Day 1 of New Balance Indoor Nationals consisted of a few non-championship level events.
Abaas Hunter (Episcopal Academy) was the star of that action on Thursday night for Pennsylvania natives.
In the freshman section of the boys' 400m, Hunter soared to a 49.52, breaking the Episcopal Academy School record and winning the Freshman Championship. The time will go in the records as the second fastest time by a ninth grader in PA History.
Hunter's finish comes two weeks after placing 12th in the 200m dash at the PTFCA State Indoor Championship.
Eighth-grader Rowan Carr (Delco United) also had a strong finish on the big stage. He ran a blazing 4:33.23 Mile to place fourth in the Middle School Boys' Mile. That is one of the fastest times in eighth-grade history (Pennsylvania).
The freshman state record is 4:29.01, so he'll likely have that mark in his sights next year as a rising star. Carr has flown under the radar - but has run 9:06 over 3K this year as well.
In the middle school girls' 400m, eighth grader Soleil Kelly (Wissahickon Middle School) ran a 59.50 - her second-best mark of the year. She finished in sixth.