By Owen Mittenthal/Armory Track
NEW YORK, NY, June 8, 2022 – The upcoming New Balance Nationals Outdoor championships are now just over a week away, scheduled for June 16-19 at historic Franklin Field on the University of Pennsylvania’s campus. The fields at this national championship event are projected to be stellar from top to bottom, with the inclusion of several of America’s top high school athletes on the girls’ side.
One such standout is Shawnti Jackson (Wakefield, NC), scheduled to compete in the 100m and 200m. Jackson is a nine-time United States record holder and 17-time national champion, and she is fresh off a dominant triple at the North Carolina state championships, winning the 100m, 200m, and 400m.
The daughter of the legendary 400m hurdler Bershawn ‘Batman’ Jackson, Shawnti will be extremely tough to beat in either of her specialty events.
“It’s very fitting to have Shawnti Jackson, who owns so many national records and is a multi-national champion, compete at Franklin Field in the New Balance Nationals Outdoor championships,” said Armory Foundation Co-President Rita Finkel. “She is so amazing on the track and is one of those rare ‘must-see’ competitors.
“Shawnti’s performance in the Millrose Games against the professionals this past January was truly memorable.”
One of Jackson’s top challengers in both races will be Laila Campbell (Spring Grove, PA). Campbell ran a US #4 mark in the 100m of 11.24 several weeks ago, before sweeping both sprints at the Pennsylvania state meet. Campbell placed second in the 55m at New Balance Nationals Indoor, and she will look to climb one step higher on the NBNO podium with the home crowd behind her.
Moving up in distance, Angelina Perez (Wanaque, NJ) leads the field in the 2-mile event. Perez won the 3000m at the Penn Relays in April, as she hopes to put together another iconic performance at Franklin Field.
At NBNI, Perez broke 10 minutes for the first time to place third in a historically fast race, and now the outdoor national record of 9:53.54 held by Bethan Knights could be on the table.
In the 400m hurdles, Sanaa Hebron (Neshaminy, PA) is US #3, after running 59.96 to break the magical one-minute barrier. She will look to close out her high school career on top, if she can fend off a challenge from Amirah Sharpe (Clayton, NJ), who is US #4.
While the action on the track will be sizzling, the field events are loaded as well. Alyssa Jones (Miami Southridge, FL) will look to double up in the jumping events, as she ranks US #3 in the long jump and US #9 in the high jump. Meanwhile, in the throws, Olivia O’Connor (Hillhouse, CT) is US #2 in the hammer throw, and she will be looking for a huge mark at NBNO.
Track fans won’t want to miss any of these phenomenal young women in action next weekend. They will join the nation’s top boys in Philadelphia, including 3:57 miler Gary Martin (Archbishop Wood, PA) as he continues to climb the all-time list, as well as Cade Flatt (Benton, KY), who is targeting the 26-year-old national record in the 800m.
The Armory Foundation and its team will help manage this one-of-a-kind championship experience for all participants.
Visit https://www.nbnationalsout.com/ for meet information, event standards, registration, and other important information.
The 2022 NBNO will be broadcast live from Franklin Field, Thursday through Sunday, June 16-19 on NBNationals.com. The free broadcast will be focused on running events.
For more information on all Armory Track events go to www.armorytrack.com and www.armory.nyc. Follow The Armory on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @armorynyc.
