Benjamin steps to the front in loaded 400

Rai Benjamin, a UCLA recruit from Mt. Vernon NY, defeated two reigning national champions in the 400 meters on Saturdy at the Hispanic Games. Benjamin grabbed the pole position by the midpoint of the two-lap race and won, with room to spare, it in 47.76.

New Balance Indoor champion Richard Rose NY was second in US#4 48.66 and Josephus Lyles VA, the NBNO champion, was third in US#6 48.76.

Benjamin's was one of 10 new US#1s on Saturday at The Armory.

- Noah Lyles of TC Williams won the 55-meter dash in 6.32 and beat Florida State commit Darryl Haraway MD (US#2 6.37) and Christian Brissett PA (US#4 6.43). Noah Lyles also won the 200 in US#2 21.47 and beat his brother Josephus, who was second with 21.79.

- Jeremy Spiezio of Greenwich Central NY moved to No. 6 on the all-time state indoor mile list with 4:10.92, which also qualified him for a berth in the Millrose Games high school mile. The race produced seven of the top 10 times in the country, including US#2 for Conor Lundy of Fordham Prep (4:12.09) and US#3 for Mikey Brannigan of Northport (4:13.20).

- Foot Locker finalist Marco Pompilj of Collegiate NY ran US#2 9:24.10 to win the 2-mile.

- Mason Weh of Upper Darby PA won the 55 hurdles in US#4 7.41.

- Ryan Wilkes of Valley View PA won the pole vault with US#5 16-6.

- Nate Sander of Warwick Valley NY threw US#4 70-4.25 to win the weight throw.

- Newburgh Free Academy NY ran US#1 1:28.56 to win the 4x200 boys relay.

- Cheltenham PA ran US#1 3:20.08 to win the 4x400 boys relay.

- Brenessa Thompson of Medgar Evers NY and Taylor Chapman of Pennridge PA ran the two fastest times so far in the 55 meters. Thompson ran US#1 6.95 and Chapman US#2 7.04. Champan also ran US#3 24.49 to win the 200 meters. Ariel Strunkey of Taft NY was right behind her with 24.51 for US#4.

- Amanda Crawford from Paul Robeson NY ran US#1 55.63 to win the 400 meters. D'Jai Baker from North Babylon NY ran 55.67 for second and US#2 and Brooklyn Broadwater from Springside PA ran 55.99 for third and US#3.

- Catherine Pagano from North Highlands NJ ran US#2 to win the 800 meters in 2:14.42.

- Bella Burda of Arlington NY defeated Olivia Sargent of Pennsbury PA in the mile for a berth at the Millrose Games. Burda won in 5:01.25. That meeting was a matchup between the NXN New York (Burda) and NXN Northeast (Sargent) champions.

- Epiphany Grisbaum of Ocean City NJ won the 3,000 meters in US#2 10:09.80.

- Ciera Leonard of Cheltenham PA won the 55 hurdles in US#2 7.89.

- Shayla Broughton of Medgar Evers NY won the high jump with US#2 5-8.

- Kristina Insingo of Holy Trinity NY won the shot put with 45-10.75, backing up her ranking at US#3.

- Megar Evers blitzed the girls 4x200 in 1:39.46 for US#1.

- Paul Robeson NY's girls ran 3:51.79 for US#1 in the 4x400 relay.