A two-runner lead pack. A bunched-up chase pack.
A race within a race.
On paper, that’s the scenario that could unfold Friday in the featured girls’ mile at the fourth annual BSR Elite Scholastic Mile at UMass Lowell.
The field bears some resemblance to last year’s race, when former Glastonbury (CT) standout Brooke Strauss set the current meet record with a winning time of 4:39.88, just 0.12 seconds ahead of Westford (MA) Academy’s Abby Hennessy.
This time, the names have changed. Lexi Paterna of Exeter (NH) and Chase Gilbert of Lyme-Old Lyme (CT) enter with low-4:40 credentials of their own and could be headed for a similar front-running duel.
But in a race loaded with talent – including nine additional sub-5 milers and a 2:13 half-miler – anything can happen on any given day.
It should be interesting.
It should be fun.
Here’s our list…
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Lexi Paterna, Exeter (NH) – If we had to pick a favorite, it would have to be Paterna. She enters the meet as the No. 1 seed with a personal best of 4:42.33, a time she ran while placing seventh at New Balance Nationals this past winter. Paterna also dipped under 4:45 earlier in the season with a 4:44.74 performance at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational in mid-February, where she finished 13th against a strong field.
The Blue Hawks junior is coming off a runner-up finish in the two mile at the Glenn B. Loucks Games, where she clocked an all-time best of 10:24.08. On May 1, she contested her only mile race of the spring, placing ninth at Track Night NYC in 4:53.48. Paterna appears ready to embrace the challenge of what could be a thrilling head-to-head battle with Chase.
Chase Gilbert, Lyme-Old Lyme (CT) – Gilbert could certainly be considered a co-favorite in this race. The seasoned veteran owns an extensive résumé that includes numerous top finishes at regional and national competitions over the past few years, along with a plethora of sub-4:50 performances. Gilbert captured the indoor mile title this past winter and last spring claimed the 1,600m crown at the regional championships.
The Virginia commit owns personal bests of 4:44.68 for 1,600m and 4:47.63 for the mile. On April 24, Gilbert ran a season-best and meet-record 4:57.62 to win the 1,600m at the fifth annual Knights Under the Lights meet, taking the race by more than 11 seconds. This time, however, she’ll have company up front with Paterna expected to be right alongside her.
Lauren Virmani, River Hill (MD) – Virmani will be making the longest trip to the meet of any competitor in event history. The question is whether the Maryland standout will be rewarded for her journey to the Bay State to face some of the region’s top talent.
The River Hill senior enters the meet with the third-fastest seed time in the field thanks to her personal-best 4:50.58 from the Carolina Distance Carnival in mid-April. It may take a gargantuan effort to upset the frontrunners. But you never know. Based on her performance last month, a personal best – and perhaps a sub-4:50 clocking – is certainly possible with this level of talent in the field.
Lucy Downin, Holliston (MA) – Only a freshman, Downin is one of the youngest runners in the field. Don’t let her youth fool you. She’s a gritty competitor who knows how to race, often displaying the poise and experience of someone far beyond her years.
Downin capped off a hugely successful indoor campaign by running a PR of 4:53.53 to capture the mile at the Division 4 Championships. She also placed second in the 1,000m in a thrilling, down-to-the-wire battle with Newton South’s Emily Frawley, clocking a seven-second best of 2:54.38 – a time matched by Frawley. She later earned another runner-up honors at the New Balance Nationals, taking second in the Freshman Mile with a time of 4:54.16.
This spring, the Holliston ninth-grader has remained unbeaten against her state rivals while posting bests of 58.93 for 400m and 2:14.58 for 800m. Friday’s race will likely mark her first true all-out mile effort of the outdoor season. Based on what she has already shown, a time in the low-4:50 range is certainly within reach.
Harper Shirley, Manchester (CT) – Shirley has manufactured a busy spring campaign, competing in several meets leading into Friday’s race. Over her last four meets, the Red Hawks junior has broken five minutes each time, including a PR and winning 4:52.25 performance at the Middletown Varsity T&F Invitational on May 2 and a victorious 4:56.75 effort at last Friday’s CT Distance Festival.
Shirley appears to have the right kind of momentum heading into this weekend’s competition and could be primed for another strong performance once the gun fires Friday night.
Greta Hammer, Needham (MA) – Speaking of momentum, that’s also something Hammer should have plenty of when she toes the line this weekend. The Rockets senior is coming off a dominating victory in the two mile at last Saturday’s Weston Twilight Invitational. Running alone from the outset, Hammer cruised to the win in a nation No. 7 of 10:31.65, finishing more than 30 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor.
The Harvard commit, who took a break from competition during the winter season, is hoping to close out her high school career on a high note. With her victory at Weston and a season best of 4:56.36 for the mile from a mid-April league meet against Walpole and Brookline, she appears to be trending in the right direction. Hammer has consistently thrived in high-level competition like Friday’s race, and we expect that won’t change this weekend. She was sixth in this race last year with her current best of 4:55.68.
Maddy Lane, Hopkinton (NH) – Lane is certainly a runner who can’t be overlooked. The Hopkinton junior has been red-hot over her last four meets this spring, producing PR performances in multiple events. She enters this weekend’s race following the biggest victory of her career, capturing the 3,200m title at the prestigious Glenn B. Loucks Games with a career best and nation No. 3 of 10:10.67.
In the mile, Lane owns a PR of 4:55.89 from her runner-up finish at the New Hampshire Distance Festival. After her breakthrough performance at Loucks, there’s little doubt she’ll step onto the track Friday night with plenty of confidence.
She was tenth in this race last year with a time of 5:01.34. That time and placement should change significantly based on how she’s performed lately.
Bri Paterna, Exeter (NH) – The twin sister of Lexi Paterna is also a talented distance runner in her own right. She was fifth in the mile at Loucks where she broke the five-minute barrier for the first time with a best of 4:56.,24.
Maria Chopas, Concord-Carlisle (MA) – Chopas is another runner who joined the sub-5 club this spring. The Patriots junior accomplished that milestone performance at last weekend’s Weston Twilight Invitational, where she claimed the title in 4:57.97.
Emily Wedlake, Westford Academy (MA) – Wedlake is another strong runner from the Ghosts’ talented distance program. She owns a personal best of 4:58.94 from her sixth-place finish at last spring’s Meet of Champions. Wedlake will look to dip under the five-minute barrier again on Friday. She came just strides away from doing so at Loucks, where she placed ninth overall in 5:00.21.
Kylie Donahue, Billerica (MA) – Donahue is the final sub-5 runner in this field. She earned her entry into this weekend’s competition after finishing second in the mile at the Twilight Invitational with a personal-best 4:59.94.
Evie Wesling, Billerica (MA) – Along with Downin, Wesling is one of only two freshmen in this field. She was victorious in the 800m at last week’s Twilight Invitational, crossing the line in a PR of 2:13.73. She owns a mile best of 5:08.26, which she set en route to a win at the Ottaviani-Haverhill Invitational.
