McCullough (Calif.) and Cherry (Ga.) set national records

By Christopher Hunt

While Christian Taylor pulled on his USA warm-ups, he used his fingers to press down on his eyes, already red, to make sure the tears didn’t escape. He bent over for a few seconds. Not because he wasn’t exhausted. He wasn’t. Not because he lost. He didn’t.

His tears were about wanting it all. His tears were because he may not ever have another weekend where he felt this good so he wanted to squeeze this weekend dry. And he almost did.

Taylor, a Sandy Creek senior from Atlanta, Ga., captured three gold medals at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships. FULL STORY HERE

MEET HOMEPAGE VIDEO PAGE (16 videos) PHOTO GALLERY (1289 pics) LIVE RESULTS Sunday Results Sunday Boys Article Sunday Girls Article Sunday Winners Table Saturday Boys Results Saturday Girls Results Saturday Winners Table Saturday Article Friday Boys Results Friday Girls Results Friday Winners Table Friday Boy's Article Friday Girl's Article All photos by Tim Fulton/ArmoryTrack.com, Don Rich/PennTrackxc.com, and Mary DiBiase Blaich/wingedfootfotos.com

DAY THREE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 60m- D'Angelo Cherry (GA) 6.66, Victoria Jordan (TX) 7.38 - 60HH - Spencer Adams (NC) 7.75, Vashti Thomas (CA) 8.42 - 200m -TJ Graham (NC) 21.38, Ashton Pervis (CA) 23.43 - 400m - Christian Taylor (GA) 47.42, Nadonnia Rodriques (NY) 52.85 - 800m - Olivier Collin (Q) 1:51.39, Chanelle Price (PA) 2:05.93 - Mile - Charles White (CO) 4:11, Cory McGee (OH) 4:51 - 2 Mile - Max Kaulbach (PA) 9:02.65, Malia Cali (LA) -Triple Jump - Christian Taylor 51-3, Vashti Thomas (CA) 41-03.25 4x2 - Union Catholic (NJ) 1:28.81, Boys and Girls (NY) 1:40.51- 4x4 - Speed City (CA) 3:49.85, Woburn 3:19.16 - 4x8 - North Penn (PA) 7:47.48

DAY TWO NATIONAL CHAMPIONS Nick Vena (NJ) 66-07.25 SP, Rachel Laurent (LA) 13-03.5 PV, Danbury CT) 17:28.47 4xMile, Burnt Hills (NY) 20:14.24 4xMile, Maddie Buttinger (CAN) 3793 Pent, Curtis Beach (NM) and Daniel Gooris (NM) BOTH 3866 - Saturday Winners Table pic by www.wingedfootfotos.com

DAY ONE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS Trenton Central (NY) 29.38 SHR, Ridgewood (NJ) 35.23 SHR, Newburgh (NY) 3:28.25 SMR, Cardozo (NY) 4:03.16, Arch. Ryan (PA) 10:19.56, Warwick Valley (NY) 11:44.44 DMR,, Don Cabral (CT) 14:44.16 5K, Chelsea Ley (NJ) 17:03.79 5K, Christian Taylor (GA) 25-06.75 LJ, Vashti Thomas (CA) 19-05.75 LJ, Chris Copeland (VA) 6-09.5 HJ, Tynita Butts (VA) 5-08.5 HJ, Lauren Chambers (GA) 49-01.5 - Friday Winners Table pic by www.wingedfootfotos.com

Thomas (Calif.) wins gold in LJ, TJ and hurdles

By Christopher Hunt

Boys & Girls senior Nadonnia Rodriques crossed the finish and threw her hands in the air, pumped her first and covered the emotion on her face with her hands. It sounds like standard celebration for a national championship but it was momentous for an always-stoic Rodriques.

“I was happy, that was my goal,” she said. “My goal for the season was to win nationals and I’m very proud of myself.”

Rodriques (Brooklyn, N.Y.) won the 400 meters in 52.85 seconds at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships at the New Balance Armory, just a hundredth of a second off the New York State record she set at the Hall of Fame Classic Feb. 16.

FULL STORY HERE

FRESHMAN PHENON DOES IT AGAIN
Nick Vena (NJ) 66-07.25

Day Two Finals
Men's SP - Nick Vena (NJ) 66-07.25
Girls Pole Vault - Rachel Laurent (LA) 13-03.5
Boys 4xMile - Danbury (CT) 17:28.47, US#3 All Time
Girls 4xMile
Boys Pentathlon
Girls Pentathlon

Qualifiers
60m Semi
60m HH Semi
Boys 4x200m
Girls 4x200m
Boys 200m
Girls 200m
Boys 400m
Girls 400m
Boys Pole Vault

photo by Don Rich/PennTrack

N.J.'s Vena tops his own shot put record

By Christopher Hunt

He barely smiled on the medal podium. He fidgeted with bottom of his t-shirt, bounced around a bunch – showed the nervous energy of an unassuming 14-year old. Well, as assuming as a 6-4, 260-pound national champion can be.

Morristown freshman Nick Vena (Whippany, N.J.) won his first national championship at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships and broke his own national freshman shot put record, tossing 66 feet, 7 1/4 inches which bettered his previous mark of 66-0 3/4.

