New Balance Nationals Day 2 CRACK RECAP!


Quick Take

As fun as it is to watch an untouchable superstar go for a record, it's more fun to watch two evenly matched heavyweights slug it out. That's what we saw in the girls long jump and 4x800. 

In the pit, Samiyah Samuels beat Tara Davis after losing to her at the Simplot Games last month. Those two have clocked major frequent flyer miles going from Texas and California, respectively, to compete against each other--and it paid off today. Samuels put pressure on the field extremely early, going 21-3.25 on her second jump. That was the first time a high school girl jumped over 21' indoors in nineteen years, and it was enough to win by four inches. Davis went 20-10 on her fifth jump to take second. Samuels's mark is #3 all-time.

On the track, New York rivals Mamaroneck, North Rockland, and Shenendehowa duked it out in a beautifully intense 4x800. Shen and North Rockland (winner of last night's DMR in national record time) led going into the final leg, but Katie Devore of Mamaroneck was lurking. She went out in 60, hawked North Rockland's anchor in the last 50 meters, and dabbed to the crowd after winning. Mamaroneck's 8:58.86 is #7 all-time and gives New York five of the top ten schools ever in the event.