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Nike Indoor Nationals
March 13-15, 2009 - Reggie Lewis Center, Boston MA

Preview: Seven Storylines


 


Seven Boston storylines to savor
Record attempts and emerging stars are all part of the picture

by Mike Kennedy


1. Jordan Hasay—the challenge—and the courage to take it on.  Consider the following: the senior from Mission College Prep (San Luis Obispo, Ca.) has won two Foot Locker National cross-country championships, won three USA Track and Field Junior cross-country titles, finished second in the 2007 World Youth championship 1,500, finished fourth in the 2008 World Junior championships 1500, set a national high school record in the 1,500, finished 10th in the U.S. Olympic Trials 1,500 for the Beijing Olympics and ranks second on the all-time list for the 3,200/Two-mile. With just the spring remaining, it would have been easy to concentrate on the outdoor season and move on to th University of Oregon. Instead, three weeks ago, she announced she would run the two-mile at the Nike Indoor Nationals, and in doing so she will be going after one of the best indoor records, the 9:55.92 set by Melody Fairchild of Boulder (Co.) in this meet in 1991.

On the surface you might think that, given the fact that Hasay has run 9:52.13 for 3,200 meters outdoors to rank second on the all-time list, Fairchild’s record will be well within her abilities. Outdoors, yes, but indoors and between seasons, it could be a different story. First off is the fact that she has never run an indoor race, and most runners will tell you that there is a fairly steep learning curve between indoor and outdoor running. Second, is the timing of the attempt. Hasay’s history has seen her peak for the cross-country season and the outdoor track season. This will be the first time that she will call upon herself to put forth that kind of effort in the winter. And third, perhaps the unfair expectation that a record is almost a given. Having said that, this is Jordan Hasay, and over the past two years she has established herself, along with Mary Decker, as the best female high school distance runner of all time. Despite the obstacles—running on a foreign surface, out of season and probably not at a physical peak—Hasay has accepted the challenge, and for that, track fans everywhere should applaud her audacity. .

2. Conor McCullough, like a misty fog, suddenly appears, dominates the competition, and then disappears.  In 2006, as a freshman, Conor McCullough (Chaminade, West Hills, Ca.) competed in just six meets, but broke the national class record in the hammer throw eight times. The following year he again competed in just six meets, breaking the class record three times and finished third at the World Youth Championships. In 2008, he took on a slightly heavier load, competing in 10 meets, setting a national high school record of 260-0 and finishing second in the World Junior Championships. But his most startling performance in his junior year was the national indoor record of 87-10 in the 25-pound weight throw—an event in which he had never before competed. Give his improvement from year to year, a new national record is a distinct possibility and maybe, just maybe, a throw approaching 90 feet would not be totally be out of the question for America’s best hammer prospect since Harold Connolly, who set the world record in the mid 1950s.  McCullough is scheduled to compete at both NIN and NSIC. 

3. Ciarra Brewer and Shakeela Saunders: the emergence of a second dynamic duo. Between 2002 and 2004, Brittany Daniels (West, Tracy, Ca.) and Erica McLain (Plano East, Plano, Tx.) dominated the triple jump, competing against each other a number of times. Daniels ended up with national record at 44-11.75 and McLain moved into third place on the all-time list at 44-01.50. Last year, Ciarra Brewer (James Logan, Union City, Ca.) missed the outdoor freshman record of 41-08.50 by a quarter of an inch, and this year has already set the sophomore indoor record with a 41-06.00 effort at the Simplot Games. The multi-talented Shakeela Saunders (Great Bridge, Chesapeake, Va.) was a long sprinter as an eighth-grader in 2008. Although she did find time to long jump 19-05.00, if she competed in the triple jump, she never bettered 37-06.00. This indoor season she has freshman records at 300 meters (since broken) and the triple jump, where she got out to 40-02.50. Brewer is the No. 1 ranked triple jumper in the nation and Saunders is No. 5. Trying to break them up at Nike Indoor Nationals will be Andrea Geubelle (Curtis, Tacoma, Wa.) ranked No. 2 in the nation at 40-05.00, Karynn Dunn (Diamond Ranch, Pomona, Ca.), who has jumped 40-05.00 outdoors, and Jesia Richardson (Tucker, Richmond, Va.), the No. 6 jumper in the nation at 40-02.25.  

4. Wayne Davis II continues to chase records. Two years ago, Wayne Davis II (Southeast, Raleigh, N.C.) set the sophomore class record at 60-meter hurdles at 7.83. Last year he took down the junior class record and tied the national record with a 7.62—a record that is held by three other runners, including Olympians Terrance Trammell (Southwest DeKalb, Decatur, Ga.) and Deworski Odom (Overbrook, Philadelphia, Pa.). Davis also has the sophomore, junior and senior class record at 55 meters. His best this year at 60 meters is 7.69 but that was three weeks before he ran the 7.05 for 55 meters. Chasing Davis will be Cameron LaCour (Atascocito, Humble, Tx.) at 7.85 and Tashaun Hill (Eaglecrest, Aurora, Co.) at 7.88.

