Girls Sprints and Distance Preview - New Balance Nationals Outdoor

Denise Spann - New Balance Nationals Outdoors is this weekend and athletes from all over the country are heading to represent. This Meet of Champions will be the last hooray for some of these athletes this season, but it also gives them a chance to become an Outdoor All-American.  The championship division is for the best of the best athletes and is known for its endless PRs, countless new meet records and the opportunity for some U.S. #1’s.

Here’s a breakdown of the Girls Championship Division sprints and distance events, which includes some girls from Team Florida.

100m

In the sprinting events, the competition is completely stacked, and the 100m dash is no exception. Looking at the field of competitors, this may very well be the fastest New Balance 100m Dash in a very long time. 

Leading the field would be Kaylor Harris (Texas/2017) with a time of 11.41, the U.S. #4 which she ran at New Mexico's Great Southwest Classic.

Taylor DeLoach (Georgia/2016), the Ohio State Commit and long jump extraordinaire has one of the fastest times coming in with an 11.76. Twanisha Terry (Florida/2017), is leading the Florida girls in the event with a time of 11.65.  Charminiqu Hackney (North Carolina/2016) is in a great spot for contention to win the title with 11.54.

200m

In the 200m dash, leading the field of the ladies with a U.S. #18 is the USC Trojan and Pan-Am Junior Champion, Anna Cockrell (North Carolina/2016) running 23.66.

Close behind is Symone Mason (Florida/2017) who is coming off of competing for the U.S. last summer at the World Youth Games and most recently for the U.S. at the National Scholastic Caribbean Invitational in Cuba.

Mason has run 23.8 this year but has ran 23.3 in the past.

Another World Youth member topping this list is, Jayla Kirkland (Alabama/2017) coming in with a 23.78, which she recently ran at Alabama HS State Championships. 

400m

The next major sprinting event is the 400m dash. In the past, the 400m has been one of the fastest, if not the fastest event of the meet.

This year 6 of the Top 30 girls in the country will all be in the same place, and in the same heat. Leading the charge with a U.S #5 is Sterling Lester (Georgia/2016) who recently competed at the Nike Elite Camp's 400m race at the Prefontaine Classic.  Sterling is coming in with a time of 52.69.

Next on the list is, Chloe Abbot (Michigan/2016) who’s coming off her state championship win running 53.10. Another Michigan athlete, who got 2nd at the state meet to Abbot, running 53.56 is Taylor Manson (Michigan 2017).  To round out our top 400m girls, we have Lynna Irby (Indiana/2017) who has ran 53.71 this year to win the Indiana State title. In 2015, Irby ran 51.79 at the World Youth Championship to get 2nd. So with the proper push, Irby could find her 2015 form.

In this event, we also have some Florida standouts that could make it on the podium to become All-Americans.

First, Kayla Johnson (Florida 2017), who has run 53.85 earlier this season, but has since turned her focus to the 800m. Also, Karimah Davis (Florida 2017) who has ran 54.05 and has just came off her first state championship this year.

800m

Moving on from sprints, let’s talk about the Championship 800m.  Leading the group with her U.S. #14 is Rachel Banks (Ohio/2016), she just got 2nd at her state meet and is seeded with a time of 2:07.34.  Not too far behind Banks with a U.S. #17 is, Joy Ripslinger (Iowa/2017), who just won her state championship with a time of 2:07.51.

MILE

The real talk of the distance events this weekend will be the 1 Mile and 2 Mile Run, where the best of the best will be racing for the crown.

In the Mile, Nevada Mareno (North Carolina/2017) has the U.S. #6, with a time of 4:47.36 which she ran at Raleigh Relays. The U.S. #12 is Julia Noah (Iowa/2016), and she just ran 4:49.60 at the Nike Festival of Miles. The competition doesn’t stop there, as Mikayla Richardson (Virginia/2016) has the U.S. #14 with a time of 4:50.40. Following Richardson, is Florida Fasts’, Hannah Brookover (Florida 2016), she has the U.S. #29 and is coming in with 4:53.67. 

2-MILE

In the 2 Mile, most of the seed times will be going off of a 3200m to 2 Mile conversion, since most of the ladies haven’t gotten the chance actually to compete in the 2 Mile Run.  The top 5 Girls right now in the 2 Mile are Weini Kelati (Virginia), Jessica Drop (Connecticut/2016), Nevada Mareno (North Carolina/2017), Destiny Collins (California/2016) and Rachel Bonner (Michigan/2016).