FINALS

5,000 meters
GIRLS
It's a tough meet record, because Brianna Jackucewicz (Colts Neck, NJ) set the national record when she ran 16:43.02 3 years ago. Can anyone in this year's field break 17 minutes? (Cassie Hintz of Old Town, Maine, did so last year.) This year's leading contenders include Megan Bartlett (Sandpoint, Idaho), Elizabeth Briasco (Forest Hills, Queens), Shelby Greany (Suffern, NY), Ruth-Anne Hadjis (Hattiesburg, Miss), Kari Johnson (Central Lake, Mich) and Caroline Schultz (Hilton, NY). Briasco, a ninth-grader at Queens Science, was runner up in the Simplot 3200 last month in Idaho. Greany, a sophomore who was a mainstay of Suffern's powerhouse relay squads in 2006, finished 19th in the Foot Locker cross-country in California in December. Schultz was 31st in that race. A week earlier, Schultz helped Hilton to 2nd
place at the Nike Team Nationals cross country in Portland, Ore.

BOYS
The national record (14:29.28) has stood for 23 years, set in 1984 by Brad Hudson, a New Jersey native who moved to Eugene, Ore., for his senior year. Chasing that here are Andrew Hanko (Trinity Christian, Montville, NJ), Steve Murdock (Shenendehowa, Clifton Park, NY) and Paul Springer (Unionville, Pa.). Murdock beat Hanko at the Eastern States in the 2-mile, 9:07.85 to 9:09.80, the fastest 2M of this indoor season nationwide. Springer has run 4:12.61 for the mile. Shenendehowa has had a lot of success at the Nationals in recent years. In 2006 Dan McManamon of Shen won the mile, and two years earlier he led off their national-record-setting 4xmile team.

LONG JUMP
GIRLS
The best prospects to jump 19 feet are Jasmine Brunson (Pembroke, Bermuda), Shakia Forbes (Hampton, Va) and Vashti Thomas (Mt Pleasant, San Jose).

BOYS
Leading contenders include Conlon Bonner (LaGuardia Arts, Queens), the New York state runnerup; Ramon Crockett (McComb, Miss), Antoine Lipscomb (Starkville, Miss) and Zedric Thomas (New Iberia, La). Bonner has a best of 23-8.

HIGH JUMP
GIRLS
Monique Roberts (Cicero-North, Syracuse) is national leader this winter at 5-11. She will face Brigetta Barrett (Ketcham, Wappinger Falls NY), Brittani Carter (Missouri City, Tx), Maddie Buttinger (Ontario, Canada) and Grace Watson (Belmont, Mass). Carter has cleared 5-10, Barrett and Watson 5-9.

BOYS
Grant Lindsey (Mansfield, Texas) jumped 7-2 last spring, Philip Feinberg (Chandler, Ariz) 7-0 1/4. This winter Qaadir Tudor (West Orange NJ) has jumped 6-10, Meikle Paschal (Lexington, Mass) 6-9.

GIRLS SHOT PUT
DeAnne Hahn (Lakewood, NJ) has done 47-2, Miranda Wilson (Bishop O'Dowd, Oakland, Calif) 46-0. Lauren Chambers (Marietta, Ga), a member of the famed weight-throwing corps from Georgia, has a shot best of 45-5; she is a sophomore. Melissa Kurzdorfer, a ninth-grader from Lancaster, NY, shattered the state freshman record this winter by going 45-8.

SPRINT MEDLEY RELAY
GIRLS
West Catholic (Philadelphia) had the nation's leading mark for the 2006 season (3:57.83) and is back with another good squad despite the graduation of its fine 800 anchor runner, Latavia Thomas. Benjamin Cardozo (Queens) has run 4:03.44 this winter and is anchored by Dalilah Muhammad, one of the nation's leading runners from 300 meters to 800. One of Muhammad's rivals in another event, the 400 hurdles, is Leslie Njoku, who will be anchoring McNair Academic (Jersey City). Muhammad and Njoku have both broken 60 seconds in the IH. Other contending teams include Bishop Loughlin (Brooklyn), Fort Bend-Marshall (Missouri City, Tx), the Motor City Track Club of Detroit and Pope John XXIII (Sparta, NJ). Pope John has run 4:06.27 this winter.

BOYS
Notre Dame (Lawrenceville NJ) has the nation's leading mark so far this winter (3:31.8) and is anchored by Gigi Gibilisco, a 1:53 halfmiler. Warren Central of Indianapolis is anchored by De'Sean Turner, a 4:09 miler last year. Other contenders include Cardinal O'Hara of Pennsylvania, Motor City, Lake Braddock of Virginia and Monsignor Farrell of Staten Island. Farrell is anchored by Matt Frawley, a sub-2:30 1,000-meter runner.

