While most of the country wrapped up the indoor season last weekend Indiana was just getting warmed up. With the HSR finals set to take place in next weekend in Indianapolis, several individuals and teams traveled to either the prestigious New Balance Indoor Nationals or competitive Nike Indoor Nationals to get some fast times against some of the nation's best high school runners.
Here we will recap just some of Indiana's talent that traveled out east to compete in Boston at either the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center (due to NCAA D1 Nationals) or the New Balance track.
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New Balance Indoor Nationals Coverage
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New Balance Indoor Nationals Interviews
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In the boys 200m the field consisted of 94 of some of the nation's top sprinters spread across 24 heats. Brownsburg's Dominic Calhoun would run to a 21.61, and take 9th with the fastest time of the meet not qualifying for the finals. Calhoun currently holds an indoor season best of 21.48 for the 200m and recently ran to an Indiana indoor 400m record a few weeks ago at the WL Individuals Indoor meet at Purdue where he crossed the line with a 48.45.
Interview with Martin Barco from earlier this season from the Indiana Runner Distance Showcase
In the mile for the boys Martin Barco would earn national runner-up honors with a full mile time of 4:05.62 (4:04.20 1600m). Clay Shively, an NAU commit from Kansas, would nearly break the 4 minute barrier in the mile to win the race. Through 809m Barco looked to be in great positioning going through in 2:01.79 and remaining consistent through the 1209m with a 3:01.97. The last 400m he would slightly fade but would still be able to hold off his competition coming down the final stretch. Barco mentioned in an interview after the Indiana Runner Distance Showcase how one of his largest goals this season is to be the first Indiana high school runner to break the 4 minute barrier, a feat only 21 high schoolers have completed in the history of the sport. With a PR from this past weekend that moves him up to IN #4 on the all-conditions state 1600m list this looks to be an exciting possibility this outdoor season.
Photo by Cara Mooney / MileSplit
The boys 2 mile also had national headlines coming out of the meet with Pennsylvania's Drew Griffith breaking the national record with a blazing fast time of 8:34.91 (8:31.92 3200m conversion). His future Notre Dame teammate and Indiana standout, Cameron Todd, would take third taking a new PR and IN #6 ranking all-conditions for the 3200m. His time of 8:51.73 (8:48.65 3200m conversion) mirrors almost exactly what Will Conway ran a few hours down the road at the armory in New York. This performance was also an improvement on his 9:00 2 mile win at Eastern Indoors earlier this season in February. Todd will become the tenth boy from Indiana to break the 9 minute barrier for the 3200m.
Also running to impressive times from the Hoosier state included 49th place finisher Jackson Nolan who ran a 9:17.20 (9:13.97), 74th place finisher Shane Conroy who ran a 9:24.56 (9:21.29), and 91st place finisher Christopher Ross who ran to a 9:29.29 (9:25.99).
In the 60m hurdles Kieran Barnewall would just narrowly miss the cut for the 24 that qualified for the finals as he finished 26th with a 8.16. His time would be a new PR for the Chesterton athlete and also earn himself a HSR Large qualifying ranking of #5. Several other Indiana boys also competed in the prelims on Saturday morning including many ATA athletes.
Alexander Eyasu - 8.33
Carter Herman - 8.49
Michael Starks III - 8.50
David Carnell Jr - 8.50
Robert Burns - 8.58
Jacob Martin - 8.64
Evan Williams - 10.59
Luke Himes would continue to impress in the shot put as he would claim bronze nationally with a throw of 64' 9.5". He would be about 2 feet off of Dillon Morlock who would win with a toss of 65' 11". Morlock currently holds US #2 with Himes at currently US #4 from his throw from the Warsaw Tiger Showcase #1 from back in January. Dane Sebert from Eastside would also compete and finish 13th place with a throw of 57' 9.75". Sebert threw to a 59' 6" performance leading up to nationals at the Indiana Tech HSR Qualifier.
Nicki Southerland would pull off an impressive double where she would run a 4:46.93 (4:45.27 converted 1600m) to place fifth in the mile before running less than an hour later to finish sixth in the 800m clocking a 2:09.10. Nicki has proven to be a consistent top end talent with both of her times from this past weekend being just 1 second off of her marks from last year. Sutherland currently holds IN #3 all-conditions in both the 800m and 1600m run. Nicki will also be heading to South Bend to attend Notre Dame next fall.
Josefina Rastrelli would also compete in the championship mile as she would go 5:09.69 (5:07.89) which is just off of her indoor season best of 5:06 from the competitive Warsaw Showcase #2. Kenya Leitch from Columbia City would run the freshman girls mile where she would place third with a 5:04.04 (5:02.28 1600m). Center Grove's Hallie Mimbela would race in the championship 800m where she would finish 71st out of the competitive 112 runner field. Her time looks to be a new PR according to our database with her final time being 2:17.38.
Ava Jarrell would highlight Indiana in the championship 2 mile running a great race in section six where she would have a massive kick to secure a heat win by over 10 seconds. Her time was fast enough to also place her eighth in the nation with a new PR of 10:22.83 (10:19.22 3200m conversion). Ava is having an incredible season and recently also had an exciting race where she would finish four tenths of a second behind Nicki Southerland at the OWL HSR Qualifier in Muncie. She currently ranks #1 for HSR large qualifying and is IN #10 all-conditions in the 3200m with her mark from this past weekend.
Interview with Ava Jarrell from earlier this season from the Indiana Runner Distance Showcase
Kenya Leitch would double back from her freshman mile and run a 10:51.27 (10:47.49 3200m) to place 43rd. Josefina Rastrelli would also double back and run to a 11:00.39 (10:56.56 3200m).
Two Hoosiers would break the 60 second barrier in the girls 400m with Gia Clay (56.98) and Ava Grace Winters (58.04) to finish 27th and 52nd in the prelims out of a field that saw 97 girls under 60 seconds for the event. Clay would also compete in the 200m where she would run 25.586 to place 55th.
Other Notable Performances from NBIN:
Boys Long Jump
Alexander Eyasu - 21' 2.5" (HSR Large #5 with his 21' 8" jump)
Boys High Jump
Ethan Widenhoefer - 6' 3.25" (HSR Large #10)
Boys Pole Vault
Eli Griffin - 14' 3.25" (HSR Large #1 with his 15' 0" vault)
Girls 60m
Jila Vaden - 7.71 (HSR Large #3 with her 7.66)
Girls 60m Hurdles
Laila Smith - 8.87 (HSR Large #2 with her 8.80)
Girls Long Jump
Laila Smith - 18' 11.5" (HSR Large #1 with her 19' 10.75" jump)
Jila Vaden - 18' 2" (HSR Large #2 with her 19' 6.5" jump)
Girls Pole Vault
Amelia Smith - 11' 9.75" (HSR Large #4)