Track & Field and Cross-Country Bulletin for Mar 20, 2017

by Steve Underwood

 


Mondo Duplantis celebrates his pole vault HSR at NBNI. Photo by John Nepolitan, Runnerspace.com/DyeStat.com



Celebrating another epic NBNI!

11 National Record Performances!  13 Class Records!  26 Meet Records!  13 Armory Records!

Every year, we hope and expect that our 2017 New Balance Nationals Indoor at The Armory’s New Balance Track and Field Center will exceed the previous year’s edition as the “greatest indoor track meet of all time.”  We think last weekend’s extravaganza (March 10-12) lived up to expectations!  There were 11 national records set (see below), plus 13 national class records and 26 meet records in the Championship, Emerging Elite and Freshman categories.  We had 3,609 athletes from 44 states, plus several Canadian provinces, Colombia and Germany, and – as usual – they put on an unforgettable show.  We also had our first Paralympic athlete in Hunter Woodhall, who impressed us both with his talent and his class. Pre-Meet PR  |  Post-Race Interview

We want to start by thanking our great partners at New Balance – having celebrated our 7th indoor nationals with them – for working with us all winter long to create another incredible NBNI.  We’d also like to thank our outstanding Presenting Sponsor, Eastbay.  We hope you stopped by their booth and checked out all of their great training and racing apparel, footwear and much more.

We’re also eternally grateful for all of those staff, officials and volunteers who worked tirelessly for us here at the NSAF all weekend long.  We’d also like to thank our partners at Runnerspace.com, who produced another great webcast, web site (NBNationalsIn.com) and library of videos and photos.

And before we get any further, we’d like to remember Dr. Norbert Sander, the Founder of the Armory Track Foundation, who just passed away due to a heart attack, Friday, March 17.  Without the visionary Dr. Sander, the Armory as we know it today would never have come into being.  Brief story and link to USATF notice

Meanwhile, the meet wouldn’t have been the same without all of our other great sponsors.  We hope the relay champions all liked the special batons at the awards from our Official Baton Suppliers at RelayBatons.com, and that all of the relay entrants enjoyed the custom batons in their packets!

And did you get down to the Recovery Zone, sponsored by ROLL Recovery, and sample their outstanding products?  Or did you check out Elliptigo’s booth and try their amazing elliptical bicycle?  You can learn more at the websites linked above.

Then we hope you all noticed the great Meet Record Banners, produced with our Official Bib Printer, Athlete RaceNumbers – and that all of you at NBNI saved your meet bibs to commemorate the special weekend.  Meet Directors, check out their site for your own meets and use the handy NSAF16 code to receive a discount.


Who were the new record-setters?

As always, the level of competition all weekend long was bracing, and the performances that ranked as the best of the best were truly awe-inspiring – lead by NBNI Athletes of the Meet Armand Duplantis, Trey Cunningham and Brie Oakley.


Here are some of the best coverage links:


4 NSAF Honorees

The following individuals received the following annual NSAF awards at our Opening Ceremonies Sunday.  Please read about them in our NBNI meet program or on our website during the days to come.


Championship rings available to coaches

Coaches of NBNI Champions may order their own championship ring.  The cost is $150.  Interested coaches may send their name, address, phone number, ring size, and inscriptions (for inside and on the side) to jkamani@gmail.com.
 



NSAF Outdoor Select Meets begin next week

The NSAF Select Meet program connects the NSAF with some of the nation's most outstanding indoor and outdoor invitational meets.  The NSAF works with meet organizers to provide travel grants to select individuals and teams, giving them an opportunity for elite competition as they prepare for NBN championships and/or Team USA berths for international Youth and Junior events.  Below are the events coming up this spring.

