by Deji Ogeyingbo
This preview of the 2025 New Balance Outdoor Championships, June 19-22, 2025, is written by Deji Ogeyingbo.
Track and Field Top Teens Take Philly
The final high school lap for some of the country’s most celebrated athletes, and the next big stage for others just starting to break through, will take place at the New Balance Nationals in Franklin Field in Philadelphia.
Bullis School (MD), long a powerhouse in the sprints and relays, brings its usual firepower to New Balance Nationals Outdoor. Quincy Wilson, a name fans now recognize well, returns with a chance to win his fourth straight national title in the 400 meters. His teammate Cameron Homer, who’s been coming up behind him step by step, will join him in the open 400 and the relays. Together with Colin Abrams and Mickey Green Jr., they’re expected to anchor the 4×400, a group that already broke the national record earlier this season at the Penn Relays. Abrams is also entered in a loaded 800.
The girls’ team from Bullis isn’t short on talent either. Sydney Sutton, who won the indoor 400, will try to double in both the open 400 and the 400 hurdles. Kassidy Hopkins is eyeing a shuttle hurdles relay repeat and a chance to shine individually in both hurdle events. With Payton Payne, a top 100-meter sprinter, also doubling up in relays, Bullis remains one of the deepest teams at the meet.
But the weekend isn’t just about Bullis. In Oregon, the Crater boys, Josiah Tostenson and Tayvon Kitchen, have built something rare. They’re one of the best distance duos in U.S. high school history. Tostenson will race the 800 and likely anchor the 4xMile relay. Kitchen, who set a national record in the 3,200 earlier this season, is recovering from a fall in a recent 5,000. If healthy, he’ll join Tostenson for a last run at a national title before both head to college.
Then there’s Sadie Engelhardt, the senior from Ventura, CA, who’s quietly one of the most accomplished distance runners of her generation. She’s chasing her third straight mile title and also taking on the 800. Engelhardt hasn’t raced much this spring, so there are questions about her sharpness, but when she’s on, few can match her.
The 800 meters, on both the boys and girls sides, might be the most exciting event of the meet. Cole Boone and Emmry Ross, two of the fastest half-milers in the country, lead incredibly deep fields. Boone has run 1:47.94 this season and rarely lets races get away from him. Ross, fresh off a 2:00.53, is flirting with the kind of barrier that very few high school girls ever reach.
Natalie Dumas from New Jersey will attempt something unusual: competing in the 400, 400 hurdles, and 800. It’s a brutal schedule, but she’s done it before. She tied the state record in the 400 with a 51.87 earlier this year and is fresh off winning all three at her state championships.
In the sprints, keep an eye on Jake Odey-Jordan. He’s won four straight national titles in the 200 meters across indoor and outdoor meets. He’ll have to hold off a group of challengers who’ve all dipped under 20.70, but experience is on his side. Elise Cooper from Maryland is looking for her first outdoor title, and after her blistering indoor 22.64 in the 200, she could leave Philly with more than one gold.
In the field events, Canadian javelin thrower Tyson Schiele leads the boys’ entries. He’s one of the top-ranked U20 throwers globally and could walk away with his first NBNO title. Pennsylvania’s own Jalen Cook is making his debut with one of the best high jump marks in the country at 7-3.
It’s the final meet of the season, and for many, the final one in a high school uniform. There will be nerves, big moments, and heartbreak. But most of all, there will be one more chance to go for it.
To see LIVE results, Streaming Video FREE for the 2025 New Balance Outdoor Championships, June 19-22, 2025, here: https://nbnationalsout.com/
