The COMPLETE New Balance Nationals Outdoor Boys Preview

Relays Preview

4x100 and 4x200 Relays

Lets be honest: these are the weakest sprint relay fields we've seen at this meet in a while, at least in terms of the incoming rankings for the entered teams.  Archbishop Carroll DC is the only top-25 team in either race, although you can bet some team will take the opportunity to step up and make a name for itself this weekend.

4x400 Relay

Maybe it's the absence of any Texas teams that makes the shorter relays so thin.  One of the best from the Lone Star is in this event, though: Arlington Bowie is currently US #2 with their 3:12.31, run all the way back in March, and they boast three sub-50 individuals.  Archbishop Carroll is US #15 here and will make this an interesting race.  Don't be surprised if Huntington NY gets into the mix, as well - when you have a 47 guy on your team as well as a 51-second 400 hurdler, you have the chance to run really fast.

4x800 Relay

This is shaping up to be the real gem among the relays, with an outside chance of producing a top-10 all-time performance.  Current national leader State College Area PA comes in with a 7:37.25, less than a half-second better than the Wolfpack of Great Oak CA (US #3 this season).  US #6 Dublin Coffman OH has also broken 7:40, and by the end of the race we could see several more schools that achieve that goal.  Houston Strake Jesuit (currently US #10) and Morris Hills NJ (US #11) are the best candidates to do just that.  All told, there are 9 of the country's top 22 squads in this race, and that doesn't include several other upper-7:40's teams that have the potential to drop time.

4xMile Relay

You just KNOW that Great Oak CA didn't travel all the way from Temecula, between Los Angeles and San Diego, with a whole team of distance runners, just to go home empty-handed.  The Wolfpack set the all-time national record in this event back in April, the first team ever to break 17 minutes (yes, that's an average of under 4:15 per full mile).  Will they even be pushed in this race?  Well, yes, as a matter of fact, because Wellesley MA is in the race, and their individual times for full mile average out to 4:21.  Lake Braddock VA, St. Anthony's NY, Edina MN, and Rockford MI could also be in contention for the podium.

Distance Medley Relay

The national leader, Loudoun Valley VA, with the nation's best distance runner on the anchor in Drew Hunter.  The NXN team champions and national record-holders in the 4x1600, Great Oak CA.  What more could you want?  Well, there are some other really strong squads in the race, too, like Rockford IL and Connecticut rivals Brien McMahon and Ridgefield.  But even if the race turns out to be a two-team duel, what a duel it will be!

800 Sprint Medley

Parkview GA is currently US #2 in this event, one of two medleys where the anchor runs as far as the whole rest of the team combined (the sequence is 100-100-200-400).  The Panthers have Justin Long to bring them home, and they also have a 21.60 200 runner in Amir Harris.  US #6 Liberty Christian and US #8 West Windsor-Plainsboro North NJ should also be up front and competitive.  Watch out for Wayne Memorial MI, who have the advantage of a low-46 anchor leg in Hood.

1000 Sprint Medley

Also known as the Swedish Relay, this race has the unusual combination of 100-200-300-400.  Obviously, the last two legs comprise 70% of the total distance run, and therefore you look for teams with multiple strong long sprinters.  Opelika AL fits the bill, with 47-second 400 runner Nathaniel Huggins and 37-second 300 Hurdler Kacey Spinks.  Other contenders should include Western Branch VA, Oxon Hill MD, Newburgh Free Academy NY, and East Orange Campus NJ.

1600 Sprint Medley

The "true" sprint medley goes 200-200-400-800, with the anchor leg being the key to the whole race. This could be the most wide-open event of the entire meet, girls or boys, as there doesn't seem to be a clear favorite.  Oak Park MI has two strong 400/800 guys in Cooper and Freeman, and that's what it takes to win this race.  Huntington NY also has a good squad, with Shane McGuire on the anchor.  I don't quite know what to make of this field, so this could be a chance for a surprise champion to emerge.

4x110 Shuttle Hurdles

Remember all those years when the Western Branch girls were clear, dominant favorites in this event?  This year, it's time for the Bruin boys to take that role.  Western Branch is the only team in the event with 4 guys under 15 AND one under 14.  Their closest challenge should come from Weequahic NJ, although Patriot VA also has a deep squad.