Twin Sophs Among America's Elite
Blaire and Brooke Dinsdale, running for a small school in Traer, Iowa, were two of the best in the country at 800 meters ... and the versatile siblings have two more years
By Brian Peterson
West Des Moines Valley’s relay runners were not the only ones blasting into national limelight at the Iowa state track and field championships this past May. Although minus major media attention, the precocious Dinsdale twins of North Tama High School (Traer IA) put on a half-miling show and soared into the national top five of the yearly prep list. In the 1A 800-meter finals both Brooke and Blaire Dinsdale bettered the formidable 2:10 mark (Brooke just edging her sister in 2:09.60-2:09.91). At the time, it made them the fourth- and fifth-fastest prep half-milers in the country.
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Just sophomores, the Dinsdales are not strangers to national prominence. Before they opened up their sophomore year campaign with a 1-2 finish at the 2005 state cross-country championships, they were already mainstays at U.S.A. Track and Field (USATF) and AAU competitions. For years, their summers have been jam-packed with regional and national age-group racing. When they were not gaining recognition by earning national placing for their running ability, they were exchanging hugs with California phenom Jordan Hasay, quite possibly the most decorated prep distance freshman since former Olympian Mary Slaney.
After a short competition break following the state track meet, the Dinsdales resumed racing in mid-June. After a year of running second to her sister (losing by only the slimmest of margins), Blaire finally won the sibling rivalry in the 800 meters in spectacular fashion at the USATF Junior (19-and-under; they are still 15) national meet in Indianapolis on June 23rd. Her 2:07.39 in fifth was the fastest ever by an Iowa prep, and now trails only Pennsylvania’s Chanelle Price on the 2006 national list (Brooke also ran a PR 2:09.15). More competition is scheduled later this summer as the twins take their good natured rivalry to the USATF and AAU age group nationals.
Although among the nation’s elite for some time, this last calendar school year (2005-2006) proved to be a pivotal breakthrough for the girls. It was when their already-confirmed national prowess metamorphosed into Iowa dominance.
It began in autumn with their prevailing in the already mentioned cross country championships at Fort Dodge. Then, in April, Brooke captured her first Drake Relays crown, running 2:10.35 and breaking the 25-year-old Relays record held by Indianola Sue Nelson (Blaire 3rd 2:13.43). The next day at Drake, both Brooke and Blaire were the force behind North Tama’s all-class victory in the 4x800 meters (9:23.84).
The next month, at the state championships, the twins were virtually inseparable. It was at this venue where many Iowans got to see up-front the abundance of talent sheltered in the small town of Traer (about 1600 population). The girls went 1-2 in all three distance races, running together stride-for-stride and gapping the other state qualifiers by an unusually large margin. Brooke narrowly edged out her sister in each race, becoming a three-time individual state track champion, but for all three races Blaire was only a combined 3.49 seconds behind. Not to be overshadowed, though (as if her times and places would at all cause disappointment), Blaire moved down to the 400-meter hurdles and seized a state title of her own.
What sets the Dinsdale twins apart from other girl distance runners is their inherent sprint speed. Ask the typical long distance specialist, who is generally feathery built, to turn in an impressive open 400 meter clocking and you will probably receive a look of unbelief. Few runners (male or female) are endowed with such versatility.
Be careful, however, not to confine the Dinsdales to the realm of the typical.
Consider Blaire owned this year’s fastest time in the 400-meter hurdles of 62.82 seconds. At an early season indoor meet she thought she might have some fun and decided to run the 200 meters. Without blocks and proper spikes, she clocked a bewildering 26.21.
Brooke is just as impressive. If she’d entered the race, there’s little question that she would have also triumphed in the open 400 meters. Because the North Tama girls dropped the baton and fell behind early in the finals of the distance medley relay, Brooke started her anchor leg 50 meters behind the leader. To make up the ground, she ran her first 400 meters (of the 800 meter leg; Iowa’s DMRs are 200-200-400-800) in 59 seconds. This time alone, had she competed in the 400 meter finals, would have garnered her about fifth place. But she still had the second half of the race to run (Brooke’s 56.69 at the Iowa Star conference meet stood as 2006’s state fastest 400 meters).
According to the West Branch Times, it is versatility like this that prompted West Branch coach Harlan Ferguson to conclude, “The Dinsdale twins are as good as any I’ve ever seen.”
If, at 15 years of age, the Dinsdales were only a few seconds behind NCAA 800 meter champion Rebekah Noble of Oregon at the USATF Juniors, what does this say about their potential as they still have the second half of their prep careers to finish? While it’s true that girls prep distance running isn’t always a sport that favors the upperclassmen (sports medicine experts note that girls in their early teens can be physiologically on par with their older competitors), the Dinsdales are singularly committed to outworking their opponents. Athletic as they are, they have dropped all other sports to pursue running year round. Brooke thought this was the key to their 2006 insurgence.
Sports fans should expect further distance running dominance and record-setting bids from the highly talented Dinsdale twins. For sure this means there will be plenty of competition the next two years among Iowa girls distance runners. Who will pick up the bronze medal behind Brooke and Blaire Dinsdale?