THURSDAY: Nike Outdoor Nationals will be hosting their first 5K races on Thursday evening starting with the girls at 5K. The 12.5 lap event will feature a handful of Virginians including AAA 3200 state runner-up Stefanie Slekis of Forest Park, AA 3200 and 1600 state runner-up Jillian Pollack of Millbrook, AA 3200 state champion Zac Edwards of Northside, and A 3200 state champion Simon Biddle-Snead of Clarke County.
FRIDAY: Events start really rolling at 5:15 PM with the start of the qualifying rounds of the 100 meter dash, which will feature Bayside\'s Charles Clark, who is coming off a rare AAA state title sweep in the sprints. Hampton\'s Tierra Brown, who posted a quick sub 14 clocking at the AAA State Meet, will look to advance into Saturday night\'s finals of the 100 meter hurdles in Friday\'s prelims. The Nike Indoor Nationals 200 meter champion Clark will look to be in the finals later in the evening at 7:00 pm. Nike Indoor Nationals two mile runner-up Catherine White of Northside is one of the featured entries in the two mile run on Friday night and will look to have another All-American performance. The Potomac School girls and Manchester boys earned All-American honors indoors in the 1600 meter SMR and would like to repeat the honor on Friday afternoon.
In field events action, E.C. Glass senior Mike Zajac is in the top flight of the boys\' discus throw. Zajac earned All-American honors indoors in the hammer throw. Virginia has 3 in the top flight of the girls triple jump with AAA state champion Rachel Butler, April Sinkler, and Ashley Orr. AAA state champion Antonio Miller of Manchester and Nike Indoor Nationals high jump champion of Marlon Woods join more than a handful of entries over 48 feet in the triple jump.
SATURDAY: Oakton boys and girls look to have the top 4xmile relays entered with the likes of milers in Matt Kroetch for the boys and Kayley Byrne for the girls leading deep squads in the fast sections of the early morning event. Charles Clark will be going through another qualifying round in the 200 meter dash on Saturday morning. Clark is one of the contenders in the field after running under 21 seconds this spring (wind-aided). The remaining heats include some of the state\'s best with Appomattox\'s Rashad Kelso and Bayside teammate Oli Alexander. Wes Point\'s Rasheeta Hundley had a coming out party in last week\'s MileStat.com Gala and will look to continue that momentum in Saturday\'s 200 meter prelims at NON along with AAA state champion Leah Brown of Landstown. Defending Nike Indoor Nationals 800 meter champion Katie Doswell will be one of the top seeds in the fast section of the 800 meter run on Saturday in Greensboro. Doswell will need to match her 2:10 from Nike Indoors or better the time in a tough field. Another defending Nike Indoors champion from Virginia is found in the freshmen mile with Thomas Porter of Mountain View, who is only two weeks separated from his near state championship in the 3200 meter run at the AAA State Meet with a 9:19 clocking. Despite the fact that they will be racing in different sections, there will be a battle of time between Hampton\'s Tierra Brown and Menchville\'s Nicole Saunders in the 400 meter hurdles. Brown defeated Saunders two weeks ago in the 300 meter hurdles at the state meet, but Saunders had earlier posted the fastest time in the nation in the 400 meter hurdles at Penn Relays. Saunders is seeded in the fast section with Brown placed in the next fastest. Great Bridge\'s Kristy Tobin just missed All-American honors indoors finishing seventh overall by winning the slow section at Nike Indoors. She will not have lack of competition holding her back in the fast section of Nike Outdoors with Foot Locker National Champion and freshmen phenom Jordan Hasay of California in the race. Tobin ran 4:53 for 1600 meters two weekends ago at the state meet and ran an impressive state best 800 meter time of 2:12 last weekend at the Gala. Catherine White will be doubling back from Friday night\'s two mile in the next fastest section along with AAA state runner-up to Tobin at nearly an identical time of 4:53 in M.C. Miller of Midlothian. The Herndon boys had an impressive finish at the Penn Relays in the DMR with a 3:05 1200 leg from Abe Daganchew and 4:13 1600 leg from Ermin Mujezinovic. A duplicate performance or even better could put them in the thick of things, despite a 4:04 miler being in the field with Jack Bolas from North Carolina.
In field events, Mike Zajac of E.C. Glass hopes to be collecting his second All-American honor of the meet and third all-time in the hammer throw which kicks off at 8:30 am. Zajac was a surprise All-American finisher indoors despite the fact that the hammer throw is not a common event within the state. Penn Relays champion and 157-7 discus thrower Natalie Baird of Park View will get her first challenge this spring as she has went undefeated against competition thus far. Baird certainly should fair well in the Saturday morning event. Odds will be stacked against Marlon Woods of Booker T. Washington once again in the high jump as the defending Nike Indoor Nationals champion is going up against a field that includes jumpers who have cleared 7 feet, which Woods has failed to do yet so far. However, Woods with his 6-10 best has pulled off surprises before. Woods also is in the top flight of the long jump, which he earned All-American honors in during indoors. Bethel\'s Shakia Forbes has had an excellent spring in the long jump from her near victories and well over 19 feet performances in the long jump at Southern Track Classic and the AAA State Meet. She could serve up another big jump on Saturday in Greensboro. US #1 pole vaulter Mike Morrison of Great Bridge has the top mark coming in at 17-6.50, but the competition will be fierce with the likes of Nike Indoor Nationals champion Scott Roth from California among others who have cleared over 17 feet before.
A light preview of some of the Virginia athletes and relays to look out for at this weekend\'s Nike Outdoor Nationals to be held Thursday through Saturday, June 15th through 17th in Greensboro, North Carolina. Several individuals from Virginia will be vying for national titles such as Charles Clark, Mike Morrison, Katie Doswell, and Nicole Saunders.