Quincy Wilson On Verge Of Four-Peat In Boys 400 At NBNI; Jackson Spencer Seeks 5,000 Meters Victory

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Katie Billman Photo

New Balance Nationals Indoor returns to The TRACK at New Balance in Boston for another spectacular four days of competition this weekend, Thursday through Sunday.  

The live webcast will be streamed to the New Balance YouTube channel and can also be watched on RunnerSpace. On-demand videos will be available to RunnerSpace+ subscribers.

DyeStat will have full coverage with interview and photos. 

Here’s a breakdown by event group:

Sprints/Hurdles

At 17, he's already a legend. Quincy Wilson of Bullis School MD still had two years of high school left after making his Olympic Games debut in Paris in the summer of 2024. 

All he's done since then is maintain the grind, working and training to keep getting better instead of resting on his laurels. 

In the past couple of weeks, Wilson's grit was on display as he sought to claim the national record in the 500 meters. He made a trip to New York to take a shot at the record and came up short. Then, he took another shot at The CIRCUIT Philly and nailed it. 

Wilson has won the past three NBNI 400 meters finals and he added victories the past two years as a member of the Bullis 4x400 relay team. He can build upon those five titles this weekend as he attempts to win his fourth consecutive 400 and third straight 4x400. 

The boys championship 60 features US#2 Jonas Haygood (Run U Xpress/Fayetteville Academy NC), the VA Showcase dash champion at 6.63, taking on field that includes Zamarii Sanders of Cardinal Newman FL, who ran 10.08 wind-legal in the 100 meters and 20.46 in the 200 at the Ellis Elite 16 Invitational last Saturday.

Wyatt Lee of Canada and Will Jacobs from UnityDriven Athletics (Cherokee Bluff GA) have both run 6.66.

Based on his performance over the weekend, Sanders is the favorite in the 200 meters but he will face competition from Cameron Tucker (Robinson NC), US#2 at 300 meters, Brady Pineo of Wesley Chapel FL, US#2 in the 200 with 20.79 and US#4 Jayden Kennedy of XPress Track (Keller Fossil Ridge TX).

Wilson is the obvious favorite in the 400. Three years ago as a freshman, he won the national final in 46.67 seconds. As a sophomore he lowered his time of 45.76, then went faster again as a junior with 45.71. His national record stands at 45.66.

His teammate, Cameron Homer, is also one of the fastest in the field, along with US#5 Jayden Deleon of The House Running Club (Montgomery Blair MD), sophomore Adric Evans (Royse City TX) and Ky-Ri Bonner from El Paso Hanks TX. Rondre Austion of Motor City Track Club (Oak Park MI) is US#9. 

One of the most intriguing matchups of the weekend in Boston comes in the 60-meter hurdles. US#1 Zacchaeus Brocks from Michigan faces US#2 Josh Hamblin from Utah. 

Brocks (Detroit Catholic Central MI) lowered his personal best to 7.56 seconds, moving to No. 4 on the all-time list, on Feb. 28 at the LAB Midwest Showcase. 

Hamblin (Weber UT) ran his best time of 7.65 seconds to win the 60 hurdles title at the Simplot Games in Pocatello, Idaho. 

Also in the field are US#8 Cyrus Saunders (Neshaminy PA) and co-US#13s Steven Schwartz (Track Houston Youth Track/Sealy TX) and Daniel Chukwu (Upper Darby PA). 

Distance 

The nation's best high school distance runner, Jackson Spencer, is entered in Thursday's 5,000 meters and he may have an eye on the national record time of 13:38.86 posted by his future college teammate, Danny Simmons, two years ago. 

After taking a break following his extended cross country season, which included a trip to the World Cross Country Championships, Spencer opened his season at the Simplot Games, where he ran a 3,200 meters US#1 8:50.50.

Spencer is also entered with his team in the 4xMile relay. 

The 5,000 field includes Sean Fries of Minnetonka MN and Calvin Seitz of Jasper IN. 

Seitz is also in the 2-mile and will race Hunter Robbie (REAL Training/Niwot CO), Nathan Lee (Brunswick CT), Yohanes Van Meerten (Flagstaff AZ), Grady Lenn (DePere WI) and Garrett Faught (Crater OR).

Caleb Winders was sixth at NBNI last year in the 800 meters and then made huge progress during the spring season and won the New Balance Nationals Outdoor title at Franklin Field in 1:46.85. 

