THE PREMEET HYPE centered around LSU’s Michaela Rose and her quest for the Collegiate Record, and BYU upstart Meghan Hunter in the midst of a breakthrough season. Somehow overlooked was Stanford’s Roisin Willis, the ’23 indoor champion and last year’s outdoor runner-up. The race may not have played out as the formcharts predicted but certainly delivered a dramatic finish.
(Defending champion Juliette Whittaker, Willis’ Stanford teammate, is dealing with mental health issues and did not compete this spring.)
In the semis Rose said she felt “shockingly good” after winning the first section in a blazing 1:58.95, breaking the 35-year-old meet record of 1:59.11 set by Wisconsin’s Suzy Favor. Lauren Tolbert of Duke ran 1:59.39 in 2nd, going sub-2:00 for the first time and temporarily moving to No. 10 on the all-time collegiate list.
North Carolina’s Makayla Paige (1:59.92) and Hunter (1:59.96) led the second heat, while Willis (2:00.33) paced the third.
In the final, Rose, who won this race in ’23 and was 4th last year, took the early lead, with Tolbert close behind. Approaching the bell Hunter, who ran an eye-opening 1:58.99 to win the Big 12 title in May, swung into lane 2 to move into 2nd behind Rose’s ambitious 56.09.
Rose, who was eyeing Athing Mu’s 1:57.73 CR from ’21, looked comfortable through 600 but even with the scorching pace she wasn’t gaining much separation from the field.
Willis, meanwhile, hung back. “There was a little bit of hesitation with how fast we went through 400,” she said. “I knew I didn’t want to use that much energy too early. I just trusted that I could basically move when I needed to.”
The moment came with 150 to go when Willis, in 4th, came flying around the final curve. She passed Rose and Hunter 50m from the finish and grabbed the title in 1:58.13, vaulting to No. 3 on the all-time collegiate list and breaking Rose’s 2- day old MR. “I knew I’ve been ready for this [kind of time] for a long time, but to pull it off in a championship setting feels really nice,” Willis said.
Paige also closed well and moved into 2nd just before the line, clocking 1:58.97 (the No. 5 all-time collegiate mark) ahead of Hunter (1:59.03) and Rose (1:59.47). “I wanted to show up and show out, but it blew up in my face,” said Rose, who has finished 4th or better in every NCAA indoor and outdoor final for the past three seasons. “I got too excited and you’ve just gotta be patient and let things come to you when it’s time.”
Tolbert (1:59.88) finished 5th and also broke 2:00. The previous high under that barrier at this meet was 2, in ’07.
WOMEN’S 800 RESULTS
FINAL (June 14)
1. *Roisin Willis (Stan) 1:58.13 PR (3, 3 C) (MR) (56.70/61.43)
2. *Makayla Paige (NC) 1:58.97 PR (5, 10 C) (56.63/62.34)
3. Meghan Hunter (BYU) 1:59.03 (56.41/62.62)
4. Michaela Rose (LSU) 1:59.47 (56.09/63.38)
5. *Lauren Tolbert (Duke) 1:59.88 (56.56/63.32)
6. Smilla Kolbe’ (NFl-Ger) 2:00.37 (57.06/63.31)
7. Laura Pellicoro’ (Port-Ita) 2:00.84 PR (57.47/63.37)
8. ***Veronica Hargrave (In) 2:01.00 (57.19/63.81)
9. Victoria Bossong (Harv) 2:03.86 (56.89/66.97).
SEMIS (June 12)
I–1. Rose 1:58.95 (x, =7 C) (MR); 2. Tolbert 1:59.39 PR (10, x C);
3. Pellicoro’ 2:01.07; 4. Bossong 2:01.07; 5. *Fanny Arendt’ (TxT-Lux) 2:03.13; 6. Emma Kelley (Wi) 2:04.40; 7. ***Marie Warneke (UCLA) 2:04.59; 8. Jenna Schwinghamer (Ky) 2:05.73.
II–1. Paige 1:59.92; 2. Hunter 1:59.96; 3. Kolbe’ 2:00.70; 4. **Sophia Gorriaran (Harv) 2:03.42; 5. **Maeve O’Neill (Prov) 2:03.43; 6. Alli Bookin-Nosbisch (Ia) 2:03.78; 7. Aaliyah Moore (Ks) 2:04.18;… dq—*Sanu Jallow-Lockhart (Ar).
III–1. Willis 2:00.33; 2. Hargrave 2:01.54; 3. ***Janet Jepkemboi Amimo’ (Ky-Ken) 2:02.10; 4. **Gladys Chepngetich’ (Clem-Ken) 2:03.53; 5. Emma Sullivan (KennSt) 2:05.71; 6. ***Tessa Buswell (BYU) 2:05.94; 7. *Kaylie Politza (OkSt) 2:06.87; 8. *Makayla Clark (IaSt) 2:28.86.
