Across the country many of the top athletes in the country assemble in various invitationals this weekend, which should provide some of the best results of the indoor season yet. Check inside and keep checking back throughout the weekend to see highlights, results and other happenings from around the nation.
Boys Highlights- Kendall Gregory (OH): U.S.#1 at 400m in 47.99 at Kent State U.- Jared Hall (OH): Runs U.S.#2 at 800m with 1:53.89 at Kent State U.- D'Angelo Cherry (GA): Sprints U.S.#1 at 55m with 6.21 effort in FL- Austin Hollimon (GA): Runs U.S.#3 at 400m in Florida with 48.62 win- Allante Keels (VA): Run U.S.#2 in 500m dash with 1:05.35 in VA- Jeremy Rankin (CO): Sprints 6.68 to win stellar 60m dash at Millrose- Kyle Merber (NY): Wins Millrose boys mile in 4:13.86Girls Highlights- Rachel Laurent (LA): Vaults U.S.#1 with 13-07.25 mark at LSU- Vashti Thomas (CA): Jumps 40-05.5 in TJ at UW Inv., a U.S. #1- Chalonda Goodman (GA): Goes 7.04 (55m) & 24.69 (200m) in FL- Ashton Purvis (CA): 7.54 (60m) & U.S.#1 24.05 (200m) double in WA- Julian Purvis (CA): Runs to U.S.#2 time of 8.50 in 60m hurdles in WA- Kayla Hale (FL): Runs 9:59.87 to win fast 3k down in Florida - Chanelle Price (PA): Runs 2:09.35 in 800m at Colgate Games - Jillian Smith (NJ): Runs 4:50.87 to win the girls elite mile at Millrose- Boys & Girls (NY): Win Millrose 4x4 in a very fast 3:53.17
Weekend Highlights (2/1 - 2/3)
GSC Indoor Meet (FL)
In only its first year, the GSC Indoor Meet, held at the University of Florida, attracted many of the top track and field stars in the south to the event. Early results have Georgia sprinter D'Angelo Cherry running a U.S. #1 mark in the 55m dash with a winning time of 6.21. Meanwhile in the girls 55m dash, Chalonda Goodman (GA) won with a great time of 7.04, easily beating the runner-up time of 7.22. Goodman's time places her at the U.S. #7 spot. Goodman also impressed in the 200m dash, again easily beating the field, including South Carolina's Briana Nelson, with a time of 24.69. Junior Dariel Jackson (FL) placed second in 25.67, while Nelson placed third with a mark of 25.78.
In the boys 400m dash, Austin Hollimon (GA) ran a great race from start to finish, winning Section 12 of the event by nearly two seconds in 48.62, which currently ranks him third in the nation. Mollimon won the 200m dash as well, winning his heat with the top time of the day in 22.30.
In the girls 3000m run, Kayla Hale (FL) beat fellow Foot Locker qualifier Brittany Koziara (FL) in a close battle, with Hale running a U.S. #4 mark of 9:59.87, while Koziara placed second in a U.S. #7 time of 10:03.64. In another distance event, Joseph Franklin (FL) ran 4:16.52 in the mile, placing fourth behind three post-high school athletes.
St. Christopher's Mid-Atlantic Track Clash (VA)
St. Christopher's Meet Results
Meet Summary By Brandon Miles (MileStat.com)
Episcopal's Allante Keels was not even part of the original accepted entries as meet management had no verified times with results on him, but a scratch and proving himself in last weekend's St. Christopher's Invite allowed him into the meet. It was good thing his status in the meet rectified as he came away as the boys 500 meter dash winner in a US #2 performance of 1:05.35. On a side note, Grassfield's Curtis Campbell pulled up with a injury on the final stretch to make his status for the remainder of this season questionable.
TJ Graham of Wakefield NC was just off his US #2 time of 34.43 last week in the 300 meter dash with a 34.63 clocking at the Clash, but the 55 meter dash winner Graham (6.41) as well helped pull along Taylor Sykes of Great Bridge to his first sub 35 clocking in a US #8 time of 34.92 and the fastest flat track performance in the state of Virginia this winter.
Luke Lovelace came all the way up from South Carolina for a race and he got in the 3200 meter run as Lovelace battled with Midlothian's Jason Witt and others with Lukelace pulling away in the final 600 meters for a US #4 time of 9:14.64. It was a 22 second PR for the two-time Foot Locker finalist from Chapin High School in South Carolina. Witt finished second in a US #5 time of 9:19.18 with three others right behind him with US top 10 times in Midlothian's Michael Hammond (US #7 9:19.88), Cave Spring's Tim Smith (US #8 9:20.24), and West Johnston NC's Dakota Peachee (US #9 9:24.44). Click Here for Full Article
UHSTCA Indoor Championships (UT)
UHSTCA Indoor Champs. Meet Page
UHSTCA Results: Field Event / Track Event
The UHSTCA Indoor Championships started with a bang Friday night, where Bryce Hall (UT) won the shot put with a throw of 59-01.5. Hall easily beat the field and improved upon his best '08 performance of 58-11.25. His Friday night toss ranks him seventh in the country currently.
