PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, June 19–22 — Anyone hoping to see New Jersey soph Paige Sheppard (Union Catholic, Scotch Plains) put on another show at 800 had to settle for her breaking records in other events. The shock winner of the Brooks PR 800 in a soph-record 2:01.50, at New Balance she planned to focus on the mile and the distance medley.
The mile came on Saturday, and fans could be forgiven for thinking that California star Sadie Engelhardt (Ventura) was the favorite. But the pace was gentle up front (2:20.89 at 809m), allowing a big pack to stay close to Engelhardt, who positioned herself on the leader’s shoulder and didn’t make a break until the third lap. When she did, Sheppard followed closest and in the final 100 the soph delivered a stunning sprint to win, 4:33.67–4:34.46, her time a 10th-grade record.
The next day, Sheppard opted to join her teammates on the DMR. Good call. They led every leg, with Sophia Thompson (3:25.76), Taylor Aska (53.69), and Kayla Devine (2:16.79) teeing up the chance to break the absolute HSR of 11:17.50, set indoors last year by North Carolina’s Cuthbertson. Sheppard came through with a 4:35.96 (64.9 final lap) for an 11:12.20 record-smasher.
Said Sheppard, “No matter where I am, it doesn’t really matter how you start, it’s how you finish it.”
The other headliner of the girls meet was New Jersey junior Natalie Dumas (Eastern Regional, Voorhees). Anything but a clear favorite, she still walked away with three MRs and a place among the legends. First came the 400H on Friday, where she outgutted Bullis’s Sydney Sutton to the line, 55.99–56.04, putting them at Nos. 7 and 8 all-time. Later she ran a 2:03.90 on the runner-up sprint medley.
On Saturday came the 400, where she and Sutton once more tangled. Again, Dumas gutted out the win, diving across the line in 51.14, good for No. 8 all-time, as Sutton clocked 51.23.
Then on Sunday, “for fun” she said, she took on national leader Emmry Ross (Onsted, Michigan) in the 800. She followed Ross as she led through 400 in 58.85, then jumped her with 300 left. Ross did not relent, chasing hard through the last turn. The momentum seemed to belong to the Michigander as she pulled close to Dumas on the run-in, but the junior responded with a final burst that took her to the line in 2:00.11, just ahead of Ross’s PR 2:00.25. They move to Nos. 5 and 6 all-time.
“I love the 400, 400H,” she said. “The 800 is fun, a little harder, but I do love them all.”
The Cooper twins of McDonough (Owings Mills, Maryland) impressed. Elise won the 200 in a U.S. leader 22.44 (No. 6 all-time) and was 3rd in that 400 at 51.95. Elena took the long jump at 21-1½, an outdoor list leader. Bullis dominated the relays, with wins in the 4×1 (44.80), 4×2 (1:33.84), 4×4 (3:37.24) and shuttle hurdles (56.32).
NEW BALANCE GIRLS RESULTS
100(0.5): 1. *Sianni Wynn (Pennsauken, NJ) 11.29; 2. *Lisa Raye (West Warwick, RI) 11.38.
200 (0.4): 1. Elise Cooper (McDonogh, Owings Mills, Md) 22.44 (HSL) (6, 6 HS);
2. Wynn 23.05; 3. Maya Love (Patriots) 23.13; 4. Skylar Brazzell (Athletic Performance) 23.20.
400: 1. *Natalie Dumas (Eastern Reg TC) 51.14 (HSL) (8, 9 HS);
2. Sydney Sutton (Bullis) 51.23 (11, x HS); 3. Cooper 51.95.
800: 1. Dumas 2:00.11 (HSL) (5, 8 HS) (59.08/61:03); 2. Emmry Ross (Onsted, Mi) 2:00.25 (6, 10 HS) (58.85/61.41);
3. Sadie Engelhardt (Ventura, CA) 2:02.50; 4. *Jane Hickey (Koala TC) 2:03.61; 5. Elyse Wilmes (Columbia, Mo) 2:03.61; 6. Oluwatosin Awoleye (Powder Springs, Ga) 2:03.98.
Mile: 1. **Paige Sheppard (Union Catholic) 4:33.67 (7, x HS) (soph-class record) (4:16.90);
2. Engelhardt 4:34.46 (4:16.55); 3. *Abigail Hennessey (Westford, Ma) 4:34.69; 4. Claire Stegall (Nolensville, Tn) 4:36.89; 5. Hanne Thomson (Santa Rosa, Ca) 4:39.24; 6. *Mallory Weller (Cadet DP) 4:39.32.
