Preview
by John Dye
Boys - Girls
Some of the leading performers are:
Boys
- 100 - Jamesville-Dewitt NY sr Jordan Lester (NY state 55m indoor champ, 4th in 60m at Nike Indoor Championships)
- 200 - Elzie Coleman NY, more noted at 400m but still formidable at 200m. Manchester Central NH jr Dominique Worsley (2004 USATF New England indoor champ, 2004 New England 300m champ). Deep Creek VA sr John Hyman. Half Hollow Hills NY sr Kevin Okolie. Amityville NY sr Ian Morgan (4th, 2004 NSIC New York).
- 400 - Wilson Portsmouth VA sr Lashawn Merritt, the national leader outdoors with his 45.88 clocking against collegians at Morgan State 2 weeks ago, heads the field. There could be a titanic showdown with Newburgh NY sr Elzie Coleman, the indoor national record holder (45.92). Coleman is entered, but it is not know whether he will be eligible to run after the suspension he received for his part in a brawl at school recently.
- 800 - Truman NY sr Kevin Dacres 1:54.53 (4th, NSIC). Fordham Prep NY sr Brian McCabe 1:54.82 ( 5th, Eastern States indoors). Northport NY jr Kevin Tschirhart, dropping down in distance.
- 1600 - Good matchup of top Eastern indoor milers. Northport NY jr Kevin Tschirhart (4:12.69y, 4th NSIC; NY State 3200m indoor champ). Falmouth ME sr Brandon Bonsey (4:17.99y, 7th NSIC). Fordham Prep NY sr Brian McCabe (4:14.03y, 3rd NSIC).
- 3200 - Cinnaminson NJ sr Jon Anderson (8th, NSIC New York mile, 4:18.11). Fordham Prep NY sr Brian McCabe (3rd, NSIC New York mile, 4:14.03).
- 110H - Defending champ Schenectady NY sr Verrol Jackson (110H NY state champ 2003, and 3rd at AOC Raleigh2003), Port Richmond NY sr Saidu Ezike (7.41 55H US#5 indoors).
- 400H - Verrol Jackson (2nd NY State Meet 2003). Saidu Ezike has no mark at this distance, but should be competitive.
- PV - Archbishop Molloy NY sr Ian Cassidy (15-9.25, 1st Hispanic Games indoors) will be challenged by Great Bridge VA's top pair of sr Daniel Brennan 15-1 (3rd, Penn Relays) and soph Michael Morrison 15-0.25.
- 4x100 - Newburgh NY, with or without Elzie Coleman, will battle with Deep Creek VA.
- 4x400 - Newburgh NY, clear favorite if Elzie Coleman runs (3:16.99, 2nd at Mobile), still strong without him. South Shore NY (3:18.87 indoors).
- 4x800 - Danbury CT, Boys & Girls NY, Northport NY.
- DMR - David Groff's Westfield VA, US#4 indoors (10:12.89) and 4th in Penn Relays 4x800 (7:49.11) challenges a gang of top New York teams -- Fordham Prep, Arlington, Northport, Syosset, St. Anthony's.
- Pentathlon - Top seeds are Londonderry's Freddie Wills and Deep Creek's Glen Jackson.
Girls
- 100 - A.P. Randolph NY sr Natasha Hastings, one of the nation's premier long sprinters (38.16 300m US#1 indoors, 53.72 400m US#2 indoors), drops down to the 100. Scarsdale NY jr Jessica Retelny (7.17 55m indoor, Colgate Women's Games champ).
- 200 - Could be one of the best matchups of the meet with A.P. Randolph NY sr Natasha Hastings and West Catholic Philadelphia PA jr Nicole Leach heading the top seeds.
- 400 - West Catholic Philadelphia PA jr Nicole Leach is a big favorite as one of the hottest runners in the country. She won NSIC indoor 400m (52.19, US#2 all time) and Arcadia outdoors (53.58 US#2 this year). Plus, she just won the Penn Relays 400m hurdles in 57.84, a Penn Relays record and US#11 all time.
- 800 - Another great matchup between West Catholic Philadelphia PA soph Latavia Thomas (2:07.51 winner at Arcadia in California) and Fauquier VA jr Sarah Bowman (2:07.69 winner at Taco Bell Classic in South Carolina).
- 1600 - Clear favorite is Fauquier VA jr Sarah Bowman, fresh off her dominating 4:48.55 US#1 victory in the Penn Relays mile. Bowman is back in top form after a 6-month siege of various ailments.
- 3200 - Top notch field headed by Bay Shore NY jr Laura Cummings, Penn Relays 3000 meter champ (9:51.28). Cummings was also the Nike Indoor Championships winner at 2 miles (10:38.79). Cummings will be challenged by worthy New York veterans such as Tri Valley sr Heather Iatauro, Northport sr Lindsay Sundell, and East Meadow sr Brittney Criscuolo.
- 2000m Steeplechase - Tri Valley NY sr Heather Iatauro is clear favorite. She won AOC Raleigh last year (6:54.39) and was 4th in the US Junior Nationals (7:01.36 ).
- 100H - North Rockland NY jr Yvana Hepburn (8.31 55H indoor, NY state champ).
- 400H - With Nicole Leach not entered, A.P. Randolph NY sr Selena Sappleton steps up to favorite's role. She is returning to an event she hadn't run in a couple of years, and she was 5th at Penn Relays in 1:01.53.
- HJ - Shoreham Wading River NY jr Lauren Biscardi (5-9) just wins, baby, with gold medals from the Penn Relays, NSIC, NIC, New York State Meet and Eastern States in the past 3 months.
- SP - Freeport sr Felicia Yearwood 42-4 NY state champ indoors.
- 4x400 - Three of best squads in the country square off. West Catholic Philadelphia PA 3:45.56 US# 8 2004 was 3rd at Penn Relays and 3rd at Arcadia. A.P. Randolph NY was 4th at Penn Relays in 3:45.67 US#9. Boys & Girls NY ran 3:47.77 indoors.
- 4x800 - Boys & Girls NY 9:04.13 US#2 this season was 4th at the Penn Relays. Bay Shore NY is always dangerous.
- DMR - Three New York teams are among the best in the US. Bay Shore (11:43.51 US#2 all time indoors, 2nd NSIC to Mountain View UT's US record 11:35.43). Warwick Valley (12:00.49 indoors, 3rd NSIC - 12:08.49, 4th Penn Relays). Bronxville (12:07.07, 3rd Penn Relays, and 12:12.05 indoors, 4th NSIC).
- Pentathlon - Top seed is A.P. Randolph NY sr Angelica Reed.
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