As it has historically been, the New Balance Nationals Indoors held at the New Balance Track & Field Center at The Armory in Washington Heights this past weekend was a meet at which some of the best scholastic athletes in the country set new national standards.
On Saturday, the Newbury Park (California) Athletic Club boys 4xMile relay team altered the record books by posting 16:29:31. Not to be outdone, an hour later, the quartet from Flower Mound, Texas authored a national high school mark of their own in the girls 4xMile, crossing the tape in 19:37:78.
A large number of the spectators anticipated that junior sprinter Shawnti Jackson would capture the girls 200-meter sprint and add a new record to her resume. After all, in January at the Millrose Games staged at The Armory, the 16-year-old from Raleigh, North Carolina, broke the all-time 60-meter high school national time running 7.18, as well as etching a new age group world record and national junior class mark.
But not at full strength this trip, Jackson came in second to the impressive Ramiah Elliot of the North Central Track Club of Indianapolis, Indiana, who set a new Indiana state record by winning the event in a time of 23.34. Jackson was second in 23.50 and Madison Whyte third clocking 23.73.
“I was just trying to get out as hard as I could and try to just hold [my speed] and finish as best I could,” Jackson said. “…I’m happy. I haven’t trained in like five weeks because of an injury so I’m very proud of myself.”