NSAF On-Site at Taco Bell Classic Select Meet: Preview—Team USA medalists in spotlight

by Steve Underwood



The NSAF will be on-site Friday night and Saturday for the 24th Annual Taco Bell Classic, one of our 2016 NSAF Select Meets, at Spring Valley HS in Columbia, SC.  This will be our "home page" for the meet, which will also have a preview later today, as well as the links below.  We'll have videos and race clips on our Facebook and Twitter pages, and also look on our NSAF home page for a recap of the top performances Sunday after the meet.

 

Taco Bell Classic Meet Page  |  Meet Schedule  |  Heat Sheets  |  Alpha Entries
LIVE Webcast (Milesplit.com; starts 5:45pm Friday)  |  LIVE RESULTS  

 

Team USA medalists in the spotlight

Three athletes who won Team USA medals could provide the biggest highlights Saturday

Cockrell vs. Johnson over 400H is biggest showdown – Anna Cockrell vs. Brandee’ Johnson is a great matchup at 400H for the Taco Bell Classic, no matter how you look at it.  But their storyline goes much further than the fact that they are currently ranked #1 (Johnson, 40.87 to win Texas Relays) and #3 (Cockrell 41.38 in a small NC invite) in the country over 300H.  The last time Cockrell (Providence Day, NC senior) and Johnson (Nansemond River, VA senior) met in a long hurdles race was during the 2015 New Balance Nationals Outdoor 400H.  Cockrell was 2nd (57.70) behind Sydney McLaughlin in the final, but earlier in the penultimate section, Johnson ran an even-faster 57.63 to take 2nd overall. 

They would both go on to win medals for Team USA last summer, but not at the same meet.  Cockrell won USA Juniors in 56.67, then took Pan American Junior gold in Edmonton at 57.10.  Johnson was runner-up behind McLaughlin at the World Youth Trials, then won bronze behind her at the WY Champs in Columbia at 57.47.  So far in 2016, both had great indoor seasons over 55H and 60H, as well as other events.  Interestingly, both beat Texas standout Tonea Marshall in different meets – Johnson at the Kentucky Invite and Cockrell at the David Oliver meet.  But both were chasing Marshall as she crushed the 60H national record at NBNI last month.  Now, as this most extraordinary year of girls’ hurdling continues – with the strong possibility of multiple national records at every hurdles distance – Cockrell and Johnson have a great mid-season matchup.  Neither has done the 1-lapper over barriers yet in 2016.

Sammy Watson is the biggest name at Harry Parone Stadium – In an amazing time when it seems we are watching one uber-talented high school girl after another turn professional, it seems fairly likely that no one has come to that conclusion regarding Samantha Watson yet.  But then again, who knows what 2016 will bring?  What if it gets even better than she has performed in the past 13-14 months?  When Watson won the NBNI 800 and anchored her Rush-Henrietta, NY squad to a sprint medley relay national record as a sophomore in March, 2015, it was just the beginning.  She was even more impressive in another SMR record anchor at NBNO – a 2:03 in a heavy downpour – then added the individual 800 crown again.  Then Watson won the WY Trials and captured gold in Columbia at 2:03.54.

This past winter was more of the same for the junior – her school’s SMR ran a nation-leading time, even if they fell short of their own record, then she improved her indoor PR to 2:05.11 with a close individual 800 title.  Here at Taco Bell, sans her teammates, Watson will run her signature event, as well as the 400 – where she’s clocked 52.69.  In fact, her range from that 400 PR to her 4:25 1,500m best is right up there with any girl in prep history.  She is truly a special guest here at Spring Valley HS!  It should be added that while Watson is heavily favored to win both, she could get pushed – in the 400, super frosh Sterling Lester (Marietta, GA) was 2nd at NBNI, while Laurie Barton of Daniel, SC is defending champ here at 800 and has run 2:10.

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