Track Notes: Kendall Baisden overcomes injury to earn Barcelona trip

A rising superstar as a freshman and sophomore, Kendall Baisden proved she is "back" on Sunday by placing third behind two collegians in the 400-meter dash during the USATF Junior Nationals in Bloomington, Ind.

The incoming senior from Detroit Country Day (Beverly Hills, Mich.), who missed a month of the season due to a hamstring injury, was timed in 52.6 seconds. The top six finishers will go to Barcelona, Spain for the IAAF World Juniors, but only the top two will run the open 400. Baisden will be among the other four who will run either or both of the 4x100 and 4x400 relays.

She told MaxPreps, "I'm 100 percent healthy, but I just have to get back into racing shape."

After Barcelona, she said her final meet of the summer will be the Junior Olympics in Baltimore.

Coach Dave Wilson noted that his young star injured her hamstring in February while running the indoor 200-meter dash at the Simplot Games in Idaho.

He called it "a very long rehab process. We got her back the first of May and she began to develop some endurance. We worked pretty painstakingly to get her up to speed. It was a pretty significant injury and the first one she ever incurred. Her family wanted us to be very cautious."

The 5-foot-10 Baisden launched her comeback by breaking her own Division 2 state record with a 54.58 clocking in the 400. She also helped two relays win state titles and set school records in the process.

Wilson added, "We can expect great things out of her again (as a senior). I wouldn't be surprised if she does some great things by the end of the summer."

New Balance Nationals

With many top performers in Bloomington, some new names emerged during the annual New Balance Nationals in Greensboro, N.C. At least three No. 1 individual performances for 2012 were recorded during the week.

* Kadecia Baird of Evers College Prep (Brooklyn, N.Y.) ran the fastest 400 meters (52.12) of the season.

* Wesley Frazier, a rising senior from Ravenscroft (Raleigh, N.C.), turned in the No. 1 two-mile (10:13.43) despite commuting each day to Greensboro.

* Rising senior Edward Cheserek of St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.) established the top boys' two-mile time of 8:55.12. In the sprint medley relay, he ran the 800 anchor and had brought his team from sixth to first before losing the lead with about 300 meters left, being bumped, dropping the baton and finishing last.

* The Christian Brothers Academy (Lincroft, N.J.) 4x800 relay also emerged with a 2012-best clocking of 7:34.67.

* Rising senior Jeremiah Green of Hillsborough (Tampa, Fla.) may have reaped the greatest benefits from the meet by winning the triple jump with a personal-record  50 feet, 10 1/4 inches. Shortly afterwards, he received scholarship offers from Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Texas A&M and South Florida.