* Boerne Champion (TX) sophomore Elizabeth Leachman looks up at the clock after breaking the indoor 5k record
Photo Credit: Derrick Dingle/MileSplit
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In case you missed it, there was a pair of high school national championships over the weekend.
Boston played host to New Balance Nationals Indoor while New York City was the setting for Nike Indoor Nationals.
Both events excelled when it came to showcasing the nation's best high school talent.
While plenty of well-known superstars came and took care of business, there were a few underclassmen that may have already been well-known that still had something to prove.
That's exactly what they did.
Whether it was on a leg of a relay, or as an individual, they kept their cool on the sport's biggest stage and went home national champions. While a few names on this list didn't compete at either championship meet, they impressed in their own right in-state this month.
Here are four of the most talented underclassmen the sport has to offer, and the reasons why they aren't going anywhere anytime soon.
JAKE ODEY-JORDAN
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Archbishop Carroll (DC)
Class of 2026
One of many speedsters repping the 'Carroll' across their chest, this sophomore is already making quite the name for himself.
In his second trip to New Balance Nationals Indoor, Odey-Jordan proved he's learned a lot since his freshman season, coming home with the NBNI 200m championship. He's now the new sophomore class record-holder with a nation-leading 20.66 seconds.
He also now sits at No. 5 all-time and is the only underclassmen in the top 15.
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Photo Credit: David Nguyen/MileSplit
KENNEDY BROWN
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Bullis School (MD)
Class of 2027
The Bullis School freshman had an incredibly busy weekend in Boston, which got off to a winning start in the freshman 400m.
Brown broke the tape in 55.26, winning by nearly a full second. Later on, Brown anchored the team's 4x200m relay to another national title, as the team cruised to a four second victory in 1:35.84.
With PBs of 24.46 (200) and 54.71 (400), Brown is on pace to be one of the best of the best.
ELIZABETH LEACHMAN
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Boerne Champion (TX)
Class of 2026
Ever since August, the Texas phenom has been making waves and breaking records. On the grass, she clocked 16:07.6 at NXR South, and then went on to capture her first national title at Foot Locker Nationals just a few weeks later. This winter, Leachman dropped down to the mile and ran 4:48.55, and even gave us a preview of her what's to come during her outdoor season, breaking the national 3200m record twice, lowering it to 9:43.74. Last weekend at Nike Indoor Nationals, the superstar did it again, winning both the 5k/2-Mile double, breaking Katelyn Tuohy's record of 15:37.12 by nine seconds. Leachman won the title in 15:28.9, becoming the first high schooler to break 15:30 indoors, and just the second to ever do it.
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Montverde Academy (FL)
Class of 2027
Is there anything better than having the opportunity to train with one of the best high school sprinters in recent memory? Adaejah Hodge has been a teammate and training partner of Dasia Reed ever since Reed joined the Montverde Academy family, and now we know it's showing.
Over the weekend at New Balance Nationals Indoor, Reed was runner-up to Hodge in the 200m, clocking a time of 23.67, which was the fourth-fastest time ever run by a freshman.
The cherry on top for Reed had to be her anchor leg she ran for the national champion 4x400m team, bringing them home in 55.42. Reed will be a familiar name over the next few years.
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