New Balance Track & Field Center at The Armory, January 11, 2015 - Every college track and field coach in America would jump for joy if Josephus and Noah Lyles ever told him/her "I'm heading your way."

The Lyles brothers, juniors at T.C. Williams High School of Arlington, Va., are two of the hottest prospects in the universe and already young veterans of the world track and field circuit. World Youth Championships, World Junior Championships, Youth Olympic Games?  Either one or the other can tell you "been there, done that."

They sizzled again Saturday at the 21st annual EmblemHealth Hispanic Games at the Armory, Noah winning the 55-meter dash in 6.32 seconds; Noah (with a nation-leading 21.47) and Josephus (21.79) going 1-2 in the 200, and Josephus (48.76) snaring third in a red-hot and hugely heralded 400-meter final led by Mount Vernon's Rai Benjamin (a 2015-best 47.52) and Boys and Girls' Richard Rose (48.66.)

"This should be something special," meet announcer Ian Brooks alerted the crowd as the 400-meter runners stepped to their starting blocks. This, after all, was a match-up of a reigning Indoor National champion (Richard Rose) and an Outdoor National winner (Josephus Lyles.)

Yes, it was truly "something special" as Mount Vernon's Benjamin beat them both.

"We all know this track is fast," said Benjamin. "When I was a ninth-grader, I saw Najee Glass (of St. Peter's Prep, now a Florida Gator) run in the 46s (actually 46.57.) I think we can all be at least there (the 47s or below) by Nationals in March."  But the Hispanic Games meet record (46.58 by Newburgh's Elzie Coleman in 2004) remained in the books, unscathed.

"I'm already set for UCLA, probably as a political science or business major" said Benjamin, who considers the 400 hurdles (where he's run 51.8 ) his primary event. "I know they don't have much indoor track out there. The weather's so good they don't have to. But I still hope to come back to The Armory for a few big college meets."

Nevertheless, the busy Lyles brothers led T.C. Williams – a traditional track power with years of Virginia state, Penn Relays and Armory meet glories in its honors-laden archives – to the EmblemHealth Hispanic Games boys team title with 45 points, with Iona Prep (34) and Warwick Valley (32) as its closest challengers.

The girls team points race were a whole lot closer – Cardozo (44) nosing out Medgar Evers (42) and Paul Robeson (39).

Josephus and Noah Lyles' future educational choices are in the "TBA" category but there's one college they surely know they're not going to - and it happens to be their parents' alma mater.

That's Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J. where - in the mid-1990s - Kevin Lyles and Keisha Caine were brilliant runners and dominating performers on the Eastern and national stages. Teammates at The Hall - where famed coach John Moon guided them to the heights of the sport - Lyles and Caine became husband and wife after graduation and raised the lads who are now the toast of the scholastic track and field world.

But Seton Hall no longer sponsors a varsity track and field team - Coach Moon is still there but The Hall's representation is limited to varsity cross country and a "club" team for outdoor track.

"That really saddens me, and it certainly saddens Kevin," said Hispanic Games spectator/dedicated track mom, Caine.

"After all that Seton Hall achieved in track - all those Eastern and National titles; all those Olympic athletes we had, it's just awful that they no longer sponsor varsity track. Maybe someday that will change but right there's not much hope."

Representing plenty of bright hope, though, are Josephus and Noah. The 2016 Rio DeJaneiro Olympic Games?  Don't put anything past them. The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games?  Why not?

After last spring's Youth Olympic Trials, Noah said, "it feels so amazing (to be representing Team USA).  My dad said we would be making U.S. teams in high school but I didn't believe him."

Well, they've both made believers of all who've tracked their progress.

With its cast of thousands, the EmblemHealth Hispanic Games - held as a tribute to the Washington Heights' area's bustling Hispanic neighborhood, had plenty of other success stories.

Early arrivals were treated to Ryan Wilkes' meet record-equaling pole vault of 16 feet even for Valley View, N.Y. High. He matched the 16-0 mark of Irvington High's Casey Dicesare in 2006.

A gymnast since his earliest years, and a three-time state champion in the high bar event, Wilkes stayed with that sport until he was 14. But once he switched to vaulting, he knew he'd had a head start.

"That helped with me with body awareness and a lot of other things," he said. "It definitely helped get me over the bar."

He cleared the 16-0 on second attempt. "I kind of hit the bar a little, but it still stayed there."

Wilkes, who also trains with the Vertical Assault club team, hasn't finalized his college choice, but said "it's probably going to be (the University of) Rhode Island."

Later, Sam Beyar of Monroe-Woodbury equaled the girls pole vault meet record with the 11-9 clearance that matched Kari Stromhaug's 2014 mark for Vestal High.

