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A summary of the top Florida girls performances at the 2022 New Balance Nationals Indoor held at the New York Armory this past weekend.
Miami Southridge senior Alyssa Jones had a tale of two meets in the high jump and long jump. Both events she could have potentially competed for a national title, but the high jump would not be her day as she failed to clear her 3 attempts at her opening height of 5'7".
Meanwhile, the Stanford signee Jones got redemption in the long jump as she bested her already established US #1 ranked indoor mark of 20'10.75" from the VA Showcase in January by extending out to a leap of 21 feet and three-quarters of an inch to claim the national title at the New Balance Nationals Indoor. She hit her best mark in New York on her third attempt to put her in the lead ahead of Avery Lewis (20'8.50") from Pennsylvania.
Jones remarkably has jumped farther outdoor this season already at 3.5 meters or 21'4" from the Spartan Invitational on her home track a few weeks ago at Miami Southridge. Her performance at indoor nationals breaks her own state indoor record in the long jump from earlier in the season.
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The first national champion of the weekend from Florida came on Friday in the championship girls weight throw, an event not commonly contested anywhere in Florida along with the hammer throw outdoors. IMG Academy senior with Nigerian roots in Kosi Umerah launched a throw of 59 feet and three quarters of an inch to win the competition by a considerably margin of almost 6 feet compared to runner-up Olivia Campbell from Illinois at 53'2.75".
Umerah only needed her first throw to take the lead with her best mark and despite fouling 3 of her next 5 attempts, the national title was never in doubt after her opener.
Would not be surprised Umerah continuing to develop to represent her parents home country of Nigeria in World Junior Championships, IAAF World Championship and Olympic Games some day as she is still very raw in the throws.
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A freshmen from Florida nearly won not the freshmen girls 60 hurdles, but the actual championship girls 60 meter hurdles. Our state has talented hurdler with a bright future in Somerset Academy Pembroke Pines ninth grader Aleesa Samuel.
Samuel made it all the way thru three rounds and onto the finals of the championship girls 60 meter hurdles at the Armory and finished runner-up for All-American honors behind only senior Nonah Waldron (1st, 7.83) of Michigan with a 8.46 clocking. The time ties Samuel for 3rd fastest all-time indoors in Florida high school history with the state record belonging to Lucheyona Weaver at 8.31 from last year's adidas Indoro Nationals.
Samuel has already had a stellar start to her first high school outdoor season in Florida including a US #3 14.09 wind legal victory in the 100 meter hurdles at the Louie Bing Invitational last month and posting a US #10 11.88 wind-legal PR in the 100 meter dash for third place at the Sam Burley Invitational last weekend.
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The top Florida girls performances in the distance races belonged to Cambridge Christian senior Caroline Lehman. On Friday, Lehman broke her own Florida high school indoor state record for two miles as she just slipped into the top 8 for All-American honors in a super deep field with a new indoor personal best of 10:18.84 for eighth place.
The Notre Dame signee owns both the indoor and outdoor state record (10:14.86) for the full two miles in Florida. Lehman came back on Sunday after a day's rest in between to compete in the championship girls mile, which was arguably even stronger field than the two mile on Friday. Lehman held her own finishing 10th and only a second and a half off top 8 again for All-American honors with an indoor best mile time of 4:50.42.
She just missed setting a second Florida state record on the weekend as the current high school girls indoor mile record sits at 4:50.13 by Atlantic Delray star Jackie Areson's victory at the 2006 Nike Indoor Nationals.
IMG Academy brought the largest squad of athletes to the meet from Florida and one of their several relays which competed over the weekend was able to earn All-American honors in their 4x200 meter relay posting a time of 1:40.47 for third place in the finals.
One of their relay legs in Columba Effiong was the only athlete from Florida to make it through all the rounds of the championship girls 60 meter dash to the finals including two talents who have already produced some of the fastest 100 times in the state this season in Cynteria James (12th, 7.65) of Miami Southridge and Kayla-Jadyn Cleveland (13th, 7.65) of Terry Parker. Effiong ultimately finished 7th in the finals for All-American honors clocking a time of 7.54.
James, the current outdoor state leader in the 100 and 200 meter dash, just missed making the finals of the 200 meter dash as the ninth fastest performer in the prelims at 24.20.
Her Miami Southridge squad competing as South Dade Express would have likely made some noise in the 4x200 meter relay finals as well, but they were disqualified due to an exchange zone violations after initially winning their preliminary qualifying heat in 1:38.51.
In the rising stars division, which is the next tier of athletes just missing the cut for the championship division for each event, George Jenkins freshman Chelsi Williams had the standout performance among that group by winning the triple jump competition with a leap of 38'4.25". Last year's 1A state champion in the 100 meter hurdles at McKeel Academy is proving herself more than just a hurdler at her new school at the 4A level in George Jenkins.
