There was no secret who would be the leading contenders in the girls’ competition of Friday’s BSR Elite Scholastic Mile in Amherst, NH. At the top of the lists with bests of more than 10 seconds from their next closest rivals were New Balance Nationals indoor champion Brooke Strauss of Glastonbury (CT) and Westford Academy’s Abby Hennessy, a runner-up from last weekend’s Penn Relays Carnival.
As predicted, the two runners quickly turned the competition into a two-person race with Strauss having a little extra more at the end to earn the victory with a CT state record and nation No. 2 of 4 minutes, 39.88 seconds. Hennessy finished just a few meters behind with a time of 4:40.76, her second straight 4:40 in as many weeks.
“I think we both kind of had it in our head that we wanted to be around 4:40, maybe a little bit under so just kind of going after that time,” Strauss said. “I think we all knew the stiff competition. That always helps us push each other to do better.”
The talented tandem essentially ran within a stride of each other for most of the race with Hennessy do the pace-setting through 400m (1:09.9) and 800m (2:22.9) and Strauss the leader, albeit slightly, at the 1,200m (3:32.5).
Like Strauss, Hennessey was looking for a milestone effort.
“I just wanted to go to break 4:40 because last week at Penn Relays I ran 4:40.01. It was a little frustrating,” she said. “I had a goal to go out with a little quicker 800 because last week I went out in a 2:23 and I had to close really quickly. I was hoping to go a little quicker and ended up going out pretty quick for the first 400m and slowed down a little too much on the second 400m. I’m a little disappointed I didn’t break 4:40 but I can’t be mad with a 4:40.7.”
Although in separate races, both will be back at it again versus elite competition this coming weekend at the annual Glenn B. Loucks Games in New York. Strauss is entered in the 3,200m and Hennessy the 800m. The Westford Academy standout is looking forward to competing in the two-lapper, a race she’s only run once since clocking a best of 2:09.82 at the New Balance Nationals last June.
“I am really excited to see what I can do in the 800m because I am coming off not really racing in cross-country and indoor,” she said. “I’ve done like three mile (races) and one 800m, but that was literally my first race back in six months. I am really excited to see what I can do and hopefully PR there.”
In all, nine runners broke five minutes. Newton North’s Ciara Evans placed third overall with a huge PR of 4:50.20. Finishing fourth was Kiley DeFusco of Cumberland (RI) with a time of 4:50.20. Needham’s Greta Hammer also run an all-time best, clocking 4:55.68 for sixth.
A little more that a second was the difference between the first- and fourth-place finishers in the boys’ elite mile. Pre-race favorite Soheib Dissa of Newtown (CT) took individual honors, although not by much. Dissa broke the tape in 4:10.43, just a half second ahead of Marshfield’s Graham Heinrich, who was timed in a PR of 4:10.91. He was followed by Connecticut’s Jack Oullette of Xavier (third, 4:11.87), John Bianchi of BC High (fourth, 4:11.88) and Falmouth’s Silas Gartner (fifth, 4:12.92).
Heinrich ran a PR by nearly two seconds. His best prior to Friday’s meet was 4:12.55 from the Last Chance Indoor National Qualifier on March 2.
“I am definitely happy,” Heinrich said. “I wanted to be under 4:10. That’s my goal this season. Definitely getting closer to that would be nice.”
The Marshfield senior didn’t exactly follow his pre-race plan, but it worked out in end in producing a PR. He was right with the leaders from the beginning, running 400m splits between 63-64 seconds his first three laps. Along with Dissa, he ran his last 400m in under a minute with a time of 59.98.
“I kind wanted to go out somewhere towards the back or in the middle and just work my way up. I’ve have a history this season of going out too quick for the mile,” he said. “Going out just a tad slower to have that kick at the end of the race is definitely beneficial.”
Eamon O’Brien of La Salle (RI), last week’s 800m winner at the BSR Mid Distance Classic, captured his specialty with an impressive performance on Friday. O’Brien won the inaugural BSR Elite Scholastic 800m with a nearly two-second best of 1:52.81. St. John’s Prep’s Daniel Padley, who was a runner-up to O’Brien at the Mid Distance Classic, secured that placement again with a best of 1:53.98.
“The plan was to kind of just race with this field, which is very competitive.” Padley said. “I’ve never been in this kind of race. I figured if I went out there and raced, the time would just come.”
Marshfield’s Matt McCabe (fourth, 1:55.38), and Brookline’s Altamo Aschkenasy (fifth, 1:55.59) also had solid races from the Bay State.
McCabe was just under his PR of 1:55.71 from last year. He had no intention on taking the pace out fast.
“Honestly, I’ve never gone out fast in a race, especially an 800. I believed in these guys. (I just wanted to) hang on the first lap and see what (I) can do in the second lap. Definitely there’s some good competition here and they pulled me through. I just had to finish it all that last lap.”
“It was a great feeling,” he added. “Coming out here with all these guys and placing well this early, it’s a good bump for later in the season.”
All three races were held in conjunction with the inaugural New Hampshire Distance Festival at Souhegan High.
