First Major Indoor Meet Of New Year Lands At Armory With Hispanic Games

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Photos by John Nepolitan

The Armory Hispanic Games, annually one of the largest high school indoor meets in the country, returns to Washington Heights this weekend as the season pushes into 2024. 

How big is the Hispanic Games? There are more than 700 boys entered in the mile. 

In the straightaway sprint (55 meters), there are more than 700 girls and 900 boys entered. 

WATCH THE ARMORY HISPANIC GAMES LIVE ON RUNNERSPACE (+PLUS Required)

The meet begins Friday evening and then resumes with action all day on Saturday. 

A handful of US#1 performers will be in action, looking to mark progress into 2024.

Luke Pash, a Nike Cross Nationals qualifier from Ridgewood NJ, will take on Matthew Schutzbank of Nyack NY in the mile with an eye on qualifying for a spot at the Millrose Games. Pash, a junior, ran 4:12 on a 1,600-meter relay split last spring. Schutzbank is US#3 with 4:17.67 for the full mile at the Coaches Hall of Fame Invitational. 

Shane Murphy of Hunter College NY and Jack Morelli of St. Anthony's will also take their shot in the mile. 

Schutzbank is also entered in the 800 meters, where he will take on Joseph Ensor of Howard MD and Brady Danyluk from Newburgh NY.

New Jersey sprinters Ajani Dwyer of Washington Township, US#1 in the 55-meter dash (6.33), and Malachi James of Burlington, US#4 with 6.36, are expected to go head to head again. Dwyer beat James on Dec. 27 at Ocean Breeze. 

Another good matchup is coming in the boys 400 meters, with Jayden Horton-Sims of Imhotep PA, US#5 in the 200 meters, going against Jaylin Santiago of Fordham Prep NY, the reigning state champion in the 300 meters. 

In the girls sprints, Elmont Memorial NY standout Ashley Fulton, US#7 in the 55 (7.03) faces a matchup with Sianni Wynn of Pennsauken NY, US#8 with 7.04 seconds. Wynn was the New Jersey MOC 400 meters champion last spring as a freshman. 

Fulton and Wynn are also entered in the 200. 

Zariel Macchia of William Floyd NY owns the US#1 time in the 1,000 meters with 2:49.10. She is entered in the mile and also the 3,000 meters, which is a tight double on the time schedule. 

Another top New York distance talent, Sophia McInnes of Bayport Blue Point, is US#2 in the 1,000 (2:51.61) and US#4 in the 3,000 meters (10:01.14).

Yashahya Brown of Washington Township NJ comes into the 55-meter hurdles ranked US#1 with 7.13. Trevon Foster of Hill School PA is US#2 at 7.34.

Brenden McMahon of Ridge NJ, also a Nike Cross Nationals qualifier, is the top entrant in the boys 2-mile at 9:11.61.

Other top ranked boys include London Dowdy from Digital Harbor MD, US#6 in the shot put; Luke Beattie of Warwick Valley NY, US#8 in the pole vault; and Noah Tarkos of Roosevelt NY, US#8 in the high jump.

Noel Evans from Arundel MD, the Maryland state champion in the girls 400 meters, is the top entrant at 55.28 seconds. 

Other top girls in the meet include Isabelle Walsh of Middletown DE, US#4 in the mile; Lily Beattie from Warwick Valley NY, tied for US#3 in the pole vault; Sierra Swangin of James Hubert Blake MD, tied for US#7 in the high jump; and Nadia Lytle of School Without Walls DC, US#10 in the shot put.