While Nike Indoor Nationals had the bulk of Virginians competing at the two "national championship" meets, a decent contigency of Virginians were also present to compete at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships at the New York Armory in New York.
NSIC National Champions
- Shakia Forbes (Bethel) - Girls Long Jump (19'4.75")
NSIC All-Americans
- Anne Marie Gordon (Mills Godwin) - Girls Pole Vault (3rd, 12'1.50")
- Chris Tyson (Washington-Lee) - Boys Mile (5th, 4:19.28)
- Allen Molina (Patrick Henr-Roanoke) - Boys Triple Jump (6th, 46'4")
In Friday night's girls long jump, it did not take a personal best or even season best performance from Bethel's Shakia Forbes to win a national title in the event, but she'll take it as she her top mark of 19'4.75" bested the field at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships. Forbes had been settling for second place finishes at the state meet after taking state runner-up honors in the long jump at the AAA State Outdoor Meet last spring and AAA State Indoor Meet last weekend, but the Seton Hall bound Forbes got her first taste of national championship glory on Friday at the Armory.
It did take a personal best day for Anne Marie Gordon of Mills Godwin in the pole vault to earn her first All-American honor in the event. Gordon had cleared a personal best height of 12'1" earlier in the season and set a new AAA State Meet record of 12 feet last weekend. The Duke recruit cleared 12'1.50" in New York to finish third in the pole vault competition.
District, regional, and state rival to Gordon as well as club teammate Anne Powell of Patrick Henry cleared a height of 11'9", which would have put her in the top six for All-American honors, but earlier misses had her on the outside looking in despite the personal best clearance for the senior pole vaulter.
Washington-Lee senior Chris Tyson wrapped up a stellar indoor season, which included a state championship for 1000 meters last Saturday with All-American honors in the mile run at NSIC as he posted a personal best time of 4:19.28 to finish fifth in the distance race.
Patrick Henry's Allen Molina was a pleasant surprise to finish in the top six in the triple jump at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships as Molina failed to even earn All-State honors last weekend at the AAA State Meet. However, Molina had performed well in big meets earlier in the season including a win at the Virginia Tech Invite and used that experience to his advantage as he launced himself into a fifth place with a personal best mark of 46'4".
While the Thomas Jefferson boys did not pick up All-American in the 4xmile relay, it is fairly noteworthy that their seventh place finishing time of 18:01.32 would have won the event at Nike Indoor Nationals. Coach Matt Ryan's squad consisted of Taylor Bostick, Brian Landry, Paul Norland, and Richard Prevost.
Radford junior Nathan Brame, cross country state champion in the fall in Group AA, competed in the 5000 meter run and clocked a solid time of 15:49.15 to finish 12th overall. Lake Braddock junior Anna Corrigan also clocked a strong time in the girls race as she ran a personal best clocking of 18:37.11 to finish 11th overall.