New Balance Games Day One Recap, Results, and More

By Chris Lotsbom for ArmoryTrack.com

The 2014 New Balance Games kicked off on Friday at The New Balance Track & Field Center at The Armory, featuring freshman, sophomore, novice, and middle school competition. Full results from Friday's events can be found here. Competition will continue Saturday at 9:00am EST.

Some highlights from Friday included: 

-- Mount Vernon teammates Tyrese Moore and John Johnson finished first and second in the Freshman Boys 55 meter dash, timing 7.23 and 7.35 seconds, respectively.

-- Akpevwe Gbenedio, a sophomore at Medgar Evers College Prep, won the Sophomore Boys Shot Put by more than seven feet with a throw of 42 feet, 8 inches. Among the Boys Middle School field event champions were Tai Brown in the long jump (17 feet, 3 inches) and Ryan Wainer (Somers, NY) in the shot put (22 feet, 9 inches). 

-- In the Boys and Girls Novice 1000 meters, Kristian Sogaard (Ridgefield, CT) and Alexa DiIorio (Ursuline, NY) were winners in 2:39.67 and 3:18.83. 

-- Paul Robeson and Elmont High Schools proved dominant in the Sophomore Girls 200 meters. Amanda Crawford (26.09 seconds) and Latoya Stewart (26.23) led Paul Robeson in first and second, while Elmont's Christal Thompson (26.65) and Nyah Hayes (28.04) finished third and fourth overall.

-- In the Freshman Girls Shot Put, Margaret Groton of Somers (NY) had a best throw of 33 feet, 9 inches, claiming the top spot by more than eight feet. The Sophomore Girls Shot Put champion was New Rochelle's Monae Cooper (37 feet, 7 inches). Scarsdale (NY) sophomore Hailey Thornton leaped 15 feet even in the long jump. 

Full results from Friday's New Balance Games can be found here, while video replays of races can be seen here. 

On Saturday, varsity, invitational, and professional events will be contested at The Armory. Olympians Will Claye, Duane Solomon, Morgan Uceny, and Kim Conley are among those competing.

A live webcast of Saturday's premier window will be available on ArmoryTrack.com from 1:00pm to 4:00pm EST.

Stay tuned to ArmoryTrack.com, @ArmoryTrack on Twitter, The Armory's Facebook page, and ArmoryNYC on Instagram for the latest news, videos, and photos from the weekend's action.