The quickest boys high school mile in the nation this winter saw seven runners break 4:16 and – hopefully – punch their coveted tickets to the NYRR Millrose Games high school mile on February 14.

Uncorking a devastating 59.7 final quarter, Princeton University-bound Jeremy Spiezio of Greenwich High – be sure to pronounce it "green witch" and not "gren-wich" – won it all in 4:10.92.  Leading the hot pursuit were Fordham Prep's Conor Lundy (4:12.09), Northport's Mike Brannigan (4:13.20), Xavier's John Rice (4:13.31), Cheltenham's Sam Ritz (4:14.59), High Point's Joe Dragon (4:15.83) and Brewster's Kevin Hazelwood (4:17.95.)

Spiezio and Lundy were easily under the previous Hispanic Games record of 4:13.19 by Brian Rhodes-Devey of Guilderland, N.Y. in 2006, and Brannigan just 1/100th over it.  A 4:21.09 by Brandywine's Eamon McCoy sufficed for only eighth.

Ritz, twice a winner at the Armory earlier this winter (with nation-leading times in the 800 and 1000 meters), and a "Face In The Crowd" this week in Sports Illustrated, led the field through a 2:07.8 opening half, before the others surged by.

"My coach, Steve Patrick, said 'if the pace goes by (800) in 2:05, fine, stay right there," said Spiezio. "If it goes by in 2:08 or slower, pick it up. With three (laps) to go, I just went and got separation.”

"This was my indoor PR by six seconds. I knew I was fit. I had some solid training."

A NXN (Nike Cross) finalist, he still likes track a whole lot more. "Some people think track races are boring, but definitely not me. I love getting on a track, and letting it rip."

He'll be a Princeton Tiger next fall, hopefully an aerospace engineering major. He was already wearing Princeton warm-down pants at The Armory.

The girls mile – where 5:00 is listed as the NYRR Millrose Games qualifying standard – went to Arlington's Villanova-bound Bella Burda in 5:01.25.

Added Hispanic Games features were two one-mile steeplechase races -- with a pair of barriers to negotiate each lap -- where winners were Brian Michaels of Patchogue-Medford (4:49.90) and Katie Alvarez of Springfield Gardens (5:42.41.)

The steeplechase barriers posed no problem for the 4-foot-11 Alvarez. She "took it out," lost the lead, then rallied right back to win it.

"The barriers are no obstacles to me; I'd like to see the steeplechase in every meet. It's always fun. My coach, Charles Scarborough, has always been very encouraging," said Alvarez, headed for Alfred State University with plans for a career in veterinary medicine.

Other boys footracing winners included Upper Darby 55-meter hurdler Mason Weh (7.41); Bay Shore 800 runner Luciano Fiore (1:57.21) and Collegiate School's Marco Pompilj in the two-mile (9:24.10 off a 62.7 final 400.)

"I've been kicking like that since it was used on me in middle school," said Pompilj. "So I put it into my arsenal. I like to feel out the race and secure the win."

Cheltenham's Ciara Leonard took 1/100th off the prior meet standard in the girls 55-meter high hurdles (Lateisha Philson's 7.90 for Cardozo in 2011) with a 7.89 triumph.

Other girls track golds went to Medgar Evvers 55-meter dasher Brenessa Thompson (6.95); Penn Ridge 200 sprinter Taylor Chapman (24.49); Paul Robeson 400 runner Amanda Crawford (55.63); Northern Highlands' Catherine Pagano in the 800 (2:14.42); Ocean City's Epiphany Grisbaum in the 3000 (10:09.80), and Kings Park 1500 racewalker Allie Bennett (with a quick 7:09.52.) Grisbaum, the N.J. State Meet of Champions cross country winner, is bound for Vanderbilt University in the fall.  Her career goal – a major job in hospital administration.

Back in the field events, boys crowns were claimed by Pleasantville, N.J. high jumper Tariq Adams (6-4), Sachem East long jumper Andrew Alfano (22-0 1/2), Columbia triple jumper Dean Uduh (45-9), Chapel Field shot putter Robert Detz (57-3 1/4) and Warwick weight thrower Nate Sander (with a mighty heave of 70-4 1/4 that won by nearly 10 feet.)

Girls field titles went to Medgar Evers high jumper Shayla Broughton (5-8), Cardozo long jumper Marie-Jojee Wea-Bile (19-0), Columbus triple jumper Saida Burns Moore (37-3), Holy Trinity shot putter Kristina Insingo (45-10 3/4), and Westwood weight thrower Jessica Molina (whose 43-6 1/4 edged Insingo by just under five inches).

By Elliot Denman // Photos by John Nepolitan

Find results, photos, videos and more information from the meet here:

http://www.armorytrack.com/gprofile.php?do=view_event&event_id=576&mgroup_id=45586&year=2015