BRIGHTON, MASSACHUSETTS, March 10-12 — A blinder of a 200 High School Record by Adaejah Hodge (Academy, Montverde, Florida) and ironwoman distance running by local Ellie Shea (Belmont, Massachusetts) topped the bill in a nationals rife with fast running around the Track At New Balance oval.
Junior Hodge joined schoolmate Issam Asinga as an HSR-setter in the lap. After Shawnti Jackson (South Granville, Creedmoor, North Carolina) zipped a 22.96 in her heat, Hodge went even faster in hers, chopping Mia Brahe-Pedersen’s record from earlier in the year by 0.12 to 22.77.
Hodge was just getting started and in the next day’s final bludgeoned the national record down to 22.33.
The time was a World Junior (U20) Record, as well, 0.07 faster than Bianca Knight’s standard set in ’08. Hodge is just 16, so had rolled past the World U18 Record also.
“I don’t know when we’re going to see athletes like this ever again,” Hodge’s coach, Gerald Phiri, told milesplit.com. “I think it’s going to be a very long time.”
Shea, fresh off her 10th at the World Junior XC, was more than comfortable in her home surroundings. The junior put on quite a display for the hometown crowd taking a 5K/2M double and finishing a solid 3rd in the mile.
Shea kicked off the festivities on Friday dismantling the field at 2M. She clocked a list-leading 9:49.82, moving her into the No. 4 spot on the all-time list.
“I felt good after the World Cross and there wasn’t much change in my training,” said Shea. “I didn’t have to change up my routine much at all. Once I got into the lead in both races I just stayed focused. I didn’t feel any additional pressure in either race.”
At the finish she was 17 seconds clear of runner-up Hanne Thomsen (Montgomery, Santa Rosa, California) at 10:07.06 and 3rd-place finisher Karrie Baloga (Cornwall Central, New Windsor, New York) at 10:07.10.
Shea’s 5K was a solo trek from the start. Lapping the field and then some, she carried out 37/38 splits the entire distance for a 57-second victory margin at the end of her 15:46.28 run. That performance put her No. 2 on the all-time list behind Katelyn Tuohy’s 15:37.12 from ’18.
Sadie Engelhardt (Ventura, California) took the mile on Sunday with a soph-class record 4:38.65 good for No. 10 on the ATL. Behind her, Shea finished nearly 10,000m of championship racing clocking 4:40.76 in 3rd.
“I really just wanted to see what I had left in my legs,” said Shea following her triple.
Allison Ince (Normal, Bloomington, Illinois) ran away with the 800 in 2:04.77, maintaining her runner-up position on the ’23 list.
The meet saw fine stick passing all around. In the 4×8, Cuthbertson (Waxhaw, North Carolina) zipped to an 8:48.02 HSR nearly 4 seconds faster than the 8:51.93 run by Pioneer of Ann Arbor, Michigan, last year. Cuthbertson outdueled Union Catholic (Scotch Plains, New Jersey) close behind in 8:48.86, also under the old record.
Doesn’t get much better than that, though two days earlier Cuthbertson had won the distance medley with 11:35.51, the No. 6 all-time mark. On Saturday Cuthbertson featured in a swift 4 x Mile.
Flower Mound (Texas), the school that set the HSR last year, took care of business in the long relay, clocking 19:50.34, the No. 3 all-time performance. Cuthbertson’s 19:55.21 in 2nd was good for No. 4 on the ATL.
NEW BALANCE GIRLS RESULTS
60: 1. *Brianna Selby (Indian River, Chesapeake, Va) 7.30; 2. *McKenzie Travis (Evangelical, Ft Myers, Fl) 7.38; 3. *Avery Lewis (Friends’ Central, Wynnewood, Pa) 7.39;… dnc—Shawnti Jackson (South Granville, Creedmoor, NC).
Heats: II-1. Jackson 7.26.
Semis: I-1. Selby 7.27. II-1. Jackson 7.38.
