Day 1 Results & Recap from New Balance Nationals Indoor

2015 New Balance Nationals Indoor

Mar 13, 2015

Anna Rohrer 16:10.79 5k National High School Record highlights Day 1 at NBN Indoors

By Stephen Mazzone

The field was deep for the girls' 5,000-meter run during Day 1 of the New Balance Nationals Indoor Championships.

Though the field was stacked, it was clear to most track enthusiast inside the New Balance Armory on Friday that the individual title would go to one of just two runners, either North Carolina's Ryen Frazier or Indiana's Anna Rohrer.

The tandem have had their share of grinders the last few years. Just three months prior to their matchup, Rohrer got the best of her rival by taking her second title at the Foot Locker X-C Nationals with a 10-second victory.

The results were similar once again at NBNI. Albeit by a smaller margin.

In a neck-and-neck battle to the finish, the senior from Mishawaka held off a gritty effort from Frazier to win with a new national record of 16 minutes, 10.79 seconds. Frazier, a Ravenscroft senior, was timed in 16:11.78 for her runner-up placement, also dipping under the old mark of 16:11.85, set last year by Abington Heights (PA) grad Tessa Barrett.

The victory by Rohrer completes a difficult trifecta of 5K national titles. In addition to her victory at Foot Locker in December she was also the NBNO champion.

"That was one of the best races that I ran, I think," Rohrer said. "It certainly didn't go as I planned but most races don't. I am really happy with the way I ran. I think I ran tough. I ran smart and the national record is huge. I was looking around at the walls of the Armory and you see all the records. I am so pumped to get my name up there."

After hanging with the lead pack for the first few laps, a group that included Iowa's Stephanie Jenks of Linn-Mar (third, 16:40.13), Rohrer and Frazier took charge on the outside backstretch, just past 800 meters. The duo passed the opening mile at 5:15 with Jenks and freshman Kelati Weini of Heritage (Va.) close behind.

"Most people can't handle a 15 (minute) low (for 5K) so I thought it was safe to go out near 5:10, 5:15," Frazier said. "We hit the first mile about what I thought, and Anna was right there. I knew she was favored to win. I have faced her many times and know how she runs. I just stuck on her as long as I could."

Rohrer and Frazier made their most decisive surge by the 3K mark (9:48), turning the race into a two-person affair the final 2,000 meters. Rohrer fended off a last ditch effort by Frazier during the closing laps to earn her first indoor crown and third straight national title for the 5K distance.

"Ryen us such a great competitor," said the Notre Dame signee. "I have run with her so many times so I know how she usually runs. It was just great to have someone next to you. I didn't intend to lead as early as I did but things happen so I stuck with it and I think we both ran great times."

Rohrer next race will be on the outdoor surface. As far as Frazier, she has at least one more chance (or possibly two) to earn an indoor title. She's also entered in the mile and two mile, both of which are scheduled for Sunday.

Her older sister Wesley captured all three events in the 2013 event.

"I actually signed up for all three way back and was saying I'll definitely run the 5K and just see how the fields are (in the mile and two mile) and see how I feel after the 5K. If I feel good after the two mile, I'll run the mile," the younger Frazier said. "It's really still up in the air. I am definitely running a race. We'll see how it is."

The boys' 5K proved to be equally exciting with Elijah Armstrong (Pocatello, ID) edging New York's Mike Brannigan (Northport) with a time of 14:41.72. Brannigan, the defending NBNO two-mile champion, finished at 14:42.33. Placing third was Casey Comber (Hatboro Horsham PA) in 14:51.83.

Armstrong, who was last year's runner-up and the 2013 champion, was looking to PR on the Armory's banked oval. He realized early in the race that wouldn't be the case. Virtually from the beginning, he was a mere stride or two ahead of Brannigan.

"Obviously, I would have liked to have run faster. But when I took it out and he went with me it was kind of hard," said Armstrong, who was second at last year's NBNO meet with a near PR of 14:29.58. "We got to a point where it was off pace...The first mile was kind of slow. It's kind of difficult to maintain that pace."

Brannigan, a runner with 8:53 speed for two miles, didn't make it easy for his rival and moved past the Idaho runner with less than 150m left. But Armstrong quickly regained order and gutted his way back to the front by the time he reached the final straightaway.

"I kind of had that all through freshman year, seniors kicking my butt the last 200 meters," Armstrong said. "I have done things past and present to react to that, especially on the last lap last two laps, just stay calm and relax."

Suffern (NY) improved on its nation No. 1 in the girls' distance medley relay with the squad of sophomore Kamryn McIntosh, senior Imani Solan, seventh-grader Mary Hennelly and sophomore Rachel Ludwikowski combining for a winning time of 11:53.57. Finishing second was Padua Academy (DE) at 11:55.12 (US #2). North Rockland (NY) was third in 11:55.21 (US #3).

McIntosh, the national 600m record-holder, was a little out of her element running the leadoff 1,200m leg. Still, the tenth-grader put her teammates just a stride behind early-race leader Friends Central of Pennsylvania.

"I knew I had to get out and get a good time and hopefully become national champions," she said. "Going up a lot in the distance it was a lot more pressure. I'm not used to it. I just knew I had to get out and do my best."

