Photo Credit: rpernetter/MileSplit Texas
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You might notice a trend with this week's nominees, but the Texas High School Indoor Championships welcomed both Texans and out-of-state stars as it played host to several national leads over the weekend. From the sport's biggest names in the sprints to national contenders in the distance events, January's second slate of competition had it all.
The National Performer of the Week poll will close at 5 p.m. CT on Thursday, January 15, and the winner will be announced shortly after.
Check out 2026's second National Performer of the Week!
POLL: National Girls Indoor Performer of the Week (Jan. 5-11)
This Week's Nominees:
Jake Odey-Jordan, Archbishop Carroll (D.C.): A PB in your season debut? Not too shabby. The defending New Balance Nationals Indoor 200m champion made a statement in his first two races of his senior campaign, running 6.74 in the prelims before taking down the field in the final in 6.64. Odey-Jordan had an SB of 6.76 as a junior, and is already looking dangerous one meet in after running the No. 1 time in the U.S. at the Texas High School Indoor Championship.
Ruel Newberry, Denton-Guyer (Texas): After running 9:09 a year ago at the Texas High School Indoor Championship, the sophomore dipped below 9:00 this time around, winning the Boys 2 Mile in 8:56.81 as he won by 12 seconds. Newberry is the only runner in the country to break 9:00 this year, and is back to his winning ways a month after finishing 11th at Nike Cross Nationals.
Carter Smith, Mifflin County 06 (Penn.): At the Kevin Dare Invite at Penn State University, Smith entered his name into the national conversation after throwing down a 1:49.30 over 800m. The senior was the lone man to run sub-1:50, as he added another stellar performance to pair nicely with his 4:06.76 mile PB from a few weeks ago. The third-place finisher from New Balance Nationals Indoor a year ago jumped up to No. 1 on the national leaderboard.
Andrew Jones, Top Speed Elite Eagles (Texas): Another national leader who took care of business in College Station, Texas, this weekend was the only one who did it over hurdles, with the future Aggie winning the 60mH in 7.73. On the track he'll get incredibly familiar with over the next few years, Jones led four other boys under eight seconds, but he was too much for the field when it was all said and done. Jones also flexed his range, finishing fifth in the 400m with a 47.85, his first time running sub-49.
Tate Taylor, Harlan (Texas): The high school national record holder in the 200m did exactly what we thought he would: win the 200m and drop a new U.S. No. 1. Along with his fourth-place finish in the 60m (6.79), Taylor cruised to a 20.85 as he won by a tenth of a second. The senior and recently committed Texas Tech Red Raider is one of two high schoolers in the country to be ranked inside the top-10 in both the 60m and 200m.
NPOTW's Previous Winners:
Week 1: Caleb Winders, Bloomington North (Ind.)