Katie Doswell gets some experience

by John Dye

Katie Doswell, a junior at St. Catherine's School in Richmond VA, burst on the national scene with her victory in the junior girls invitational 1000 meters at the Armory Collegiate Games three weeks ago in New York in 2:47.10, second fastest ever by a US high school girl. As a private school athlete, Katie's opportunities for quality meets are limited, so her coach Ben Ackerly petitioned USATF for entry into the indoor championships in Boston in the 800 meters. Her rise has been so dramatic this year and her race experience so limited that her best previous 800m time was 2:14. But USATF qualified her for the meet on her Broadway debut in the Collegiate Games.

Katie found out Tuesday that she was admitted, and she came to Boston on Thursday with her father, John, and coach Ackerly. Saturday afternoon she was in a prelim with 2-time Olympian Hazel Clark.

Doswell toed the starting line calmly, although she said later that the whole experience was a little intimidating.

After one lap, Doswell settled in at the back of the pack, similar to her New York race.

At the bell, Doswell had picked up two runners and was close to the lead pack. She seemed ready to duplicate her last lap kick in New York and challenge for the lead. "I started my move, but my quads started hurting and I couldn't keep it up," Doswell said after the race. She finished in 2:08.86, third best time this year by a high school girl.

Doswell was a little disappointed after the race. "I was hoping for something about 2:05 or 2:06," she said. That would have put her in Sunday's final on national TV.

Coach Ackerly was more positive. "This was a great experience. Next time (in this kind of big time situation) she will be better prepared. She did everything she should have done. She came through 600 meters in 1:35, but she just didn't have the legs on the last lap. We haven't done any speed work yet, so this was just on natural ability.""

Doswell's next meet is the Nike Indoor Nationals at Landover MD March 12-13. She is entered in the 800 and the mile. Ackerly said they would decide later which race to run.

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