What a weekend it was during the first week of the high school indoor track and field season in the year 2008. While MileSplit will continue our "Running Around the Nation" weekend recap each week, we also plan to bring you a weekly Monday News & Notes section to recap some of the key highlights with extra analysis and give you a feel for the week ahead.
MileSplit's Monday News & Notes
Jacquelyn Coward (TN) Impresses
Ed Temple Invitational Results
Jacquelyn Coward (TN) opens up her field in impressive fashion
(Photo Via TennesseeRunner.com)
National hurdle champion Jacquelyn Coward opened up her big meet indoor season this past weekend while competing at the Ed Temple Invitational at Tennessee State University. The majority of Coward's competition came from collegiate competitors, which gave Coward an enormous early season test.
Coward competed in three seperate events at the meet. She placed well in the 55m dash and 400m dash, blazing to marks of 7.20 and 57.24 respecitvely, while she shined in her marquee indoor event, the 55m hurdles. Coward crushed the competition, showing championship form the entire way. Her time of 7.84 ranks her currently as #1 in the U.S. and proves she will contend all season long in 2008.
Reno Pole Vault Summit Wrap-Up (NV)
Reno Pole Vault Summit Results: Boys / Girls
A combined 50 boys and girls vaulted their way into our first team MileSplit US elite rankings this weekend at the Reno Pole Vault Summit in Reno, Nevanda. With a large portion of the top vaulters in the land participating at the annual event, boys champion Nico Weiler (CA) and girls champion Shade Weygandt (TX) showed why they are considered the heavy favorites to win multiple national titles this spring.
Weiler beat a strong field with his top mark of 17-02. Weiler took a shot at the national indoor record of 17-07, missing the attempt. However, Weiler beat runner-up Scott Houston (NC) by four inches and clearly established himself as the man to beat in the event this year. Weiler, the German transfer student who took the vault scene by storm in 2007, continued to show his strength in the ever competitive event.
Weygandt meanwhile led a very strong contingent of girls towards soaring heights. The Texas star led nine girls over twelve feet, with her 13-07 beating the field by seven and a half inches. Weygandt attempted to clear the junior national record mark after her 13-07 clearance, but failed. However, like Weiler, she marked herself as the top vaulter in the land and will have a bullseye on her back all season long.
The Reno Pole Vault Summit is an event many in the sport of track and field should study and attend. It is not every day a meet brings together many of the top athletes in their respective event to square off. Not only were there top high school athletes, but professional and youth competitions also. A lot can be learned about entertaining the fans, educating the athletes and showing the future stars of the sport what it takes to reach the elite levels in the world. The Reno Pole Vault Summit captures that and other events should take notice.
Maryland Meets Showcase Talent
UMES Coach O Invitational Results
Southern Maryland Mega Meet Results: Boys / Girls
Many of the top athletes in Maryland, Virginia and a few other states competed at the UMES Coach O Invitational and Southern Maryland Mega Meet this past weekend and some great results were definitely produced. Two schools highlighted the most action, with Western Branch (VA) coming up big at the UMES Coach O Invitational, while Westlake (MD) produced great results at the Mega Meet.
The Western Branch boys squad ran the fastest 4x200m relay time of the year, winning the event with a great mark of 1:30.39. With four strong legs, led by Javanti Sparrow, Western Branch won the event easily. Sparrow also helped his team by winning the 500m dash in an impressive time of 1:06.57.
Lakeland (VA) also impressed on the boys side by winning all three jump events. Jermoe Wilson won the triple jump and long jump in grand fashion, while leaping 43' in the triple jump and 22' 1.5" in the long jump. His teammate Chris Copeland won the high jump with a MileSplit US elite mark of 6' 5".
The Southern Maryland T&F Mega Meet seemed equally as exciting when looking at the results. Westlake (MD) tore through the boys side in the sprint events. Led by Devon Smith's 6.36 second win in the 55m dash and Kenard Harris' 35.83 second win in the 300m dash, Westlake cruised. The squad also earned victories in the 4x200m relay (1:31.35) and 4x400m relay (3:32.26), both very solid times for this early in the season.
Two other performances that really stood out amongst the competition came from Zach Ray (Huntington, MD) and Xyan Rose (La Plata, MD). Ray won the 55m hurdles in 7.48 seconds, while also winning the long jump with a mark of 21' 10". Rose won the triple jump with a leap of 45' 4".
On the girl's side, Kristin Brown (McDonogh School, MD) won the 55m hurdles in an exceptional time of 8.20, outleaning rival Christina Manning (Westlake, MD) at the line. Manning finished second with a time of 8.22. Virginia's Osbourn Park did well in the relay events, taking one first place and two second place finishes. The squad won the 4x200m relay in 1:45.35, while the second place finishes came in the 4x400m relay (4:15.26) and 4x800m relay (9:57.62). Largo, Maryland's Shantae Boney lept 5' 5" to win the high jump and leap on the MileSplit US elite rankings.
Western Ohio Officials Invitational (OH)
Western Ohio Officials Invitational Results: Boys / Girls
While much of the top indoor action seemingly takes place in December and January on the east coast, the Western Ohio Officials Invitational produced a handful of national elite marks this past weekend, all by Ohio athletes. Topping that list was Erik Kynard (Toledo Rogers) who lept 7'1.5" in the high jump to capture the US #1 spot. Kynard set the field house record, where many national relevant meets have occurred, including a couple DIII Indoor T&F Nationals according to Jim Findlay of OHRunners.com.
While Kynard was setting some incredible marks, Dominick Reed (Trotwood-Madison) also set a US elite mark of 6' 5". Two more top field event performances came from Gray Horn (Waynesfield-Goshen) in the pole vault and Darren Bass (Lima Senior) in the shot put. Horn won the pole vault with a great height of 14' 8", while Bass threw 55' 8" to easily win his event.
Horn, who has committed to the University of Florida to be a decathlete, placed second in the 55m hurdles with a mark of 7.67, finishing behind race winner Dajon Booth, who won in 7.59. Winning the 55m boys race was Ohio sprint star Stephen Curtis (Wayne), who won the event in 6.55 seconds.
McNally (PA) & Merber (NY) Headed to Millrose Games
Kyle Merber (NY) and Vince McNally (PA) both accepted invitations to the prestigious Millrose Games boys elite high school mile race this past week. Merber earned his invitation by winning the Hispanic Games boys elite mile over a strong field in 4:15, while McNally earned his by being the top national returnee in the event after his stellar Nike Outdoor National performance last spring.
Over the coming weeks the rest of the invitations will be extended to athletes. Each year the Millrose Games boys elite mile produces some of the fastest indoor results in the event and could quite possibly be the most high profile event any of the participating athletes compete in all season long. This year's 101st Millrose Games take place on February 1 in New York City at Madison Square Garden.
Big Meets Kick-Off in Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas
Arkansas High School Invitational
While big time meets have been taking place consistently on the east coast, especially up in the Northeast region, a few meets will kick-off the indoor season of very competitive action in three other states. While a few meets have shown in Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas, the LSU H.S. Invitational, Houston Indoor Open and Arkansas H.S. Invitational bring together some of the top competition in their respective states and regions and should highlight next weekend's top results. Stay tuned for more later in the week on these meets.