By Stephen Underwood

The Boys' Eight Great Storylines feature covered the biggest storylines of the meet, but what about those at the next level, other top contenders, and other details about events not covered in that piece?  We tackle many of those here.

Boys Field Event/Multis Talking Points

• Days of Thunder – If New Jersey’s Brahame Days, Jr. could use the energy generated at NBNI this weekend and get back over the 70-foot barrier – maybe even take down the meet (71-0.5, Stephen Saenz) or Armory (71-3.25, Nick Vena) records – it would wrap up a pretty good two-year run for the senior.  You could say Days basically took over Jersey (and the nation, indoors anyway) after Vena graduated after 2011 and hasn’t let it go since.  But his overall PR remains his mark from this meet last year (he threw 68-8.5 outdoors in 2012) and it’s ripe for the taking.
• Weight Preview – In one of the best last-weekend-before-NBNI preludes to a national final, the US#1, 3 and 6 performers clashed in the March 2 Weightarama in Providence.  With just one other mark during the season (at 25 lbs.) for defending NBNI champ Rudy Winkler NY, it was a great chance to test where he stood.  Test passed: Winkler won with a solid 77-7.25.  Meanwhile, Carlos Magnum improved his PR by a foot to capture second in 74-1.5 and upset fellow Rhode Islander Charlie Ionata – who was more than five feet off his best on this day.
• Jeremiah’s Big Jump – He’s competed only once this indoor season, but Jeremiah Green made sure to make the most of that single chance.  The Floridian jumped a US#1 50-6.25 in the elite division of the Jimmy Carnes Youth meet to show some mid-winter readiness to add to the New Balance Nationals Outdoor title he claimed last June.  There, he went 50-10.25w (+2.3).  Last winter at NBNI, he was fifth at 48-2.5.  A large handful of 48- and 49-footers will challenge him this weekend, though, led by Canadian Tacuma Anderson-Richards – third last year and with an outdoor PR of 49-10 – and Californian Jaelen Spencer, who twice went over 50 feet in 2011 when he made the World Youth team.
• Depends Who’s Ready – Who is the favorite in the boys long jump this weekend?  There are two wind-legal 25-footers in the field, but it’s the guy who hasn’t quite hit that mark yet that would appear to be the one to beat.  Andre Jefferson from Texas was a 24-10 leaper last spring and has improved that to 24-11 with his US#1 indoor jump at the Carl Lewis meet.  He had a 24-8.5 earlier in January.  New Yorker Desmond Mobley went 25-2 last June, but his best this winter is 24-1, and Adoree’ Jackson won the California state meet last year with 25-0.5 (+1.9w), but hasn’t competed yet this year.
• Unlucky Seven – If you’re a high jump fan that craves seeing a “7” at the beginning of a set of results for your favorite event, your search has been long and hard this winter.  Only Texan Logan Brittain has cleared even 7-0 indoors this winter (and 7-3 outdoors) and he is not entered at NBIN.  There were relatively few 7-foot returnees (in or out) coming into 2013 and there have been some that have not competed indoors and a few others who are just getting going.  Hence, the battle at NBNI will be between a handful of 6-10 jumpers who are hoping they can get the win AND the magic barrier this weekend.

Boys Distances Talking Points

• Gilley Back on Track:  One of the best mass finishes during recent Texas state meet history – and, it could be said, one of the better mass state meet 1600s finishes of recent vintage – came during the 2011 5A state meet.  That race was won by Craig Nowak, then a Cypress Woods junior, leading four that finished between 4:08.67 and 4:09.37.  One of those was Southlake Carroll soph Trevor Gilley, whose 4:09.37 was a seven second-PR at the time.  Well, until the Feb. 24 Brooks PR meet this year, Gilley had not bettered that run.  In that recent Brooks mile, 2012 runner-up Jacob Burcham was favored and Gilley – 11th in that 2012 race – was hardly seen as a contender.  After a stunning US#1 4:08.24, however, Gilley has his groove back and, Sunday, he’ll be one of the favorites to win.
• Plenty of Backup – Ed Cheserek may be the strong favorite in the boys 2-mile, coming off his USR at Millrose, but this race could wind up being know more for its depth than anything else.  The best NBNI two-mile of recent years came in 2008, when Luke Puskedras outdueled Colby Lowe and six runners ran 9:01 or faster.  This year, eight guys come in with bests this winter below 9:10 (or equal for 3k or 3,200 when converted), with Cheserek and Sean McGorty (Foot Locker 1-2 finishers last fall) leading the way.  McGorty is the fastest in a 3,200 race this winter (8:55.38), but is coming off a surprising state meet loss to Louis Colson (though McGorty was in the second half of a double attempt).  If the race plays out with Cheserek conserving somewhat for a kick finish, and the pace is closer to 9:00 than 8:40, the other contenders may get pulled along to have that great mass finish.

Boys Relays Talking Points

• Canadians Can Rock the DMR – Could the distance medley relay be claimed by a quartet from Quebec?  It could well happen in a year when there are many outstanding entrants in numerous events from that Canadian province as well as from Ontario.  The Caul TC has talent to burn, no doubt.  Alex Bussiere is a 1:51.42 800/3:51.73 1500 man, while Alex Tourigny-Plante is a 49-second 400 runner – to name two.
• XC Rematch – Two of the key contenders in the boys’ 4x1 mile relay are the past two NXN cross country champions: Arcadia (2012) and Christian Brothers Academy (2011).  But don’t forget about Chantilly (Va.), which will include anchor Sean McGorty – US#1 in the 3200 at 8:55 and having run 4:11 for 1600 three times this winter – and Logan Miller, who is now down to 4:16.  They should be good for 17:25, if not better.
• Forest Park FTW – It’s somewhat unusual for a school to have so many nationally outstanding relay performances in an event during a season, especially given inconsistencies in competition, track quality, etc.  But Forest Park (Woodbridge, Va.) has been under 1:30 in the 4x200 five times this winter, including their US#1 1:28.06.  Taking and re-taking the national lead has become routine for them.  They don’t race 200m individually in Virginia indoor track, but Forest Parks’ top four include four between 33.89 and 36.17, headed up by Mustaqeem Williams.  It would be an upset if they lost.
• Trading Places – In the boys’ 4x400, two schools have traded the US#1 three times and they’ll both be here.  Elmont Memorial NY has a best of 3:18.34, while Union Catholic NJ has gone 3:18.88.  UC beat Elmont at the Armory Collegiate for their best mark, while Elmont won Millrose for their #1 (UC won a different section of the same event there).