Track & Field and Cross-Country Bulletin for Apr 06, 2016

by Joy Kamani

     
Record-setting hurdlers Tonea Marshall and Grant Holloway. Photos by Vic Sailer, photorun.net
 


The Best Indoor Meet Ever!

11 National Records Crushed!

The 2016 New Balance Nationals Indoor (NBNI), our renowned championships for the country’s best preps, were contested three weeks ago (March 11-13) at The Armory and, once again, the athletes -- 3,650 of them from 43 states and four Canadian provinces -- put on a show that will never be forgotten.

As has been the case more often than not in recent years, the performances at the 2016 NBNI earned it the title of "greatest indoor track meet of all time."  There were 11 national records set, plus 16 national class records and 35 meet records: 18 championship, 16 Emerging Elite and 1 Freshman.

The 11 national record-setters:

Some of the above-mentioned record-setters accomplished even more: Holloway also won the pentathlon (with the #3 score ever), while Kelati finished off a distance double with the 2-Mile crown (#5 all-time).  And McLaughlin and Lyles were each part of jaw-dropping relays, both ranking #2 in prep history: McLaughlin anchored Union Catholic, NJ's girls' 3:40.28 4x400, while Lyles and brother Josephus (60m dash champ in 6.65) led T.C. Williams, VA's boys to a 1:26.11 4x200.

The historic efforts weren't limited to the track: Both long jumps saw meet records and the #3 efforts in HS history -- Rayvon Grey (Beacon, NY) leaping 26-0.25 and Samiyah Samuels (Cypress Springs, TX) soaring 21-3.25. Grey's was the best boys' prep LJ since 1989, while Samuels reached a distance not achieved for girls since 1981!

Here are some links: 

Again, a special thanks to the greatest partners we could hope for -- our friends at New Balance who worked with us to make this the most fantastic weekend of high school track and field ever; to Eastbay, our Presenting Sponsor; and all of those who worked tirelessly for us here at the NSAF all weekend long.

Our NBNI competition bibs were provided by Athlete Race Numbers, now the Official Bib Printer of the NSAF.  You can see what the bibs looked like in the photo at right.  Meet Directors: Be sure to check them out for your own meets and use the handy NSAF16 code to receive a discount.

Thanks also to our other sponsors and vendors, including NY Spring Water, ElliptiGo and The FRoller.

 

 

A note to NBNI award-winners: Championship rings take 10 weeks to 3 months to be made and mailed. Also, certificates have been emailed to All-Americans and if you completed your form at the awards table, you should have it. If not, please email certificates@nationalscholastic.org.


Team NSAF assembling for CSI in Cuba

The NSAF is thrilled to again be able to send 28 Team NSAF athletes to compete in Havana, Cuba for our 10th Caribbean Scholastic Invitational (2nd in Cuba).  The meet will take place May 27-28, 2016, at Estadio Pan Americano, which we're told will have a new Mondo track.  Our meet will also be held in conjunction with the Memorial Barrientos, the country's leading international meet for Olympic-level elite athletes.

Our 28-member Team NSAF will be announced in April, loaded with rising U.S prep stars ready to compete against Cuba's best youth- and junior-aged athletes.  This is a great opportunity for future Team USA hopefuls to get their first international team meet experience.

NSAF's CSI Home Page  |  2015 CSI RESULTS  |  2015 CSI Day 2 Highlights  |  Day 1 Highlights
Original 2014 Story on move to Cuba  |  Detailed 2015 Team NSAF Roster


Get ready for our 25th Anniversary NBNO!

Our New Balance Nationals Outdoor in Greensboro, N.C. is always special, but it will be even more so this year as the June 17-19, 2016 weekend will mark the meet's 25th Anniversary!  We will be hosting numerous special guests and famous alums, and the opening ceremonies will be one for the ages. 

If last year is any indication, however, the competition will be even better. In 2015, we hosted nearly 5,400 athletes from 46 states, the District of Columbia and three Canadian provinces -- the first time we’ve had more than 5,000 in one of our indoor or outdoor championships.  We saw 5 national records, 3 class marks, and 33 meet records.

