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Preview - 10 Storylines to Follow at Brooks PR Invitational 2019

Published by
DyeStat.com   Jun 14th 2019, 8:21am
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By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Here are 10 storylines to follow at the Brooks PR Invitational at Husky Outdoor Track at the University of Washington in Seattle.

You can watch the live webcast beginning at 3 p.m. PDT Saturday.

Pursuing another 2-mile masterpiece

The 2014 Brooks PR Invitational was highlighted by Bethan Knights of Northwood CA running the fastest prep 2-mile race in history by clocking 9:53.54.

Three years later, Brie Oakley of Grandview CO delivered another memorable chapter among the meet’s great distance performances by clocking 9:51.35 in a dominant 2-mile effort.

North Rockland NY star Katelyn Tuohy ran 9:47.88 in the 3,200 meters at last year’s Loucks Games, which converts to 9:51.29 for 2 miles, the fastest all-time outdoor high school performance.

Several female athletes are expected to challenge that mark Saturday, especially Rockford MI standout Ericka VanderLende, Glenbard West IL junior Katelynne Hart and Rawlins WY sophomore Sydney Thorvaldson.

Five individuals ran under the 10-minute mark at last year’s meet, including Hart placing third at 9:56.40 and VanderLende finishing fifth in 9:59.92. There has been at least one sub-10 effort in each of the past five years at the meet since it moved outdoors.

VanderLende (9:57.01) and Hart (9:59.57) are two of the four athletes in the country this season to have run under 10 minutes in the 3,200, but no female athlete has yet to achieve the feat for a full 2 miles.

Hunting Hunter

Cole Sprout has produced two of the most impressive performances in his career during the past 13 months, but the Valor Christian CO junior has finished a narrow second in both races, first the 2-mile event at last year’s Brooks PR Invitational and then the 3,200-meter race April 6 at the Arcadia Invitational.

Not only is Sprout in search of victory Saturday in the boys 2-mile competition, but also looking to challenge the 2015 meet record 8:42.51 produced by former Loudoun Valley VA star Drew Hunter.

Sprout clocked 8:40.73 in his second-place finish in the 3,200 – Newbury Park CA junior Nico Young prevailed in 8:40.0 – at the Arcadia Invitational, which converts to 8:43.75 for 2 miles. Sprout ran 8:49.46 in the 2-mile race last year to place second to James Mwaura of Lincoln WA (8:48.76).

Several athletes who placed in the top 10 in the 3,200 at Arcadia are also scheduled to compete Saturday in the 2-mile race, including Drew Bosley of Homestead WI, Charles Hicks of The Bolles School FL, Cole Bullock of Red Bank TN, Evan Holland of Ashland OR, Colin Baker of Academic Magnet SC and Camren Fischer of Fayetteville AR.

Jesuit CA junior Matt Strangio, who ran 8:47.97 in the 3,200 in March at the Dublin Distance Fiesta, is also scheduled to compete in his first competition since winning the California state 1,600 title May 25.

Another memorable mile

Greencastle Antrim PA junior Taryn Parks and Ripley WV junior Victoria Starcher have taken part in two of the most thrilling mile races in the country this year and they are looking to deliver another exciting showdown Saturday, in addition to taking aim at the 2014 meet record of 4:39.42 held by former Ogden UT standout Sarah Feeny.

Parks captured the New Balance Nationals Indoor mile title March 10 in 4:39.05, with Starcher placing third in 4:40.63. Starcher prevailed April 25 at the 125th Penn Relays in a nation-leading 4:38.19, with Parks finishing third in 4:46.73.

Parks is the national leader in the 1,600 at 4:37.07 from May 25 at the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association State Championships.

Although Northern PA junior Marlee Starliper, who finished second in both races, isn’t scheduled to compete in Seattle, there is still plenty of depth to challenge Parks and Starcher.

Mountain View ID junior Lexy Halladay, who boasts the freshman class national record at 4:41.80 from 2017, returns to Brooks PR after placing third two years ago.

Science Hill TN ninth-grader Jenna Hutchins could challenge Halladay’s national freshman mark after running 4:43.33 on June 1 at the Music City Distance Carnival.

McKinney North TX junior London Culbreath, who has run the 2-mile race the past two seasons at Brooks PR, is scheduled to compete in the mile following a 4:43.41 performance last year.

California state 1,600 champion, sophomore Jacqueline Duarte of Chino Hills, is also scheduled to compete, along with North Central WA sophomore Allie Janke, Woods Cross UT sophomore Carlee Hansen and Ann Arbor Pioneer MI junior Zofia Dudek.

Men on a mission

Two numbers serve as the main motivation for all the athletes scheduled to line up Saturday for the boys mile.

The first is 4:02.04, which remains the meet record set in 2017 by Comal Canyon TX standout Sam Worley.

The next is 4:03.70, a nation-leading mark produced Thursday at the Adrian Martinez Classic by Ryan Oosting of Arlington MA, which will be a primary target for all 15 competitors expected to race.

Four individuals in meet history have run faster than Oosting’s performance, all of which came during the 2017 race.

Nick Foster of Ann Arbor Pioneer MI returns after placing second last year in 4:05.50. Daniel Maton of Camas WA and Cruz Culpepper of Niwot CO are also back following seventh- and 10th-place efforts last season.

Culpepper, along with Sam Gilman of Hilton Head SC and Nathan Green of Borah ID, are the only entries in the race to have run under 4:08 for the full mile this season. Maton has clocked 4:06.07 in the 1,600.

