Track & Field and Cross-Country Bulletin for Mar 25, 2022
An Unforgettable Nike Indoor Nationals
Debut for the NSAF at Ocean Breeze!
The record-setting 'A' and runner-up (still very fast) 'B' 4x1 Mile Relay teams from Saratoga Springs (Kinetic RC) provided arguably the biggest meet highlights. Photo by Steve Underwood/NSAF
The stands were full, the energy was high and the performances were breathtaking at the NSAF’s 2022 Nike Indoor Nationals, March 11-13, at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on Staten Island, N.Y.
We saw 2,111 student-athletes from 727 teams and 42 states (including Hawaii), D.C. and two Canadian provinces pour into the meet’s bright, spacious new home and keep it abuzz for three great days. We saw them run, walk, hurdle, jump, vault and throw for 17 U.S. leaders (11 boys, 6 girls; leading mark performed at the meet or US leader present), 1 national record, 2 national class records (Freshman 2 Mile, Freshman Pole Vault) and nearly 30 new facility records for the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex.
The NSAF has been crowning national champions for more than 30 years and, thanks to the dozens of memorable performances that provided electrifying action and drama – and countless life-changing memories – this tradition has continued into 2022. And none of it would have been possible without many wonderful partners who have supported us this entire season, especially that weekend. Please read on for these fantastic athlete and partner stories!
Here are some of the most important links to recap the meet:
- 2022 Nike Indoor Nationals Home Page | 2022 NIN Meet Program (thanks JT Nelson!)
- FULL RESULTS | Event-by-Event Results on AthleticLIVE
- RunnerSpace.com Archived Webcast | Photos | Interviews and Event Videos
Please complete our Nike Indoor Nationals SURVEY so we can best serve you in the years to come!
Don't forget: If you competed at Nike Indoor Nationals, you have already qualifed for Nike Outdoor Nationals, June 16-19 at Hayward Field!
And check out the awesome rings and cool swag for All-Americans and Coaches from our partners at Baron Rings!
- All of our NSAF NIN and NON Champions get a free Championship ring and now they can purchase ring boxes, display cases, hoodies and posters to go with it. And this is a great opportunity for other All-Americans and coaches to get their own rings and swag!
- Click HERE for the NSAF Locker Room at Baronrings.com
Saratoga girls lead the NIN record and all-time list assault!
Below photo: 60m hurdles champ Akala Garrett. At lower right, triple and long jump champ Greg Foster.
Photos by Elijah A'gurs, RunnerSpace.com/DyeStat.com
The above-mentioned national record was a doozy, as the girls of Saratoga Springs HS (NY) girls, known as Kinetic RC at national meets, smashed the previous 4x1 Mile Relay standard Saturday by more than 10 seconds with their 19:49.10. The team of Ella Kurto, Alycia Hart, Mackenzie Hart and Emily Bush split 4:56.2, 5:00.1, 4:55.5 and 4:57.2, respectively.
The performance had special meaning for the squad, and legendary coaches Art and Linda Kranick, since the previous record (19:59.24) was set 17 years ago this weekend in the Nike Indoor Nationals at the PG Sportsplex in Landover, MD. The squad also came back the next day to claim the DMR title in 11:44.34.
All of the additional highlights are too numerous to list, but these were arguably the “cream of the crop”:
- Jordan Anthony’s near-record sprint double: The Tylertown, MS senior, winner of The Outdoor Nationals 100m last summer, was twice as great at NIN. After dashing to a decisive 6.69 victory in the 60m, he blasted a stunning US#1 20.64 in the 200m – just .01 off Noah Lyles' meet record from ’16 and another hundredth from Jaylen Slade’s 2021 HSR.
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Amazing frosh smash records, win titles: Zariel Macchia and Veronica Vacca not only set freshman class national records, but won NIN crowns as well. Macchia (William Floyd, NY) kicked in to a well-paced 10:17.09 triumph in the 2-mile, while Veronica Vacca (Mt. St. Joseph, PA) soared 13-06.50 to win the pole vault by nearly a foot!
- Sumner, Akins shine bright in 400m victories: Will Sumner (Woodstock, GA ’22) completed his fantastic, record-smashing long-sprint/middle-distance indoor campaign (500m/600m HSRs, #2 all-time 800m) with a then-US#1/#9 all-time 400m triumph in 46.63. Meanwhile, Zaya Akins (Raytown South, MO ’23) made her first splash on the national stage with a US#1 53.26 win.
- Greg Foster’s jumps double (and near triple): No athlete has ever achieved a jumps/hurdles triple at NSAF Indoor Nationals, but the Lawrenceville School, NJ senior came within .02 of doing so, with a US#1 25-4.5 long jump, 49-9.25 triple jump sweep and 8.01 60m hurdles (3rd place). The breakthrough PR in the LJ was one of the meet’s most electric moments.
