New Balance Track & Field Center at The Armory, January 22nd - The New Balance Games have become one of the nation's largest and most anticipated indoor meets. With over 6,000 local and internatinal athletes competing on January 23rd-24th, the New Balance Games will surely produce a large amount of the world's best marks. Don't miss the meet's live webstream, starting at 12:50pm on Saturday, 24th on ArmoryTrack.com 

Elite/Professional Fields

Stephanie Garcia and Ashley Higginson are two of the nation’s biggest names in the steeplechase. They battled it out to finish first and second in last year’s New Balance Games mile steeplechase. The year before, Higginson won the race over Garcia. This year they'll be back to face off in the mile.

Craig Miller was 2013’s USA Indoor Track and Field Championships runner-up in the mile (3:58.90). He won the New Balance Games mile in 2011 and 2013. He’ll go up against a deep field of competitors in this year's mile including Chris Gowell, Wales' sub 4-minute mile, Commonwealth Games representative.

Since breaking the NCAA D3 indoor national record in the 800m in 2012 (1:47.43), Ben Sheetz has become more and more of a prominent figure in the American middle-distance running world. He’ll be featured in the Games’ 600m and will face formidable opponents Oscar Kamalu and Jose Veras.

Lauren Henkel can often be found grinding out repeats and tempo runs on The Armory track along with her NYAC teammates. Henkel will be one to look out for in the 600m. She’s also an accomplished painter, photographer and footwear designer.

Over the past few years Lalonde Gordon has churned out a plethora of amazing performances. He won bronze in the 2012 Olympic 400m and 4x400m relay for Trinidad and Tobago. He also won last year’s NYRR Millrose Games 300m in 32.47 and has been competing here since he was in middle school. Joel Redhead – who represented Grenada in the 2009 World Championships and London Olympic Games 200m –will likely be Gordon’s biggest competition in the New Balance Games’ 300m

Arianne Strunkey is no stranger to posting fast times at The Armory and will look to do so again in the women’s 300m. Strunkey ran one of this season’s fastest 300m times at December’s Bishop Loughlin Games (38.80). Her sister, Ariel is an Armory veteran as well and will be featured in the girls 300m.

High School Invitational Fields

Ariel Strunkey was second in this year’s Hispanic Games 200m (24.51) and nearly missed winning the 300m at this past December’s Bishop Loughlin Games, running a US #6 time of 39.14.

Nansemond River’s Brandee’ Johnson will also be major player in that girls 300m. Last year Johnson took fifth in the New Balance Nationals Indoor and outdoor 200m (24.51 and 23.83). Johnson’s teammate, Kara Lyles has New Balance Nationals experience as well and has shown a broad range of athletic talent with elite level performances in the long jump, hurdles and 400m.

Yaminah Smith of Weequahic is fresh off of breaking the Marince Corps Holdiay Classic mile steeplechase record with a great 5:36.94 effort. She’s a favorite to win the New Balance Games mile steeplechase, but will go up against Ashleigh Thurston of Morris Hills, who took second in the New Balance Games steeplechase last year and Katie Alverez of Springfield Gardens, who won the Hispanic Games mile steeplchase recently.

New Rochelle HS will look to dominate the girls weight throw. The team is led by Monae Cooper, who threw the nation’s leading mark of 51’ 7.25” at last week’s NYRR Millrose Games Trials. Her teammates, Jessica Jeffrey, Sochima Bishop, Alexandria Amazan and Maya Cooper will all enter the New Balance Games with weight throw marks within the nation’s top 20.  

Mount Vernon’s Rai Benjamin has been nothing short of spectacular at The Armory this season. He recorded national leading marks in the Bishop Loughlin Games 300m (33.81) and the Hispanic Games 400m (47.76). He finished last indoor season with a second place finish in the New Balance Nationals 400m and looks to use the upcoming New Balance Games’ 300m as a stepping stone toward claiming his first national championship title.

“Running fast looks good now and goes to show that I’ll run well in March when it matters more,” said Benjamin after competing at the Hispanic Games.

Luke Gavigan of Tappan Zee will surely be a leader in the boys mile. Last year he won the New Balance Mile at the NYRR Millrose Games and is on a winning streak this year. Marco Pompilj of Collegiate School is on a winning streak as well and will likely be Gavigan’s biggest threat in the mile. Look for Pompilj to add excitement to the race with his signature, strong late race kick. He last used the move to win the Hispanic Games 2-mile in 9:24.10.

“I’ve been kicking like that since it was used on me in middle school,” said Pompilj. “I like to feel out the race and secure the win.”

Joey Espinoza is an experienced steeplechaser. He was last year’s Staten Island 3000m steeplechase champ (10:36.80) and will enter his 11^th indoor steeplechase in the New Balance Games’ mile steeplechase race.

Adam Kelly of Barrington HS has been dominant in the boys weight throw. He hasn’t experienced a loss in the event in over a year and owns the nations number one mark at 83’ 0”, which is six feet ahead of the nation’s next best mark.

By Justin Gaymon // Photos by John Nepolitan