Simeon Birnbaum Breaks Another Brooks PR Record With No. 2 All-time 2-Mile; Jane Hedengren Rallies To Win Historically Deep Girls Mile

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Photos by Kim Spir and Chris Nickinson

Shawnti Jackson followed up her national high school record 100-meter dash by flying across the country to take on Mia Brahe-Pedersen, who also has designs on holding that record someday. 

Jackson's quick start gave her an early lead on Brahe-Pedersen and she held onto it through the finish in 11.00 seconds Wednesday at the Brooks PR Invitational. Jackson, of Raleigh, N.C., ran a record-breaking 10.89 on June 3 at the Music City Track Classic in Nashville, Tenn. 

Brahe-Pedersen, a junior from Lake Oswego, Ore., gave chase but was second in 11.09 seconds. 

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The boys 2-mile and girls mile races at Renton, Wash. were also historic and among a handful of events that re-ordered the national rankings. 

Simeon Birnbaum from Rapid City, S.D., who starred in the 2022 meet when he ran a sub-four mile, took the lead with a lap to go and closed in 55.9 seconds for 8:34.10. 

Birnbaum's time is the second-fastest in prep history behind Lukas Verzbicas' 8:29.46 at the 2011 Prefontaine Classic. Birnbaum's performance is the fastest ever in a high-school only race and is slightly better than the identical time of 8:34.10 he ran for 3,200 meters at the Arcadia Invitational on April 8. (Two miles is about 18.6 meters longer than 3,200 meters).

Rocky Hansen drove the early pace of the race and then Tyrone Gorze took the lead and pushed it further with three laps remaining. 

Connor Burns, who will be teammates with Birnbaum at Oregon in the fall, ran 8:34.33 for No. 3 all-time. Hansen was third in 8:35.22 for No. 5 all-time. Gorze was fourth in 8:39.61 for 11th-fastest all-time. 

In the girls mile, the top four all ran faster than 4:38. 

Sophomore Jane Hedengren of Provo, Utah, weaved through traffic on the homestretch with a big kick to finish in 4:35.69, which broke the meet record set in 2022 by Juliette Whittaker and is No. 8 all-time. 

Tatum David from Olney, Ill. was second in 4:35.87, good for No. 9 all-time. Bethany Michalak from Colorado Springs, Colo., ran 4:37.39, dipping under the junior class record for the full mile. (Alexa Efraimson ran 4:33.29 for 1,600 meters, however, in 2014. 

In fourth place, Karrie Baloga, who led in the early going, ran a personal-best 4:37.52.

In the first invitational race of the day, Ellie Shea from Belmont, Mass. drove the pace early and then outkicked Leah Stephens (Olney, Md.) in the final 100 meters to win the girls 2-mile in 9:53.36. That's No. 11 all-time. 

One of the pre-race favorites, Sadie Engelhardt of Ventura, Calif, dropped out with about 1,000 meters left. 

Stephens ran 9:54.34 for second place and a Maryland all-time best, and Emma Stutzman ran 9:55.75 for third. Sophia Kennedy was fourth in 9:57.09 and broke the Indiana record. 

In an exciting girls 800 meters, Ali Ince from Norman, Ill. won her third consecutive Brooks PR Invitational race, but had to chase down Isis Grant of Tyrone, Ga. in order to get it. Ince leaned forward to break the tape in 2:04.82 -- .01 seconds ahead of Grant, who stumbled over the finish line but still broke the Georgia all-time best.

In another close finish, Nathan Cumberbatch from Shorewood, Wis. edged out national leader Dan Watcke from Hinsdale, Ill., 1:48.20 to 1:48.24, as the top five ran under 1:49.

Cumberbatch's time was a US#1 and Wisconsin all-time best. 

Hurdler Akala Garrett from Albemarle, N.C. broke the meet record in the 100-meter hurdles with a personal-best 13.13 seconds that snapped the North Carolina state record and moved her to No. 10 all-time. 

Saira Prince ran 13.33 to take second place and lower her own Arizona record. 

Bellingham, Wash. hurdler Andre Korbmacher overcame the injuries that limited his racing earlier this year and broke his own personal record in the 110-meter hurdles, winning in 13.40 seconds. 

Colorado state champion Tavon Underwood ran 45.78 seconds to break the meet record in the 400 meters. 

In the boys mile, Jackson Heidesch won the final event of the meet in 4:04.20. It was a chaotic finish, with Devan Kipyego from Pawtucket, R.I. going from first to eighth around the final curve when he got clipped from behind and sent a handful of runners wide to the outside to avoid colliding with him. 

Jameesia Ford from Fayetteville, N.C. ran 53.52 to win the 400 meters, surging past Skyler Franklin, a freshman from Davie, Fla., in the final 50 meters. Franklin was second in 53.57.

Jacob Andrews of Bellingham, Wash. edged Amari Turner of Sanford, Fla., 10.634 to 10.636, for the boys 100-meter victory. 

Impressive results out of the junior races for middle school athletes included Cai Culpepper of Tampa Express TC, 13, winning the girls 400 meters in 53.66 seconds. Jaelen Hunter of Compton Electric Speed (California) won the boys junior race in 48.66 seconds.

Cooper Lutkenhaus from Gene Pike, Texas ran 1:54.20 for a new middle school national record in the 800 meters.