5 Big Storylines for 2023 High School Nationals – Deepest HS Mile Ever, Jackson v Hodge, Gorriaran & Assinga Double, Matsatsa Title Defense
By Alex GeulaThis is the week of US high school national track and field meets. Brooks PR took place yesterday. The two biggest meets, New Balance Nationals Outdoors (NBNO) and Nike Outdoor Nationals (NON), are this weekend. Below we preview five big storylines from NBNO and NON.
Meet details
What: 2023 New Balance Nationals Outdoor
When: Thursday, June 15 to Sunday, June 18. Catch all the action here.
Where: Franklin Field, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
NBNO Schedule/Entry Lists/Results
What: Nike Outdoor Nationals
When: Thursday, June 15 to Sunday, June 18. Catch all the action here.
Where: Hayward Field, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
NON Schedule/Entry Lists/Results
Men’s 1 Mile NON (4:29 p.m. ET 6/18): Deepest HS Mile Field Ever Established
The HOKA Festival of Miles Boys Championship saw a record FOUR boys dip under the four-minute barrier for the mile. This race could break that record.
There are already three boys who have broken four minutes in the mile in this field, and none of them have the last name Young. These three include Simeon Birnbaum from Rapid City, SD (3:57.53 PB). The University of Oregon commit won the HOKA FOM Boys Championship race and tripled at the SD State Championships to win the 800m, 1600m, and 3200m. The second is Rocky Hansen from Arden, NC (3:58.23 PB). The Wake Forest University commit placed 2nd in the HOKA FOM Boys Championship race. Similar to Birnbaum, Hansen tripled at the North Carolina D1 State Championships to win the 800m, 1600m, and 3200m.
Birnbaum at NB Indoor Nationals
The last one in the field to have gone sub-4 in the mile is Connor Burns from Ashland, MO (3:58.33 PB). Burns is a commit to the University of Oregon as well. Burns also held the HS 5,000m record for approximately 20 days earlier this year, running 13:37.30. Burns won NBNI in the 2-mile with a time of 8:40.13. Burns has made it clear that he wants the HS mile record and the 5,000m record back under his name. While the HS mile record might not happen in Eugene, Burns has said he’s going to Europe after the HS season to run some fast times.
Both of the Young twins from Newbury Park, CA are in this race. Leo Young, the U.S. U20 XC champion, holds a mile PB of 4:00.77. While he has never broken 4:00 in the mile, he has run 3:39.39 in the 1500m which converts to approximately a 3:56.94 full mile. That would be the fastest time in the field. His brother, Lex Young, is the national HS 5,000m record holder (13:34.96) and has a Mile PB of 4:01.52. The Young twins are Stanford commits and should be contenders at the front of this race.
Other notable names include University of Oregon commit, Tayson Echohawk from Orem, UT (4:01.07 PB), and University of Washington commit, Tyrone Gorze from Central Point, OR (4:05.47 PB). Gorze recently ran 29:00.17 over 10,000m at the Portland Track Festival. That mark ranks him 3rd all-time.
Sophia Gorriaran Doubles in the 800m and Mile (800m @ 12:47 p.m. ET on 6/18, Mile @ 7:39 p.m. ET on 6/17)
Sophia Gorriaran at the 2021 Olympic Trials (Kevin Morris photo)
Sophia Gorriaran is committed to Harvard next year, and is currently the 5th fastest girl all-time over 800m in high school. This year, she will be attacking two events at NBNO, the 800 and the mile. Although she has never won a national title, Gorriaran has been at the top of the women’s 800m scene for a while. She first made waves in the sport when, at the age of 16, she competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials for Tokyo in 2021. Although she is currently ranked 3rd in the 800m this outdoor season, the senior from Moses Brown High School in Rhode Island is looking to win the national title. Other contenders in the 800m include junior Allison Ince from Normal, IL who was the NBNI champion this year, and OK State commit from Tyrone, GA Isis Grant.
