2025 NIN Highlights - Preview

By Ricky Quintana

NEW YORK, March 10, 2025 - The National Scholastic Athletics Foundation (NSAF) will host the Nike Indoor Nationals on March 13-16, 2025 at the Nike Track & Field Center at The Armory. Over 4,300 track and field athletes from 49 states and three Canadian provinces will compete over four days on the “fastest track in the world.”

Below are a mixture of individual and event highlights over the four days of competition.

1. Jane Hedengren (Timpview, Provo, UT) has been on a history making trek her senior year. Her record setting 16:32.7 performance in rain soaked, muddy conditions at the Nike Cross Country Nationals still has the running world abuzz. She’s only amplified the buzz with a US #2 4:36.23 1,600m and a US #2 Indoors All Time 9:37.50 3,200m at an oxygen sapping 4,500+ feet altitude in her two indoor races this season. Elizabeth Leachman’s thought to be untouchable national 5,000 meter record of 15:28.90 set last year looks to be under threat as well as Sarah Disanza’s USA U20 record of 15:20.57 set in 2014. She’ll race on Thursday, the opening night of competition and is entered in the mile on Sunday where she could also threaten the meet and national record.

2. The boys’ 400m talent is deep this year and the Nike Indoor Nationals will have six who have dipped under 46.48 in their careers. Quincy Wilson’s (Bullis, Potomac, MD) indoor HSR of 45.66 set this year could fall. Three who are running well this season are: Jonathan Simms (Allen, TX) has improved his 60m(6.74) and 200m (20.95) speed and is healthy after an injury plagued junior outdoor track and field season. This indoor season he’s run US #2 46.35 and finished second in the 500m at the Millrose Games in US #2 1:01.55 . He owns an outdoor best of 45.12(soph season) and split 44.36 in the 4 x 4 on the same day after setting his 400m personal best; Jayden Horton-Mims (Imhotep, Philadelphia, PA) tied the indoor 300m HSR of 32.64 at The Millrose Games and then followed that up with a US #5 46.77, a new indoor personal best. He is the defending NIN Champion 46.85; Kendrick Jones Jr ( Lake Belton, Temple,TX) blasted a US #1 45.27 in his first track and field meet of the season (March 8) improving 0.39 seconds on his outdoor personal best. The junior is the defending  NIN and NON 200m Champion.
   The meet record of 46.31 was set by Brian Herron (Lakeside, Atlanta, GA) in 2018 and The Armory Record was set by Elzie Coleman(Newburgh, NY) in 2004.

3. Jessica Oji (Livingston, NJ) heaved the shot put an US #2 Indoor All Time best of 57-04.5 on February 5. Her next best throw in the series was 55-07.5. She has improved 6 feet 05.5 inches over last year’s best and is 13 inches shy of Alyssa Wilson’s (Donovan Catholic, Toms River, NJ) national mark of 57-05.5 set in 2017.
   The meet record of  56-07.5 was set by Raven Saunders (Burke, Charleston, SC) in 2014.

4. Cooper Lutkenhaus (Northwest, Justin, TX)  made the most of his opportunity to race against the professional athletes at the 117th Millrose Games on February 8 at the Nike Track and Field Center at The Armory.  In front of a national television audience, he finished sixth in 1:46.86 in The Stern Family Men's 800m, breaking Josh Hoey's(Bishop Shanahan, Dowingtown, PA.) High School Record of 1:47.67 set in 2018. It was only his second time on an indoor track.
   Lutkenhaus' time was a World Athletics U18 Indoor record (previous record set by Mohammad Aman of Ethiopia on Feb. 8, 2011) and was under the age 16 record outdoor World Record of 1:47.27 set by Krzysztof Różnicki of Poland on July 3, 2020.
   He returns to the site of his national record after a series of outdoor races where he has run a 21.2 and a 46.6 relay splits, and a 2:23.57 1k. He has not lost to a high schooler in an 800m race in his high school career (13 races including Nike Outdoor Nationals and Brooks PR Invitational last year) and has lost only three 800 meter races since the seventh grade (21 races).
   The meet record of 1:49.46 was set by Cameron Cooper(Oak Park, MI in 2017). 

5. Dana Wilson (Greensboro Day, Greensboro, NC) sped to a 7.16 win on February 14 tying her for US # 2 Indoors All-Time. That same meet, she ran 22.96 to move her to US # 4 Indoors All Time. She is entered in the 60 meter and 200 meter.
   Wilson is undefeated this season in the 55m, 60m, and 200 meter dashes and has  lost  four times in the last 36 competitions (55m, 60, 100m, 200m prelims, semis and finals indoors and outdoors) since 2024.
   The 60 meter meet record of 7.25 was set by Tamari Davis(Gainesville, FL) in 2018 and the 200 meter meet record of 23.23 was set by Lauren Rain Williams (Oaks Christian, Westlake Village, CA) in 2016.

6. Eighth grader, Melanie Dogget ( Landmark Christian, Fairburn, GA), led The Millrose Games 60m dash before being caught late to finish second in the third fastest time in high school history. Her 7.17 was  the third fastest World U18 and 15th U20 performance of all time. Asked afterwards to break the race down technically, she said  “I tried to get out fast and make it to the finish line as fast as I could.”
   She now owns world records for age 11(7.66), 12(7.45), and 13(7.17).
   At NIN, she’ll be competing in the 200m emerging elite division. Her season best of 23.33 was set on January 26 and set an age 13 world record. She was 1.99 seconds clear of second place. She owns the age 12 world record with her 23.71 making her a 5-time world record holder.

