This weekend, many of the top track and field athletes will travel to Boston, Massachusetts, taking part in Nike Indoor Nationals.  From around the country, athletes will go head-to-head, proving just who is the best on the indoor oval.  A variety of events especially stand out this year, as we break down each event area in our build-up to NIN 2010.

NIN Website / NIN Entries

Previews: Sprints-Hurdles / Distance / Jumps / Throws

Sprints / Hurdles

Some fantastic match-ups take place this weekend in Boston, but one of the most eagerly anticipated ones is easily Blake Heriot (Sr., Lincoln, OH) v. Fuquawn Greene (Sr., New Bern, NC) v. Darrell Wesh (Sr., Landstown, VA) in the 60m dash.  Heriot is ranked US#2 in the 60m dash, while Greene is ranked US#3.  Wesh is ranked US#1 in the 55m dash with his 6.30 performance at the Virginia State Championships.  Dior Mathis (Sr., Cass Tech, MI) should also challenge, as he's ranked US#5 for 60m.

In the 200m event, Greene is the easy favorite, establishing himself as the target for the rest of the field.  The sprints reload in the 400m dash, as Heriot and Brady Gehret (Sr., Altoona Area, PA) clash.  Heriot is ranked US#1 in the event after his 47.59 performance at the UK H.S. Invitational in February, while Gehret went a US#2 47.70 at his state meet, while ranking US#1 over 300m  US#5 James Harris (Sr., Larett, AL) should challenge as well, especially considering he ran 46.55 outdoors last spring.

In the 60m hurdles, a clash of talent meets.  Jeffery Lewis (Sr., Western Branch, VA) is ranked US#1 over the 55m hurdles, posting a time earlier this season of 7.40.  Lewis' top competition is Marquis Woodward (Sr., Thomas Johnson, MD), who is currently US#2 at the 55m hurdle distance in 7.41, while US#3 Rodrigo Souza (Sr., Old Saybrook, CT) is also entered.

However, Trevor Brown (Sr., Wasson, CA) is ranked US#2 in the 60m hurdles, running a time of 7.81 this season.  Brown v. Lewis will be quite a match-up for spectators to take in, while Kendall Hayes (Sr., Lancaster, TX) and Stephen Lewis (Sr., Liberty, PA) are also ranked in the US top 6 for 60m hurdles.

Distance

While all of the distance events at Nike Indoor Nationals will be worth watching, the most exciting and anticipated of the bunch is the boys 800m dash.  An incredibly strong field, comprising of four of the top five ranked 800m runners, as well as the top ranked 600m runners and top two ranked 1,000m runners, should make it an all-time classic.

Georgetown-bound Bill Ledder (Sr., Gonzaga, DC) leads the way, ranking US#1 in 1:52.81 and showing that he's coming on at the right time.  Ledder will find competition from junior sensation Nick Kaiser (Jr., Bedford, MI), who's the top 800m returnee heading into the 2010 season, as well as currently ranking US#2 in the event with a 1:53.17 performance to his name.

Other top contenders are US#3 800m runner Ryan O'Connor (Jr., Northern MD), US#5 Mark McCauley (Sr., Greely, ME) and US#8 Mark Stevens-Carty (So., Allatoona, GA), each running under 1:54.75 this season, with O'Connor blazing a 1:53.57 best.

Off-distance ranked performers will put themselves in contention for the win, as well.  US#1 at 1,000m, Kevin Byrne (Jr., Red Bank, NJ) seems poised for another break through performance, while US#2 1,000m runner Chris Fitzsimmons (Sr., Hamden, NJ) is running very well as of late.  Mike Quercia (Sr., Marcellus, NY) is ranked US#1 for 600m, showing the speed necessary to challenge the top contenders over 800m.

The mile should be a dandy, with some incredible competition assembled across the board.  Alex Hatz (Sr., Fayetteville-Manlius, NY) looks to establish himself as the dominant miler in the country, currently ranked US#1 for the mile and 1,500m.  Hatz will find plenty of competition from US#2 miler Colby Alexander (Sr., Strongsville, OH), as the two have seasonal mile bests of 4:12.08 and 4:12.25. 

