David sets new meet record at HOKA Festival of Miles

Watcke sets pace for Boys 800 win; Martin, Burns under 4 minutes highlights men’s pro race

By Michael Newman [email protected]

The moment the sun went down Thursday night at St. Louis University High School’s track, the wind stopped. The high level racing did not stop. It just got faster.

RESULTS | MEET VIDEOS

There were a handful of Illinois runners that competed in this meet. They did compete in a fast way. Tatum David of Richland County surprised some stepping back into the national spotlight with a new meet record in the Girls High School 1 Mile Run. Daniel Watcke of Hinsdale Central shrugged off his state meet weekend and dominated the Boys High School 800 Meter Run.

Camryn Wennersten of Ridgewood NJ settled behind the pace setter leading the other  runners through a 69 second opening quarter. Samantha Humphries of Flower Mound TX settled in behind along with David, MaryEllen Eudaly of Cambridge Christian TX, and Grace Tyson of Lafayette MO going along for the ride. The pace picked up the pace on the second lap still with Wennersten still leading and Humphries, David, and Eudaly breaking away from the rest of the pack passing 880-yards in 2:22.

This is the same type of tactics that we saw from David in the two state races. She stayed in the pack not exerting too much energy. When the moment was right, then go.

The move came with 600-meters left in the race where she decided to go. Humphries would not allow it coming down the home stretch. She passed in 3:34 with David right on her shoulder. As they came off the curve, David took off as her pace increased. She ran the final quarter in a swift 66 seconds crossing the line in a new meet record of 4:42.15.

“My main goal was just to stay behind the lead pack and just kick the last 400,” David said after her race. “It feels good. It was a great way to end my season.’

David’s time of 4:42.15 converts to 4:40.41 for 1600-meters. It is the second fastest time ever for an Illinois Girls High School runner for a mile or 1600-meters. Her winning time is currently ranked seventh in the United States.

Her time was also the fastest Girls High School time in the meet. Natalie Cook of Flower Mound TX ran 4:42.33 to finish 12th in the Women’s Professional race.

Humphries ran 4:45.11 to finish second in the race. Eudaly ran 4;45.55 finishing third. Mya Trober of Blue Springs South MO ran 4;50.48 to finish fourth. Peyton Schieppe of O’Fallon ran a personal best to place fifth (4;51.84). Allison Ince of Normal Community was also in the race running 4:56.48 to finish tenth. Class 1A state champion Elana Rybak of Father McGivney ran 4:58.10 to finish 12th overall.

Daniel Watcke was in the need for some speed on the track. He did that with a convincing win in the 800 Meter Run. The Hinsdale junior started from the pole spot and shot to the front right with the pacer. It was a lead that he would never give up. Watcke passed 400-meters in a 53.53 with the rest of the pack a second behind.

He seemed to slow a little in the third 200 but still passed in a fast 1:22.1 time. Nicolas Pizarro of The Tatnall School DE put on pressure in the final 200-meters but was not able to take the lead. Both runners with Watcke winning in 1:50.81 just nine hundredths of a second ahead of Pizarro (1:50.90). Gabe Nash of Sioux City North ran 1:51.23 to finish third.

The final race of the night did not fall short on the pre-race expectations. Three high school runners were in the Men’s pro race with expectations of getting under 4-minutes. Gary Martin of Archbishop Wood PA had done that already in his conference meet in May. Connor Burns of South Boone MO and Daelen Ackley of Eldorado Springs MO had great weeks last week in their state meet. They were looking for one more fast race.

Martin made this race. When the two pacers stepped off the track with less than two laps left in the race, it was the high schooler Martin that took charge. He had the lead at the bell lap passing with a quarter to go in 2:59.54. Burns was right there on pace to go sub-4 at 3:00.62 among a pack of five runners.

Paul Ryan came off the pack and took the lead moving away for the win in 3:55.95. former Illinois State runner Jack Antsey finished second (3:56.87) ahead of Casey Webb (3:57.54).

Then came the two high school runners both runners under 4-minutes. Martin did it for the second time within a month finishing fourth (3:57.89). Burns, only a junior, ran 3:58.83 to finish fifth. He is the first high school junior to go under the barrier since Jim Ryun did it in 1964.

Illinois Runners Highlights

Ryan Watts of Edwardsville started to push the pace taking the lead with 1000-meters left in the Boys High School Mile. He had the lead into the final 200-meters when Jackson Heidesch of Dowling Catholic IA taking the lead. Heidesch ran a personal best 4:06.14 to win the championship. Watts ended up finishing fourth with a huge personal best of 4:08.96 capping off a great week of running for the future Iowa State student/athlete.

Becca Heitzig of Lincoln was among the leaders in the Girls 800 Meter Run. Makayla Clark of Lee’s Summit West MO pulled away in the final 200-meters to capture the win with a 2:07.97 time. Heitzig bettered her 2A record time running 2:09.90 to finish fourth. Ahry Comer of Pope County ran 2:18.09 to finish eighth.

Riley Newport of Dekalb rebounded from his state meet in a big way. He had the lead into the final lap of the Boys High School Elite Developmental Mile. Newport ran a personal best of 4:12.65 to finish fifth overall. Hannah Meiser of Civic Memorial ran a personal best of 5:07.65 to finish tenth in the Girls High School Elite Developmental Mile.