Women's Elite Mile
Nicole Blood runs lonely 4:48.82

Rich Gonzalez' Recap

by John Dye

High school sophomore Nicole Blood, who is usually lonely on the lead, entered the women's elite race hoping to be pulled along for a super fast time. It worked for a quarter mile (65.5), but six stronger, faster women pulled away from Blood in the second quarter. Blood in turn gapped the rest of the field and ran alone throughout the second mile.

She still posted a PR and the fastest high school mile in the country this season. Walt Murphy's splits for Blood were 68.5, 2:19.1, and 3:34.2. She went through 1500 meters in 4:28.53.

Blood was her perky, smiling self both before and after the race. She was delighted with the PR and now looks forward to defending her high school mile title in the Millrose Games February 6.

Two of Blood's Saratoga NY teammates ran in the high school girls invitational mile today, giving a hint that the high school girls 4 mile relay record is in trouble this year. The indoor record is 20:23.24 by Rockford MI in the 2000 Nike Indoor Classic. The outdoor record is 20:11.56 by Bronxville NY at the adidas Outdoor Championships. With three girls under 5 minutes already this indoor season, Saratoga would seem to capable of a sub-20 minute clocking.

the finish

Britain's Hayley Tullet wins
for the second straight year.
photo by PhotoRun

Nicole Blood is 7th.

Rich's Recap

by Rich Gonzalez

Another positive Blood test
Saratoga Springs sophomore shows poise
versus elites in state record 4:48.82 mile

Nicole Blood is still having fun at this, and the nation couldn't be happier.

Blood, the popular and freckle-faced New York sophomore with a fan club as overflowing as her trophy case, added to her age-group lore with a showing more becoming of a gristled veteran rather than a mere 15-year-old.

Competing in the elite section of the women's mile at the New Balance Games, Blood refused to allow a pivotal point-of-separation to evolve into a point of desperation. Running the latter stages of the race pretty much with no adversaries around her, Blood relied on her own focus and merit to place seventh in 4:48.82, a New York state indoor record and believed to be the third-fastest sophomore undercover mark in U.S. history (trailing only Californian Julia Stamps {4:46.73 record} and Washington's Deanna Coleman). Great Britain's Hayley Tuller won the race in 4:27.28.

Much like her opposition finds her to be throughout her high school career, Blood was untouchable for part of the weekend, as efforts to reach her by phone went unproductive as she was attending a Sunday-night sleepover with friends.

Blood, the central performer in the great Saratoga Springs distance arsenal, will likely focus on the relays when the team competes at the season-ending Nike Indoor Classic in Maryland in mid-March. Saratoga Springs is projected to challenge both the 4x800 and distance medley relay national records at that time.