NSAF Alumni

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.

Mens 400m Hurdles

2000 Olympics
1. Angelo Taylor USA 1996 outdoor winner

2001 World Championships
1. Felix Sanchez Dominican Republic 1995 outdoor winner

2003 World Championships
1. Felix Sanchez Dominican Republic 1995 outdoor winner

2004 Olympics
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

Womens 400m Hurdles

1991 World Championships
3. Janeene Vickers USA 1987 Indoor 400m winner

1992 Olympic Games
3. Janeene Vickers USA 1987 Indoor 400m winner

1995 World Championships
2. Tonja Buford-Bailey USA 1989 Indoor 55mh non-qualifier

1996 Olympics
3. Tonja Buford-Bailey USA 1989 Indoor 55mh non-qualifier

2005 World Championships
2. Lashinda Demus USA 2000 Indoor 400m winner

2008 Olympics
2. Sheena Johnson USA 2000 Outdoor winner

2009 World Championships
2. Lashinda Demus USA 2000 Indoor 400m winner

2011 World Championships
1. Lashinda Demus USA 2000 Indoor 400m winner

2006 Nike Indoor Nationals

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.

2006 Nike Outdoor Nationals

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

2006 Caribbean Scholastic Invitational

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.

Our Partners