* Josiah Tostenson became the second-fastest indoor miler in high school history
Photo: Joshua Grenade
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Even though this past weekend of competition may have seemed quieter than weeks before, there were still dozens of elite performances and hundreds of lifetime bests.
While some opted for a dose of magic on Boston University's track, others used big-time regional meets to vault themselves up the national leaderboard.
The National Performer of the Week poll will close at 5 p.m. CT on Thursday, February 27, and the winner will be announced shortly after.
Take a look at five of the top-performing boys from last weekend.
Josiah Tostenson, Crater (Ore.): One of three high school boys to break 4:00 over the weekend, Tostenson checked off another box before he heads to the University of Washington this fall. At the BU Terrier DMR Challenge, the national record holder over 3000m added another feat to his ever-growing legacy, running 3:57.47 to become the fifth-fastest miler in U.S. prep history. Despite the national record being broken in the heat before him, Tostenson also went under the previous indoor record, making him the second-fastest high schooler in history. Tostenson's teammate Tayvon Kitchen also broke 4:00 in the same race, making Crater (Ore.) the first school to have two sub-four milers.
Nick Altheimer, Kitsap Fliers Track (Wash.): The uncommitted senior has all of the momentum heading into the outdoor season after running a pair of elite times at the STCU West Coast Championships. Altheimer won the 60m prelim in 6.64, the first sub-6.65 performance in the country this season. Over 200m, the senior won by a mere hundredth of a second, running 21.39, the 17th-fastest time this season. Altheimer is tied for No. 2 all-time in state history in the 60m, and outright No. 2 in the 200m.
Elijah Harris, Wester. Central (Ohio): The seventh time's a charm, right? At the Ashland HS High-Performance Invite, Harris won his seventh-straight high jump competition but cleared 7-0 for the first time. Harris comfortably took home the victory, winning by seven inches. Harris is the second Ohioan to clear 7-0 indoors, trailing only Erik Kynard, who won gold at the London 2012 Olympics. Harris is the 17th high school junior to jump 7-0 or better and ranks No. 3 in the nation this winter.
Juan Gonzalez, Fremont (Neb.): In his third race of the indoor season, the future Oregon Duck notched a lifetime best in the 1600m, running 4:04.63 at the Northwest Missouri Bearcat Youth/Open Indoor Meet #4. Gonzalez dropped the field to win by five seconds, enough for his first win of the season. The multiple-time state champion is the fastest in state history in both indoors and outdoors, but his performance over the weekend is the fastest ever by a Nebraskan high schooler.
Owen Powell, Mercer Island (Wash.): Generally, we try and avoid repeating nominees, but when you break a national record and re-write history you get a pass. At the BU Terrier DMR Challenge, Powell clocked 3:56.66, besting Hobbs Kessler's record of 3:57.66 from 2021. This is Powell's second consecutive week smashing the 4:00 barrier, making him the first high schooler to run sub-four twice in the same season since Loudon Valley (Va.) legend Drew Hunter did it in 2016. The Washington-bound senior is the fourth-fastest high schooler in history, indoors or outdoors.
NPOTW's Previous Winners:
Week 1: Jeremiah Patton, Memphis Central (Tenn.)
Week 2: Jack Ouellette, Xavier (Conn.)
Week 3: Aiden Monistere, Parkview Baptist (La.)
Week 4: Ryan Buskey, Colonie (N.Y.)
Week 5: Ryan Dierenfield, Billings-Skyview (Mont.)
Week 6: Owen Kelley, Bentonville (Ark.)
Week 7: Tayvon Kitchen, Crater (Ore.)