Chandler Rotary Invite, AZ (Mar 24-25)  |  Mobile Challenge of Champions, AL (Mar 30-Apr 1)  |  Bojangles T&F Classic, SC Apr 7-8)  |  Arcadia Invite, CA (Apr 7-8)  |  Bulldog Invite, MD (Apr 15)  |  Howard Wood Dakota Relays  (May 5-6)  |  Atlanta Georgia Relays (May 26-27)  |  Great Southwest Classic (Jun 1-3)



CSI, Team NSAF to return to Havana

The NSAF recently announced the return of the Caribbean Scholastic Invitational and Team NSAF to Havana – our third trip to Cuba – for the Barrientos Memorial, May 26-28, 2017.  The 28-strong Team NSAF, to be selected in the weeks ahead, will leave for Havana May 24 and return May 29.  Once again, we plan to select 14 boys and 14 girls from around the country for the following events: 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 100mH/110mH, 400mH, LJ, TJ, SP, DT, JT and HT. 

Strongest consideration for selection will be given to those who performed well at NBNI last week, except in obvious exceptions like the 400H and the long throws.  We may also consider athletes with strong early-season outdoor marks for 2017, or top outdoor returnees in those events from last summer.

We’ve had an amazing experience the first two years in Cuba, both with great performances by our kids and the competition from Cuba and beyond, and also in taking in the sights, sounds and tastes of this historic country.  For more details, go to our CSI Home Page.



Iron Wood Throws headed back to Idaho

After an outstanding first Iron Wood Throws Classic last year, the NSAF is returning to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho -- this time for a two-day affair (June 2-3, 2017) that is also expected to include the javelin.  A new javelin runway is expected to be ready to enable us to host all four men’s and women’s throws.  Beautiful Coeur d'Alene is 30 miles east of Spokane, WA, and home of the prestigious Iron Wood Thrower Development Camp.

The great meet last summer included a US-leading boys’ shot put win by 2-time NBNI champ Jordan Geist, World Junior finalist Kiana Phelps’ third straight girls’ discus victory and a deep boys’ discus won by Terrell Adams.  The elites/pros also put on a show, including victories by NSAF alums Mason Finley and Conor McCullough, both of whom would go on to make the Olympic team. 

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.  The NSAF will invite and fund athletes in each event, as it has done in the past here and when we were located in the Chicago area (Chicagoland Throws).  Check out THIS PAGE for more details and information to come.



3rd Annual JavFest set for July 7-9

We are excited to host our third annual American JavFest on Friday-Sunday, July 7-9, 2017 at East Stroudsburg HS in Pennsylvania.  We are returning to a full weekend this coming summer, allowing more time for training, fun and games; the informative and entertaining roundtable with elite coaches and athletes; as well as the prep and elite competitions.  The timing will likely allow elites who might be searching for IAAF World Champs qualifiers to chase those marks following the USATF Champs. For more details, go to our event HOME PAGE.

The JavFest is intended to be a stateside version of the great Pihtipudas Javelin Carnival in Finland.  It is truly intended to share the joys of the javelin with throwers of all ages. The unique event allows athletes, coaches and fans of the sport to be fully engaged educationally, socially and competitively.  Last year’s Elite winners included former NBNO All-American Curtis Thompson and two-time Olympic Trials finalist Kim Hamilton.  Eric Garner (208-2) and Cambrie Campbell (135-1) won the prep titles, while Gavin Darcy (206-4) and Lillian Hill (130-10) earned runner-up spots.  Darcy and Hill, both sophomores at the time, were invited to join the NSAF’s Project Javelin Gold.



Never too soon to think about NBNO

Our 2016-17 indoor track season may have just finished at NBNI, but outdoor has already begun in some states and is about to start everywhere else.  Our 27th New Balance Nationals Outdoor will take place in Greensboro, June 16-18, 2017.

The 25th Anniversary edition of NBNO last June was one for the record-books and the memory banks, as more than 5,700 athletes; some very special guests, sponsors and honorees; and a weekend of near-perfect June weather at Aggie Stadium made sure of it!

Athletes from 44 states, Canada and South Africa set four national records, seven national class records and 22 meet records in the sprints, hurdles, distances, throws, jumps, walks and multis.

Stay tuned to our NBNO Home Page for details.


 


Don't Miss Out.  Stay in Touch with the NSAF on our Website, Facebook and Twitter pages.


 

SaveSave

Our Partners