Luis Peralta to Skip New Jersey State Title Defense for USATF Indoor Nationals

By Adam Kopet

The defending New Jersey Indoor Meet of Champions winner at 800 meters will not return to defend his title.

According to Paul Schwartz of the New Jersey Record, Luis Peralta will skip the defending his state title to race at the USATF Indoor Championships.

Peralta, a Passaic NJ senior, won the junior 1,000 meters Saturday at the Dr. Sander Invitational, running 2:24.53. That bettered the automatic entry standard of 2:25.85 for the USATF Indoor Championships. His time is a US#1 mark this year and ranks him 10th on the all-time prep performer list.

The Oregon commit will not race for his high school the rest of the indoor season. Instead, he will focus on several premier meets, including running the 600 meters at the NYRR Millrose Games and the 800 meters at New Balance Nationals Indoor.

Several hours after racing the 1,000 meters at the Dr. Sander Invitational, Peralta won the 800 at the Bullis Champion Speed Invitational, running 1:57.34. He has already run 1:55 this season and holds a 1:49.63 personal best from last year's outdoor season.

Edit: Peralta might not be eligible to compete at the USATF Indoor Championships. His IAAF profile lists him as representing the Dominican Republic. Last year he competed at the Military Sports Games in Santo Domingo.