Crane leads 3 Boys runners under 9 minutes; Weber runs IL #6 All-time best in historic Girls 2 Mile Run

By Michael Newman

The Arcadia Invitational held every year outside of Los Angeles is the pot at the end of rainbow for Illinois distance runners that search every year for a sub-nine-minute time for the Boys. This was the case Friday and Saturday in those races for both the Boys and the Girls.

It was the Girls 2 Mile Run Invitational race that was the spotlight race in this meet whether the Boys races liked it or not. Jane Hendengren of Timpview UT dictated that. Her national record times indoors at the Nike Indoor Nationals in the 5000 Meter Run and 1 Mile Run made the attention that this race was given so. Sundara Weber of Sandwich was the lone Illinois runner in this race and took advantage of this wonderful opportunity.

This was a race against the clock for Hedengren as she passed the halfway point in 4:46 and 14 seconds ahead of the pack and setting the overflowing crowds at Arcadia High School crazy. Weber at the halfway point went through in 5:04 but in 11th place. Hendengren set two records in a matter of seconds at the end of the race clicking off 72 second laps with ease. She passed 9:30.68 at 3200 Meters, a new national record. Her final time of 9:34.12 for the 2 Mile Run broke the record by seven seconds.

Weber was going back and forth in this race moving up to as ahigh as fifth. She needed a 71 second final lap to cross the line placing fifth. “This was the first time I have run in this meet. I did not know what to expect when the gun went off,” Weber said after her race. “I knew I wanted to finish in the top six in this race. I kept drifting to the back and then back to the front. I knew I wanted that medal and decided to take off with 500-meters left regardless how much it hurt.”

Weber’s performance has also a significance in the Illinois record books. Weber’s time for finishing fifth was 10:05.58. She passed 3200-meters in 10:02.12 moving her into sixth all-time at that distance just behind Mia Sirois.

Ben Crane of New Trier plays his pacing calm knowing that being in the front. When it counts at the end. Crane was only two seconds behind the leader Trayvon Kitchen of Crater who passed that point in 4:29. Crane was in 23 and at some points was racing in the third lane the pack being so large. He threw in a 61 lap, then slowing it down to 70 seconds with two laps to go. Crane ran his last two laps in 2:04, his final lap in 60 seconds to cross the line in 8:49.02. His 2-mile time converted at the New Balance Nationals Indoors was faster than what he ran on Saturday night, but the senior remains in the top 10 in state history.

“The pace was slow the first mile. I was not expecting a tactical race. Now I know how to run a 2-Mile tactically,” Crane said after his race. “I am happy the way I ran. I am looking forward to what the rest of the season brings.”

Two other runners from Illinois went under the magical nine-minutes in Boys races. Rory Gaan of Fremd had run in this meet last year but as of three weeks ago he was unsure that he would make the trip back. Gaan did travel west and produced a personal best of 8:59.64. Carter Hayes of Palatine ran in the Rated race and negative split it passing 1600-meters in 4:34.33, then came back and ran 4:25 including a 59 second final lap to run 8:59.10 to place fifth in that race. Dylan Maloney of Plainfield South ran 9:00.15 to place eighth in that race. Alex Krieg also broke Palatine’s school record as did Hayes running 9:02.41. Gabe McLain of Benton was up front throughout the race and did end up running 9:06.67.

One of the highlight’s in Friday evening’s open races came in the third section. Simon Lane of Chicago University stayed in the middle of the pack for the first half of the race then moved up. He was four seconds behind race leader Josh Shriver of Summit CO. Lane started to make up ground on the Colorado runner and was in reach entering the final 100 meters of the race. Lane caught Shriver just before the line raising his arms in triumph as he ran a 10 second personal best of 9:08.68 to win by a tenth of a second.

There were two good performances in the Girls Seeded races on Friday evening. Sydney Gertsen of Montini was among the leaders throughout most of the race. The junior ended up running a personal best of 10:49.72. Josie Cahill of New Trier was also in the race timed at a best of 10:51.47.

Annika Swan of St. Ignatius College Prep was one of 12 runners in the field of the Girls Invitational 1 Mile Run. Swan stayed in the middle pack most of the race as she ran 4:46.85 to finish ninth overall. Swan passed 1600-meters in 4:44.64. She becomes the fastest Chicago High School runner ever at that distance.

Owen Horeni ran in the Seeded 800 Meter Run. Horeni ran a seasonal best of 1:54.76 to finish eighth overall.

Brian E. Smith II of North Shore Country Day ran in the opening section of the 400 Meter Dash. Smith ran a personal best of 49.36 to finish fourth in his race.

Arion Hill of Centralia ran in both the hurdle races in this meet. Hill was in the Seeded 110 Meter Hurdles. He was close to the lead until he clipped the second to last hurdles. He still ran the state’s second fastest time of 14.34 to place fifth overall. Hill ran the fastest time in the state so far this year running 38.26 to place third overall in the Open Division.