5. Rayiana Johnson and Nevada Sorenson move from off the map to names to be remembered. Last year, junior Rayiana Johnson (Chester, Pa.) had indoor bests of just 7.75 for 60 meters and 25.03 for 200 meters, and just an outdoor 200 best of 24.73, but this season she is making up for lost time. She is undefeated with best of 7.45 for 60 meters and 24.04 for 200 meters to rank No. 3 in the nation in both events.  Senior Nevada Sorenson (Lincoln, Sioux Falls, S.D.) was second in the State 2A 100-meter high hurdles last spring with a best of 14.67, and prior to this season had no notable performances indoors. All of that changed at the Simplot Games 60-meter hurdles, where she led Trinity Wilson (St. Mary’s, Berkeley, Ca.) over the final hurdle before finishing second in 8.62 for the fifth fastest time in the nation.  Both girls will face stiff challenges. Chalonda Goodman (Newnan, Ga.) is No. 2 in the nation at 7.34 for 60 meters and Ashley Collier (Dunbar, Fort Worth, Tx.) is No. 5 at 7.52. Dominique Booker (Immaculate Conception, Montclair, N.J.) is the national leader at 55 meters with a 6.92.  Collier is No. 4 in the nation for 200 meters at 24.22 and Shanae Bailey (Swenson Arts & Technology, Philadelphia, Pa.) is No. 5 at 24.30. Goodman has run 23.79 on an oversize track. Jasmin Stowers (Pendleton, S.C.) is No. 1 in the nation for the 60-meter hurdles at 8.43, Donique Flemings (Saginaw, Tx.) is No. 3 at 8.47 and Christienne Linton (Romulus, Mi.) is No. 4 at 8.61. Madelayne Smith (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) is No. 2 in the nation at 55 meters with a 7.96.


6. The Reebok Boston Indoor Games mile—redeux. Mac Fleet (University City, San Diego, Ca.) came from way back to win the distance race of the year with a time of 4:09.06 in the Reebok Boston Indoor Games mile, defeating Andrew Springer (Westerly, R.I.), at 4:09.16, Patrick McGregor (Hoover, Al.) at 4:09.41 and Drew Butler (The Woodlands, Tx.) at 4:09.62, for the four fastest times in the nation. All four are entered, along two other Reebok finishers—Brett Johnson (Ocean City, N.J.) at 4:13.00 and Omar Abdi (Charlestown, Ma.) at 4:14.22.  Abdi later ran 4:15.53. Looking to break up the rematch are the Virginia State 3A champion Bobby Peavey (Kellam, Virginia Beach, Va.) who ran 4:09.31 for 1,600 meters, and Nathan Mathabane (Lincoln, Portland, Or.) who has run 4:14.15 for  a mile on an oversize track at the University of Washington.

7. Records, records, records. New Bern (N.C.) has a real shot at three relay records, one of which they already hold. Using a core group of Fuqauwn Green, Miles Sparks, Daishawn Styron and twins Anthony and Andrew Hendrix, the squad will be shooting for records in the 4x200, the 1600 sprint medley relay and the 4x400 relay, where it already holds the record of 3:13.06 set earlier this year. Poly (Long Beach, Ca.) holds the current record in the 4x200 at 1:26.09 set in 2005, and Muir (Pasadena, Ca.) set the sprint medley relay record of 3:24.69 in 1997. New Burn has run 1:27.06 and 3:26.28.

Wayne Davis (Southeast, Raleigh, N.C.) already shares the 60-meter hurdle record with three others at 7.62 and earlier this season set the national of 7.05 for the 55-meter hurdles.

With a quick first 400, both Tom Mallon (Central Bucks South, Warrington, Pa.), who won the state indoor meet in 1:51.79, and Bill Ledder (Gonzaga Prep, Washington DC), who soloed a 1:51.50 last week, could challenge the 800 record of 1:50.55 set by Michael Granville (Bell Gardens, Ca.) in 1995.

Albemarle (Charlotte, Va.) is the national leader in the 4 x 800 Relay with its 7:44.70, and Morris Hills (Rockaway, N.J.) ranks No. 2 with its 7:46.54 at the New Balance Games. The two teams met at the Millrose Games, where Albemarle came out on top, and in Boston will be shooting for the national record of 7:42.22 set by Syosset (N.Y.) in 2005.

Last year, in his first-ever indoor competition, junior Conor McCullough (Chaminade, West Hills, Ca.) set the national 25-pound weight throw record with a toss of 87-10. After an outdoor season that saw him set the national record in the hammer with a throw of 260-0, could he possibly challenge the 90-foot barrier?

The best chance for a Girls record is in the two-mile, where Jordan Hasay (Mission College Prep, San Luis Obispo, Ca.), who has run 9:52.13 for 3,200 meters outdoors, will attempt to take down one of the most revered indoor records of all time—the 9:55.92 set by Melody Fairchild (Boulder, Co.) in this very meet in 1991 at Syracuse University.

Lauren Chambers (Kell, Marietta,Ga.) moved to No. 2 on the 20-pound weight throw list with her 61-07.50 earlier this year, and based on her 191-06 last week with the hammer, she is a real threat to take down the 62-02.00 national weight throw record set by Victoria Flowers (Classical, Providence, R.I) in 2008.
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