Winders has run 1:48.82, fastest of anybody in high school this winter besides Nike pro Cooper Lutkenhaus, the U.S. champion. 

There are seven sub-1:50 guys in the meet. In addition to Winders, Cole Boone (Pulaski County Track Club VA) is the defending champion and has best time this year, 1:49.78, has him at US#5. 

Carter Smith (Mifflin County PA) is US#3, Latrell Hughes (Mansfield OH) is US#4 and Cooper Jeffcoat (Oak Mountain AL) is US#6. Additionally, Karil Arnold (St. John's College DC) and Henry Birge (Patriot VA) ran under 1:50 last spring.

In the mile, Brian Burns (Bentonville AR) leads a loaded field aiming to reach under the 4-minute barrier. Burns owns a best of US#2 4:00.38. Right behind are Winders at US#3, Smith at US#4, Jameson Pifer Jr (Collins Mill GA), the national 2,000 meters record holder, Lenn (DePere WI) and Rocco Culpepper (REAL Training/Niwot CO).

Throws 

Ole Miss shot put commit CJ Williams is the national leader by more than six feet. His pursuit isn't just to win, it's to move up from No. 8 on the all-time list. 

To do that, he needs attempts and this week he'll get 12 of them. Williams is entered in the championship shot put in Boston on Friday and in New York on Saturday. 

It's become a trend for the top throwers to hit both national meets if the schedule allows. Tarik O'Hagan-Robinson started it in 2022 when he double booked the himself in the shot put and weight throw in both meets and won three of the four competitions. 

Shamrock Thoun (Ocean State Hammerheads/Woonsocket RI) pulled off double wins in the weight throw last year and is on the entry list at both sites to do it again. Thoun is the top-ranked weight thrower in the country with 83-1.75. 

Kayden Hulet (Sparks NV) and Ryan Evans (Ocean State Hammerheads), US#2 and US#3 in the weight throw, are also going both places.  

Jumps 

Four 7-foot jumpers, led by US#1 Ryan Buskey of Colonie Central NY, who is undefeated and won the New York state title over the weekend, lead the way in the high jump.  Buskey, of Sky's The Limit TC, is the defending champion. His best clearance this winter is 7-2. 

US#4 Elijah Harris (Westerville Central OH) has made 7-1. Tommy Pringle (Cuthbertson NC) and Tyler O'Garro (North Brunswick Township NJ) have both made it over 7-0. 

Jaxon Jerabek, US#1 in the pole vault (17-9.25) from IMG Academy FL will face US#5 Eric Rose (17-2.75) of Leander TX and US#9 Ben Haywood of West Athletics Vault Crew (Tomball Memorial TX). 

Aaron Rich of Lyman Hall CT, the New England long jump champion, has consistently crossed 24 feet in the sand and is US#3 with a best of 24-6.25. Ricky Adkins of North Stafford VA, runner-up at the VA Showcase, is US#6. 

New York champion Aiden Bryant from Midlakes NY is US#2 and leads the field in the triple jump with his best of 51-10. 

Four others are in the top 10: Harris is US#5, Alexander Chapman-Evans (Enloe NC) is US#6, Amar Skeete of MetroCobras MA is US#7 and Khalen Pinkard (West Georgia Elite) is US#8. 

In the pentathlon, Tennessee athletes Gavin Gatere of Memphis U and Mac McFarland of Music City Track Club are the top entries. 

Relays

Many of the top relay teams are in Boston this weekend. 

Archbishop Carroll DC is US#1 in the 4x200 relay with 1:25.22, a time it achieved nearly two months ago at the VA Showcase. 

Bullis MD is US#1 in the 4x400 with Wilson on the anchor and going for a possible seventh NBNI title. 

Union Catholic NJ is US# 1 in the 4x800 with a time of 7:37.96 established at the Millrose Games, No. 4 all-time. 

In the 4xMile, there is a potential cross country meet brewing among elite distance programs from Herriman UT, Crater OR and Christian Brothers Academy NJ. 

Union Catholic NJ has a second chance to win a national title the sprint medley and its chief competition may be another New Jersey outfit, Hackensack. 

Herriman and Crater are also the top the entries in the DMR. 

Lexington Elite of Massachusetts is the top team in the shuttle hurdles relay.