Top girls set for stun at NBNI

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

The girls competition at New Balance Nationals Indoor has been nothing short of spectacular over the past couple of years as the quality of performances continues to sky-rocket. 

In 2014, five national records went by the wayside in this meet and last year there were three more. As the supremely talented Class of 2017 continues to mature, this collection of young women continues to evolve and competitive meets like this are where breakthroughs happen. 

Sydney McLaughlin, Samantha Watson, Lauren Rain Williams, Lynna Irby, Kamryn McIntosh, Kate Murphy, Alyssa Wilson and Tara Davis are all here, along with so many more who will challenge records this weekend and outdoors this spring.  

Here is a closer look at every championship event for girls:

60 Meters: Co-national leaders Cassondra Hall of Georgia and Zaria Francis from California have run 7.36, while Ohio sophomore Abby Steiner has run 7.38. Millrose Games 55-meter champion Daija Lampkin from Delaware, Lanae Tava-Thomas, Celera Barnes from California, Brooke-Lynn Williams from Massachusetts and Lauren Rain Williams are just a few of the names to watch.

200 Meters: Defending champion Lauren Rain Williams is coming back to New York but she could have her hands full with a talented crop of sprinters in this event. This event is loaded: Cassondra Hall, Zaria Francis, Abby Steiner, Anna Cockrell, Lynna Irby, Jayla Kirkland, Symone Darius, Lanae-Tava Thomas. There will be no coasting into the finals in this event.

400 Meters: Sydney McLaughlin of Union Catholic broke the New Jersey Meet of Champions record when she ran 53.34 and she is looking to run even faster this weekend. McLaughlin has the Olympic Trials in her long-range sights and so a strong performance here will be good for her confidence moving forward. Lauryn Ghee of Grassfield VA is US#1 in the 500 meters with 1:11.78 and could be a top challenger, along with Canadian youth record-holder Victoria Tachinski (54.05) and Roxana Gomez Calderon of Cuba, who has run 52.79 in the outdoor 400.

800 Meters: Junior Samantha Watson of Rush-Henrietta is the World Youth champion and the defending champion and there is no reason to doubt her in this event. Sarah Walker, a Stanford recruit, missed part of the season with illness but could be a strong challenger. And Ruby Stauber from Minnesota is another interesting name on the heat sheets after running 2:06.5 last year outdoors. Pennsylvanians Gabrielle Wilkinson and Olivia Arizin come in ranked second and third nationally this season. 

1-Mile: Kate Murphy of Lake Braddock VA is the favorite to win here after destroying the Millrose Games record in the girls high school mile with 4:41.84. If Murphy is in shape to run that fast again, or dip under 4:40, her biggest competition could be the clock.

2-Mile: Many of the the names in fast heat of this event come straight from the Foot Locker cross country starting line. Weini Kelati of Heritage VA won in San Diego and is in great shape to do something special again after running 9:19 in the 3,000 meters at the Camel City Elite meet in January. Logan Morris, Libby Davidson, Kate Murphy, Hannah DeBalsi, Jessica Lawson and others make this a very strong field.

5,000 Meters: Could the national record in this event fall for the sixth year in a row?

Foot Locker champion Weini Kelati of Heritage VA may be in even better shape than she was in early December and is taking aim at Anna Rohrer's national record time of 16:10.79. Amazingly, this race has produced a national record every year since 2011. Rohrer beat Tessa Barrett's 2014 record of 16:11.85. Barrett broke Wesley Frazier's 2013 record of 16:18.01. Frazier, turn, broke Erin Finn's 2012 record of 16:19.69. And Finn broke Waverly Neer's 2011 record of 16:35.15.

Kelati could be pushed by the same runner who shadowed her at nationals, Maryjeanne Gilbert from Illinois. Hannah DeBalsi of Connecticut and Stephanie Jenks of Iowa bring incredibly strong credentials into this race as well.