Florida had two freshmen finish as runners-up in their freshmen division races at New Balance Nationals Indoor between Brielle Mindley of Palm Beach Central in the 60 meter dash with a 7.70 clocking and Shanel Morgan of St. Thomas Aquinas in the 400 meter dash with a time of 58.69.
Florida High School Girls Results from 2022 New Balance Nationals Indoor
Championship Girls 60m Dash
7. Columba Effiong (IMG Academy) 7.54
12. Cynteria James (Miami Southridge) 7.65
13. Kayla-Jadyn Cleveland (Terry Parker) 7.65
17. Somiyah Braggs (Miami Southridge) 7.77
28. Jada Smith FL (Palm Beach Central) 7.75
40. Lakesha Smith (Atlantic Delray) 7.91
Championship Girls 200m Dash
9. Cynteria James (Miami Southridge) 24.40
17. Kayla-Jadyn Cleveland (Terry Parker) 24.88
18. Somiyah Braggs (Miami Southridge) 24.89
19. Jada Smith FL (Palm Beach Central) 24.91
Championship Girls 400m Dash
31. Layla Haynes (IMG Academy) 59.27
Championship Girls Mile Run
10. Caroline Lehman (Cambridge Christian) 4:50.42
Championship Girls 2 Mile Run
8. Caroline Lehman (Cambridge Christian) 10:18.84
25. Mary Ellen Eudaly (Cambridge Christian) 10:37.16
Championship Girls 60m Hurdles
3. Aleesa Samuel (Somerset Academy Pembroke Pines) 8.46
11. Brittne Jennings (Top End TC) 8.73
17. Chelsi Williams (George Jenkins) 8.96
Championship Girls 4x200 Meter Relay
3. IMG Academy 1:40.47
DQ. Miami Southridge 1:38.51
Championship Girls 4x400 Meter Relay
11. IMG Academy 4:01.81
Championship Girls 4x800 Meter Relay
24. IMG Academy 9:41.03
Championship Girls Distance Medley Relay
19. IMG Academy 12:36.45
Championship Girls High Jump
- Alyssa Jones FL (Miami Southridge) NH
Championship Girls Long Jump
1. Alyssa Jones (Miami Southridge) 21-00.75
18. Jada Smith FL (Fast Lane TC) 18-00.25
20. Destiny St. Cyr (American Heritage) 17-11.00
28. Adina Jackson (Palm ) 16-11.50
Championship Girls Triple Jump
27. Ana Cecilia Rivera (IMG Academy) 35-9.50
Championship Girls Shot Put
31. Kosi Umerah (IMG Academy) 36-1.50
Championship Girls Weight Throw
1. Kosi Umerah (IMG Academy) 59-00.75
Rising Stars Girls 60m Dash
10. Brittne Jennings (Top End TC) 7.86
14. Molly McGrath FL (Hagerty) 7.92
26. Destiny St. Cyr (American Heritage) 7.93
39. Adina Jackson (Fast Lane TC) 8.00
Rising Stars Girls 200 Meter Dash
DQ. Anika Thomas (IMG Academy) 24.91
Rising Stars Girls 400m Dash
12. Andie Harding (IMG Academy) 2:19.43
37. KaMyya Haywood (Top End TC) 2:44.36
Rising Stars Girls High Jump
13. Daniela Rubio-Pastor (IMG Academy) 4-11.75
Rising Stars Girls Pole Vault
6. Olivia Albee (IMG Academy) 11-5.75
Rising Stars Girls Long Jump
10. Ana Cecilia Rivera (IMG Academy) 17-5.25
Rising Stars Girls Triple Jump
1. Chelsi Williams (Georgia Jenkins) 38-4.25
13. Lakesha Smith (Fast Lane TC) 35-7.75
16. Adina Jackson (Fast Lane TC) 35-5.75
17. Jessica Wood FL (Miami Southridge) 35-1.25
21. Daniela Rubio-Pastor (IMG Academy) 34-8.50
Rising Stars Girls Shot Put
10. Ginger Arnold (IMG Academy) 34-5.00
Rising Stars Girls Weight Throw
17. Ginger Arnold (IMG Academy) 35-8
26. Nadia Henley (IMG Academy) 32-5.75
Freshmen Girls 60 Meter Dash
2. Brielle Mindley (Palm Beach Central) 7.71
Freshmen Girls 200 Meter Dash
6. Brielle Mindley (Palm Beach Central) 25.83
9. Tamia Benton (Miami Southridge) 25.98
12. Shanel Morgan (St. Thomas Aquinas) 26.09
Freshmen Girls 400 Meter Dash
2. Shanel Morgan (St. Thomas Aquinas) 58.69