Photo: Harrison Wampler/MileSplit Alabama
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It was an electric weekend on the indoor oval as snow, ice, and frigid temperatures affected a lot of states around the country, giving fans of the sport much to talk about as they bunkered down inside.
With some national championship favorites making their season debuts and other rising stars continuing to make a name for themselves, we were treated to a little bit of everything.
The National Performer of the Week poll will close at 5 p.m. CT on Thursday, January 29, and the winner will be announced shortly after.
Check out January's penultimate National Performer of the Week!
* Athletes cannot be nominated for National Performer of the Week in back-to-back weeks*
POLL: National Girls Indoor Performer of the Week (Jan. 19-25)
This Week's Nominees:
Jaden Merrick, Cedar Falls (Iowa): On a track that he's going to get all too familiar with over the next couple of years, one of Iowa's top distance talents made his 2026 debut in dominant fashion. At the Cyclone Open, Merrick came out on top of a field of collegians in the 3000m, running 8:12.46 for the win. The senior moved up to No. 19 all-time and is now the fastest Iowan in state history as he becomes the 35th high schooler to ever break 8:15.
Chinweoke Onwuchekwa, APXP Speed Development (Texas): It was a successful day at the office for the rising sophomore, as he notched a pair of PBs in the 60m and 200m at the Texas Tech Wes Kittley High School Invitational. Clocking 6.69 and 21.45, Onwuichekwa jumped up to No. 5 and No. 17 in each event on the national leaderboards, respectively. Not only did he pick up the top time in prelims, but he broke the sophomore class 60m record set by Dillon Mitchell just a few weeks ago (6.70), becoming the first second-year athlete to break 6.7.
Jameson Pifer, Collins Hill (Ga.): In his first race since winning the GHSA 6A cross country state title, Pifer made his indoor debut at the Last Chance #2 meet in Birmingham, Alabama, obliterating the 1600m field by 15 seconds. Pifer ran a blistering 4:05.17, the fastest time we've seen this season and a new Georgia state record. The future Georgia Bulldog becomes the first Georgian to ever break 4:10 in indoor history, and took down Frank Pittman's (Marist) record of 4:13.2 from 2016.
Jordan Riggs, H-Town Hurricanes (Texas): Is there anything better than a national lead in your first 400m of the season? Considering he ran a lifetime best in the process, I think not. The junior threw down a 46.37 to hold off club teammate Jason Walker (46.38) as he broke 47 seconds for the first second time in his career and first time indoors. Riggs, whose previous all-time PB was 46.62, is now the 12th-fastest high schooler of all-time, fourth-fastest junior in history. He also became the first junior to ever run sub-47 in Texas history, and is now No. 3 all-time behind Aldrich Bailey Jr (Mansfield Timberview) and Jonathan Simms (Allen).
Cooper Lutkenhaus, Justin Northwest (Texas): It was only a matter of time until the national record holder made his junior debut, and to no one's surprise, he showed up in record-breaking shape. At the Dr. Sander Columbia Scorcher in New York City, Lutkenhaus threw down a 1:45.23 as he broke Donovan Brazier's U20 American record of 1:45.93 from 2016, as well as his own high school record of 1:46.86. The junior, who turned professional in August, is now the 10th-fastest American in indoor history and owns the No. 5 U20 time in world history.
NPOTW's Previous Winners:
Week 1: Caleb Winders, Bloomington North (Ind.)
Week 2: Ruel Newberry, Denton-Guyer (Texas)
Week 3: Zacchaeus Brocks, Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.)