Prestonwood Christian, TX) at 55.52 and Anna Jefferson (Motor City TC/Oak Park, MI) at 55.94.
  • US#3 7.81 boys’ 60m hurdles by Matthew Moore (Sprint Athletics/Union Grove, GA sr), nipping Malik Beverly (Unatt./Northwest-Cincinnati, OH sr) at US#6 7.84.  Defending NBNI pentathlon champ George Patrick (Kindersport/) was 3rd at 8.07.
  • US#3 13-4.5 girls’ pole vault by Carson Dingler (Unatt./1st Presbyterian Day School, GA jr), winning by more than a foot over four others at 11-11.75.  Kristina Leggas (KY Generals/Lafayette, KY jr) was 2nd on misses.
  • 5-9 girls’ high jump by Lily Lowe (KY Elite/Calloway County, KY sr), just off her new US#2 5-10 PR from last week.  Lowe cleared on her first try, then missed three solid shots at 5-11.  Three girls scaled 5-5 behind her, led by Carly Hinkle (Unatt./Winfield, WV jr).
  • US#7 6.81 boys’ 60m dash from Eric Harrison (St. Johns College, MD jr), beating Tyson Spears (Titans TC/Roswell, GA sr) at 6.87 and Kasaun James (Trojan Tracksters/North Hardin, KY sr) at 6.88.  Five ran 6.91 or better.  Bullis, MD soph Eric Allen, Jr. ran 6.84 in prelims to lead all qualifiers, but was 7th in the final.  Harrison was also 2nd in the 200 at *US#5 21.44.
  • US#9 8.46 girls’ 60m hurdles by Brandee’ Johnson (WAR/Nansemond River, WA sr), beating a great field that included standing US#2 Tonea Marshall (North Texas AC/Arlington Seguin, TX sr).  Breanne Bygrave (Junior Striders/Wakefield, NC sr) was 2nd at 8.58 – just off her 8.54 season’s best – and Marshall was off form, taking 3rd in 8.64 after leading prelims in 8.49.  Johnson was also 2nd in the 200 at 23.90 (see above) and ran on WAR’s 3rd-place 4x400.
  • 16-6 boys’ pole vault by Tristan Slater (Capital, WV sr), just off his US#3 16-6.75.  He cleared on his 2nd attempt before missing at 17-0.  Three others made 15-6.25, with Matt Peare (Unatt./Hoover, OH jr) and Aaron Frens (Greenville, OH jr) tying for 2nd.
  • 48-6.25 girls’ shot put by Kathleen Young (Unatt./Warrensburg-Latham, IL jr), just off her US#4 50-8 seasonal best.  She won by nearly two feet over Alycia Springs (Unatt./Mallard Creek, NC sr) at 45-8.
  • 39-11.75 girls’ triple jump by Jaimie Robinson (UCTC/Homewood-Flossmoor, IL jr), just off her US#6 40-1 season best.  She was nearly two feet ahead of Jordyn Lesh (Unatt./Harpeth Hall, TN jr) at 38-0.
More strong performances
  • 2:13.77 girls’ 800m run by Emma Kuntz (Rams AT/ DuPont Manuel, KY jr), pulling away from the 2:15.88 by Lauren Jackson (Sprint Athletics/ North Springs, GA sr).  Sydney Benson (Motor City TC/Oak Park, MI sr) nipped Hailey Hendry (Unatt./ Brentwood, TN sr) for 3rd, 2:16.72 to 2:16.79.  Hendry earlier won the mile.
  • 47-2.25 boys’ triple jump by Michael Wiggins (Unatt./Huntsville, AL sr), winning by more than two feet.  He leapt far enough to win on his 1st attempt and hitting his best one on his 2nd.  Wiggins holds the US#2 spot with a 49-3.5 from back in December.  Jeremy Randles (Trojan Tracksters/North Hardin, KY sr) was 2nd at 44-9.75.
  • 19-0.5 girls long jump by Alexis Gibbons (Unatt./ Butler, KY sr), more than half a foot better than Tayrn Milton (North Texas AC/ Cedar Hill, TX sr) at 18-5.5.
  • 22-9.75 boys’ long jump by Cameron Ruiz (Lakes Community, KY jr), taking the lead for good on his first jump.  Denzel Harper (Quicksilver TC/Stephenson, GA sr) was 2nd at 22-5 and the aforementioned multi-eventer George Patrick 3rd at 22-3.5.
  • 4:18.15 boys’ 1-mile run by Drew Williams (Mountain Brook, AL sr), coming from behind to outkick Joshua Bell (SliccEagle/Brentwood Academy, TN sr) 4:19.05, Brennan Fields (Madison Central, KY sr) 4:19.41 and Unatt./Brentwood HS, TN teammates Taylor Vroon 4:19.61 and Brodey Hasty 4:19.67.
  • 4:57.90 girls’ 1-mile run by Hailey Hendry (Unatt./Brentwood, TN sr), just outkicking Riley Burr (Milton XCTF Club/Milton, GA sr) at 4:58.11.  They were more than 4 seconds ahead of third-place.
  • 9:17.90 boys’ 2-mile run by Johnathan Chavez (Knoxville Catholic, TN sr), pulling away from Alex Minor (WV Flyers/University, WV sr), who ran 9:24.59.
  • 10:55.93 girls’ 2-mile run by Niamh Schumacher (Unatt./Kings Academy, TN jr), more than two seconds ahead of Claire Cheeseman (Talon TC/Brentwood Academy, TN jr) at 10:58.05.
  • 8:05.71 boys’ 4x800m relay from Nashville TC (TN), followed by two more Tennessee clubs: Slicc Eagle TC at 8:07.62 and Oak Ridge TC at 8:08.65.
  • 9:55.81 girls’ 4x800m relay by WV Flyers, more than five seconds up on Westfield, IN at 10:01.68.
  • 12:45.67 girls’ distance medley relay by Noblesville T&F (IN), beating their own meet/fieldhouse record of 12:54.16 from 2015.  This is a new event for preps at this meet and for HS meets in general at UK.
  • 10:57.8h boys’ distance medley relay by Louisville Extreme, edging the 10:59.3h by Flashes TC (IN).  Again, a new event for preps here, as the top 3 teams beat the meet/fieldhouse record.

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