Moore, McQueen, Wasik and Bracey: First NSAF Emerging Elites of the Week

 

This marks the debut of a new NSAF weekly feature on nationalscholastic.org, the Emerging Elite of the Week.  The New Balance Nationals Indoor and Outdoor meets have become known for the ever-expanding and improving competition in the divisions of the same name.  Similarly, the NSAF seeks to give weekly recognition to track and field and cross-country athletes reaching new and exciting competitive levels with their recent performances.

Today, we honor a quartet of rising young stars from the USATF JO Champs and AAU JO Games.


Male (USATF JOs) – Isaiah Moore, Cummings HS Class of 2014, Durham, NC

Returning to Greensboro for the USATF JOs, Isaiah was barely a week returned from the World Youth Championships in Donetsk, where he had impressed mightily with a big improvement in the long jump of 24-8.5 for the bronze medal, as well as a 6th-place finish in the 110H(36”) at 13.68.  Perhaps fatigue was part of the reason he leapt “only” 23-1.25 for 4th in the Wednesday 17-18 Young Men’s long jump final.  By Sunday’s 110H final, however, Isaiah was better than ever (again): Over the prep level 39” barriers, he blasted a wind-legal US#5 13.64, upsetting US#1 Tony Brown and setting a PR by a big .30.  Earlier this year, the junior was 3rd and 4th, respectively, in the NBNO LJ and 110H; won the LJ in the Caribbean Scholastic Invitational; and was 3rd in the 60H at NBNI. Photo by Joy Kamani

 


Female (USATF JOs) – Darrielle McQueen, No. Florida Christian HS Class of 2014, Tallahassee, FL

Several weeks prior to USATF JOs, at the CSI meet, Darrielle had an impressive long jump/triple jump double that included a legal PR 40-9.5 in the latter.  But when she came to NBNO a few weeks later, she was off form in both events and finished outside the top 10.  You could say then, back in Greensboro for USATF JOs, the junior had some unfinished business on the Irwin Belk Track.  Sure enough, Darrielle nearly broke through the 41 foot barrier, winning the 17-18 Young Women’s TJ with a legal 40-11, moving her up to #8 nationally  Darrielle also doubled the LJ (US#13 19-7) and TJ (40-4.5) at her 1A state meet. Photo by Angelle Albright

 

 


Male (AAU JOs) – Steele Wasik, St. Edward HS Class of 2014, Lakewood, OH

A long spring and summer of hard work has transformed Steele from a middle-of-the-pack finisher at the NBNI pentathlon to the 3rd-best (tied) decathlete in the country – not to mention a top-notch hurdler.  At The Armory in March, he scored 3,693 points for 5th out of 13 in the 5-eventer.  But during the spring, he hammered his 300H PR from the 39s down to 36.91, improved his 110H to 13.88w/14.05, while also high jumping 6-7.  He won the 110s at Ohio D1 state and was 2nd in the 300H to US#3 Desmond Palmer.  Last weekend at JOs, he put it all together in a stunning decathlon display.  Even while winning by more than 1,300 points, Steele pushed to a 7,037 total, equaling Scott Filip for US#3.  He won five of the 10 events and finished in the top three in four others. Photo submitted by Steele Wasik

 

Female (AAU JOs) – Sekayi Bracey, East Kentwood HS Class of 2016, Kentwood, MI

Sekayi’s had a long year with countless races that took her through the Michigan indoor season, NBNI, her state outdoor campaign, NBNO, the World Youth Trials, and finally the path to Ypsilanti for the AAU JOs.  And during the final week of the season, one may contend, she was never better.  She won the 15-16 girls 200 with her first wind-legal sub-24 at 23.98; took 2nd by .02 in the 100 with a 11.70w(+2.2), arguably her best century of the season; and was 3rd in the LJ with a PR 18-9.75.  The freshman ranked 1, 2 and 2 in those events among Michigan athletes for the year (winning the 100 and 200 at D1 state), and 2, 3, and 5 among U.S. frosh.  At NBN meets Sekayi won the EE (and frosh) 60s indoors, then won the frosh 100 outdoors along with 2nd in the frosh LJ and 8th in the championship 200. Photo courtesy of DyeStat.com

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