DISTANCE MEDLEY RELAY
GIRLS
A lot of contenders here, including Bay Shore (Long Island), anchored by Callie Hogan and led off by Sarah McCurdy; Bronxville (NY), anchored by Tori Flannery; Carmel (NY), anchored by Kristen Reese; Glastonbury (Conn); LaSalle Academy (RI), anchored by multiple state champion Jeanne Mack; California schools Los Gatos and Maria Carrillo, and New York schools Ursuline, Ward-Melville and Warwick Valley. Bay Shore has run 11:57.02, Carmel 12:01.30, Glastonbury 12:06.08 and Warwick Valley, anchored by Tori Pennings, 11:59.86.

BOYS
Old Bridge (NJ) is currently ranked #2 nationally at 10:20.1 (US leader Collegiate School is running other events here), but there are a number of teams within a few seconds of that, including Shenendehowa (10:22.30), Warwick Valley (NY) (10:20.73), Colts Neck (NJ), Cardinal O'Hara (Pa), Glastonbury (10:23.48), St. Benedict's Prep (Newark NJ) and Monsignor Farrell (SI). St. Benedict's is anchored by Brandon Jarrett and Colts Neck by Craig Forys. A year ago, Forys ran a 4:05 1600-meter anchor leg.

4x60-METER SHUTTLE HURDLE RELAY
GIRLS
New Rochelle (NY) should be the favorite here, with the balanced team of Assata Cowart, Tameekia Cooper, Elizabeth Mott and Lacresha Simpson.

BOYS
The top teams appear to be Molloy and Fordham Prep of the CHSAA and South Shore of the PSAL.

QUALIFYING

GIRLS' POLE VAULT
The field is led by the new national recordholder, Tori Anthony (Castilleja, Palo Alto, Calif), who went 14-2 1/2 this winter in Seattle. It's an excellent field, including 13-footers Stephanie Duffy (Washingtonville NY) and Allison Stokke (Newport Beach, Calif) and 12-footers Bethany Dumas (Cory, Augusta, Maine, 12-7 1/2), Becky Frey (Bethlehem, Pa, 12-6), Daisy Glasser (Episcopal, Atlantic Beach, Fla, 12-6 1/4), Ariane Beaumont-Courteau (Montreal, Quebec,12-6) and Abby Schaffer (Bethlehem, Pa, 12-3).

60-METER DASH
Qualifiers will advance to Saturday's semifinals.
GIRLS
A great field led by Gabby Mayo (Southeast, Raleigh, NC), the nation's fastest 100-meter runner last year outdoors at 11.16. Just rounding into form indoors, she has run 6.87 so far for the 55 meters. She will face an outstanding group of challengers, including Shayla Mahan of Detroit (11.53 100, 6.83 55, 7.26 indoor 60 meters); Jeneba Tarmoh (Mt. Pleasant, San Jose), the #2 100-meter runner last year (11.24); Texans Erica Alexander (Friendswood, 7.44) and Tiffany Townsend (Killeen, 7.32); Canadians Simone Holder (Milton, Ontario) and Kimberly Hyacinthe (Lachenaie, Quebec); Californians Ashton Purvis and Turquoise Thompson, and two stars from Middle College (Brooklyn), Analisa Austin and Dieddra Rogers.

BOYS
Terrell Wilks (Hillhouse, New Haven) broke the Armory 55-meter record in winning the Eastern States last month (6.29). He will face Trenton Guy Jr. (West Charlotte, NC), who has run 6.30; Isaiah Green, who led off the record-setting 4x200 team for Long Beach Poly here 2 years ago; Justin Christian (Atlanta), who has run 6.72 for 60 meters, and Ryan Bailey (McKay, Salem, Ore), who has run 6.85.

60-METER HURDLES
Qualifiers advance to Saturday's semifinals.
GIRLS
Gabby Mayo (Southeast, Raleigh, NC) is entered in both straightaway races. She has run 13.60 outdoors in the 100-meter hurdles and is one of the nation's leading hurdlers. Julian Purvis (St. Elizabeth, Oakland, Calif) has also run 13.60 as well as 8.56 for the indoor 60-meter hurdles. Another Californian, Vashti Thomas (Mt. Pleasant, San Jose) has run 8.39 for the 60. Two NYC athletes will also contend here, Saleena Abdur-Rashed of Brooklyn and Lindsay Rowe of Queens. Rowe, a senior at Cardozo, has run 7.76 this winter in the 55-meter hurdles.

BOYS
The favorites are William Wynne (Powder Springs, Ga), who has run 51.56 for the 400 hurdles, and Kemar Clarke, city champion for South Shore (Brooklyn).