The second edition of the New Balance Nationals Outdoor meet since separating from the National Scholastic Athletics Foundation (NSAF) was held at the University of Pennsylvania's Franklin Field in Philadelphia for the second straight year. The site where the Penn Relays is hosted every April is where thousands of athletes from across the country descended to seek personal records and top finishes in Championship, Rising Stars, Freshman, and Middle School competitions.
During the four days of competition, top-6 finishers in the Championship events earned All-American honors at one of, if not the most venerable track and field facilities in the country. The weather wasn't ideal for much of the meet and included a several-hour storm delay on Friday, canceling some prelims and moving other events way back on the schedule.
Asinga Cruises
Former Principia School (Town and Country, MO/St. Louis County) state meet record setter Issam Asinga moved to Orlando to attend Montverde Academy last summer. This year, the West African-raised sprinter has demolished record books in the 60, 100, and 200.
In Philadelphia, Asinga ran to 1st in the 100 prelims in a wind-aided time of 10.19. He followed by winning the title in a wind-legal 10.05, giving him his 3rd national title at New Balance meets, having claimed the 60 and 200 titles indoors in March. Asinga didn't start the 200 nor the 4x400 or Sprint Medley for which he and his teammates were entered.
Asinga could be one of the youngest competitors at the 2023 World Outdoor Athletics Championships in August, where the world's best will compete. He could represent the United States, as he was born in Atlanta, or Zambia, where he grew up, or his father's native country Suriname.
Dixon on NBN podium again
In March at the New Balance Nationals Indoor meet in Boston, Schuyler County senior Hayden Dixon won the Championship Shot Put to earn a national title. After breaking the 65-foot barrier in the shot put this spring and winning and setting Class 2 state meet records in the shot put and discus, Dixon did not have much else to do in his high school career. However, the northeast Missourian and future Mizzou Tiger made the trip to Philly looking for another national title. In the Championship Shot Put on Sunday morning, Dixon and fellow Mizzou signee Sam Albert of Capital City took to the ring.
Dixon opened with a great start, a toss of 19.38m/63-7. Dillon Morlock of Ohio responded with a season's best of 19.83m/65-0.75 on his first attempt. The pair were 1-2 through as they headed to the finals with six others, getting three finals throws. Fellow senior Fabian Gonzalez had a second-round toss of 19.36m/63-6.25, just 0.75'' behind Dixon. With tosses of 61, 62, 59, and 61 feet on attempts 2-5, Dixon entered the ring with second place in hand. Dixon spun and launched the shot 19.73m/64-8.75, just 4 inches back of Morlock who didn't record a mark on his final attempt.
The finish added a second All-America honor to Dixon's resume and put him on the second step on the awards podium at Franklin Field. If Dixon doesn't compete again this summer, his high school career ends as one of the best throwers in state history. He wasn't just good a few meets out of the year; he was consistently throwing 63-foot-plus bombs meet-in and meet-out.
Capital City senior Sam Albert placed 6th in the shot put at the NBN Indoor meet in March to earn Al-American honors with a personal record (PR) of 18.68m/61-3.5. After recording an outdoor best of 18.59m/61-0 and 50.47m/165-7, Albert helped the Cavs to their first state team trophy in the school's 4th year. Albert placed 3rd in the shot put with a 58-10.25 toss and a 4th-place finish in the discus with a PR of 51.66m/169-6. In Philadelphus, Dixon got off to a good start with a 18.01m/59-1.25 toss. He followed with a 2nd round 56-4 and a foul to finish 10th overall.
Ladue was well represented as a large contingent of athletes were entered in the meet. The Ladue boys competed in several Championship events. The squad of Kahairi Lucas, Rylan Wilson, Chase Storman, and Gavin Via ran to a 21st-place finish in the Championship 4x400 in 3:20.90 among a field of 63. Four-hundred-meter dash All-Stater Via anchored in a 48.22 split. The Rams ran to a 34th-place finish in the 4x200 in 1:30. 22 out of 55 with a team featuring Lucas, Wilson, Storman, and Via.