60-Meter Hurdles: Sydney McLaughlin is the defending champion but she has three other events on her plate this weekend and hasn't been focused on this event this season. The girls who drew Lane 4 in the five prelims are the ones to watch -- Pennsylvania record holder Chanel Brisset, Texan Alexis Duncan, Californian Tara Davis, North Carolina's Anna Cockrell and another Texan, Tonea Marshall. That's a good group. Heat 3 is very strong with Alyssa Sandy and Brittley Humphrey taking on Davis.

Relays: Pride is on the line for the Paul Robeson girls of Brooklyn, who run in the Armory all the time and have been focused on winning the 4x200 at nationals since the start of the season. This group got a big win at Eastern States when it nosed out Union Catholic. Rush-Henrietta beat Robeson on the flat track at Cornell at the New York state meet. Nansemond River VA, Bishop McNamara MD, Cheltenham PA and defending champion Parkland NC are all contenders as well. ... Bullis MD ran 3:45.66 at the Kentucky Invitational for a US#1 and would appear to be the clear favorite. But with Union Catholic and Sydney McLaughlin in the equation, watch out for that group as well. ... Mamaroneck NY is the top-ranked team in 4x800 with 9:01.81 and is the clear favorite. 

In Friday's DMR, defending champion Suffern NY has several pieces back but it has yet to put together its best effort in this event. A handful of other New York teams, including US#1 Mamaroneck and US#3 Shenendehowa, have designs on the title. The list of anchors in this race is impressive and includes Kate Murphy from Lake Braddock VA, Ariel Keklak from Lincoln-Sudbury MA, Lexa Barrott from Northville MI and Katelyn Tuohy from North Rockland NY. ... In the SMR, Rush-Henrietta is looking to repeat its title with Samantha Watson and Lanae-Tava Thomas returning from last year's lineup. Suffern NY is also in the mix and a Kamryn McIntosh-Watson showdown is always fun to watch. ... In the shuttle hurdles, national record holder Western Branch VA (2015 champ) takes great pride in this event, but Hoover AL will be looking to regain the title it won in 2014 along with the record.

High Jump: Vashti Cunningham is in Portland hoping to make it to World Indoors this week, so US#2 Lily Lowe of Calloway County KY comes in as the top seed with a best jump of 5-9.25. This event is tough to predict because many in the field have gone 5-7 or better. Mikella Lefebvre-Oatis of Montreal, Quebec returns after clearing 5-8.5 to place second last year.

Pole Vault: National leader Carson Dingler from First Presbyterian Day GA is the favorite here with a season's best of 13-4.50.

Long Jump: Tara Davis from Agoura CA comes in with the top American mark at 20-10.50 but she will be tested by fellow Californian Courtney Corrin and Texan Samiyah Samuels. Brianna Duncan and Adja Sackor from Massachusetts are looking to keep the title in New England after Maine's Kate Hall won it last year. There are also four Canadians in the top flight, but none of them have topped 20 feet this year.

Triple Jump: West coast athletes Chinne Okoronkwo from Washington and Tara Davis from California are the top athletes in the field. They last faced each other at Simplot Games, with Okoronkwo winning with a mark of 41-7.25 and Davis second at 41-3.75. Cuban Yanna Anay Armenteros has a PR over 44 feet and could be the top athlete in the competition.  

Shot Put: Two years ago when Raven Saunders broke the national record there were four girls over 50 feet in what was possibly the greatest indoor competition ever for this event. But this year it could be even better, with five or even six girls over 50. Alyssa Wilson moved to No. 2 all-time at Eastern States with 54-11, but she will need to stay on her 'A' game to get a victory against defending champion Sophia Rivera of Missiouri, Californian Elena Bruckner and fellow New Jersey residents Nickolette Dunbar and Jessica Molina.

Weight Throw: The national leader is Jill Shippee of Shenendehowa NY with the only 60-foot throw indoors. However, Kamryn Brinson from Georgia's Throw 1 Deep had a huge mark of 65-6 outdoors and may be poised to do something big.