NEW YORK CITY, February 01 — Doris Lemngole smashed the Collegiate Record in the 3000 and Nikki Hiltz won the Wanamaker Mile to highlight the women’s action at the 118th Millrose Games at the Armory.
The CR — 8:35.20 by NC State’s Katelyn Tuohy at the ’23 Millrose Games — was in play once it was announced that Alabama’s Lemngole (last year’s NCAA champion in the indoor 3000, steeplechase and cross country) would race BYU super-frosh Jane Hedengren, who set an absolute Collegiate Record in the 5000 (14:44.79) in December.
Hedengren moved into the lead with two laps to go, but it soon evolved into a replay of the NCAA XC champs in November, when Lemngole effortlessly shifted gears to pull away from the front-running youngster. The Kenyan sprinted the last lap in 30.93 to finish in 8:31.39, smashing Tuohy’s standard.
“I didn’t have any plans for how I wanted the race to go today,” said Lemngole, who placed 5th in the steeple at the ’25 Worlds in Tokyo. “I saw it was like two laps to go and I wanted to trust myself and go.”
Great Britain’s Hannah Nuttall (8:32.94) took 2nd, while Hedengren (8:34.98) is now the fastest American collegian ever.
The mile field took a hit with the scratches of Elle St. Pierre and Dorcus Ewoi, winners of the 3000 and 1500 in Boston a week earlier. After a manageable early pace (2:09 for the pack at halfway), the tempo slowed over the next two laps. Hiltz, winner of three straight U.S. 1500 titles both indoors and outdoors, surged into the lead on the penultimate lap, earlier than their usual homestretch kick.
“I just wanted to challenge myself and try something new,” they said. “I was like ‘I’m just gonna go and practice defending.’ I know I can close really fast and outkick somebody at the end, but I wanted to see if I could hold someone off.”
It worked. Australian Jessica Hull sprinted hard but couldn’t make a dent in Hiltz’s lead. Hiltz covered the last quarter mile in 60.95 and finished in 4:19.64, becoming the third American to break 4:20 indoors. Hull (4:20.11) took 2nd, followed by Poland’s Klaudia Kazimierska (4:21.36) and Aussie Linden Hall (4:21.45).
“We don’t have a lot of things in our sport where your name is etched on,” Hiltz said of the race’s trophy, which is engraved with the names of all past winners. “So no matter what happens in my career my name is never getting off that trophy.”
Two days after setting an American Record in the 800 (1:57.97) in Boston, Roisin Willis took the 600 in 1:24.87 (No. 7 on the all-time U.S. list). After trailing training partner Juliette Whittaker at 400m (54.84–54.99), Willis moved into the lead and won convincingly over her former Stanford teammate (1:25.64).
“Obviously, Friday’s run was awesome, but I like to win and I didn’t win the race,” Willis said of finishing behind Great Britain’s Isabelle Boffey in Boston. “Today my primary focus was tactics. It felt good to finish quick and strong, because I didn’t really do that well in my last race.”
Willis, who recently turned pro after winning NCAA and USATF titles in the 800 last year, said that competing in back-to-back meets was similar to running rounds at a championship meet.
Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma, silver medalist in the ’24 Olympic 800, won the 1000 in 2:35.50 ahead of Addy Wiley (2:35.77) and Maggi Congdon (2:35.91). Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain took the 60 in 7.10, passing Jacious Sears (7.12) in the final strides. In the 60H Jamaican Danielle Williams (7.90) came from behind and passed Bahamian Devynne Charlton (7.96) coming off the final barrier. Chloe Timberg cleared 15-1 (4.60) to win the pole vault, the meet’s only women’s field event.
MILLROSE GAMES WOMEN’S RESULTS
60: 1. Dina Asher-Smith (GB) 7.10; 2. Jacious Sears (US) 7.12; 3. Mariah Maxwell (US) 7.26 PR; 4. Kemba Nelson (Jam) 7.28; 5. Leah Bertrand (Tri) 7.31; 6. Liranyi Alonso (DR) 7.32; 7. Destiny Smith-Barnett (Lbr) 7.38; 8. Samirah Moody (US) 7.40.
