Who are the best RI athletes that will be competing at the New Balance Nationals Indoor (NBNI) Championships, March 11-13? Leading up to the nationals at the New Balance Armory in New York City, MileSplit RI will feature what we consider the top athletes from the Ocean State in their respective events
Boys' Relay events
Emerging Elite: 4x200m, Friday, 5:20 p.m.; 4x400m, Friday, 8 p.m.Championship: DMR, Friday, 7:30 p.m.; 4x200m trials. Saturday, 11:40 a.m.; 4xMile, Saturday, 12:50 p.m. SMR. Saturday, 2:05 p.m.; 4x800m, Saturday, 6:35 p.m. 4x400m (all but top section), Sunday, 12:30 p.m.; 4x200m, Sunday, 1:03 p.m.; 4x400m, Sunday, 3:14 p.m.
We checked out all 10 teams in the seeded heat, including one team that boast the current national record-holder in the mile. The consensous is that we believe La Salle Academy is the favorite to win its second straight title in the 4xMile. Virginia's Drew Hunter of Loudoun Valley, who recently broke Alan Webb's indoor mile record with a 3:57.81 best at the Millrose Games, is not entered in any individual events this weekend, electing instead to anchor a pair of relay squads (4xMile, DMR) for his school. Judging by the top splits from his teammates, Hunter will need to run much faster than what he did at Millrose to catch the Rams. La Salle has three runners capable of running 4:12 or faster with Jack Salisbury, DJ Principe and Matt Bouthillette. The X factor is their No. 4 guy, Alex Campagna. The Ram senior ran a best of 4:40 back on Jan. 2. If he can get that time down to at least 4:35 or a little faster, something that's certainly attainable with the excitement generated inside The Armory, title No. 2 should come back to R.I. The record of 17:07.17, set by Lincroft, N.J., in 2014, may be a stretch. But that could also go down if everyone brings their 'A' game. Other schools that should figure in the mix are Sandburg (IL), Wellesley (MA) and Fordham Prep (NY) with Conor Lundy, a 4:09 miler. And even though the numbers don't add up, you still can't count out Hunter and Loudoun Valley. Sub-four milers deserve that kind of respect. Bishop Hendricken (Avery Ingegneri, Mike Kiernan, Dominic Parlato, Tom McMahon) and Cumberland (Ben Drezek, Sean Laverty, James Haupt and Will Mardo) will have solid squads in the first heat.
In the 4x400m relay, Central is entered in the third of five heats. The Knights clocked a school record of 3:22.48 to place second at the Ocean Breeze Invitational. After winning the state title, Central finished second at the New England Championships with a 3:23.79. The field is always loaded for this event and the Knights may need to dip under 3:20, or come close, to have any chance of cracking the top six. Last year a 3:21.94 placed sixth.