New Balance Nationals Indoor: Jumps Preview

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Girls High Jump

Entries: 25

2018 WinnerAnna Hall, Colorado, 5-08.75

Armory RecordNicole Greene, Punta Verde Beach, Florida, 6-00.50

National Record Vashti Cunningham, Bish Gorman, Nevada, 6-06.25

Threats To WinMorgan Smalls (NC), Taylor Wright (VA), Anna Hall (CO), Nyagoa Bayak (ME) 

Analysis: Morgan Smalls from North Carolina has the current US No. 1 mark with her jump of 6-1 from the NCHSAA 4A Indoor State Championship Meet one month ago. Although she holds the best mark in the country and finished third at New Balance Nationals Indoor last year, she isn't exactly a shoo-in to win this event. There are three other girls just behind her who have all cleared 6-feet, one of whom beat her head-to-head earlier this season at The VA Showcase. That athlete is Indiana's Shelby Tyler.

Tyler cleared 6-feet to win The VA Showcase and has been fairly consistent at 5-8 since then, including just last weekend when she cleared 5-8 to win the IWU HSR Qualifier #2 meet. Taylor Wright is another athlete who has cleared 6-0 when she won the Ed Bowie Classic on Dec. 8. The final athlete who's cleared 6-0 this year is Nyagoa Bayak of Maine. She's been consistently clearing 5-8.75 or higher since Jan. 25 and has been undefeated this season in the high jump. 

Although these four are the only ones to clear 6-0 this year, the winning mark last year came from Anna Hall of Colorado and it was 5-8.75. If the bar only goes that high, this could open the door for a whole new set of athletes to take the win. Athletes like Hall, Jenna Rogers of New Jersey, Renner Addie of North Carolina, 
Lydia Bottelier of Pennsylvania and another large group of ladies who have cleared 5-9 to 5-10 could be in the mix.