In the sprint medley (100-100-200-400m) Lucas and Storman were joined by Dylan Patterson and Owen Levine and placed 35th out of 49 in 1:36.72. Lucas, Patterson, Lavine, and Wilson raced to a 67th-place finish out of 87 in the 4x100 in 43.72. In the Rising Stars 400, Gavin Via (junior) placed 30th in the 400 in 49.94.
Macon sophomore Caelan Harland continued his amazing high school career. Early in the season, the pole vaulter got close to the magical 5-meter barrier. Harland, having already cleared the 16-foot bar of 4.88m the week before, cleared 4.90m/16-0.75 at a home meet, the Macon Gerald Mansfield Invitational. At state, Harland won his 2nd straight Class 2 title in 4.59m. In Philly, Harland jumped to a 10th-place Championship finish by clearing 4.80m/15-9.
The Capital City Cavaliers were represented by Sam Albert in the shot put and by their 4x800 squad. The Cavs were headed to a top-3 finish in the event in Class 5 at state in 2022 before getting tripped up and taking 9th. This year, the Cavs posted the state #1 mark of 7:55 on April 6. The foursome of Brock Schofield, Sincere Davis, Colin Voss, and superstar Keion Grieve raced to a runner-up finish at state last month in 7:45.74, behind only Liberty North who claimed their 3rd-straight title.
Grieve also ran to a 7th-place finish in the 1600 in 4:13.89. That race was one of, if not the fastest race by the entire field in state history with 8th-place finishing in 4:13.91 while the 9th-placer ran 4:14.25 and missed out on an All-State medal. Grieve repeated as 800 champ 2 hours and 45 minutes later in 1:53.64.
In Philadelphia, the Cavs ran the Championship 4x800. After a long weather delay and changes to the schedule, the group competing late Friday night and as the Falcons Track Club, placed 18th in 7:51.26. The published splits aren't correct as it appears another team in similar uniforms was picked up as the Falcons somewhere on the 2nd or 3rd leg.
Westminster Christian junior and Class 5 state runner-up Joseph Anderson jumped to 18th place in the Championship triple jump. He bounded 13.80m/45-03. In the Rising Stars 110-hurdles, Anderson ran 14.67 to take 10th. Liberty North junior Matthew Barno tied for 40th in the Championship High Jump with a 1.83m/6-0 clearance.
Lutheran St. Charles junior Isaac Lind has proved he wasn't the only standout in the family. Big brother Caleb Lind was one of the state's best before graduating and moving on to Bradley University last year. Isaac ran a nearly 2.5-second PR at state in the Class 4 800. He was 3rd in 1:54.14 behind seniors Ian Schram and Josh Allison. A week later he ran 1:53.75 to take 6th at the Music City Track Festival. In Pennsylvania, he raced to a 1:57.27 clocking in the 800 to place 73rd in the Championship sections.
Rising Stars, Freshman, Middle School Finishes
Staley sophomore Jeremiah Kelley raced to a wind-legal 22.04 to place him 19th out of 52 in the Rising Stars 200-meter dash. In the 400-hurdles, Kelley placed 8th in 56.00. Results show he didn't finish the Championship 110-hurdles but did finish the Rising Stars 110's in 16.91.
Webb City junior and recent Class 4 3200 state champion Evan Stevens made it thru at least 2400 meters of the Rising Stars 2-mile before not finishing. Raytown South sophomore standout James Watkins didn't finish the Rising Stars 110-hurdles.
Oakville freshman Drew Lawler placed 37th in the Freshman 800 in 2:03.96.
The meet was the final of their high school careers for some Missouri preps and just the first experience of many to come of national competition for others. No doubt the swag will be enjoyed for a while, but the memories of the experiences will last much longer.
