Westwood, MA - The National Scholastic Athletics Foundation announced on Thursday that it will implement state team scoring competition at the Nike Indoor Nationals to be held at The Nike Track and Field Center at The Armory, March 12-15, 2026 in New York City, culminating with an C & C All-Star State Distance Medley Relay (DMR).

A National Championship Reimagined

For the first time ever, the 26 Championship and Club events at Nike Indoor Nationals will be scored by state, transforming the meet into a true nationwide competition. The event will work like a traditional meet, with each competitor linked to their state and scoring points if they finish in the top eight. The details of the scoring follow:

• Top 8 finishers in each scoring event earn points for their state
• Points distribution: 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1
• 26 events per gender, plus the Mixed 4x400m, contribute to the standings
• All point contributors to the winning state will earn a prize.
  
  

A Live, In-House Experience

Nike Indoor Nationals will bring the state team scoring competition to life as a fully in-house experience.  Throughout the meet, live point totals will be tallied and displayed on the venue scoreboards, ensuring athletes, coaches, and spectators know exactly where each state stands after each event.

Every performance matters. Every place counts. From the opening events through the final relay, the leaderboard will show the ebb and flow of the team competition from the track to the field and bring added meaning to the competitors as they toe the line or compete in the ring, apron or runway.

“There is a lot of pride amongst the states, and that will draw in everyone to cheer and support their state-mates,” said Erin Jaskot, Director of Events for the NSAF, who has had this idea for several years. “That’s what international competitions are like. We’d like to build unity and friendships early on in the athletes' track and field careers.”

The Final Word: State DMR

“The idea of the All-Star State DMR competition was first brought to us by Nike Elite Program athletes, Texans Caden Leonard and Cooper Lutkenhaus,” said NSAF CEO, Josh Rowe.” Uniting the nation’s top athletes beyond traditional school affiliations was simple, but powerful. Elite competitors representing their state in an elite class competition. We thought, why not broaden it across the entire 2026 Championship and Club division competitions?” 

The meet will conclude with Cooper and Caden’s concept: the C&C State Distance Medley Relay (DMR) — the capstone of the exciting team competition. What are the criteria for entering an All Star State DMR Team? 

• Order: 1200m – 400m – 800m – 1600m
• Athletes must all represent the same state
• In-state rivals become teammates, racing for collective pride
• Accepted teams will receive a state-branded Nike kit
• The top-13 teams per gender will be accepted and notified by March 5th
• Register Here! (All athletes must be registered in another NIN event)
  
  

From Athlete Idea to National Stage

What began as a conversation between two athletes and a CEO has evolved into a defining moment for high school track & field — one that celebrates collaboration, innovation, and state pride.

“It’s no longer just school versus school,” Rowe said. “It’s state versus state.”

And when the final baton is handed off in the C&C State DMR, the question will be answered:

Which state has the best track and field athletes in the nation?