200: 1. *Adaejah Hodge’ (Academy, Montverde, Fl) 22.33 HSR, WJR (old HSR 22.77 Hodge in heats; old WJR 22.40 Bianca Knight [Texas] ’08);
2. Madison Whyte (Heritage, Newport News, Va) 23.08 (5, 7 HS):
3. **Elise Cooper (McDonogh, Owings Mills, Md) 23.42; 4. JaMeesia Ford (Britt, Fayetteville, NC) 23.58; 5. Jackson 23.69.
Heats: V-1. Jackson 22.96 (x, 3 HS).
XX-1. Hodge’ 22.77 HSR (old HSR 22.89A Mia Brahe-Pedersen [Lake Oswego, Or] ’23]; old lo-alt HSR 22.91 Jackson ’23).
400: 1. Zaya Akins (South, Raytown, Mo) 53.45 (=HSL);
2. **Madison Gardner (Banneker, College Park, Ga) 54.03; 3. Sydney Harris (Buford, Ga) 54.70.
Heats: XI-1. Akins 53.45 (HSL).
800: 1. *Allison Ince (Community, Normal, Il) 2:04.77; 2. *Isabel Conde de Frankenberg (Cedar Park, Tx) 2:06.46; 3. Amelia Everett (South, Newton) 2:08.50; 4. *Nicole Southerland (Delta, Muncie, In) 2:08.85.
Mile: 1. **Sadie Engelhardt (Ventura, Ca) 4:38.65 (10, x HS) (soph-class record) (4:21.84);
2. Tatum David (Richland, Olney, Il) 4:38.80 (11, x HS) (4:21.61); 3. *Ellie Shea (Belmont) 4:40.76; 4. **Claire Stegall (Nolensville, Tn) 4:42.25; 5. Ciara O’Shea (Madison Central, Richmond, Ky) 4:44.41; 6. *Allie Zealand (Home, Lynchburg, Va) 4:44.45; 7. Kate Putman (Cicero-North Syracuse, Cicero, NY) 4:44.48.
2M: 1. Shea 9:49.82 (HSL) (4, 4 HS) (9:11.49);
2. **Hanne Thompson (Montgomery, Santa Rosa, Ca) 10:07.06; 3. Karrie Baloga (Cornwall Central, New Windsor, NY) 10:07.10; 4. Leah Stephens (Good Counsel, Olney, Md) 10:09.09; 5. Abbey Nechanicky (Wayzata, Plymouth, Mn) 10:09.27; 6. O’Shea 10:12.24; 7. *Isabel Allori (Liberty Common, Ft Collins, Co) 10:12.52; 8. *Samantha Humphries (Flower Mound, Tx) 10:12.99; 9. Gillian Bushee (Herndon, Va) 10:13.97.
5000: 1. Shea 15:46.28 (HSL) (2, 2 HS; in/out: 5, 5 HS);
2. Jolena Quarzo (Brownsville, Pa) 16:43.18; 3. *Mary Bonner Dalton (Myers Park, Charlotte, NC) 16:45.97; 4. *Maddie Gardiner (Covenant, Charlottesville, Va) 16:57.43; 5. Rylee Ferretti (New Dorp, Staten Island, NY) 17:00.32.
60H: 1. **Aleesa Samuel (Somerset, Pembroke Pines, Fl) 8.27; 2. *Skyye Lee (Parkway Centtral, St Louis, Mo) 8.29; 3. Emmi Scales (St Viator, Arlington Heights, Il) 8.32; 4. *Makeriah Harris (Scotlandville, Baton Rouge, La) 8.37.
MileW: 1. **Madison Morgan (Episcopal, Houston, Tx) 7:17.28; 2. Ashlyn Poulin (Gardiner, Me) 7:27.96; 3. *Desilets Dubois (Brockport, NY) 7:33.56; 4. *Abby Callinan (Sachem East, Farmingville, NY) 7:33.65; 5. Alexa Governor (Central, Williamson, NY) 7:33.85.
