The COMPLETE New Balance Nationals Outdoor Boys Preview

Distance Races Preview

800 Run

This event is a bit thin on US Top 25 athletes, but there is still enough firepower here to make the race very interesting.  US #3 Brandon McGorty (Chantilly VA) is the favorite, but US #6 Frank Hayes (Sylvania Southview OH) should be right there with him.  The wildcard is Isaac Cortes (Great Oak CA), who arguably hasn't ever really had the chance to go wide open in an 800 against this level of competition - even at the California state meet, he waited until the last moment to kick past the field for the win, having run the 1600 earlier in the day.  Cortes would certainly love to break 1:50, and this race could provide that kind of push. For his part, McGorty has already run 1:48.58 in a race where he beat Drew Hunter, and he is the only junior currently ranked in the top 10 in the nation in this event.

One Mile Run

Cortes' teammate Spencer Dodds (Great Oak CA) is the top seed here, having run a converted 4:06.89 this spring.  That puts him at US #16, and should put him right alongside three of the nation's top 20 milers from the indoor season: Brandon Tubby (Hillsborough NJ), Jaxson Hoey (Downington West PA), and Dalton Hengst (McDonough School MD).

Two Mile Run

Dodds also has the top seed in this race, and it appears he'll have an even more competitive race here, as well.  Noah Jacobs (Corunna MI) is currently US #25 to Dodds' US #23, both of them just barely under 9 minutes.  Watch out for Matthew Bouthillette (La Salle RI), who clocked 9:03 indoors earlier this year, as well as Gabriel Altopp (Ridgefield CT) and Rohann Asfaw (Richard Montgomery MD).

5000 Meter Run

Friday night's signature championship race is almost always interesting, and the field is quite deep this year.  Current US #5 Matthew Young (Jenks OK) will take on the 2nd-ranked runner in the nation from indoor season, Aaron Groff (Cherry Hill East NJ).  Also posting big times indoors: Connor Lane (Cardinal Gibbons, US #5) and Joseph Trojan (University School OH, US #6).  David Principe (La Salle RI) isn't ranked as high in 2016, but he did finish 4th in this race last year, making him the top runner to return for this year's edition.  Also, keep an eye on Mason Coppi (Dana Hills CA), who has never run the 5K on the track - but he HAS run 8:55 for 3200.

2000 Steeplechase

This is the only track event in this meet that can give the 400 Hurdles a run for its money in terms of depth and quality.  Eion Nohilly (John Jay NY) finished 2nd in this race last year with a furious kick, his time of 6:03.48 making him the top returner in the nation.  The current US #1 belongs to Ben Ewert (Beavercreek OH), who has run 6:01.59 this season.  Overall, this race features the top 4 runners in the nation from 2016, plus the top 3 returners in the country from 2015, which should make it intensely competitive.  Nick Steele (Bromfield School MA), Christian Raslowsky (Xavier NY), Greg Crowley (Scarsdale NY), and Brian Bates (Corning NY) have all run between 6:01 and 6:05 at some point!

One Mile Racewalk

In 2015 this field was quite small, and it appears the same will be true in 2016.  Despite that, the talent at the top is very strong, including the current national leader in the 1600, Spencer Dunn (Edward Little ME).  US #3 Trevor Judd (Spruce Mountain ME) will also contend, as will the #3 returner from 2015, Juan Moscoso (Central Florida Gliders FL).