An estimated 60% of all members of the recent Olympic and World Championship team have competed at one or more of our meets.
An immediate one who comes to mind is Jenny Barringer Simpson, surprise winner of the 2011 IAAF World Championships in the 1500m. But don’t look for her in the past winners list. As with many world class athletes, Jenny did not win everything she competed in during her high school days.
Jenny competed at the Great American Cross Country Festival twice and won neither of her races. In 2003, as a high school sophomore, she was second in the Seeded Invitational Race (one notch below the Race of Champions) to eventual Foot Locker Cross Country champion Katelyn Kaltenbach, with Katelyn winning 18:04.89 to 18:05.29. As a junior, she was 6th in the 2004 Race of Champions. As a sophomore at the 2003 adidas Outdoor Championships, she was 9th in the 2 mile in 10:50.37.
The 400m Hurdles is a snapshot of the influence of the NSAF’s meets on the sport. Take a look at the result of some of the past Olympics and World Championships.
| 2000 Olympics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Angelo Taylor | USA | 1996 outdoor winner |
|
2001 World Championships |
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| 1. | Felix Sanchez | Dominican Republic | 1995 outdoor winner |
|
2003 World Championships |
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| 1. | Felix Sanchez | Dominican Republic | 1995 outdoor winner |
|
2004 Olympics |
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| 1. | Felix Sanchez | Dominican Republic | 1995 outdoor winner |
| 5. | Bayano Kamani | Panama | 1997 outdoor winner |
| 8. | Bennie Brazell | USA | 1999 – 5th |
|
2005 World Championships |
|||
| 1. | Bershawn Jackson | USA | 2002 – 3rd |
| 1. | Kerron Clement | USA | 2003 outdoor winner |
| 7. | Bayano Kamani | Panama | 1997 outdoor winner |
| Dnf | Felix Sanchez | Dominican Republic | 1995 outdoor winner |
|
2007 World Championships |
|||
| 1. | Kerron Clement | USA | 2003 outdoor winner |
| 2. | Felix Sanchez | Dominican Republic | 1995 outdoor winner |
| 7. | Derrick Williams | USA | 2001 outdoor winner |
|
2008 Olympics |
|||
| 2. | Angelo Taylor | USA | 1996 outdoor winner |
| 3. | Kerron Clement | USA | 2003 outdoor winner |
| 4. | Bershawn Jackson | USA | 2002 – 3rd |
|
2009 World Championships |
|||
| 1. | Kerron Clement | USA | 2003 outdoor winner |
| 2. | Bershawn Jackson | USA | 2002- 3rd |
| 8. | Felix Sanchez | Dominican Republic | 1995 outdoor winner |
|
2011 World Championships |
|||
| 4. | Felix Sanchez | Dominican Republic | 1995 outdoor winner |
| 6. | Bershawn Jackson | USA | 2002 – 3rd |
| 7. | Angelo Taylor | USA | 1996 outdoor winner |
| 1991 World Championships | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 3. | Janeene Vickers | USA | 1987 Indoor 400m winner |
|
1992 Olympic Games |
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| 3. | Janeene Vickers | USA | 1987 Indoor 400m winner |
|
1995 World Championships |
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| 2. | Tonja Buford-Bailey | USA | 1989 Indoor 55mh non-qualifier |
|
1996 Olympics |
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| 3. | Tonja Buford-Bailey | USA | 1989 Indoor 55mh non-qualifier |
|
2005 World Championships |
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| 2. | Lashinda Demus | USA | 2000 Indoor 400m winner |
|
2008 Olympics |
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| 2. | Sheena Johnson | USA | 2000 Outdoor winner |
|
2009 World Championships |
|||
| 2. | Lashinda Demus | USA | 2000 Indoor 400m winner |
|
2011 World Championships |
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| 1. | Lashinda Demus | USA | 2000 Indoor 400m winner |
But the 400m hurdles is just one event. As most know, the NSSF has had its share of national records at both the indoor and outdoor meets (now called the New Balance Indoor Nationals and the New Balance Outdoor Nationals). Let’s take a look at the 2006 events.
| Girls | |
|---|---|
| 400m | Francena Mc Corory set the national high school record here in 51.93, an incredible performance considering it was done on a flat track. Francena went on to win the NCAA championships and was a finalist in the 2011 IAAF World Championships. |
|
Boys |
|
| 60m | Ahmad Rashad, an All-American at USC nipped Charles Clark, NCAA champion at Florida State, 6.73 to 6.75. |
| 800m | Karjuan Williams, a refugee from Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, won this event representing New Bern, NC in 1:52.56. He is currently competing internationally. |
| 2 Mile | Matthew Centrowitz was 11th here as a junior. He would later win numerous NCAA championships for Oregon and was a medallist at the 2011 IAAF World Championships. |
| Weight Throw | Walter Henning won with a throw 83-2.5. He would later win the NCAA championships in the hammer for LSU. |
| Girls | |
|---|---|
| 100 |
Gabby Mayo — 11.42 Bianca Knight — 11.63 |
| 200 | Bianca Knight — 23.06 |
| 400 |
Jessica Beard — 52.04 Brandi Cross — 52.65 |
| 800 | Chanelle Price — 2:07.71 |
| Mile |
Danielle Tauro — 4:39.25 Ann St. Geme — 4:41.57 Jordan Hasay — 4:42.27 |
| Discus | Emily Pendleton — 166-3 |
| Javelin | Karlee Mc Quillen — 150-1 |
|
Boys |
|
| 100 | Brandon Banks — 10.42 (now a kickoff return specialist for the Washington Redskins) |
| 200 | Charles Clark — 20.92 |
| 800 | Karjuan Williams — 1:49.97 |
| 2 Miles | AJ Acosta — 8:46.32 |
| 110m Hurdles | Johnny Dutch — 13.54 |
| Hammer | Walter Henning — 247-0 |
Wins were recorded for Bianca Knight (100), Brandi Cross (who edged Jessica Beard in the 400), among others and the NSSF 4x100 relay (44.29 – World Junior leader at the time) and NSSF 4x400m relay (3:35.90, #2 World Junior at the time).
Charles Clark won the 100, Karjuan Williams the 400, Jack Bolas the 800 and 1500 and Johnny Dutch the 400m hurdles. Greg Kelsey edged AJ Acosta in the 2000m Steeplechase
Space does not allow for an accounting of all of the athletes coming through these programs who went on to become World and Olympic finalists. Here are a few:
Sanya Richards, Muna Lee, Shalonda Solomon, Melissa Barber, Marion Jones, Monique Hennagan, Shannon Rowbury, Alice Schmidt, Erin Donohue, Molly Huddle, Joanna Hayes, Sheena Johnson, Chaunte Howard, Michelle Carter, Suzy Powell.
Dwight Thomas, John Capel, Lashawn Merritt, Xavier Carter, Walter Dix, Ryan Hall, Meb Keflizghi, Dathan Ritzenhein, Chris Solinsky, Terrence Trammell, Jesse Williams, Lawrence Johnson, Adam Nelson, Vikas Gowda.