A terrific two laps

Eight female athletes since 2014 have run under 2:07 in the 800 meters, but that number has the potential to be matched, if not significantly challenged Saturday in what is expected to be the deepest field in meet history.

Although national leader Athing Mu of Trenton NJ is not competing in Seattle, the next six fastest individuals and eight of the top 12 in the country this season are scheduled to race, along with outdoor heptathlon and indoor pentathlon national record holder Anna Hall of Valor Christian CO and Alisa Lyesina of Oak Bay High in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

Victoria Vanriele of Governor Livingston NJ leads all entries at 2:05.43, along with New Balance Nationals Indoor champion Roisin Willis, a freshman from Stevens Point WI who has run 2:05.68. The meet record remains 2:03.26 produced by Camas WA talent Alexa Efraimson in 2014.

Three fascinating battles for state bragging rights involve Taylor James of Niwot and Marlena Preigh of Fairview in Colorado, along with Dominique Mustin of North Canyon and Morgan Foster of Chandler in Arizona, as well as Bailey Goggans of Marble Falls and Jennelle Jaeger-Darakjy of El Paso Coronado in Texas.

Marshall looks to lay down the law

Stockton St. Mary’s CA junior Jamar Marshall had the opportunity to participate in the 110-meter hurdles at last year’s event after not competing at his state meet following a false start in his section qualifier, placing fourth in 14.40 seconds.

Marshall not only advanced to the California state final this season, but won the championship, carrying that momentum into his return to Seattle, looking to challenge the meet record Saturday.

Marshall is the all-conditions national leader with a wind-aided 13.31 seconds, along with producing the fastest wind-legal effort in the country at 13.50 seconds.

Isaiah Moore of Hugh Cummings NC posted the meet record of 13.52 seconds in 2014.

Zion Gordon of Regis Jesuit CO, Eli Morris of Jefferson GA and Myles Marshall of Lassiter GA are the only entries, along with Jamar Marshall, to have run under 13.80 this season.

A stacked deck could lead to 52-second pickup

There are only six athletes competing in the girls 400 meters Saturday, but the wealth of talent could not only challenge the meet record, but potentially produce a 52-second performance.

Jan’Taijah Ford of Northeast FL ran 53.06 to set the meet record last season.

Jatana Folston of Cocoa FL, Meghan Hunter of Provo UT and Trinity Price of Buford GA each possess the capability of eclipsing the 53-second barrier.

Folston has run 54.16 this season, but boasts a personal-best 53.04. Hunter, who finished third last year in 53.48, has a personal-best 52.49. And Price, who finished seventh last season in 55.22, has run 53.95 in her career.

Ziyah Holman of Georgetown Day School in Washington D.C. enters the meet having run 53.48 this season, with Arius Williams of Duncanville TX having clocked 53.53.

Kate Jendrezak of Eastside Catholic WA, who has run 55.54 in the 400 and 2:09.71 in the 800, is also scheduled to compete.

Magnificent middle-distance matchup

With national 800-meter leader Daniel Maton of Camas WA choosing to instead compete in the mile following his 1:49.69 effort at the Portland Track Festival, the next two fastest competitors in the country will have the opportunity to square off Saturday.

AJ Green of Eastview MN has run 1:49.83 and Theo Woods of E.C. Glass VA has clocked 1:50.24, with four other athletes posting marks under 1:52 this season.

Although the meet record of 1:47.55 produced by Donavan Brazier of Kenowa Hills MI isn’t likely to be challenged, there could be a sub-1:50 performance, something that has only happened one other time in the past five years, a 1:49.98 by Derek Holdsworth of Lafayette VA in 2014.

Best of the rest

Aliya Wilson of Tahoma WA, recently battling a right foot injury, looks to prevail for a second straight year against a strong field in the girls 100-meter dash, which also includes Semira Killebrew of Brebeuf Jesuit IN, Kenondra Davis of Fort Worth Trimble Tech TX, Jazmyne Frost of Serra CA and Sydney Holiday of Broomfield CO.

Jalaysi’ya Smith of DeSoto TX and Emelia Chatfield of St. Thomas Aquinas FL both have the potential to challenge the meet record of 13.32 seconds in the girls 100-meter hurdles.

Langston Jackson of Henry Clay KY could challenge the all-conditions 100-meter dash meet record of 10.29 seconds run by Christian Coleman during his senior year at Our Lady of Mercy GA in 2014.

Nicholas Ramey of Brookwood GA, Emmanuel Bynum of Whitehaven TN and Omajuwa Etiwe of El Paso Franklin TX all have their sights set on the boys 400-meter meet record of 46.04 set in 2017 by Jamal Walton of Miramar FL.

A profound addition

For the first time since 2016, there will be professional races as part of the meet schedule, with several of the Brooks Beasts members competing in men’s and women’s 1,500-meter races.

Highlighting the women’s 1,500 will be Brooks Beasts teammates Katie Mackey and Marta Pen Freitas, along with Brooks-sponsored athlete Amanda Eccleston, all boasting personal bests under 4:04.

In the men’s race, Brooks Beasts first-year member Josh Kerr – the collegiate 1,500 record holder – will compete in the event for the first time outdoors as a professional.

Kerr has shown impressive range so far this season, clocking 1:46.06 in the 800 at the Portland Track Festival, along with 13:28.66 in the 5,000.

Washington signee Samuel Tanner of New Zealand, who has run 3:40.81, is also entered in the race, which also includes former Arizona State star Will Paulson as well as Texas standouts Alex Rogers and Sam Worley

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