By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

John Nepolitan photos

Thousands of athletes from all over the country are heading to New York City to take part in Nike Indoor Nationals. A busy competition schedule, including middle school, emerging elite, freshman and championship divisions at The Armory will be conducted March 8-10. 

ENTRIES/RESULTS | LIVE WEBCAST

Here is a breakdown by event group:

Sprints/Hurdles

Jayden Finley (AP Ranch TC), one of the top sprinters in Texas, tore through a rare indoor opportunity in the 60 meters for a US#1 6.61 on Feb. 4 at the FasTrack Last Chance meet at the University of Houston. 

Finley (North Richland Hills TX) will put that ranking on the line this week in New York. 

One of the sprinters he will face in the dash is the intriguing senior from Lake Oswego OR (Ultimate Speed Athletics), James Bauman, who ran a big PR of US#4 6.69 last weekend at the STCU West Coast Championships in Spokane, Wash. Bauman comes from the same training group as national champion Mia Brahe-Pedersen and USATF Indoor 400-meter competitor Josie Donelson. 

Malachi James from Willingboro NJ and Justin Stewart from AP Ranch TC of Texas are also part of a competitive field in the dash. 

Jayden Horton-Mims from The TEP (Imhotep Charter), US#6 21.20, Texas 5A champion Kendrick Jones Jr and James Long from MVP League TC VA are the top entries in the 200. 

Jonathan Simms, who broke the age 16 world record when he ran 45.12, is entered in the 200. He'll face a geographically diverse field that includes Horton-Sims, Keeyari Thompson from TakeOff GA, Xai Ricks from LB Trackrabbits CA and Hudson Allain from Kindersport TN. 

One of the top athletes in the meet, Abdoul Sy-Savane from ATL Zoom Athletics, won the 60-meter hurdles at New Balance Nationals Indoor last year. He also ran 13.52 for second place at New Balance Nationals Outdoor last June.

The hurdles field also has US#6 Le'ezra Brown from Dudley NC and Jordon Quinn from Freeport NY, runner-up at the New York state meet. 

The girls 60-meter dash features a compelling matchup between Avery Lewis of Friends' Central PA and McKenzie Travis from Fort Myers FL. They are tied at US#3 with 7.26 seconds. Travis won the high school dash at the Millrose Games. 

Keelan Wright of Murrieta CA is US#6 with 7.31 seconds and Sianni Wynn of Pennsauken NJ is US#5 in the 55-meter dash. 

Defending champion Brahe-Pedersen is recovering from an injury and not expected to compete this weekend. She owns the US#1 time of 7.22 seconds. 

Sole Frederick from Runnahs Elite GA heads the field in the 200 meters with her US#4 23.55, but Elise Cooper from McDonogh MD is US#5 and Indya Mayberry is US#6. 

There is another marquee matchup brewing in the 400, where US#1 Bayleigh Minor from Fort Bend Christian Academy TX will take on Donelson of Ultimate Speed OR.  

Throws

Kansas recruit Madeleine Fey of Midlothian TX, the Nike Outdoor Nationals discus champion and shot put runner-up, comes to New York as the top entry in the shot put. She threw 47-3 on Jan. 13 at the Arkansas High School Invitational. 

Fey will compete for the title against Rylan Finstrom of Grayling MI and Abigail Russell of Allen Park MI, a pair of 45-foot throwers. 

Russell owns the top mark in the country in the weight throw (56-4) and will get a chance to throw against Mykayla Scarlett from Toronto, Canada, who owns a season's best of 57-11. Marissa Johnson from Super Thrower TC (Tigard OR), US#6. 

The boys shot put field is loaded. Evan Martinez of Momentum Throws TX is US#4. Wisconsin rivals Bryce Ruland, the NON discus champion, and Ben Smith, the NON shot put champion, will get an early jump on the outdoor season. 

Tahir Hines of Acworth GA is US#1 in the weight throw and the field includes six of the top seven in the country. 

Jumps

Avery Lewis of Friends' Central PA, who will be busy contesting the 60 and 200 on the track, is the No. 1 long jumper in the country with a new personal best this winter of 21-6. She won the New Balance Nationals indoor and outdoor titles in 2023. 

Skylynn Townsend is also in the long jump but her best event is the triple jump, where she is No. 6 all-time and the junior class national record holder at 43-6.50.

Fellow Texans Sydnee Burr, Lily Muzzy and Samantha Ennin are all ranked in the top six nationally. 

Jathiyah Muhammad from California, the top pole vaulter in the country and No. 5 all-time with 14-7.50, is a clear favorite to win her specialty.

Milena Chavallier, the Michigan Division 1 champion last year, with a best of 5-11, tops the high jump field. 

The boys triple jump features the top three athletes in the country. Jordan Sowell of Cheltenham PA has gone 51-1 for the best mark in the country. Jaden Lippett from Winter Haven FL is US#2 and Xavier Drumgoole of Round Rock TX is US#3. 

Juriad Hughes Jr, from Track Minnesota Elite (Irondale), is the top long jumper in the country with a best mark of 24-10 from Jan. 28. 

The two boys that have scaled seven feet in the high jump, Kameron Franklin of Major Impact TX and Khalil Antoine from Hillhouse CT, will go head to head. They have both made bars at 7-0.25.

Victor Olesen of St. Christopher's VA is the top entry in the boys pole vault at US#8 16-8. 

Distance

See Separate Story

Relays

In the sprint relays, Oscar Smith VA brings a US#2 squad to go after the 4x200 title; Newburgh Free Academy NY is ranked US#7 in the 4x400 and will face competition from Graveyard. 

Newburgh Free Academy is also a threat to win the SMR and faces New York rival Harry S Truman of The Bronx.

Fordham Prep NY comes into the weekend as the US#1 in the boys shuttle hurdles relay. 

US#4 Druid Hills of Georgia and US#7 Dudley NC are the leading contenders in the girls 4x200 relay. 

Rahway NJ and Oscar Smith VA are the top two squads entered in the girls shuttle hurdles relay. 

In the 1,600-meter sprint medley relay, the South County GA and Notre Dame of Staten Island NY are the top girls teams.