On the track Saturday, Nachelle and Natalie Stewart (UT) stole the show. Nachelle won the girls 800m dash in a great time of 2:15.49, which currently ranks her seventh in the country on the MileSplit National Rankings. Natalie meanwhile won the 60m dash in 7.81, the 200m dash in 26.78 and the 400m dash in 56.77, which ranks her eighth in the nation in that event.
In more distance action, Foot Locker finalist Stephen Clark (UT) beat out Spencer Gardner (UT) for the win in the boys mile. Clark edged Gardner at the line, winning 4:21.53-4:22.05. Also, Davis H.S. teammates Candace Eddy and Natalie Haws won the mile and two mile respectively. Eddy won the mile in 5:11.37, seven and a half seconds ahead of second place. Haws won the two mile in 11:08.58, twenty-seven seconds ahead of the runner-up.
UW Indoor Invitational (WA)
UW Indoor Invitational Meet Page
UW Indoor Inv. Results: Mens / Womens
While the majority of the competition at the University of Washington this weekend were college athletes, a handful of top high school stars took to the track and field areas to test their skills against some stronger competition.
Two notable performances came from California's Vashti Thomas and Ashton Purvis. Both young ladies earned U.S. #1 marks in their respective events. Thomas lept to a fantastic mark of 40-05.5 in the triple jump, placing second among the top collegiate athletes, while Purvis ran 24.05 in the 200m dash to earn her U.S. #1. Purvis also qualified for the finals of the 60m dash with her qualifying time of 7.50, while running 7.54 in the finals.
Julian Purvis (CA) won the 60m hurdles with a strong time of 8.50, while also running well in the 60m dash, running 7.90 in the prelims. Purvis' winning 60m hurdle time currently ranks her second in the nation.
LSU Indoor Qualifier (LA)
LSU Indoor Qualifier Meet Page
LSU Indoor Qualifier Results: Track Events / Field Events
Rachel Laurent (LA), the superstar pole vaulter from Louisisana, vaulted her way to a new U.S. #1 mark with her 13-07.25 clearance at the LSU Indoor Qualifier Saturday. Laurent eclipsed this year's number one mark in the event set by Texas' Shade Weygandt of 13-07 set the first weekend of the year out in Idaho.
A few other notable performances came from Jonathon Johnson (LA) in the boys 55m dash and Uzunma Udeh (LA). Johnson sprinted to a big win with a 6.40 winning mark, which puts him in the top twenty nationally. Udeh meanwhile won the girls triple jump with a new meet record of 38-00.25, which ranks her in the top 15 nationally.
Colgate Women's Games Final (NY)
Colgate Women's Games Meet Page
Meet Summary By Aaron Rich (PennTrackXC.com)
In the 800 meter run Chanelle Price claimed victory with a time of 2:09.35. Second place went to William Penn Charter runner Elyse Wilkinson, who ran a time of 2:17.13. Vicky Gocht, Upper Dublin, was 3rd in a time of 2:20.18. In the 400 dash Jonae McAllister, Engineering and Science, was 6th in a time of 1:01.84. Alex Brasington, Upper Dublin, was runner-up in the 1500 meter run with a time of 4:56.24. Notre Dame runner Allison Constant was 3rd in 5:00.33. Engineering and Science runner Syeeda Gee was 5th in 5:02.66.
101st Millrose Games (NY)
Results: Boys Events / Girls Events
Boys and Girls (NY) kicked off the 101st Millrose Games with a girls 4x400m relay win of 3:53.17, which is the fifth fastest time run in the country this season and a Millrose Games record. The squad beat a strong field, including Benjamin Cardozo (NY).
The top girls race of the night came in the mile, which included eight of the top ten ranked girls milers in the country. Jillian Smith (NJ) (pictured left, photo by Toby Nygaard), who won the Reebok Boston Indoor Games girls mile last weekend with a U.S. #1 time in the event, came back to win this event as well. Smith led five other girls under the five minute mark, winning with a time of 4:50.87. Runner-up Cory McGee (MS) earned the same finish she had last year at Millrose, finishing with a time of 4:55.52, while Kristin Reese (NY) placed third in 4:56.21. Smith's mark left her less than a second off of the h.s. mile record at Millrose, set in 1989 by Sarah Schwald in 4:49.94.
Meanwhile in the boys race, Kyle Merber (NY) held off an incredibly strong field to win in 4:13.86. Merber ran stride for stride with a handful of other runners for much of the race, finally pulling away and hanging on for the victory. Merber edged second place Robby Andrews (NJ), who ran 4:14.60, while Charles White (CO) finished third in 4:15.01.
While the boys and girls mile races generally attract the most attention at Millrose, the boys 60m dash provided equal excitement, if not more so, when compared to those two events. Jeremy Rankin (CO) ran the third fastest time of the indoor season with his event win of 6.68 seconds. Rankin edged Rynell Parson (TX) by .05, showing his short sprint dominance once again. His time only trails that of his earlier season performance of 6.64 and Parson's (TX) 6.67.
More Highlights & Results Coming Throughout the Weekend!