600: 1. Roisin Willis (US) 1:24.87 PR (7, 9 A) (26.72, 28.27 [54.99], 29.88); 2. Juliette Whittaker (US) 1:25.64 PR (3, 4 C);
3. Olivia Baker (US) 1:25.91 PR; 4. Anais Bourgoin (Fra) 1:26.17 PR; 5. Michaela Rose (US) 1:29.19 PR; 6. Ajee’ Wilson (US) 1:33.48.
1000: 1. Tsige Duguma (Eth) 2:35.50 PR;
2. Addy Wiley (US) 2:35.77 PR (10, 10 A);
3. Maggi Congdon (US) 2:35.91 PR; 4. Sage Hurta-Klecker (US) 2:36.76; 5. Gabija Galvydytė (Lit) 2:36.80; 6. Meghan Hunter (US) 2:37.14 PR; 7. Jemma Reekie (GB) 2:37.15 PR5;… rabbit—Victoria Bossong (US) (28.54, 59.76, 1:30.14).
Mile: 1. Nikki Hiltz (US) 4:19.64 PR (WL) (3, 5 A) (4:03.61) (63.72, 66.42 [2:10.14], 68.55 [3:18.69], 60.95);
2. Jessica Hull (Aus) 4:20.11 (4:03.72); 3. Klaudia Kazimierska (Pol) 4:21.36 NR (4:04.81); 4. Linden Hall (Aus) 4:21.45 PR (4:05.06 PR); 5. Susan Ejore-Sanders (Ken) 4:22.23 (4:05.03); 6. Margot Appleton (US) 4:22.94 PR (4:04.62 PR); 7. Emily Mackay (US) 4:22.95 PR (4:06.21);
8. Wilma Nielsen (Swe-Or) 4:23.56 NR (2, 2 C) (4:05.94 PR [2, 2 C]);
9. Gracie Morris (US) 4:23.83 PR; 10. Sinclaire Johnson (US) 4:24.55 (4:06.71); 11. Heather MacLean (US) 4:30.85 (4:11.37);… rabbit—Mckenna Keegan (US) (61.85, 2:09.33).
3000: 1. Doris Lemngole (Ken-Al) 8:31.39 CR (old CR 8:35.20 Katelyn Tuohy [NCSt] ’23) (69.43, 70.18 [2:19.61], 68.98 [3:28.59], 68.40 [4:36.99], 68.52 [5:45.51], 67.71 [6:53.22], 67.24 [8:00.46], 30.93);
2. Hannah Nuttall (GB) 8:32.94 PR;
3. Jane Hedengren (BYU) 8:34.98 AmCR (old AmCR 8:35.20 Katelyn Tuohy [NCSt] ’23) (2, 2 C);
4. Lexy Halladay-Lowry (US) 8:38.78 PR; 5. Lauren Ryan (Aus) 8:41.97; 6. Nozomi Tanaka (Jpn) 8:42.33; 7. Eloise Walker (GB) 8:42.88 PR;
8. Riley Chamberlain (US) 8:43.16 PR (10, x C);
9. Elise Thorner (GB) 8:51.84; 10. Courtney Wayment (US) 8:52.01; 11. Adva Cohen (Isr) 8:58.85; 12. Elly Henes (US) 9:00.43;… rabbit—Sadie Sargent (US) (68.84, 2:19.05, 3:28.06, 4:36.53).
60H: 1. Danielle Williams (Jam) 7.90; 2. Devynne Charlton (Bah) 7.96; 3. Christina Clemons (US) 7.97; 4. Megan Simmonds (Jam) 8.04; 5. Gabbi Cunningham (US) 8.11; 6. Oneka Wilson (Jam) 8.12; 7. Denisha Cartwright (Bah) 8.17.
Field Events
PV: 1. Chloe Timberg (US) 15-1 (4.60); 2. Nastassja Campbell (US) 14-5¼ (4.40); 3. Emily Grove (US) 14-5¼; 4. Gabriela Leon (US) 14-5¼; 5. Tori Thomas (US) 14-1¼ (4.30); 6. Katerína Stefanídi (Gre) 13-5¼ (4.10).
Wt: 1. Elisia Lancaster (US) 70-9 (21.56).