Relay Events
4 x 200: 1. Bullis, Potomac, Md 1:35.62 (HSL) (3 HS);
2. Southridge, Miami, Fl 1:37.18; 3. Bullis B 1:37.54.
4 x 400: 1. Montverde Academy 3:45.69 (HSL);
2. Bullis 3:47.75; 3. Colgan, Manassas, Va 3:49.25; 4. Bullis B 3:49.40; 5. Oak Park, Mi 3:49.46; 6. McCaskey, Lancaster, Pa 3:49.98.
4 x 800: 1. Cuthbertson, Waxhaw, NC 8:48.02 HSR (old HSR 8:51.93 Pioneer, Ann Arbor, Mi ’22) (in/out: 5 HS) (*Justine Preisano 2:14.19, *Stella Kermes 2:12.12, Alyssa Preisano 2:13.32, *Charlotte Bell 2:08.49);
2. Union Catholic, Scotch Plains, NJ 8:48.86 (2 HS; in/out: 7 HS) (Hollis 2:15.56, Gunsiorowski 2:10.65, Nyinah 2:14.00, King 2:08.75);
3. Glastonbury, Ct 9:04.18.
4 x Mile: 1. Flower Mound, Tx 19:50.34 (HSL) (3 HS; in/out: 6 HS); 2. Cuthbertson 19:55.21 (4 HS; in/out: 7 HS);
3. Woodson, Fairfax, Va 20:56.58; 4. Cherokee, Marlton, NJ 20:56.84.
SpMed: 1. Bullis 3:59.81 (HSL);
2. Oak Park, Mi 3:59.96; 3. Guilderland, Guilderland Center 4:03.77; 4. St. John’s, Washington, DC 4:05.00; 5. Colgan, Manassas, Va 4:06.00; 6. Smith, Storrs, Ct 4:06.53.
DisMed: 1. Cuthbertson, Waxhaw, NC 11:35.51 (HSL) (6 HS) (Bell 4:52.11);
2. Cicero-North Syracuse, Cicero, NY 11:44.43 (Putman 4:45.90; 3. Mountain Brook, Al 11:52.82; 4. Haverford, Havertown, Pa 11:53.19; 5. JSerra, San Juan Capistrano, Ca 11:55.28; 6. Pioneer, Ann Arbor, Mi 11:56.35.
4x55H: 1. Union Catholic 33.50.
Field Events
HJ: 1. *Alyssa Carrigan (Tuscarora, Leesburg, Va) 5-8.
PV: 1. **Veronica Vacca (Mt St Joseph, Flourtown, Pa) 13-7¼; 2. *Madelyn Kelley (Villa Maria, Malvern, Pa) 13-3½; 3. *Iliana Downing (La Costa Canyon, Carlsbad, Ca) 12-11½.
LJ: 1. Lewis 20-5; 2. Juliette Laracuente-Huebner (Highland, Marengo, Oh) 20-2¼; 3. Lena Gooden (Osbourn Park, Manassas, Va) 19-7.
TJ: 1. Laracuente-Huebner 42-½; 2. India Alix (Klein, Tx) 41-7¾; 3. *Sophia Curtis (Ocean City, NJ) 41-3¼.
SP: 1. Shelby Wingler (Center Grove, Greenwood, In) 46-4¼; 2. Justley Sharp (Homer Center, Homer City, Pa) 45-7; 3. Julie Thomas (Commack, NY) 44-2.
Wt: 1. *Mary Ella Brooks (Ralston Valley, Arvada, Co) 54-3¼; 2. Jillian Leahy (Lincoln, RI) 54-1¾; 3. Allison Morlock (Norwayne, Creston, Oh) 49-1¾.
Pent: 1. Ana Gonzalez Velasquez’ (El Salvador) 3442: 2. *Kayleigh Stargell (North, Atlanta, Ga) 3389; 3. Alexa Nestor (Green Level, Cary, NC) 3326. ◻︎