NSAF Athletes of the Week - Baird & Humphrey
It was a weekend replete with fast times, a new National Record in the girls 2 Mile by Mary Cain and numerous other outstnding performances. Cain was our Athlete of the Week last week for her demolition of the National record in the girls Mile. So, the choices were tough to make this week. We have selected Kadeisha Baird and Marlon Humphrey for this week's honors.
Kadeisha Baird (Medgar Evers HS, Brooklyn, NY)
She is one of the immense high school talents in the U.S. She won the 2012 New Balance Nationals Outdoor 400m in 52.18, well ahead of the rest of the field. A few weeks later, representing her native Guyana, Kadeisha finished second at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Barcelona, running 51.04! Only Sanya Richards, Monique Henderson, Denean Howard and Sheila Ingram have run faster as high schoolers.
At the New Balance Armory in New York over the weekend, she put on quite a show. She brought her team from last to second in the 4x400, clocking 52.9 for her leg. That was on Friday. On Saturday, she ran the second fastest 300 meters ever, running 37.54. Only Francena Mc Corory has run faster with her 36.96 national record in 2006. Not long after that, she ran the second leg of her team’s 4x200m, splitting 23.5. Her team improved their national lead in that event to 1:38.59.
Marlon Humphrey (Hoover HS, Hoover, AL)
Junior Marlon Humphrey was the favorite at this weekend’s Alabama State 6A 60m hurdles. He did go on to win that, but also won two other events and anchored his team’s victorious 4x400m.
Marlon and competitor Charlie Forbes ran identical times in qualifying (7.99) in the 60m hurdles. He did have significant competition going into the finals. But the finals was all his, as he improved his US leading time in that event from 7.82 to 7.80.
He was definitely not a favorite in the 60m, but got a clear victory, running 6.89. His last individual event was the 400m which he won in 48.11, #2 U.S. He won by over a second.
Finally, he anchored his victorious 4x400m relay to a come-from-behind win in 3:23.41, anchoring in a stunning 47.02 giving Hoover the State Championship.
The NSAF Athlete of the Week is sponsored by our friends at New Balance.
