The Nansemond River High School indoor track and field program has been raising its standards steadily over the last few years, but its performance over the weekend at the 2015 New Balance Nationals Indoor event in New York City did not measure up.

“For us, this was our worst nationals yet,” Nansemond River coach Justin Byron said.

To achieve All-American status in the championship division at nationals, an individual or relay team must place in the top six of a given event.

Only the girls’ 4×200-meter relay team for Nansemond River achieved the honor this year, in contrast to last year when both a relay team and an individual took home the title.

“Our top kids didn’t execute,” Byron said, blaming himself and noting he has spent a great deal of time this week studying what might have gone wrong.

However, some of Nansemond River’s top athletes did help the 4×200 team qualify for the finals, as junior Brandeé Johnson and senior Kara Lyles joined up with sophomore Syaira Richardson and freshman Asia Crocker to produce a time of 1:39.40.

Byron decided to give some other athletes a chance at an All-American honor in the finals, and the following group produced a time of 1:45.16 to take sixth: senior Courtney James, sophomore Kiara Howard and freshmen Indya Gipson and Crocker.

The girls’ 4×400-meter relay team in the championship division started well, but Byron used the word “heartbreak” to describe how the rest of the race unfolded. Johnson dropped the baton after it bumped against another runner, and mistakenly thinking she had it secured after picking it up, she accidentally dropped it again.

“It was just an off day, an off weekend,” Byron said.

Despite those miscues, the 4×400 team still finished 10th in the nation with a time of 3:52.28.

Johnson and Lyles had exceptional performances at the Group 4A state indoor track and field championships on March 9-10, winning multiple events and placing highly in others.

But they struggled to make as great an impact a few days later in New York, and Byron noted the short time in between major events likely made this past weekend very physically taxing.

At nationals, Johnson took eighth in the championship division 200-meter dash, finishing in 24.59 seconds, while Lyles took 11th in the championship division long jump, leaping 18 feet and 6.5 inches.

“When you have a kid finish eighth in the nation and 11th in the nation, these are good things,” Byron said. But later, noting the reason for any disappointment, he added, “I think our bar is set a little higher.”

Johnson and Lyles are a couple of the athletes who helped set it so high, and Byron was pleased to see some strong performances at nationals by younger NR athletes who will need to follow in Johnson’s and Lyles’ footsteps.

“The youth of Nansemond River did a good job of holding their own,” Byron said.

In addition to running with the 4×200 team, Asia Crocker produced a time of 7.88 seconds in the freshman division of the 60-meter dash, earning her fourth place and a Freshman All-American honor.

In the emerging elite division of the triple jump, Lady Warriors junior Dajae’ Goulet placed fourth with a leap of 38 feet.