There’s no time for a holiday break when there’s track meets to run. Last season’s top female sprinters and hurdlers are already off to a roaring start after just a few short weeks into the 2014-2015 indoor season.
The short sprints were hit the hardest by graduation, as just two competitors from last year’s New Balance Nationals Indoor 60m final return. That’s seniors Brenessa Thompson (Medgar Evers, NY), the current US leader for 55m with her 7.02 win at the Bishop Loughlin Games (12/20), and Kate Hall (Lake Region, ME), a 19-time Maine State Champion with personal records of 7.01 for 55m and 7.53 for 60m.
Jayla Kirkland (Woodlawn, AL) is the #3 time returner in the 60m with her 7.49 clocking, set en route to capturing the Alabama Class 6A State title last year. The sophomore has already bypassed that time this year, racing a US #1 7.47 to win the Holiday Invitational (12/13).
The honor of top time returner belongs to Pine Creek, CO’s Alleandra Watt (7.43), though the senior is an avid club soccer player and does not race indoors often. She has never competed at NBN.
Carolyn Brown (Phoebus, VA), is the No. 3 returner in the 55m with her 6.99 from last year’s Conference 18 Championship win. She currently ranks No. 3 in the 55m (7.08), behind #1 Thompson (NY), 7.02, and #2 Sydnei Murphy (NC), 7.05, who currently owns the nation’s #3 time for 60m (7.68). Brown is the #2 returner in the 200m; she ran 24.07 to take runner-up honors at NBN Indoors last season.
Save for event champion Shania Collins (Huntingtown, MD), a Class of 2014 graduate, each indoor 200m All-American will compete again this season. In addition to Brown, names to watch are Symone Darius (NY), LaurenRain Williams (CA), Brandee’ Johnson (VA), Kaitlin Sherman (NC), Zola Golden (NY) and Mariam Abdul-Rashid (ON).
Golden owns the nation’s fastest returning time in the one-lap indoor track event, courtesy of a quick 23.95 showing from the NBN Indoor prelims. The Arlington senior grows more dangerous as the distance doubles and will be the top name to watch in the longer sprints. In addition to the 200m, she returns with the nation’s fastest times for 300m (37.91) and 400m (54.15). The Texas commit is a big-stage racer, as she earned runner-up honors in the 400m at NBN Indoors last season before winning the whole shebang at NBN Outdoors. Quarter mile Indoor All-Americans Layla White (Cary, NC), Anna Jefferson (MI) and Sierra Irvin (MA) also return.
White is the nation’s fastest returner for 500m (1:15.12), while Mackenzie Kerr (Douglas Freeman, VA), Faith Ross (Western Branch, VA) and Tia Robinson (Wakefield, NC) all ran under 1:16 last year. Massachusetts multi-event star Amy Piccolo (Ursuline) is the quickest returner for 600m (1:32.01).
Super sophomore Sydney McLaughlin (Union Catholic, NJ) made headlines this summer when she placed runner-up at the USATF Junior National Championships to NCAA champion Shamier Little (Texas A&M) but did not meet the minimum age requirement to represent the United States at World Juniors. She’s back with a vengeance, racing US #1 38.52 300m already this season. McLaughlin has made her name on her 400m hurdle prowess, but she’s just as deadly at the shorter hurdles. She currently sits at national #2 on the 55H leaderboard, thanks to a 7.94 clocking at the Jim Mitchell Invitational (12/19).
The national leader for 55H is Anna Cockrell (Providence Day School, NC), with 7.88 — which is frighteningly close to her best time from last year — 7.87, which ranks her as the fourth-fastest returner in the country. She was eighth-fastest at NBN in the event; three other All-Americans return in the event, including NBN third placer Alexis Duncan (Desoto, TX), who ran 7.77 last year and is the top returner for the 60H (8.37), fourth placer Ciara Leonard (Cheltenham, PA) and fifth placer Brittley Humphrey (Hoover, AL), who is currently the national leader for 60H (8.88).