* Veronica Vacca (left to right), Dana Wilson and Grace Biddle are three noteworthy athletes scheduled to compete at adidas Outdoor Nationals this weekend in Greensboro
Photo Credit: Compiled
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We're just days away from adidas Outdoor Nationals, which will showcase over 3,500 athletes from across the U.S. in a no-holds-barred track and field competition on the North Carolina A&T track.
National elites, U.S. No. 1 athletes and a selection of top performers from Virginia, Indiana, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and elsewhere are expected to throw down from Friday to Sunday in Greensboro, North Carolina.
But while there are surefire stars slated to compete, we'll also have an array of young up-and-comers and underrated athletes making their way into fields.
The stars of tomorrow will no doubt show themselves at adidas Outdoor Nationals.
We've previewed a selection of the top storylines below, as well as the top action to watch out for on the girls side.
WATCH LIVE: ADIDAS OUTDOOR NATIONALS
BEGINS AIRING ON FRIDAY, JUNE 16, AT 8:30 A.M. EST
Related Links:
Check out our in-depth adidas Outdoor Nationals boys preview
Top Girls Athletes To Watch:
The Top Girls Athletes: Dana Wilson, Greensboro Day School (NC), 100m-200m; Janiya Johnson, Statesville (NC), 100m-200m; Lailah Green, Lawrenceville Discovery (GA), 400m; Oluwatosin Awoleye, South Cobb (GA), 800m; Grace Biddle, Little Miami (OH), mile; Delaney Dumm, Forest Hills (PA), 2-mile; Virginia Averyt, Mountain Brook (AL), 5K; Shakayla Lavender, Oscar Smith (VA), 100mH; Rachel Mehringer, X, 100mH; Lia Anderson, Durham Hillside (NC), HJ; Hannah Grace, Coastal Christian (NC), PV; and Veronica Vacca, Mount Saint Joseph (PA), PV.
Why You Need To Pay Attention To These Athletes:
Dana Wilson, Greensboro Day School (NC): The top seed in both the 100m and 200m -- and the defending champion in the girls championship 100m (above) -- Wilson will be eyeing up personal record runs at both distances. She has clocked times of 11.62 and 23.79, respectively, in those two events, but her strength may lie most in the 200m, where she's gone under 24 seconds twice this season. Almost a month ago Wilson also won a NCISAA Division II state championship at the distance, authoring a time of 23.91 seconds. She'll have her fair share of foils, though. So it will be incumbent on Wilson to be focused on the starting line.
Oluwatosin Awoleye, South Cobb (GA): We spoke of Awoleye's promise on this week's episode of On The Line and we'll reiterate it here again: With two years left over her high school career, the Georgia athlete has the potential to be a very good 800m runner nationally. The numbers don't lie. She ran a best of 2:07.43 over her regional performance in Georgia, then scooped up a Class 6A Georgia state title a few weeks later in 2:09.58. Her last eight performances have all been under 2:10 and she ranks No. 17 in the country, No. 3 in the sophomore class and No. 2 in Georgia overall. The simple goal here would be to go after that 2:07 personal best, but the larger one might be to attack a 2:05 with a careful execution on the track.
Lia Anderson, Durham Hillside (NC): The high jump is a crowded space nationally. A total of 29 girls have cleared at least 5-10 this year, but only seven of those athletes are over 5-10. That means 22 are right there at 5-10 and Anderson is among them. She skied over that mark in April during a quad meet, but since then she's struggled to find that same rhythm, clearing 5-8 just once over that span. It probably felt good to see 5-10, though, and we can presume she'll be looking for that mark to finish out her season at adidas.
Veronica Vacca, Mount Saint Joseph (PA): It hasn't been a perfect outdoor season for Vacca, but maybe that's OK. It might be the motivation she needs to clear 13-6, which is a bar she saw in 2022. The high school sophomore from Philadelphia accomplished that height as a freshman, but her highest clearance so far this spring has been 13-3. That most recent performance, a runner-up finish at the PIAA State Championships, saw Vacca hit 13 for the second straight meet. All that being said, Vacca moved over a 13-8.5 indoor bar in March at adidas Track Nationals, which was a personal record. So she's certainly capable of big heights. Perhaps this meet will bring out the best in the young talent from Pennsylvania.
Why The Mile Could Get Wild
Four girls enter the championship section with personal record times under five minutes, including Little Miami's Grace Biddle, who ran 4:51.27 in May and is coming off a fifth-place finish at states in Ohio.
There's also the likes of Delaney Dumm (4:53.47), Evelyn Rogers (4:56.34) and Jais Ward (4:59.00), all three of whom have broken five and who have featured in competitive-races before.
Want another under the radar athlete? Don't forget about Swain County's Arizona Blankenship, a sophomore from Bryson City (NC) who's ever-so-close to breaking 5 with a personal record time of 5:01.10 for 1,600m.
One downside? The championship section of this race will take place in the dead-heat of the afternoon in Greensboro. That could ultimately impact times.
On The Line Analysis
In this clip from the most recent episode of On The Line, the crew dives into their top storylines heading into adidas Outdoor Nationals
The Best Sprint Event This Weekend
The Girls Championship 200m
And the simple reason is this: If all goes well over the heats, we could see four girls (or more) in the final with sub-24 second performances on their record. That starts with Skylar Brazzell, a sophomore from Northwest Nelson (TX) who finished third at the Texas State Meet in the Class 6A 200m. She's run as fast as 23.31w and posted a time of 24.00 seconds at state.
The aforementioned Wilson, one of North Carolina's top young sprinters, has clocked a legal 23.7 time, while Serena Tate, a junior from Brookwood (GA) has gone 23.93 and Charlotte Christian sophomore Nina Dominique has produced a time of 23.97. A total of 12 girls have run faster than 24.50.
On this track?
Notorious for fast times, expect some truly blazing performances to go down in this event.
Adidas Outdoor Nationals Throwback
Jack Britt (NC) junior Jameesia Ford clocked a time of 23.57 seconds in the championship girls 200m last year, an effort that moved her into the top 20 performances nationally
Meet Schedule -- Events & Times