Illinois distance runners shine at Arcadia

Ince dominates in 800 win; Fast 3200’s include Falk and Wilson; Altman and her great double; Lane Tech’s top five finishes in two relays

Photo: Micah Wilson, Luke Wiley, and Nick Falk celebrate after a fast 3200 at Arcadia (Courtney Wilson Photo Credit)

By Michael Newman [email protected]

It was a typical elite race by Normal Community’s Ali Ince in Saturday’s Girls Invitational 800 Meter Run at the high powered Arcadia Invitational just outside of Los Angeles. The sophomore took the lead at the break after 100-meters and never looked back.

Results | Arcadia Meet Videos

We saw the same last June at the Brooks PR Invitational when she took the lead and dared an elite field to get her. They just could not.

The same thing happened in this race. The result was a nation leading time of 2:05.42 breaking the old meet record of 2:06.01 set three years ago by Dominique Mustin.

“I knew this would be a competitive race. There were so many great runners here,” Ince said after her race. “Currently in Illinois it is snowing. It is nice to be out here in California in the nice weather.”

There was no fooling around in this race as Ince led the pack through the first 200 in 29.4. The pace slowed down as they approached the start finish line in 62.6 with Ince still leading. She made a definitive move in the third 200 (31 seconds) leaving the rest of the race behind her. The defending Illinois 3A champion in this event won by more than four seconds ahead of second-place Mackenzie Brown of John W North CA (2:10.17).

“I just wanted to go out hard going through in 60-61 (for 400) and then hoping that my 400-speed would take over,” added Ince. “That last 100 was never ending. I just took deep breaths, pumped my arms, and got there.”

With her time in this race, Ince has run five of the top six times ever for an Illinois High School female runner. Her best time is 2:03.98 from brooks PR last June. She is sure to surpass that time this spring.

And she is only a sophomore.

A memorable 3200

The big hype point for this meet was the Boys 3200 Meter Run at the end of the meet Saturday night. 23 runners went under nine-minutes in the invitational race. A total of 32 runners from all the Boys 3200 races eclipsed that mark. It was indeed a memorable event for that distance.

Nick Falk of New Trier put himself in position to run fast in that invitational race. All he needed to do was get in the pack that trailed Newbury Park’s Lex Young and Colin Sahlman who burst to the lead just after two laps and keep pushing the pace in that pack. The two Newbury Park runners went past the first 1600 in a mind boggling 4:18. Falk was almost 100 meters behind in the pack but was still under 4:30.

While Sahlman won the race in a meet record 8:34.99 ahead of teammate Young (8:35.72), Falk ended up setting a new school record of 8:53.44 and personal best in finishing 14th overall in that race.

Micah Wilson of St. Charles East took advantage of the trip to California even though he did not make it into the fast invitational section of the event. He still was a force in the second seeded 3200 Meter Run race. The 3A state Cross-Country champion stayed near the front throughout but did not take the lead. He was moving towards the front passing 1600-meters in 4:28. Wilson was closer to the front with two laps to go passing 2400-meters in 6:45. He took the lead at the bell lap passing in 7:53. With 200-meters left in that race, the pack caught and passed him. Wilson still ran a final lap of 64 seconds to finish in seventh with a personal best and new school record time of 8:57.40.

Luke Wiley of Warren Township was also in that race. He ran 9:14.69 to finish 47th in the seeded section.

Allman’s double

Audrey Allman of Glenbard West escaped the doom and gloom weather that surrounded the Chicago area this past weekend to race in this meet. The Glenbard West senior did not get herself into the fastest sections of the 800 Meter Run and 1 Mile Run. She did put up some fantastic performances in her double on Saturday afternoon.

It started in the *00 Meter Run open race. Allman was determined to stay near the front despite the fast pace. The leaders went past 400-meters in 61 seconds with Allman just a second behind. Tessa Buswell of Poway CA ran 2:09.54 to win the race. Allman ran a personal best of 2:12.94 to finish eighth overall.

There was a three hour break between races before the Seeded 1 Mile Run that Allman would double back in. It is interesting to watch an early season double in these two events. Allman came out of it without a scratch. The pace was slow the first lap with no one wanting to take the lead. After a 76 second opening lap, the pace began to pick up with Allman a part of it. After passing the halfway point in 2:26. Allman took the lead passing one lap to go in 3:39. That 800 speed that she exhibited three hours before kicked in on that final lap closing with a 71 second final quarter winning the race in a personal best of 4:50.77. Mia Prok of Niwot ran 4:53.75 to finish second.

Lane Tech Relays double top five finishes

The temperature climbed to 95 degrees at the start of the Arcadia Invitational on Friday afternoon. It did not seem to bother the Lane Tech 4x800m Relay quartet as they stepped to the line for their race. It at least they were not back in Chicago where the temperatures were 60 degrees cooler with a little liquid sunshine.

The quartet of Emmett Kennedy, Jack Klein, Hunter Whitney, and William Archer faired well in this race running 7:53.51 to finish fourth overall in the invitational race. Lane Tech was in this race throughout staying in the top three. They took the lead after the third exchange and had the lead with one lap to go. They were passed by Bellarmine Prep CA and Long Beach Wilson CA on that final lap and then passed right before the finish by Buchanan CA. Bellarmine’s winning time was 7:45.79.

It was the same strategy in the Invitational Distance Medley on Saturday night staying close to the lead pack through their four legs. They slowly moved up from 7th to 6th and then finishing fifth (10:17.62) behind race winner Corona Santiago CA (10:13.30).

Hunter Whitney also competed individually running 4:18.71 to finish eighth in the Boys Open 1 Mile Run Saturday morning. George Cahill of New Trier was also in that race running 4:16.18 to finish third.

Other Illinois Distance Highlights

Ava Parekh of Latin School opened her senior outdoor season on Saturday running in the Invitational 3200 Meter Run. Parekh finished 15th in that race but ran a great 10:25.17 time. 21 runners in that race under 10:40.

Akili Parekh ran the rated 3200 Meter Run on Friday night finishing with a personal best of 9:21.77. Michael Schumacher of St. Viator was also in the race timed at 9:27.36.

Mary Grace Hegberg of St. Viator was close to the lead in the Invitational 1 Mile Run passing 880 in a fast 2:20. The senior held on to run a season’s best of 4:49.78 to finish seventh overall.

Evelyn Hett of Jones Prep continued on her comeback trail after an injury sidelined her at the end of last fall. The junior posted a new school record of 11:07.94 in the Girls Rated 3200 Meter Run on Friday night.

Nicholas Strayer of Lyons Township stayed within the front pack in the Rising Stars 1 Mile Run on Saturday afternoon. The sophomore ran 4:26.10 to finish ninth overall.