7. Hannah Grace’s (Coastal Christian, Wilmington, NC) 14-06 US #5 Indoor All Time clearance was  0.75 inches better than her winning USATF U20 mark in the spring. She has three clearances over 14-05 in her career and is undefeated this season including a win at The Millrose Games 14-03.25 . In her last 35 competitions dating back to Mach of 2023, she has lost three times. The meet record of 14-03.25 was set by Jathiyah Muhammad (Tracy, CA) in 2024.

8. Jackson Cantwell’s ( Nixa, MO) first shot put of the season 71-10 landed him at US #6 Indoors All Time. The 6-07.5, 340 lb junior offensive tackle is rated the top football recruit (composite) by 247Sports. His father, Christian Cantwell,  was a  2-time World Champion and Olympic silver medalist shot putter  and his mother, Teri Cantwell (nee Steer) won the bronze in the shot put at the 1999 World Indoor Championships. He is 10.5 inches shy of Jordan Geist’s(Knoch, Saxonburg, PA) junior class record and 3 feet 5.75 inches shy of Geist’s meet record of 75-04.75 set in 2017. The last time Cantwell lost a shot put competition was in 2017 when he was in 3rd grade. 

9. On the same day, Victor Olesen (St. Christopher’s, Richmond, VA) cleared a US #1 17-07.5 and Luke Beattie (Warwick Valley, Warwick, NY) US #2 17-07 setting them up for a clash at NIN. Since the 2023 outdoor season, Olesen has only lost four times in the pole vault. He’s US #11 Indoors All Time with his 17-07.5 and has goals of breaking 18-0 which would put him into the top four all time. The ‘24 USATF U20 outdoor champion will be looking for his second consecutive NIN title. Luke Beattie’s best this season eclipsed his previous best by 5.5 inches. He’s improved 1 foot 4 inches since last year and won the New York State Championship with a 16-06 clearance.

10. Ava Kitchings’ (Braselton, GA) performance at The MIllrose Games was unreal. The junior came in with a lifetime best of 20-06 and eclipsed that mark by three inches on her second jump 20-09.  In her remaining three jumps, she also soared past her previous best with her winning mark of 21-02.75 moving her to US #7 Indoors All Time. The meet and Armory record of  21-03 was set by Samiyah Samuels (Cypress Springs, Huston, X) in 2016.

11. The girls’ 800m field is formidable. Makenna Herbst (Carlsbad, CA) has been dazzling this season posting a US #5 All Time 600m 1:28.61 in winning The Millrose Games while battling a sinus infection. She recently posted a 53.7 in a 400m time trial. She’ll be competing at the New Balance Indoor Nationals the day before traveling to New York City for Sunday’s final. Right behind her at Millrose was Ellie Barada (South, Bloomington, IN) who finished second in US #12 Indoor All Time 1:29.83, a new personal best. Barada, a junior, has elevated herself into the national conversation and looks to be on track to significantly lower her 2:06.87 from last year’s sophomore campaign.  NIN defending 800m and 1 mile Champion, Dylan McElhinney ( Hunter College Prep, Manhattan, NY) is coming off a mindblowing 600m and 1,500m double win at the NY State indoor meet on March 8. She clocked a 1:30.62 in a come-from-behind victory and then 40 minutes later won the 1,500m in 4:25.52 going away. She is the defending USATF U20 1,500m and NON 800m champion and won The Millrose Mile in 4:42.82 on February 8. She will also be competing in the mile. Sophomore Reagan Moore (Oak Knoll, Summit, NJ) used a 28.92 last 200m to blow by Clemmie Lilley to win the New Jersey Meet of Champions on March 2 in a personal best of 2:04.80. It lowered her lifetime best by 2.92 seconds. Mary Decker owns the sophomore class record with a 2:01.8 set in 1974.
    
    A  2:04.13 or faster will crack the top 10 all time and a 2:03.59 will break Sabrina Southerland’s(Cardozo, Queens, NY) meet record set in 2013.

12. Tommy Latham’s (Marist, Atlanta, GA) only undercover performance this season  was a 4:00.94 win at The Millrose Games Nike High School Mile. In that race, his teammate, Liam Haneman paced him through 800 meters before he closed in a 59.37 to turn back Corbin Coombs (Organ Mountain, Las Cruces, NM) for a lifetime personal best. Latham has been healthy for the longest stretch of his high school career (a year and a month) and comes in more fit as he has ever been. At 4:01.74 last year, he was the top returnee entering this year. Three others have the resume to challenge Latham for the title: Evan Noonan (Dana Hills, Dana Point, CA) is a 5-time CA State track and field and cross country champion won last year’s NON 2 mile. He has the fastest finish in the field and owns the fastest 3,200m personal best (8:43.12) of all entrants. Gatorade Cross Country Player of the Year and Nike Cross National Champion, Charlie Vause (Rio Rancho, NM) has recorded marks of 8:58.69 for 3,200m (4,500 feet) and finished ninth 4:11.50 in the mile at The Millrose Games this indoor season. He has big goals for the season and this could be the launchpad to reach those goals. The aforementioned Coombs has quietly asserted himself onto the national scene. He has great range posting marks of 1:52.19 for 800m, US #5 4:01.62 in the mile and 9:01.38 in the two mile this indoor season. In his nine indoor races this season he has finished sixth once, third once, second three times and first two times. In his last race, he followed the pacers before unleashing a 1:59.19 last 800m and a 58.89 last 400m for a US #17 4:01.62 Indoor All Time performer. This will be his first of four races ( 2 miles, 1 mile, DMR and 4 x 800m) of the meet.
    The meet record of 8:40.70 was set by Lukas Verzbicas (Sandburg, Orland Park, IL) in 2011 and the national record 8:34.91 was set by Drew Griffith(Butler, PA) in 2024.