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GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA -- The 2019 New Balance Nationals Outdoors will be bigger, better and more inclusive than ever as it welcomes junior high and freshmen student-athletes for a nearly full slate of events and their own special day of competition next June.
The NSAF has announced that NBNO will now offer 14 events each for junior high and freshman boys and girls as the meet expand from three to four days in 2019 -- Thursday, June 13 through Sunday, June 16. Almost all of the new junior high and freshman events will take place on the first day of the meet -- Thursday -- with the exception of the 1-mile runs, which will follow on Friday. These new events and an extra day of competition is expected to bring scores of additional young athletes to Greensboro, N.C. to compete in the national championship extravaganza at BB&T Stadium on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University.
"We have had requests over the years from many coaches (and parents) about adding these events," said NSAF Executive Director Jim Spier. "We like for the athletes to 'grow up' in our events, with the possibility of having up to 6 years of positive experience and competition."
The new junior high and freshmen events include the boys and girls 100m, 200m, and 400m dashes; the 800m, 1-mile, and 2-mile run; the 100m (girls) and 110m (boys) hurdles; and the high jump, long jump, triple jump, pole vault, shot put, discus and javelin. Student-athletes in the 7th - and 8th -grades during the 2018-19 school year will be eligible for the junior high events, while the freshmen events are for 9th -graders.
The junior high hurdles and throws events will incorporate hurdle heights and implement sizes/weights in accordance with USATF standards for the Youth 13-14-year-old age group. Junior high boys will use 33-inch hurdles, a 4-kg shot put, 1-kg discus and 600g javelin. Junior high girls will use 30-inch hurdles, 6-lb. shot put 1kg discus and 600g javelin. Freshmen athletes will use the same standard high school hurdle heights and throwing implements that are utilized in the championship and emerging elite events.
Stay in touch with the NSAF's New Balance Nationals Outdoor meet homepage and links for updates for the meet schedule, registration deadlines, entry guidelines and informational and other meet details that may be updated in the weeks ahead due to the new events and expanded meet.
