It’s Preview Time!
With the outdoor track & field season kicking off, it’s time to spotlight the top athletes who could dominate this spring. We’ve based our projections on performances from the 2025 outdoor season, results from this past winter campaign, and some inside knowledge.
We conclude with the middle and long distance events. Here we feature the girls’ 800-meter run, the mile and the two mile.
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800m
We’re expecting some fast times in this event during the outdoor season, with at least three athletes under 2:10. The top returnee, of course, is two-time defending state champion Abby Hennessy. The Westford Academy senior and All-American owns a PR of 2:07.18 from her victory at the Division 1 Championships. With her continued success at both the state and national level, she looks capable of going even faster—potentially into the 2:04–2:05 range if the competition is there.
Will she defend her title in the two-lapper at the Meet of Champions? That may be the bigger question. With her newly established dominance in the two mile—highlighted by her recent 9:50.84 win for 3,200m at the Arcadia Invitational—she may opt out of the 800m come championship time and instead focus on the two mile and the mile, an event in which she holds both the indoor and outdoor state records.
If she does skip the event, don’t expect any drop-off in excitement. Just look back at the 1,000m at the indoor Meet of Champions, when Newton South’s Emily Frawley edged Holliston freshman Lucy Downin by less than a hundredth of a second. Both are finishing their seasons outdoors and could very well deliver a bit of déjà vu. Lexington’s Amelia Whorton also enters the mix.
As a sophomore last spring, Whorton placed second in this event at the Division 1 Championships, where she ran a PR of 2:10.16. This past indoor season, she swept the mile and 1,000m titles. The talented junior has 27-second speed in the 200m and a best of 4:53 in the mile – a strong combination for success in the 800m.
Frawley was third in this event last year behind Hennessy and Plymouth North graduate Macey Shriner. She owns a best of 2:10.63 from her third-place finish at the Division 1 Championships. The Yale commit previously best was 2:12.15 at Nike Outdoor Nationals her sophomore year in 2024. She’ll be looking to dip under 2:10 in her final high school season.
Keep an eye on the gritty Downin, too. She ran a best of 4:53.53 in the mile to capture the Division 4 title and 2:54.38 in the 1,000m at the Meet of Champions. She competed in the 800m once this indoor season, placing eighth in the freshman 800m at the New Balance Nationals with a time of 2:17.63. We believe this gifted underclassman is capable of much faster with a valuable season of high school track behind her and strong competition ahead.
Other top runners that could certainly be a factor are Framingham’s Sasha Lamakina, Wachusett’s Naomi Witt, Seekonk’s Hayden Robinson, Central Catholic’s Kyla Breslin, Westwood’s Tea Pagnotti, and Wakefield’s Quin Wilcox, who all ran times between 2:12 and 2:15 last season.
Mile
We’re saying it – it’s hard to ignore. With ideal conditions and the right kind of competition, there is a very strong possibility of a 4:30 mile for Hennessy, and maybe even faster. She gives us no reason to doubt that it’s within reach for the ultra-talented senior.
Since finishing third in this event at the New Balance Nationals last spring with her current PR of 4:34.69, Hennessy appears to have elevated her fitness even further. We’ll likely get a preview of what to expect during her final high school season on Friday night, when she matches up against some of the nation’s finest at the Penn Relays Carnival.
Look for Hennessy to make in three straight titles in this event at the Meet of Champion, forgo the New England’s and go right to New Balance Nationals where she’ll be among the favorites. While the University of Washington signee is a cut above the rest, there are plenty of others that could make an impact in this event. Of returning runners, 10 broke five minutes last spring. At the top of the list were runners like Whorton and Needham’s Greta Hammer, who clocked times of 4:53.91 and 4:55.68. respectively. We can’t forget Downin and Whitinsville Christians’ Abby Flagg, who ran 4:55.18 this winter.
Two Mile
This will certainly be an intriguing event to watch this season.
For starters, it does seem Ellie Shea’s 2023 state record of 9:53.36 from the Brooks PR Invitational—a mark that appeared as though it would stand for years—could be in jeopardy this season. The runner we believe has the best chance to challenge it is Hennessy. Her 9:50.84 for 3,200m at Arcadia already puts her within striking distance of Shea’s mark, and there are still about two months remaining in the season.
This spring also features the return of Needham’s Greta Hammer, who skipped the indoor season. Hammer swept the indoor and outdoor titles in the two mile in 2025 and had a strong cross-country season, finishing runner-up to Hennessy at both the Division 1 Championships and the Meet of Champions. Hammer, who owns a personal best of 10:21.48 for the two mile, has opened her spring campaign in strong form with a state-leading 4:56.36 mile in a league meet on April 15.
Others in the mix include Whitinsville Christian’s Emily Flagg, who won the indoor crown at the Meet of Champions in 10:36.92 and is always competitive in championship settings. Lexington’s Jane Conrad, Westford Academy’s Emily Wedlake, and Cambridge Rindge & Latin’s Sophia Juanes-Seto could also factor into the race.
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