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ILXCTF Illinois Distance Digest - February 5, 2023

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ILXCTF - Mike Newman   Feb 5th 2023, 5:02pm
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#9 - David sets all-time Illinois High School indoor best at New Balance Grand Prix

 

Photo: Tatum David in Saturday’s mile race in Boston (John Nepolitan /DyeStat.com Photo)

 

By Michael Newman

 

Tatum David is looking to make her senior season on the track a good one. The Richland County senior ran a more than one second personal best of 4:40.86 to finish second overall in the Junior International 1 Mile Run at the New Balance Grand Prix held at the new facility on the New Balance campus named the TRACK.

 

Results | USATF.TV Race Video

 

David finished second behind Sadie Engelhardt of Ventura CA who won the race with the second  fastest time in the nation indoors with a 4:40.59 time. David’s time sets a new Illinois High School Girls record for the distance on an indoor track. It also is the second fastest time ever for an Illinois High School Girls athlete. Katelynne Hart ran 4:39.57 at Magis Miles in Chicago in 2019.

 

Was this performance in this race a surprise? Not really.

 

David’s opening races of the season came at the Dr. Conrad Worrill Track at Gately Park in the Misfits Invitational Meet. You usually are wowed when you see performances like this at the end of the season with a double at the state meet or at a post-season invitational.

 

David’s double win in that meet opened a lot of eyes as it occurred at the end of January before the start of the IHSA regular season.

 

She won the mile at Gately Park over a loaded field that included 3A State Champion and NXN All-American Grace Schager of Glenbard North. David had the upper hand in this race running 4:50.14 to win by over six seconds ahead of Schager who was also under 5-minutes with a time of 4:56.22. Both performances after that weekend were ranked in the top 10 nationally.

 

David came back a short time later to run a stimulating time of 10:22.70 to win by over 40 seconds ahead of Latin School’s Mia Kotler (11:03.73). David’s time in that race is still the top indoor time in the nation.

 

Those performances supplied some anticipation heading into Saturday’s race especially from some observers within the state. David did not disappoint.

 

David stayed in back of the lead pack for the first 400-meters of the race as Ellie Shea of Emerging Elites TC led the group that included Engelhardt and Isabel Conde-Frankenberg through a 1:10.51. She continued that pace in the front passing 800-meters in 2:21.61. David was fourth but comfortable passing through in 2:22.14.

 

There were no moves happening at this point as this race was content to let Shea have the lead. Engelhardt was a solid second, Tatum in third as the threesome moved away from the field. Shea had less than a second lead heading into the final lap of the race.

 

The action started in the final 200-meters in this race. David moved by a fading Shea as the two runners came off the penultimate curve. Engelhardt stayed close to David making sure that there was no separation as both runners hit the final curve of the race.

 

Engelhardt stayed with David taking the lead coming off the curve into the final 50-meters of the race. The two were within 27 hundredth of a second as both crossed the finish line. Shea ran 4:42.08 to finish third. David ran the final quarter of the race in 67.11 seconds.

 

David state meet double wins last May included running 10:04.02 for 3200-meters and 4:47.52 in the 1600 Meter Run later in the meet. Remember, she had to run in a prelim heat in the 1600 the day before.

 

Her races two weeks ago indicates she has taken her running to another level running a double that is close to her state double. Perhaps it had to do at the end of last cross-country season where she had to withdraw from the CHAMPS National Finals after finishing eight at the NXN Nike Cross Nationals due to an ear infection.

 

That missed race may be what is driving her over the next few months. Her camp is keeping everything within perspective.

 

“All she wants to do is stay healthy and have fun,” said her father Rob David after the race. “It should be a great spring.”

 

This will not be the last time that Tatum will be at THE TRACK. David will be back in a month to compete at the New Balance Indoor Nationals.

 

There is always a concern when someone runs an unbelievable time at the beginning of a track season whether the runner will be able to maintain those efforts during the season.

 

For David, this was believable in what she has achieved in her first two meets of the 2023 season. These next three to four months should be memorable for the David family. Making statements and running personal bests look to be on the agenda for this runner this spring.

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