Illinois Kids Kick Off Non Stop NBIN Action With Emerging Elites

The New Balance imprint is evident of the best high school track and field  action in America as you approach the historic structure (Tony Jones photo)

New York is the city that never sleeps and it has 8 million stories that have yet to been told. One story that is in the process of being told is the first day of the 2016 New Balance Indoor Nationals at the Armory on the upper west side of Manhattan. Forget the nice weather outside that reached 79F on Wednesday that felt like early summer. The Emerging Elite action was just as hot inside.

VIDEOS

-Emerging Elite Highlights:

  • Girls 60HH preliminaries: Richards senior Kyla Jimmar got it all started for IL girls with a personal best and new state best 8.96; Lincoln-Way East senior Alexis Pierre-Antoine gets warmed up for her team's relay action on Saturday with a solid and personal best 9.00.
  • Girls 2 mile: Big 10 sec PR for Lake Zurich senior Caitlin Shepard who placed 8th overall in 10:51.22. Shepard was feeling great early on as the lagged too much for her taste. She hit the initial splits in 2:34 and 5:18. However, it was Julia Lambert from Norfolk, VA who took over before losing ground to senior Julianna Catania of Egg Harbor, NJ; Lane Tech junior Maggie Scholle ran a personal best 10:54.77 to take 12th overall. Scholle admitted after the first mile which ran around 5:25, she lost control of her race plan. Regardless of the outcome Shepard and Scholle are ranked IL #2 (10:47.44) and #3 (10:50.67) converted to 3200m.
  • Girls 200: It could have been the nerves for Samara Miller (Sr., Naperville Neuqua Valley) who ran an uncharacteristic 26.00 in her prelim; Jimmar runs 26.25.
  • Girls Pole Vault: This event took forever it seemed to finish but the central contingent of Lauren Seaver (Normal U High) and Nikki Ogorek (Normal West) cleared season best/personal best 11-7. The bar was moved up to 12-0.75 where they stalled on a few solid efforts. Nicole Lovett (Clinton) was in Flight 2 but only cleared 11-1. Josephine Held of Mt. Zion officially netted 10-7.