Every year in the early part of March, a small handful of Indiana's top athletes make their way to New York City for New Balance Nationals Indoors. A even smaller handful have managed to come back with a national title to their name. Athletes like Rahman Minor, Lynna Irby, and Deakin Volz highlight that list of ever growing elite athletes. This year was no different with almost two dozen Indiana athletes making the trip to the Armory.
The star going into the weekend from Indiana, was Semira Killebrew, a senior from Brebeuf Jesuit. She was set to race in both the championship of 60m dash and the 200m. In the prelims, she took first in her heat with a 7.37, just .01 off of her PR and indoor state record. In the semi finals she took 2nd in her heat and went just a little slower, 7.38, to save a little energy for the finals later in the evening. Finals rolled around just before 2pm and Killebrew lined up with a handful of athletes that make a good argument for best in the country, Briana Williams and Thelma Davies respectively. Coming into the race it was known that it was going to take a much faster time than what was ran in any of the qualifying runs, and Killebrew was ready for it. She had the best reaction time from the gun, and had just a lean of a lead for the first 20 meters or so, then the pressure started to kick in, and Williams and Davies managed to use their longer legs and push just ahead of Killebrew to cross in 7.28 and 7.30 respectively. Killebrew pushed through the line for the strong 3rd place finish in 7.34, to improve her PR and her indoor state record.
Just off her PR in the final of the 200, Killebrew managed a 2nd all-american performance finishing 6th in 24.38 to cap off her Nationals weekend in New York.
Indiana University signee, Nathan Stone made his 2nd indoor nationals appearance this weekend and was looking to majorly improve on his 17th place finish last year. Just a week before he was scheduled to jump in the biggest indoor competition of his senior season, Stone managed to push himself into the US #1 position with a jump of 17-6 at the WL Individuals meet. Coming into the competition it looked like it would likely be between him and Max Manson of Colorado, who was US #3 coming into the meet. Stone was consistent early on, passing at the first two heights, clearing the next, then passing again, he then clear 4.92 and 5.02 before passing once more. At 5.22, only three competitors remained, Stone, Manson and Starr. Starr failed on all three attempts and both Manson and Stone cleared on their final attempt. Things got very nerve wracking coming into the 5.32 height as both buys failed their first 2 attempts at the height. Manson managed to clear it and it was now up to Stone to clear it as well to keep the competition going. Unfortunately things did not go to plan, as it easily can in pole vault and Stone missed on his last attempt, giving him a runner-up finish with a height of 17-1.5.
Also, in the pole vault, Hamilton Southeastern senior, Kennedy Drish took 10th overall with a height of 12-10.25. This now ties her outdoor PR, set in June at NBNO. Drish is the defending state champ in the pole vault and looks to be a key player for the Royals who will be looking to get another state title come the end of May.
In her first ever indoor nationals appearance, Warren Central senior and Tennessee signee Prommyse Hoosier managed to jump her way to an all-american and a new indoor state record performance in the long jump. Hoosier took her best jump on her 5th attempt, jumping 6.04m which converts to 19-9.75 which gave her a 5th place finish overall. Back in November, Hoosier said her biggest goal of the 2019 season is to hit a mark good enough to qualify for the USA Olympic Trials, now it is still early in the year but if her indoor marks mean anything towards what she can do outdoors, she is well on her way towards reaching that high goal.
In the championship level events, Indiana was represented by two girls distance athletes, Elizabeth Stanhope and Emma Wilson. Stanhope competed in the first of four heats of the 800m run. These were run strictly as finals, so athletes in each heat were running for a time and place wasn't as important, and Stanhope proved this to be true. She ended up placing 17th overall with a time of 2:12.10, which ties Abby Lynch's indoor state record. She holds a PR of 2:10.16 for outdoors and may be hunting down the chance to take down Lynch sometime in the outdoor season and prove herself as the dominant 800m runner in Central Indiana.
Emma Wilson, who is competing unattached this season, ran in just the 2 mile. She had hoped to compete in the 5K as well, but due to how the entry for that event works, she was unable to get in. Before NBNI, Wilson had never actually competed in a two mile race, all her races had been 3200's. She won the MileSplit/SPIRE Showcase 3200 in February with a 10:27.53, which at the time was a US #1 but is now US #8. Even splitting through all 16 laps of the race and closing in a 34 second final 200, Wilson managed to take home 7th place and a new Indiana indoor state record, with a time of 10:23.05 for two miles. She took down Waverly Neer's record of 10:19.57 just barely as her two mile time converts to 10:19.44.
Bullet Point List of Remaining Indiana Athlete's NB Nationals Indoor Performances
- Kiyah Yeast (Center Grove) EE 60m - 7.58 - 5th place, EE 200m - 24.55 - 3rd
- Sammy Sommers (Oak Hill) EE Triple Jump - 43-9.25 - 14th, EE Long Jump - 21-11.50 - 10th
- Ryne Norby (Bellmont) EE Long Jump - 21-11.50 - 10th
- Izaiah Steury (Angola) Freshman Mile - 4:30.17 - 6th
- Elias Konow (Carmel) Championship 800m - 1:57.01 - 14th
- Averi Parker (Cass) EE Weight Throw - 44-9.75 - 13th
- Vishal Turna (Penn) EE Weight Throw - 50-10.00 - 33rd
- Brooklyn Chestnut (Brebeuf Jesuit) EE 60m - 7.74 - 15th prelims
- Hanna Hearn (Brebeuf Jesuit) EE 60m - 7.91 - 41st prelims
- Carolyn Bakx (Lawrence North) EE Pole Vault - 11-2.50 - 22nd
- Mikeisha Covington (Warren Central) Championship 200m - 25.20 - 38th prelims