Kurt Powdar Runs No. 4 All-Time 13.27 In 110m Hurdles; Tamari Davis Injures Hamstring

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Greensboro, N.C. - New Balance Nationals lurched through Saturday with all of the sublime excellence, wrung-out effort and heartbreak that is typical in this complex, massive meet. 

It can be messy. 

Fourteen of the boys teams that participated in the shuttle hurdles relay were disqualified. It took half a day to announce the teams for the podium. 

Near the start of Saturday's 11-hour schedule, sprint phenom Tamari Davis of Florida pulled up and fell to the track in the middle ofher 100-meter dash prelim. The sophomore suffered an injured hamstring and will end her season prematurely. She originally had plans beyond New Balance Nationals to compete at a European meet in Budapest and then run at the USATF Outdoor Championships. Instead, she will shut down and allow the injury to heal, according to her coach, Gary Evans.

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The meet provided championship opportunities to some of the nation's elite field event athletes on Saturday. National record holder Chloe Cunliffe broke a meet record while winning the girls pole vault (14-4.75). 

Justin Forde of Brien McMahon jumped 51-6.50w to win the triple jump. 

Trey Knight of Ridgefield WA, who has criss-crossed the continent twice in the past three weeks, won the hammer with 239-11. 

Ty Hampton from North Bend OR re-took the U.S. lead in the boys javelin on his sixth and final attempt, when he launched a 222 foot, 11-inch throw that threatened the boundaries of the sector. A year ago, Hampton was unable to throw because of a dislocated ulnar nerve in his right elbow.

On the track, Kurt Powdar of Oscar Smith VA ran one of the meet's highlights when he executed a flawless 110-meter hurdles to the tune of 13.27 seconds -- good for No. 4 on the all-time list. 

For the second year in a row, Powdar retaliated against bad luck at the New Balance Nationals Indoor meet by winning the outdoor title. 

Jasmine Jones from Greater Atlanta Christian edged Texas state champion Jayla Hollis in a stirring girls 100-meter hurdles final, 13.36 to 13.37.

For the second day in a row, Sydney Masciarelli made distance running look easy while winning a national title. The sophomore from Marianapolis Prep CT won the 2-mile in 10:11.99. 

Taylor Ewert of Beavercreek OH dominated the girls 2,000-meter steeplechase final as national record holder Sarah Trainor of FDR NY didn't show. Ewert ran 6:33.61 for the win and later ran the third leg on her team's runner-up finish in the 4x800 relay.

National leader Parker Stokes of Maine-Endwell NY demonstrated his mastery of the boys 2,000 steeplechase competition, winning in US#1 5:53.19. 

In the 100-meter dash finals, Jacious Sears from Florida ran 11.41 to win the girls title. Joseph Fahnbulleh from Hopkins MN won the boys crown with 10.35.

In relay action Saturday, the Union Catholic NJ girls (8:59.78) and Ridge NJ boys (US#1 7:38.48) collected titles in the 4x800 relays.

Fort Bend Marshall TX (Buffalos Run TC) made a rare NBNO appearance and won the boys 4x200 relay in 1:24.41. Detroit Renaissance (Track Life University) won the girls 4x200 in 1:36.61.

Lindsey Butler split 2:05.19 for the 800-meter anchor leg to lead Corning-Painted Post NY to the Sprint Medley Relay title. Hall CT, with a group of guys who graduated within the past 24 hours, won the boys SMR in 3:26.26.

The Bullis girls won the shuttle hurdles relay with No. 4 all-time 56.74 seconds as another slew of teams got disqualified upon video review.

The brief history of the mixed gender relay got a jolt of excitement when Aaliyah Pyatt of Massaponix VA (MVP League TC) split 53.31 and won a photo finish against the boy from West Babylon NY trying desperately to pass her in the final 50 meters, Kyle Adams. It produced perhaps the days biggest ovation.

Highland Springs VA (Springer TC) won the mixed gender 4x400 with 3:27.90.