2M: 1. Thomsen 9:55.48 (9:17.81); 2. ***Elin Latta (SoTexHeat) 9:59.12; 3. Chloe Huyler (Nevada Project) 9:59.18.
5000: 1. *Calysta Garmer (Knoxville, Tn) 16:18.14; 2. ***Natasza Dudek’ (Purple TC) 16:18.78; 3. **Mia Sirolis (Barrington, Il) 16:22.88; 4. Abby Faith Cheeseman (Raleigh) 16:25.15.
2000St: 1. Lille Bogdan (Lake Effect) 6:32.78; 2. *Brooke Chapman (Olentangy Orange, Westerville, OH) 6:36.96; 3. Mackenzie Cook (Bobcat TC) 6:44.28.
100H (0.3): 1. Alexia Reid (Panthers) 13.37; 2. Kyndall Spain (St Louis) 13.46; 3. Sofia Swindell (Lawrenceville School, NJ) 13.49; 4. Taylor Cox (Union Catholic) 13.54; 5. *Kassidy Hopkins (Bullis) 13.56.
400H: 1. Dumas 55.99 (HSL) (7, x HS); 2. Sutton 56.04 (8, x HS);
3. Sydney Kuhn (Saginaw, MI) 58.66; Spain 58.71; 5. Tatum Lynn (Bullis) 58.89.
MileW: 1. **Maya Piesik’ (Can) 7:16.63; 2. Gianna Mauri (Sachem Spiked Shoe) 7:23.32; 3. Taylor Nugent (Amherst, NY) 7:28.12.
Relay Events
4 x 100: 1. Bullis 44.80; 2. Carroll 45.32.
4 x 200: 1. Bullis 1:33.84 (6 HS);
2. Union Catholic 1:35.89.
4 x 400: 1. Bullis 3:37.24; 2. Motor City TC 3:41.65.
4 x 800: 1. IMG 8:51.45; 2. SHORE 8:59.64; 3. West Springfield TC 9:00.86.
4 x Mile: 1. Legacy, NY 20:05.97; 2. Robinson, VA 20:13.13.
SpMed: 1. Rumson-Fair Haven, NJ 3:50.10 (HSL) (3 HS) (Lilley 2:03.49);
2. Eastern Regional TC 3:53.15 (Dumas 2:03.90); 3. Motor City 3:54.72.
DisMed: 1. Union Catholic 11:12.20 HSR (old HSR 11:17.50i Cuthbertson [Waxhaw, North Carolina] ’24) (**Sophia Thompson 3:25.76, Taylor Aska 53.69, **Kayla Devine 2:16.79, **Paige Sheppard 4:35.97);
2. Legacy, NY 11:33.10; 3. Shore 11:35.85
4 x 100H: 1. Bullis 56.32 (HSL) (7 HS); 2. Boro Chimera’s 59.25.
Field Events
HJ: 1. *Egypt Bolan (Lindenwold, NJ) 5-10¾; 2. **Paige Fessler (Spartans TC) 5-9¾;.
PV: 1. Veronica Vacca (Plymouth Meeting, PA) 13-9¼.
LJ: 1. Elena Cooper (McDonogh-Owings Mills, MD) 21-1½, 2. *Brooklyn Little (MVP League) 20-9¾; 3. *Alexis Brown (Bullis) 20-1½.
TJ: 1. Camaria Corder (Trailblazers) 42-5¼w (42-0); 2. Destini Smith (Souderton Area, Harleysville, Pa) 42-3½.
SP: 1. *J’Nia Simpson (Trailblazers) 47-10¾; 2. Cora Williams (Michigan Elite Throws) 46-10¼.
DT: 1. *Hannah Nuhfer (Delsea, Franklinville, NJ) 178-9; 2. Simpson 166-6; 3. Emma Gardner (Woodme, Greenville, In) 161-4.
HT: 1. Mia Hoskins (Coventry, RI) 188-8; 2. Amelia Bawcombe (Alexandria City, Va) 187-5.
JT: 1. *Eliana Schneider (Lebanon, Pa) 147-3.
Hept: 1. Yuliya Maslouskaya’ (IMG) 5582 (HSL) (2, 6 HS);
2. Avery Miller (Western Md T&F) 5290; 3. *Khari Webb (Collierville, Tn) 5234; 4. **Hayden Higgins (The Lake TC) 5095; 5. *D’Asia Duncan (Bloomfield, Ct) 5065.