- Robinson-O’Hagan, Stiff dominate throws: Tarik Robinson O’Hagan (Woonsocket, RI ’22) came in as US#1 in both the shot (69-0.25) and weight (85-2.5, #5 all-time) and became the first boy to sweep both at the NSAF’s Indoor Nationals (68-3.25, 85-0.25). Mensi Stiff (Brentwood Acad., TN ’23) stuck with just the shot, but crushed the field with a US#1 / #9 all-time 52-8.75.
- Jones joins legends in 5000m: With a stunning, near-solo effort of US#1 14:20.71, Hunter Jones (Benzie Central, MI ’23) became the 4th-fastest prep ever at the distance and added his name to a list of history-making former NSAF champs, including Edward Cheserek and Lukas Verzbicas.
- Craig, Johnson impress in Multis: Amassing a US#1 3,780 point total, Bryanna Craig (Ruston, LA ’22) soared to #6 all-time in the girls’ pentathlon, winning three of the five events. Nearly as impressive was Seth Johnson (Cajon, CA ’22), who traveled all the way from the Golden State to claim the boys’ title with a nation-leading 3,712 points.
- Oregon sprinter stuns in girls’ 200m: No Oregon girl had ever won an NSAF Indoor Nationals title, but super soph Mia Brahe-Pedersen (Lake Oswego, OR ’24) flew across the country and upset 60m champ Autumn Wilson with her 23.44 – moving to #10 all-time in the event.
- CA Elite rips US#1 4x4: And speaking of flying across the country, the CA Elite squad (Cathedral HS, CA) capped off the meet in grand style with a US#1 3:18.28, concluding a weekend where they had also had podium finishes in the SMR and 4x200.
At left, 60m/200m champ Jordan Anthony; center, 400m champ Zaya Akins. Both photos by Elijah A'gurs, RunnerSpace.com/DyeStat.com
At right, 400m champ Brad Sumner with parents Brad and Tosha. Photo by Steve Underwood/NSAF
Thanks to all of our awesome partners for making NIN possible!
It’s with tremendous gratitude that we thank everyone who made this meet possible, including the return to our 
Indoor Nationals of our partners from Nike, our new partners at Ocean Breeze who hosted us in this beautiful facility, and our online partners at RunnerSpace.com and AthleticNET. And joining us Indoors for the first time, getting everyone fired up about Nike Outdoor Nationals, were our partners from TrackTown USA and Hayward Magic!
- We were thrilled to have Garmin at our Indoor Nationals for the first time. Stay tuned for a special message coming soon about their updated line of Forerunner GPS smartwatches that can help you set your next personal best.
- The Build Your Base with Beef program also made its NIN debut and hope you visited them on the opening day. They're great at teaching athletes how beef can be integrated into a nutritional profile to provide high-quality protein.
- We're thankful for our long-time partnership with Next College Student Athlete (NCSA), our Official Recruiting Partner. You can build your free NCSA profile to boost your exposure and get discovered by coaches.
- NSAF Championships and Baron Rings have partnered for many years, and we are proud that 100s of athletes and coaches wear these high-quality rings that honor their championship triumphs.
- Our Official Training Sponsor, AGOGIE, has created innovative fitness pants with eight resistance bands embedded into the fabric, allowing training resistance with your natural movements and adding intensity to any workout.
- Thanks so much to our long-time partners at Relaybatons.com. Their radiant custom batons have provided everlasting memories for countless championship quartets during our indoor and outdoor nationals.
- We were glad to have ROLL Recovery with us at NIN, providing their Recovery Zone for stretching and rolling out before, after, or between races and field events.
- JAWKU Speed is about performance - measuring speed, agility, and reaction time. Getting fast is a mental and physical commitment. Get the accuracy of multi-thousand dollar timing systems condensed into technology that you wear on your wrist.
- And did you try an ElliptiGO while you were on-site during the weekend? It's the world’s first elliptical bicycle -- delivering an effective cardiovascular workout experience that inspires people and improves lives.
The VMI Army ROTC "Blue Ridge Battalion" offers national 4 & 3-year scholarships out of high school for rising seniors. VMI commissions more officers than any ROTC Program, so check them out today!
It was great to have Gatorade, our Official Sports Fuel Provider, almost everywhere you looked at NIN. Our 2000+ athletes needed to refuel after their tremendous efforts and, thanks to Gatorade, they were able to do so.
Next Up: Nike Outdoor Nationals at Hayward Field, June 16-19!
Don't forget: If you competed at Nike Indoor Nationals, you have already qualifed for
Nike Outdoor Nationals, June 16-19 at Hayward Field!
See you in Eugene!
