Eagle Valley athletes showcased their talent at the 2026 Nike Indoor National Meet, held from March 12 to 15 at The Armory in New York City. The event attracted around 5,500 competitors from 48 states, competing in various categories such as “championship” and “emerging elite.” Among them were 16 athletes ranked No. 1 in the U.S. and four national record holders, making it a highly competitive environment.
One of Eagle Valley’s standout performers was junior Tiago Horruitiner, who secured fifth place in the “emerging elite” long jump with a distance of 21 feet, 10.75 inches. He also finished 34th in the championship high jump with a height of 6 feet, 2 inches. This marks Horruitiner’s second appearance at a national meet, as he previously participated in the Nike Outdoor National meet at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Senior Dylan Blair, a Northern Arizona University recruit, competed in three events. He placed 43rd in the championship mile with a time of 4:23.58 and 35th in the two-mile race, clocking in at 9:18.5. Last fall, Blair earned second place in the 4A boys cross-country state meet, and he was the sole Eagle Valley representative at the Nike Indoor Nationals last year. In that event, he finished 18th in the two-mile with a time of 9:03.22.
Blair’s brother, Tyler Blair, also participated, running the 800 meters and competing in both the 4,000-meter distance medley relay and the 4×800-meter relay teams. Tyler finished 11th in the “emerging elite” 800 meters with a time of 1:56.58. The medley relay team, which included Tyler on the opening 1200-meter leg, Jason Flaherty on the 400-meter leg, Henry Martin on the 800, and Dylan Blair closing with the 1600, finished 10th in the championship category with a time of 10:23.36. This was about 36 seconds behind the winning mark from the Miami Havana Track Club. The 4×800 team, comprised of Henry Martin, Micah Winkel, Flaherty, and Tyler Blair, posted a time of 8:09.00, finishing 22nd in the championship.
To qualify for the Nike Indoor Nationals, athletes aimed to meet automatic or provisional standards between May 1, 2025, and March 3, 2026. According to Charlie Janssen, Eagle Valley’s distance coach, the team’s winter season began on January 10 in Golden at the Colorado Mines Indoor High School series. Several athletes achieved lifetime bests during the Colorado Classic pre-season event held on February 7.
“Every single athlete had at least one indoor lifetime best,” Janssen noted. Dylan Blair earned MVP honors at the Colorado Classic after setting a meet record in the 3200 meters with a time of 9:24.72. Tyler Blair also performed admirably, running a full mile in 4:23.91 before quickly returning to run the 800 meters in 1:56.85. Martin had his breakout meet as well, completing the 800 meters in 2:00.88.
Back in Colorado, the Eagle Valley athletes opened their outdoor season in Rifle. Wynn Sanders led the team with victories in both the 100 meters (11.52 seconds) and 200 meters (23.41 seconds). In the 110-meter hurdles, Hudson Wyatt (16.06 seconds) and Erick Soltvedt (16.96 seconds) placed in the top five, later finishing 2nd and 3rd in the 300-meter hurdles. State wrestling runner-up Cooper Hern secured fifth place in the discus and eighth in the shot put.
On the girls’ side, Lillian Brueck finished second in the 100 meters (13.13 seconds) and 200 meters (27.17 seconds) among more than 70 competitors. She also earned silver in the 100-meter hurdles (16.62 seconds) and took first place in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 47.01 seconds, winning by nearly two and a half seconds.
Other notable performances included Nate Beuche from Battle Mountain, who placed third in the 1600 meters with a time of 4:42.61. Eden DeMino also excelled, earning bronze in the girls’ 1600 meters with a time of 5:39.41, finishing fourth in the 3200 meters at 12:23.53, and securing a runner-up finish in the pole vault at 7 feet, 2 inches.
Looking ahead, the Eagle Valley Invitational is scheduled for April 4, and the Battle Mountain Invitational will take place on April 14. As the outdoor season progresses, Eagle Valley athletes continue to demonstrate their potential and commitment to excellence in track and field.
