NEW YORK, NEW YORK, March 13–16 — The motto for the boys’ competition at the Nike Indoor Nationals might as well have been “don’t mess with Texas” as Lone Star State athletes had the most dominant performances of the weekend at the Armory.
Tate Taylor (Harlan, San Antonio, Texas) broke the national record in the 200 on the final day. Charging hard off the final curve, he powered home in 20.46 to improve on the 20.62 set by Jaylen Slade in ’21.
“I knew I could go 20-point, I just didn’t know 20-point what,” said Taylor, a junior who finished 5th at New Balance Indoors last year. “But I really just wanted to win. That’s what my only mindset was.”
Brandon Arrington (Mt. Miguel, Spring Valley, California) pushed Taylor to the line and was originally credited with a 20.49, but was soon DQed for a lane violation. That elevated Jayden Horton-Mims (Imhotep, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) to the runner-up spot in 21.04 a day after he defended his 400 title in 46.65.
A little more than an hour before the 200 Taylor had finished 2nd in the 60 to Brayden Williams (Duncanville, Texas), 6.62–6.64. Williams came into NYC hot after clocking a wind-aided 9.99 for the 100 outdoors in Texas a week earlier.
“I didn’t have the best start in my opinion, I kinda stumbled a little bit,” said Williams, a semifinalist in the 100 at the World U20 Championships last summer. “But as long as I got the dub.”
Another Texan, Cooper Lutkenhaus (Northwest, Justin, Texas) returned to the Armory a month after breaking the HSR at the Millrose Games and ran solo from the gun to win by nearly 4 seconds in 1:47.83, the No. 3 indoor prep time. The 16-year-old soph essentially matched his record pace at 400 (52.01 versus 52.04 at Millrose) and dead even at 600 (1:19.98), but without anyone to chase his final lap of 27.85 was nearly a second slower.
“The training I’ve been doing has been going really well,” Lutkenhaus said. “I knew I could go fast, but I didn’t know I could go that fast by myself.”
Ja’Shaun Lloyd (Corsicana, Texas) rocketed to No. 2 on the 60H all-time list at 7.49, winning by a massive 0.23.
“This is not an easy game, one mess up and that’s a wrap for you,” said an animated Lloyd, runner-up in the Texas 110H the past two years. “You gotta keep calm, you gotta go over the hurdles with some poise.”
A day after finishing 2nd in the shot at the New Balance meet in Boston, Peter Donini (Delbarton, New Jersey) took the title at the Armory with a 65-10¼ (20.07), a slight improvement on his NB effort. Later in the day he also won the “showcase” event, at 65-½ (19.82).
Victor Oleson (St. Christopher’s, Richmond, Virginia) cleared 17-7¾ (5.38) to defend his vault crown, then nearly made 18-0 (5.49). Jordan Randall (Community, Warsaw, Indiana) took the high jump at 7-¼ (2.14).
With St. Patrick’s Day just 3 days ahead, Shamrock Thoun (Woonsocket, Rhode Island) hit 82-6¼ with the weight, good for No. 10 all-time HS.
NIKE BOYS RESULTS
60: 1. Brayden Williams (Duncanville, Tx) 6.62 (=6, =6 HS) (6.16—=4, =4 HS);
2. *Tate Taylor (Harlan, San Antonio) 6.64.
200: 1. Taylor 20.46 HSR (old HSR 20.64 Jaylen Slade [IMG, Bradenton, Fl] ’21);
2. Jayden Horton-Mims (Imhotep, Philadelphia) 21.04;… dq[lane]—Brandon Arrington (Mt. Miguel, Spring Valley, California) [20.49].
400: 1. Horton-Mims 46.65; 2. *Kendrick Jones (Lake Belton, Temple, Tx) 46.77; 3. Keayari Thompson (Westlake, Atlanta) 46.81.
800: 1. **Cooper Lutkenhaus (Northwest, Justin, Tx) 1:47.83 (x, 3 HS);
2. *Wyland Obando (Wilson, Long Beach) 1:51.68.
Mile: 1. Joseph Socarras (Belen, Miami) 4:07.32; 2. T.J. Hansen (Freeland, Mi) 4:08.74; 3. Luke Pash (Ridgewood, NJ) 4:08.97.
2M: 1. Tommy Latham (Marist, Brookhaven, Ga) 8:44.35 (8, x HS);
2. Corbin Coombs (Organ Mountain, Las Cruces, NM) 8:45.88; 3. *Noah Bontrager (Westview, Topeka, In) 8:46.75; 4. Evan Noonan (Dana Hills, Dana Point, Ca) 8:46.92.
5000: 1. **Marcelo Mantecon (Belen) 14:14.38 (10, x HS);
2. Will Sheets (Covington, Park Hills, Ky) 14:16.29; 3. Jack Bowen (McCallie, Chattanooga, Tn) 14:16.73; 4. Brogan Collins (Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado Springs) 14:17.03.
60H: 1. Ja’Shaun Lloyd (Corsicana, Tx) 7.49 (2, =3 HS) (6.96—2, 3 HS);
2. *Zacchaeus Brocks (Central Catholic, Detroit) 7.72; 3. Isaiah Washington (Prince George, Va) 7.73; 4. *Sutton Flint (Liberty, Renton, Wa) 7.73;… 6. LeEzra Brown (Dudley, Greensboro) 7.80 (fell) (7.04—4, 7 HS).
MileW: 1. *Ian Britt (Mt Ararat, Topsham, Me) 7:09.30; 2. *Joshua Rothery (Urbana, Ijamsville, Md) 7:24.84.
4 x 200: 1. Souderton, Pa 1:28.41; 2. Westlake, Waldorf, Md 1:28.45.
4 x 400: 1. Shabazz, Newark 3:19.05; 2. Digital Harbor, Baltimore 3:19.11.
4 x 800: 1. St. Joseph, Staten Island 7:45.52; 2. Manhasset 7:45.91.
4 x Mile: 1. Belen 17:06.50 (5 HS); 2. Coeur d’Alene, Id 17:10.47 (9 HS).
SpMed: 1. North Rockland, Thiells 3:26.93; 2. Xavier, NYC 3:28.44.
DisMed: 1. Organ Mountain 10:06.09; 2. Colts Neck, NJ 10:07.66; 3. Marist 10:08.98.
HJ: 1. *Jordan Randall (Community, Warsaw, In) 7-¼.
PV: 1. *Victor Oleson (St Christopher’s, Richmond, Va) 17-7¾; 2. *Luke Beattie (Warwick Valley, Warwick) 16-8; 3. *Max Garvin (Garrison, Tx) 16-8.
LJ: 1. Luke Stradley (Etowah, Woodstock, Ga) 24-9¾; 2. *Tayshaun Dye (Central, Millington, Tn) 24-4.
TJ: 1. Jayden Thrower (Barbers Hill, Mont Belvieu, Tx) 50-2½; 2. Miles Nesmith (Central, Memphis) 49-11¼.
SP: 1. Peter Donini (Delbarton, Morristown, NJ) 65-10¼; 2. Ashton Hearn (Christian Brothers, Memphis) 64-10½.
Wt: 1. Shamrock Thoun (Woonsocket, RI) 82-6¼ (10, x HS).
Pent: 1. *Owen Proskin (Plum, Pa) 3724; 2. Kingston Williams (Princeton, Tx) 3668.
