Aleesa Samuel is your 2023 New Balance Nationals Indoor champion in the girls 60 meter hurdles.
The sophomore from Somerset Academy Pembroke Pines held off the nation's best to cross the line first in the finals today in Boston with a US #1 8.27 state record personal best. Samuel got off to a slow start (4th place at first hurdle set) and but quickly caught up to catch Emmi Scales (3rd, 8.32) from Illinois and Skyye Lee (2nd, 8.29) from Missouri.
Samuels' previous PR was 8.41 run twice this past indoor season and she breaks her second state title in the last 4 weeks as her 13.26 wind-legal time at the Louie Bing Invitational set the Florida high school girls outdoor 100 meter hurdles state record.
Lucheyona Weaver of Dunbar had the prior Florida high school girls state indoor 60 meter hurdles record at 8.31 from the 2021 adidas Indoor Nationals.
George Jenkins freshman Chelsi Williams also made the girls 60 meter hurdles finals at New Balance Nationals and gave Florida two All-American finishers in the race with her sixth place showing of 8.49.
This could be the first of many high school national titles to come from Samuel is certainly emerging as not only an all-time great at a young age in Florida, but ascending star nationally. Last outdoor season in the post-season, Samuel was a runner-up at the Brooks PR Invitational in the 100 meter hurdles (13.93) and was a runner-up last year as a freshmen at New Balance Nationals Indoor in the 60 meter hurdles (8.46).