Solan gave the NY squad a lead it would not relinquish by bolting to a 55.91 split for her 400m leg.

"Kam got my right where I needed to go," she said. "I knew as long as she got me near the lead I could pass them and move on."

Hennelly clocked a 2:20.96 for her 800m leg and Ludwikowski was a shade over five minutes for her 1,600m anchor.

"There was definitely a lot of nerves going through," Ludwikowski said. "This has happened before where I was anchor leg and they gave me a big lead and I just messed it up. I did not want that to happen again. That's what was really going through my head -- 'Don't let this ruin it for them.' I do it for them. I love them so much."

Saline (MI) captured the boys' DMR with the foursome of senior Kevin Hall, junior Brian Blakenship, junior Josiah Humphrey and senior Logan Wetzel cruising to the country's top time with a 10:04.30 clocking. Led by a 4:06.80 1,600m anchor leg from Alex Ostberg, Darien (CT) placed second at 10:05.47 (US #2). Concorde Carlisle (MA) placed third at 10:07.26 (US #3). The Massachusetts' team was fueled by a brilliant 4:05.78 anchor from junior Thomas Ratcliffe, who ran the fastest time of the day.

Saline was in fourth place, well within reach of the leaders after an opening 1,200m leadoff leg of 3:07.82 from junior Kevin Hall. Junior teammate Brian Blankenship maintained that position with a 400m split of 51.35.

"Going into it, I was definitely nervous because I never really ran a 1,200 before, just 800 and mile," Hall said. "I just wanted to go out hard and give us a position to win."

Senior Josiah Humphrey cranked out a 1:56.57 for his 800m leg and senior Logan Wetzel, who captured the New Balance Grand Prix junior mile last month, brought his team to victory by running a strong 4:08.56 anchor, ignoring a gallant effort from the fast-charging Ostberg.

"I heard my coach on the sidelines, yelling at me to keep pressing, that there were guys closing on me," Armstrong said. "That's what was going through my mind, just keep pressing when I went up to the front; never let up."

Nicole Green, a senior from Ponte Verde (FL), lived up to her top billing in the high jump with a meet and facility record of 6-0.5, her second time over the six-foot barrier this season. Canada's Mikell Lefebvre-oatis was second at 5-8.5.

"With all the music and a lot of people I was a little nervous with my first couple of jumps at 5-6, 5-8," Green said. "Then when it got to six feet I started to get a little more excited than nervous. I'm not used to a lot of music and stuff."

Jimmy and Jojo recap the madness that went down at Day 1 of New Balance Nationals Indoor, which included a national record in the 5k by Anna Rohrer

Quick Takes:

Girls 5k - The rematch between Foot Locker Nationals Champion Anna Rohrer (Mishawaka, IN) vs. runner-up Ryen Frazier (Ravenscroft, NC) did not disappoint, though the US #1 4:41 miler barely made it to the start line after the meet ran ahead of schedule. Stephanie Jenks (Linn-Mar, IA) and Weini Kelati (Heritage, VA) hung at the front through the first mile (about 5:15) but once things got rolling, it was the Rohrer-Frazier show. Frazier let the Notre Dame commit keep the lead throughout the entire race. Though it looked like the NC State signee was biding her time for a final surge, it was Rohrer who kept control of the pace all the way to the very end to finish with a new National High School Record of 16:10.79. The time just edged the 16:11.85 set by Tessa Barrett (Abington Heights, PA) last year. Frazier finished with a US #3 All-Time mark of 16:12.81, just edging her sister Wesley's 16:18:01 down to US #4 All-Time.
Boys 5k - The time wasn't quite what Elijah Armstrong (Pocatello, ID) was looking for, but he still gave the crowd a rousing race against defending NBN Outdoors Two Mile Champion Mikey Brannigan (Northport, NY). The duo easily broke away from the pack to make it a two-man race all the way through, with Armstrong holding the slight lead for the majority of the way. Brannigan made a move with 150 meters to go but Armstrong rightly had confidence in his kick as the Foot Locker Nationals third-placer surged in the final straightaway to win his second NBN Indoors title, 14:41.72 to 14:42.33.
Girls Distance Medley Relay - Suffern (NY) proved their US #1 ranking was no fluke, as the quartet sped to a new nation-leading time of 11:53.57. 600m National High School Record Holder Kamryn McIntosh led off with 3:36.21, Imani Solan split 55.91, seventh-grader Mary Hennelly ran 2:20.96 and Rachel Ludwikowski anchored the mile in 5:00.49.
Boys Distance Medley Relay - The boys race was tight all the way through the end, but it was US #2 miler Logan Wetzel who secured the win for Saline (MI) in a US #7 All-Time mark of 10:04.3. Kevin Hall led off in 3:07.82, Brian Blankenship split 51.35, Josiah Humphrey ran 1:56.57 and Wetzel anchored in 4:08.56. Alex Ostberg split 4:06.6 for runners-up Darien (CT) and Thomas Ratcliffe ran the fastest anchor of the night in 4:05.78 for Concord Carlisle to finish third.
Girls High Jump - Nicole Greene (Ponte Verde, FL) was in a league of her own, jumping a NBN Indoors Meet Record and Armory Track Facility Record of 6-0.5. She made several strong attempts at the Florida State Record of 6-1.5 before retiring for the evening.