NYT&F Battle of the Years - Leaders Showdown 2008-2015 Indoors

Again, as a proponent of the "winning in the long run" theory, the distance group is loaded up with a total of 8 events for boys and girls that probably make the sprinters and mid distance guys scream about how the 200m-400m-800m distances got short-changed while the Mile and 2 Mile get special attention. But I checked with the virtual Alex Hatz who was a winner in the mid-distance 1000m, and he was really fine with the additions, and other mid distance winners like Kyle Merber, Zavon Watkins, and Mary Cain were also virtually okay with the idea. Plus, the distance guys and girls need to be rewarded for all of the extra laps they do around the track.

In the quest for a single year sweep of the best mark in the 1500-1600m+Mile+3000m-3200m+2 Mile, two names stand out as Grand Slam winners. Hatz in 2010 and Cain in 2013 are the only two to get the four-way sweep, though Emily Lipari picked up everything in 2009 except the 2 Mile. Lipari and Aisling Cuffe are the only ones to complete back-to-back wins in the related distances, as Lipari was tops in the 1500m and Mile in 2009 and 2010, and Cuffe was the best in the 3000m and 2 Mile in 2010 and 2011. The list of other distance title doublers is long and includes Julian Sheinbaum (3200m and 2 Mile), Chad Noelle (Mile and 2 Mile), Sibby Hanson (3200m twice), Luke Gavigan (1600m and Mile), Shelby Greany (2 Mile twice), Samatha Nadel (Mile and 3000m), Brianna Nerud (Mile and 2 Mile), Kelly Hayes (1500m and Mile), Denise Branch (3000m and 2 Mile), Paige Duca (1500m and Mile), and Bella Burda (3000m and 2 Mile). Merber was a 1000m-Mile winner, and Watkins got a Mile win to go with his three 1000m Leaders titles.

The rich got richer as 2014 boosted its lead after the second round to take 36 of a possible 40 points in the distance events to go up 6 points on the 2015 guys. 1sts from Luke Gavigan in the 1600m and Brian Cook in the 3200m and 2nds from Gavigan in the Mile and Tim McGowan in the 2 Mile have the 2014 team well out in front. Only last year's guys remain close, as James Burke captures the Mile and Aidan Tooker takes the 2 Mile, and a 2nd by Conor Lundy in the 3200m and a 4th by Michael Daddario in the 1600m gives the 2015 team a very commendable 33 points in the distance events. Nick Ryan earns the 2nd in the 1600m, but his 2013 squad is way back in 6th.

Mary Cain of 2013 runs away from everybody in all 4 races even though she had only had a 10 minute respite between races due to the very tight scheduling at the Leaders meet (don't forget that most of these runners have been resting up for many years). Cain's remarkable feat pushes the 2013 squad into a 16 point lead over a 2011 team that gets 2nd in the 3000m and 2 Mile from Aisling Cuffe. 2010 gets a 2nd and 3rd from Emily Lipari in the 1500m and Mile to tie for 3rd with a 2012 team led again by Cain with a 2nd in the 1500m.

Mary Cain's quartet of wins pulls the 2013 team almost all the way back into the lead, 2015's 33 points from the guys is enough to keep them ahead by 2 points. The 2014 guys' 36 points in distance has their squad in a tie for 3rd. But with five teams within 12 points of each other at the end of three rounds, the Combined win is very much up for grabs.

Battle of the Years Events

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Group 1: Sprints - Group 2: Mid Distance

Group 3: Long Distance - Group 4: Hurdles

Group 5: Horizontal Jumps - Group 6: Vertical Jumps and Vaults

Group 7: Throws - Group 8: Relays - Meet Wrap-up

Summary by Athlete - Summary by Team - Summary by Section

Indoor Versus Outdoor Comparison - Boys Versus Girls Comparison