Here's some important links as you prepare for the meet:

REGISTRATION  |  NBNO Home Page  |  2016 Entry Guidelines  |  NBNationals.com


Howard Wood Dakota Relays joins NSAF Select Meet Roster

The NSAF supports several national caliber meets around the country by providing travel grants to athletes generally selected by the meet directors who may, for example, want to highlight a particular event such as the mile or hurdles.  The newest addition to our Select Meets roster is the Howard Wood Dakota Relays, the Sioux Falls, S.D. fixture which will be contested for the 91st time on May 6-7, 2016.  We are excited to be supporting one of the Heartland's great events, with more than 3,000 athletes competing from South Dakota and several surrounding states.

Remaining Select Meets for April are the Arcadia Invitational, Arcadia, CA, April 7-9, and the Taco Bell Classic, Columbia, SC, April 8-9.  Each of these events are assembling nationally ranked fields so the competition will be intense.  The NSAF will be on site for each of these meets and you can look for meet previews, video interviews, photo galleries and more on our website and social media.  We also just came back last weekend from the Mobile Challenge of Champions and the Texas Relays.  Check out our reports, videos and photos on our website, Facebook page and Twitter.

Also, all are invited to check out the 12th Annual New York Relays, Fri.-Sat., April 15-16, 2016. Held at Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island in NYC (a Class One IAAF certified facility), it's open to all preps competing with their HS teams.  First contested in 1966, the meet brings teams from around the country. For entry info, instructions, and schedule, please visit the meet's Home Page.


"Chicagoland Throws" relocating to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho!

To fit the schedules of the elite throwers (training for the Olympic Trials) who so graciously mentor our kids each year, the Chicagoland Throws event we have held has been relocated to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, will be now called "Iron Wood Throws," and will take place Saturday, June 4.  Please go to our updated Iron Wood Throws page for more details.  The beautiful lakeside community, 30 miles east of Spokane, WA, is home of the prestigious Iron Wood Thrower Development Camp.  Dozens of the nation's top throwers have trained or competed there during the past 27 years.  Meet/camp director Jarred Rome was a 2008-2012 Olympian in the discus and the preps invited to join us this year will again have a first-class experience competing side-by-side with many of the top USATF athletes.

We will contest the shot put, discus and hammer this year (no javelin) and the NSAF will invite and fund 3 athletes per event, per gender.  Stay tuned for more details.


NBNI Opening Ceremonies

Another big highlight of our NBNI weekend was a tribute to our late NSAF co-founder, F. Michael ("Mike") Byrnes.  Mike's wife, Joan Byrnes, and several local and out-of-town guests joined us on the infield at The Armory during our opening ceremonies -- most of them former athletes of Mike's who he coached during his long, successful career at Wantagh High School on Long Island. 

This was our first NBN meet since Mike passed away at his home in Virginia this past December 26.  Mike and Jim Spier, having worked together since the late 1970s, founded the NSAF in 1989 and everything we've done since then has so much to do with all of the great qualities he brought to our organization.  Many thanks to Gordon Peterson, who ran for Mike in the 1960s, wrote the tribute (and this STORY shortly after Mike passed) and invited and brought all of the special guests together.  Thanks also to the Armory staff and our announcer David Mitchell, who gave voice to what Gordon wrote  |  VIDEO OF OPENING CEREMONIES (Youtube)

Four NSAF honorees -- We were also thrilled to present at NBNI Sunday the following individuals with these respective annual NSAF awards:


News You Can Use

Can you help us get athletes to the starting line this year?  Please consider giving today to our 2016 Track and Field Kick-off Campaign. Since 1992, the NSAF has been a tax-exempt 501-c-3 not-for-profit organization with the mission to inspire youth to live active, healthy lifestyles, and to prepare them for future success. With your support at our NetworkForGood.com page, the NSAF can continue to provide funding for thousands of student athletes around the country; many of whom could not afford to do so on their own.

Advance Ticket Sales for NBNO: For the first time ever, the NSAF is offering advance ticket sales to New Balance Nationals Outdoor! It's a great way to avoid potenially long lines and have tickets waiting for you when you arrive. Plenty of purchase options, so check out our new ticket sales page now.

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Don't Miss Out.  Stay in Touch with the NSAF on our Website, FaceBook and Twitter.  Don't miss our interviews with Steve Underwood on Facebook and the NSAF Youtube Channel.

 

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