The Mile will definitely be tougher for Gorriaran, although it is before the 800. Gorriaran ran the fastest time indoors for the mile out of any high schooler this year, clocking an impressive 4:37.54 PB at BU in December. However, the NBNI champion, Sadie Engelhardt from Ventura, CA will definitely be stiff competition as she tries to defend her title outdoors.
Matsatsa Looks to Defend His Title (800m @ 12:19 p.m. ET on 6/18)
At the HOKA FOM Championship Boys race, Tinoda Matsatsa became the 20th US high schooler to break the four minute barrier in the mile. Matsatsa created even more history in that he was the first African American high schooler to do so. The Georgetown commit was viewed as more of an 800m runner before that night in St. Louis, evidenced by the fact that he won the 800m at NBNI in March.
Matsatsa will look to defend his title in the 800m against a strong field of contenders. Although he had a poor showing at the Brooks PR Invitational earlier this week, Matsatsa has to be the favorite in the 800m. His PB in the 800m still stands at 1:48.27 from his win at NBNI. His mile strength will definitely help him finish this race in a strong way. Other contenders include Aaron Sahlman of Newbury Park, CA who can be a factor if he is healthy and Andrew Regnier of Waunakee, WI who recently beat Matsatsa at the Brooks PR invite and is committed to UNC. Finally, a dark horse contender is Xai Ricks from Long Beach, CA who has a blazing fast 400m PB of 46.06.
Shawnti Jackson Moves Up (400m @ 1:21 p.m. ET on 6/17, 200m prelims @ 4:29 p.m. ET on 6/17)
Shawnti Jackson at Dr. Sander Invite (Kevin Morris photo)
Shawnti Jackson shocked the high school sprint scene earlier this year, setting the national HS record in the 100m clocking a fast time of 10.89 seconds. However, the Creedmoor, NC native is not contesting the 100m at NBNO this year. She is going for the 200m/400m double in Philadelphia.
The University of Arkansas commit is very versatile and could be a contender in any sprint event she chooses. This outdoor season, she is ranked 1st overall in the 100m, 2nd overall in the 200m, and 2nd overall in the 400m amongst high schoolers.
In the 400m, the top ranked runner, Texas commit Lauren Lewis, is racing at NBNO as well. Jackson will have her hands full trying to take down Lewis, whose PB is almost a full second faster than Jackson’s.
The girl’s 200m is one of the races of the weekend. Jackson takes on Adaejah Hodge, who is the second fastest high school 200m runner of all-time and fastest indoors. Hodge is a junior at Montverde Academy in Florida and is the reigning NBNI champion. Jackson has taken a lot of time off of her 100m and 400m PBs this season, and has yet to have that same breakthrough in the 200m. If she does do so at NBNO this year, this race will be a treat.
Issam Asinga Attacks 100m/200m Double (100m prelims @ 11:44 a.m. ET 6/16, 200m prelims 4:09 p.m. ET 6/17)
Asinga (right) at Millrose Games
Issam Asinga has had one of the best sprint seasons for a high school runner in history. This year Asinga has set the all-conditions record for the 100m (wind-aided) and the 200m. He is the only high school boy ever to break 10 seconds in the 100m and 20 seconds in the 200m. While all of his sub-10 100m times were wind-aided, Asinga was well under 10 seconds, clocking a wind-aided PB of 9.83. Asinga beat the 200m World Champion Noah Lyles over 100m earlier this season.
Asinga is committed to Texas A&M and is a current senior at Montverde Academy in Florida. Asinga has made it clear in the past that his goal for 2023 is to make the World Championships in Budapest. He is eligible to compete for the US, Suriname, and Zambia. If he competes for Zambia or Suriname, all he would need to do is break 10 seconds in a wind-legal 100m race. If the wind is legal over the weekend in Philly, the official HS record (10.00) and U20 World Record (9.91) could be in trouble.