National Scholastic Athletics Foundation

Event-by-event previews for the men's field events at the 2014 USATF Juniors in Eugene (men's track HERE, women's track HERE, women's field HERE).  Top two in each event qualify for the World Junior Champs later this month on the same track (provided they meet the performance standard) – though a host country rule actually allows one entrant in each event for the U.S., regardless of whether they’ve met the standard.

Long Jump and Triple Jump

You might be asking yourself, why are the long jump and triple jump being previewed together?  The answer is this:  Until proven otherwise, a certain Castro Valley, CA high school senior is the athlete to beat – no matter what the entry marks or seedings might indicate.  Ever since a narrow long jump defeat to California rival Adoree’ Jackson at Simplot back in February, Nathanial Moore has been impossible to beat.  He faced outstanding fields of long and triple jumpers at New Balance Nationals Indoor.  No matter, he captured both with supreme marks of US#1 25-0.75 and US#2 50-8.75.  Outdoors, he’s been nearly perfect, with one small TJ blemish and major victories at Stanford, Mt. SAC, Golden West, CIF state and much more. 

But he’ll be challenged, that’s for sure, with Team NSAF at the forefront.  Project Triple Jumpers KeAndre Bates (El Paso Burges, TX senior) and Ja’Mari Ward (Cahokia, IL soph) hope to show their magic – like the magic that got Bates in the 2013 World Youth Final or the magic that won the Great Southwest long jump for Ward.  Other top entrants in the triple include NBNO champ John Warren (Prince George, VA senior).

Pole Vault

Similar to the horizontal jumps, the pole vault has had a clear ruler for 2014 and, until proven otherwise, King is The King in this event.  That would be Devin King, the unbeaten Jewel Sumner, LA senior who reigns supreme among all preps and, it appears very likely, over all Juniors as well.  From the Reno Vault Summit back in January, King has been blowing over bars and blowing through the competition.  The apex indoors was 17-10.25, which he cleared to set a new national record. 

The HSR and the coveted 18-foot barrier haven’t yet come outdoors and, truth be told, there was a stretch this spring where it looked like King was vulnerable.  He was unpressed competitively in April and May and then at the Texas state meet, Brandon Bray exploded on the scene with his junior class record and a then-US#1 17-8.5.  But at NBNO, King confirmed his supremacy with a meet record 17-8.5.

Javelin

Last June, a rising collegian named Justin Carter – having finished at Auburn HS and headed to Auburn University – came to the NSAF’s Chicagoland Throws.  His PR was a 208-9 from the Mobile Challenge of Champs, two months earlier, and he had been stuck in the 190s through the end of his state season.  In Chicago, he hit 211-8, exceeding his best by three feet and with one of the best efforts of the weekend in any throw.  He went on to NBNO and improved again to 212-7 for the national title. 

So started the transformation of Justin Carter.  This spring at Auburn, he’s been consistent in the 215 to 225 range, with a monster PR of 239-7 for 2nd at the SEC meet, and made it to NCAAs.  He’s without question the man to beat here. 

There are several top preps who will challenge, though, led by John Nizich (Central Catholic, OR senior), who won NBNO with 222-3 and with a US#2 mark of 222-9 as a PR.  US#1 Curtis Thompson (Florence, NJ senior) at 224-10 is also here, looking for redemption after taking 3rd at NBNO.  The field also includes surprising NBNO runner-up Nick Solfanelli (Scranton Prep, PA senior) with a 214-5 best and fast improving 4th-place finisher from Greensboro John Putnam (Massapequa, NY) at 206-0.  Other top collegians are Nicholas Danner of Rhode Island at 221-6 and Cody Walton of Nebraska at 220-6.

Shot Put

Predicting the men’s shot put, discus and hammer at the Junior meet is always a chore, thanks to the intermediate “Junior” weight used for each implement.  It’s a heavier ball or disc for the preps and a lighter one than the collegians have become accustomed to.  Getting a sense for whether the top preps or top college freshmen will fare best, based on marks with their own implements, can be tricky.  In the shot, however, the favorites are pretty clear – a pair of putters who were the nation’s best as preps in 2013 had marks then that are better than what anyone has done this year.  And given that they have excelled now with the 16-pound ball as well, there is little question that they are the guys to beat.

Braheme Days, Jr. was a mighty force in his four years at Bridgeton, NJ, his sophomore year intersecting with the final year of Nick Vena’s reign in that state and the nation.  That year, 2011, Days made the World Youth team and shone in Lille with a bronze medal performance.  The following winter he would throw a career prep PR of 70-8 and win the first of three NBN indoor and outdoor crowns.  At UCLA this spring, he has continued to excel with a 62-3.5 best with the 16-pound ball.  The other prep noted above is Nick Ponzio, the Great Oak, CA grad now at U. of Florida.  He hit 69-7.25 to lead the nation in 2013, then was 2nd to Days at NBNO.  He is also adjusting pretty well to the bigger ball with a 60-7.25 best.

Many of the top preps are here, including US#2 Kord Ferguson (Ottawa, KS senior), who has hit 67-10 and whose unbeaten record includes a Great Southwest triumph. 

Discus

Who is going to excel more with the Junior-weight discus?  The 210- to 212-foot high school throwers?  Or the 187-foot collegiate thrower?  You would figure both to be in the mid-high 190s with the Junior implement and whoever makes the adjustment best and is “on” on the day will succeed and possibly represent Team USA at the World Juniors.

For the preps, you have a great group of half a dozen that have thrown 196 or further.  You really have to start with US#2 Kord Ferguson (Ottawa, KS senior), also in the shot.  His 210-6 led the nation much of the year and he won the big Great Southwest showdown with Missouri’s Davis twins.  That would be Carlos and Khalil Davis, Blue Springs juniors – Carlos had that US#1 stunner of 212-5 at his state meet, but was 5th at GSW behind his runner-up brother – whose PR is 198-5.  Then there’s 2013 World Youth teammates Reno Tuufuli (Liberty, NV senior) and Amir Ali Patterson (Crespi, CA senior), who sport PRs of 199-11 and 196-10.

Hammer

Unlike the discus and shot, a lot of the prep hammer guys DO throw the heavier hammers (both Junior and Senior), so there’s some basis for comparison.  US#1 prep Daniel Haugh of Throw 1 Deep (St. Pius X senior) has marks of 235-4 for the prep hammer and 225-0 for the junior hammer.  He hasn’t thrown the senior/collegiate weight for comparison, but it’s not a stretch to call him the favorite.  Brock Eager (Tahoma, WA senior) has a fresh, new PR of 231-0, from just last week, and has also done 204-9 and 190-11 for the 16-pounder.  Suffice it to say, he can throw much further with the junior hammer.  Then there’s Colin Minor (South Brunswick, NC senior), a 2013 World Youth finalist, who is up to 229-6, 208-6 and 187-1.  Among a deep group of preps here, they are the ones to beat.

Among the collegians, there’s newcomers to the event Matthew Seawright of Cerritos College, who has hit 204-9 this year, and Mitchell Dixon of Saddleback College at 201-2.  More familiar to fans of the event is Wake Forest frosh Charlie Ionata at 201-1 – he threw 241-0 last year with the prep hammer as a Barrington, RI senior.

Photos (from top right):
* Nate Moore at the Simplot Games (photo by Rich Gonzalez, PrepCalTrack.com)
* Devin King during his NBNO PV victory (photo by Andrew McClanahan, Photorun.net)
* Brahame Days, Jr. from back at the 2011 World Youth Champs (photo by Joy Kamani)
* Daniel Haugh after winning the Simplot Games weight throw (photo by Joy Kamani)