Photo: Jason Timochko/MileSplit New York
- - -
The holiday weekend didn't prevent a flurry of large-scale indoor meets from producing hundreds of elite performances, with athletes on both sides of the country continuing the historic season.
However, despite there being more than enough potential nominees for this week's poll, these five got the final nod after rising to the occasion.
The National Performer of the Week poll will close at 5 p.m. CT on Thursday, February 19, and the winner will be announced shortly after.
Check out this week's five nominees for the National Girls Indoor Performer of the Week!
* Athletes cannot be nominated for National Performer of the Week in back-to-back weeks*
This Week's Nominees:
Kaddel Howard, Cedar Crest 03 (Pa.): The senior kept her undefeated season alive another week, sweeping the 60m and 200m at the Garden State Invitational in Staten Island, New York. Over 200m, Howard posted the lone sub-24 performance of the meet, running 23.63, a new PB. In the 400m, Howard clocked 53.47 to break 54 seconds for the third time this season as she won by three seconds. In a senior campaign that has been one for the record books, the University of Florida commit has moved up to No. 2 in state history in both events.
Abigail Anstett, Georgetown Visitation Preparatory (DC): For the third consecutive year, Anstett won both the 1600m and 3200m at the DCSAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, with the former being a huge PB. Her 1600m win saw her finish 17 seconds ahead of the rest of the field, as she was the only girl to break. 5:00, while her 3200m title produced a 23- second margin of victory. The junior also happens to be the Washington D.C. all-time indoor record holder in both distance events as well.
Nadia Ford, Fort Wayne Carroll (Ind.): At the YSU High School Meet #4, Ford notched a pair of runner-up finishes in the 60m/200m double, running 7.48 and 24.39, respectively. The junior finished behind the same senior in both races, using the top experienced competition to leave Youngstown, Ohio, with a lifetime best in the 200m. Ford sits atop the Indiana leaderboard in both sprints and is No. 3 and No. 5 all-time in state history.
Abigail Hennessy, Westford Academy (Mass.): In an event with over 200 finishers, most of them collegians, it was the future Washington Husky who had the fastest time of the weekend. In the Open 3000m at the 2026 BU David Hemery Valentine Invitational, Hennessy ran 9:02.77, becoming the third-fastest high schooler in history. That makes her the second-fastest girl in Massachusetts history and the fastest girl in the country this season.
Zhoe Holt, Bradford Prep Charter (N.C.): In her first trip to the NCHSAA 1A/2A Indoor State Championship Meet, Holt won both the 55m and 300m in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Both winning times came in PB-fashion, with 6.83 and 37.10 being more than enough to snag the titles. Her 55m victory saw her win by over a quarter of a second, and she finished over two seconds ahead of the field in the 300m. Holt also ranks No. 1 among freshmen in state history.
NPOTW's Previous Winners:
Week 1: Maggie McCormick, Bay Shore (N.Y.)
Week 2: Chase Gilbert, Old Lyme (Conn.)
Week 3: Parker Coes, Katy Morton Ranch (Texas)
Week 4: Chayse Madison-Haire, Leander Spartans Track Club (Texas)
Week 5: Dasia Reed, Montverde Academy (Fla.)
Week 6: Grace Bethel, Male (Ky.)