Photo by John Nepolitan
The 115th Millrose Games will feature absolutely loaded fields across the board, from the youth to professional levels, and everything in between. As usual, the High School events will be jam-packed with the top prep talent from all across America looking to make a statement on the big stage. However, a select few young superstar athletes are taking on an even bigger challenge, competing against the professionals at the most prestigious indoor track & field event in the world.
The Millrose Games will take place on Saturday, February 11th at the Nike Track & Field Center at The Armory.
Last year, Shawnti Jackson (Creedmoor, NC) delivered one of the highlights of the Millrose Games, placing third in the professional Women’s 60m and setting a new HS record of 7.18 seconds in the process. A year later, Jackson has only gotten faster. She recently set another HS record in the 300m, running 36.63 to take down the record previously held by none other than Sydney McLaughlin, the 400m Hurdles world record holder and perhaps the most dominant athlete in the world today.
Jackson will take another crack at the 300m at the Dr. Sander Invitational on January 28th at The Armory before dropping back down to the 60m at the Millrose Games. An extremely versatile sprinter, Jackson collected a medal of every color at last year’s World Junior Championships, taking Gold and Silver as part of the 4x400m and 4x100m relays, and earning Bronze in the individual 100m. At Millrose, Jackson will face off against a stacked field that includes Melissa Jefferson and Aleia Hobbs, the top two finishers in the 100m at last year’s U.S. Championships, and she will look to lower her national record even further.
When it comes to range, no high school athlete is more dominant over all sorts of distances than Sophia Gorriaran (Providence, RI). Running everything from the 55m to cross country, Gorriaran is currently US #1 in the 500m, 800m, and 1 Mile. She also handed Jackson her only defeat all season in the 500m.
Like Jackson, Gorriaran will tune up for Millrose at the Dr. Sander Invitational, where she will race the 1000m. She will then line up for the 600m two weeks later, an event where she holds the outdoor HS record. Gorriaran will race several of the best middle distance runners in the world, including World and Olympic Champion Athing Mu. The world record is likely to come under threat in this race, and it will be thrilling to see how fast Gorriaran can run as she tries to keep pace with the best of the best.
Amanda Moll (Olympia, WA) was already the HS record holder in the pole vault indoors and outdoors, before taking the event to new heights. On January 14th, Moll cleared 15 feet, 1.5 inches, improving her best mark by ten centimeters and becoming the first prep athlete to go over 15 feet. In the same competition, Amanda’s sister Hana Moll also surpassed the previous national record, soaring 14 feet, 10 inches. Hana is the World Junior Champion, and she placed first in the high school division at last year’s Millrose Games, with Amanda taking second.
The Moll sisters will level up this year, taking on the professional field at Millrose, which will feature reigning World and Olympic Champion Katie Moon, as well as former Olympic Gold Medalist Katerina Stefanidi. While there is no telling which sister may be better on any given day, Amanda and Hana are both more than capable of mixing it up with anyone in the world.
Last June, Connor Burns (Ashland, MO) became the 15th high school athlete to break the legendary four-minute barrier in the mile, running 3:58.83 to etch his name in the history books. Now a senior, Burns looks to continue lowering his mark, and he will have a terrific chance to do so at the Millrose Games in the Men’s Invitational Mile. This race will feature numerous professional and top collegiate runners including Eric Avila, Reed Brown, and former sub-four high schooler Gary Martin, serving as an exciting appetizer for the Rudin Men’s Wanamaker Mile later in the afternoon.
The Millrose Games is a World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meet. With the highest-level competition at the youth, high school, collegiate, club, and professional levels, there is truly something for everyone at the Millrose Games.
Stay tuned over the coming weeks as more athletes and events are announced. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.millrosegames.org/
The Armory hosts more than 100 track & field meets throughout the indoor season and for more information on all Armory Track events, visit https://www.armorytrack.com and https://www.armory.nyc
Follow The Armory on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @armorynyc.
Follow the Millrose Games on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @millrosegames.
Media planning to cover the Millrose Games can register for credentials by clicking on Credentials - 115th Millrose Games and filling out the request form.
About The Armory Foundation
The Armory Foundation is a New York City non-profit institution, with the mission of “Keeping Kids on Track.” Each season The Armory – the proud home of the Nike Track & Field Center, produces Millrose Games – hosts more than 100 track & field meets and welcomes more than 220,000 athlete visits. Among its many youth sports and educational programs, including the acclaimed Armory College Prep program, The Armory runs the leading collegiate indoor track meets with the Dr. Sander Invitational Columbia Challenge and the HBCU Showcase sponsored by KPMG and hosts the largest high school indoor track meets with the Hispanic Games, the U.S. Army Coaches Hall of Fame Invitational, and The Armory Holiday Classic. New York Road Runners is a proud sponsor of all athletic events at The Armory. The Armory runs the CUIMC Team Relay Marathon presented by New York Road Runners, which is the world’s largest indoor marathon relay. The Armory is also the home to the National Track & Field Hall of Fame and dozens of very large education-focused events. For more: Please visit Armory.NYC and ArmoryTrack.org.