“This season has been wonderful,” Vena said. “I couldn’t have asked for anything more. I didn’t think I could throw as far as I have.” FULL ARTICLE HERE

pic by www.wingedfootfotos.com

LIVE RESULTS HERE
BOYS FRIDAY RESULTS
GIRLS FRIDAY RESULTS
WINNERS TABLE
MEET HOMEPAGE

Photo Gallery (657 Shots Already)

Video Page

Friday Boy's Article
Friday Girl's Article

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
Boys SHR: Trenton Central (NY) AR
Girls SHR: Ridgewood (NY)
Boys SMR: Newburgh (NY)
Girls SMR: Cardozo (NY)
Boys DMR: Arch. Ryan (PA)
Girls DMR: Warwick Valley (NY)
Boys 5000m: Don Cabral (CT)
Girls 5000m: Chelsea Ley (NJ)
Boys Log Jump: Christian Taylor (GA) AR
Girls Long Jump: Vashti Thomas (CA)
Boys High Jump: Chris Copeland (VA)
Girls High Jump: Tynita Butts (VA)
Girls Shot Put: Lauren Chambers (GA)

QUALIFYING HEATS
Boys 60m: D'Angelo Cherry (GA) 6.64 AR
Girls 60m: Victoria Jordna (TX) 7.41
Boys 60m HH: Spencer Adams NC) 7.82 AR
Girls 60m HH: Vashti Thomas (CA) 8.35
Boys 4x400m: Newburgh (NY) 3:18.58
Girls 4x400m: Boys and Girls (NY) 3:52.25
Girls Pole Vault Trials were held as well

AR = Armory Record

By Christopher Hunt

When he closed in on the takeoff board the sound went away. The claps fell silent. Then he planted his foot and went airborne.

“The last couple feet it’s weird,” Sandy Creek (Atlanta, Ga.) senior Christian Taylor said. “I black out. I don’t hear anything. No more claps. Nothing. Then when I hit the sand everything comes back.”  FULL ARTICLE HERE

Butts wins high jump, second in LJ

By Christopher Hunt of ArmoryTrack.com

The second her back touched the mat her face turned red. She tried to hide the shock behind her hands but the tears in her eyes sold her out.

Tynita Butts’ two hands covered her mouth while she walked back from the high jump mat to where she placed her warm-ups. She still sat in disbelief until the final jumper missed and Butts, a junior from TC Williams (Alexandria, Va.) won the high jump in 5 feet, 8 1/2 inches, a personal-best by two inches.

“I’m done right now,” Butts said. “My legs are screaming.”

That’s because the high jump was the last of the four events she competed in Friday at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships. She finished second in the long jump in 19-5 1/2, just a half-inch off Vashti Thomas of Mount Pleasant (Calif.), who won the national title in 19-6. She also competed in the 60 meters and ran a 200 leg on her team’s sprint medley relay.

“It’s stressful,” Butts said about competing in so many events at once. “But I try not to think about it. I think of this as my playground and I come here to play.”

The fatigue in her legs mixed with the constant pain she felt from the shin splits that have been plaguing Butt since last year led to her shock in the high jump.

“I didn’t think I was going to make it,” she said. “I thought I was going to clip it with my leg or something. When I got over it I just thought that wasn’t me. God lifted me over that bar.”

Take a look at some of the events contested this weekend and who to look for.  More events to follow as well as some boys events to watch.

ARTICLE HERE

Photo credit: Jamie Reinsch/sc.milesplit.us

Nike Indoor Nationals (Md.), National Scholastic Indoor Championships (N.Y.) and NCAA indoor championships are all taking place this weekend. Outdoor action in the state continues with four high school meets. Inside: Dorman's Marcus Rowland not attending Nike Indoor Nationals.

More big names have officially signed on to compete at the 25th Annual National Scholastic Indoor Championships, held March 14-16, 2008 in New York City.  This is the meet staff's third press release announcing top athletes committed to the event.

With the National Scholastic Indoor Championship less than a month away, the NSIC staff announced in a press release that twenty more elite prep athletes have committed to their event, which takes place March 14-16, 2008 in New York City.  This announcement certainly helps build momentum towards what should be a fantastic weekend.

With the National Scholastic Indoor Championship less than a month away, the NSIC staff announced in a press release that twenty more elite prep athletes have committed to their event, which takes place March 14-16, 2008 in New York City.  This announcement certainly helps build momentum towards what should be a fantastic weekend.

NSIC Press Release - The 2008 National Scholastic Indoor Championship will showcase members of the 2007 IAAF World Youth Championship Team that competed in Ostrava, Czech Republic this past summer.

Among those scheduled to compete are:

Christian Taylor (GA), Kenneth Gilstrap (GA), Isaiah Sweeney (TX), Chanelle Price (PA), Dylan Ferris (NC), Erica Alexander (TX), Chalonda Goodman (GA), Ashton Purvis (CA), Curtis Beach (NM), Julian Purvis (CA), Dalilah Muhammad (NY), Reggie Wyatt (CA) and William Wynne (GA).