The Michigan duo of Omar Kuddurah (Jr., Grand Blanc, MI) and Michael Atchoo (Sr., Troy, MI), who've run 4:13.48 and 4:14.34 should find themselves challenging for the win as well, while US#5 miler John Bleday (Sr., Xavieran, MA) is also entered in the field with his 4:12.70 seed time.  Not to be overlooked, US#2 1,600m performer DJ Thorton (Sr., Union Catholic, NJ) is a pre-race top three contender, too.

In the two mile, the field seems wide open, poised for an upset.  The pre-race favorite is Jim Rosa (Jr., WW-PN, NJ), who's already gone 9:05.26 for 3200m this season.  However, Rosa will find plenty of competition, especially from Tyler Udland (Sr., Millburn, NJ), who's run under 9:10, while Chris Bendtsen (Sr., Wolcott, CT) cannot be overlooked after his 9:15.36 US#1 mark for two miles last month.  Experienced veterans Zach Wills (Jr., Mason, OH) and Garrett Rowe (Sr., Mt. View, CA) are also entered in the field.

Jumps

Perhaps the most watched athlete in the jumps will be Carlton Lavong (Sr., Methacton, PA).  Lavong is ranked US#1 in the long jump with a 24-11 mark, while coming in at US#2 in the triple jump with a 49-11.5.  It's always a tough double to win the boys long jump and triple jump events, but if anyone seems capable Lavong is the guy.

However, Lavong will face some serious competition from a handful of individuals.  In the long jump, US#2 Jarrett Samuels (Jr., ZB Vance, NC) and US#3 Marquis Dendy (Jr., Middletown, DE) are entered.  Lavong, Samuels and Dandy each topped 24 feet this season, as the trio eyes the meet record of 24-09.

In the triple jump, Dendy, Lavong, US#3 Kendrick Smith (Sr., Western Branch, VA) and Mark Jackson (Sr., Taylor, TX) will vie for the title.  Dendy is the top returnee from the 2009 outdoor season, having gone 50-06.25, while the rest of the group have seasonal bests over 48-06.

In the pole vault, Sam Ewing (Sr., Lake Hamilton AR) is the easy favorite.  He sits as the only vaulter in the country to have cleared 17-00 this season, going 17-01 earlier in the season.  The University of Arkansas signee is soaring high and should push the 17-05 meet record, making it one of the most anticipated events of the weekend.

Ewing's toughest competition should come from US#2 Michael Woepse (Sr., Mater Dei, CA), who's gone 16-07 this season and vaulted 16-09 in 2009.  US#3 Paul Malquist (So., Gainesville, GA) is one to watch, having already topped 16-06 this season, as a mere sophomore.  The sophomore indoor class record is 16-09 set by Jacob Davis (Orangefield, CA) in 1994.  Mark Thomas Sr. Lorena, TX) is another contender for a top three finish having cleared 16-06, as well.

In the high jump, Dwayne Golbeck (Sr., Claremore, OK), Tanner Anderson (Sr., E. Burke, NC) and Stephen Lewis (Sr., Liberty, PA) are the only seeded leapers with 6-10 performances to their name this season.  Anderson lept 7-02.5 last season and is the US#2 returnee in the event.  All three will look to top the seven foot barrier.

Throws

While the throws aren't as strong as the past few years, there will be plenty of fireworks when the big men take center stage.  In the weight throw, Alec Faldermeyer (Sr., Minisink Valley, NY) is the heavy favorite, entering with a seed well over ten feet ahead of the competition.  Faldermeyer threw a US#1 mark of 82-10.5 last month at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational.  The UCLA-bound senior looks to win, and win big.

In the shot put, while US#1 Nick Vena decided not to compete in this year's event, US#2 Dustin Brode (Sr., Canfield, OH) is certain to push the 70-foot barrier.  Entering the season as the US#5 returnee in the shot put, Brode has already established a new PR, throwing 66-06 earlier in the season.  

Brode's chief competition should come from Dominic Filiano (Sr., Lebanon, NH), who's currently ranked US#5 at 63-03.5