| Reebok Boston Indoor Games
Reggie Lewis Center, Boston
Saturday, February 7, 2009
|
Girls Junior Mile profiles
By SteveU
Jessica Parry Catholic Central HS/London, Ontario CA senior Track PRs (2008, unless indicated): 2:06.00, 4:20.59 1500, 4:53.05yi
Key 2009 Indoor Meets: None
Key 2008 In/Out Meets: 2nd Reebok BIG mile 4:53.05 1st 10000champ 800 2:06.00 4th World Jr. 800 (semi) 2:06.72 1st Canadian Jr 800/1500 2:07.71/4:21.23 2nd Commonwealth Youth 1500 4:20.59
The Skinny: With a runner-up finish here last year, Parry is certainly the better-known of the Canadian male and female entrants. But her 4:53.05 behind Jillian Smith was just the beginning of a stellar year for the Ontario standout. In the 800, she would run under 2:08 five times, hitting 2:06-flat and making it to the semis in the World Junior meet. She was nearly as good in the 1500, running 4:20.59. She has the best PRs in the field by a good margin, so the only question will be how well she can do in her first race of the winter.
| Emily Jones Bromfield HS/Harvard MA senior Track PRs (2008, unless indicated): 4:54.87yi (09), 9:40.35 3k, 10:22.40y
Key 2009 Indoor Meets: 2/1 – 1st MSTCA Elite mile 4:54.87
Key 2008 In/Out Meets: 2nd NON 2M 10:22.40 2nd Penn Relays 3k 9:40.35 1st MA Central 2M 10:27.03 1st Hartford Public 2M 10:32.26
The Skinny: This event would seem a little short for long-distance runner Jones, but then she just last weekend ripped an impressive new 4:54.87 PR on this very track. Good omen. Jones has placed consistently high in almost every major race last spring and this past fall, peaking with a victory at Foot Locker NE. Unfortunately, FL Finals didn’t go as well. This is Jones’ first national-level race since then and she appears ready to shine in front of the home crowd.
| Cory Ann McGee Pass Christian HS, Pass Christian MS junior Track PRs (2008, unless indicated): 4:25.88 1500, 4:48.07y (07)
Key 2009 Indoor Meets: 1/30 – 2nd Millrose mile 4:54.59 1/9 – 1st LSU Classic 1600 4:55.70
Key 2008 In/Out Meets: 5th USATF Jrs. 1500 4:25.88 1st Mobile mile 4:50.67 1st Golden West mile 4:55.42
The Skinny: The good news for McGee: There are NO runners from Southern Regional NJ in this race. After three straight runner-up finishes at Millrose to runners from that school – Jillian Smith and Danielle Tauro – the Mississippi star has to be glad not to see that uniform here, especially since Smith was the defending champ here. McGee missed the first half of the fall harrier campaign with injury and couldn’t rally enough to make her third Foot Locker. Obviously, she’s returning to top form and should be able to continue a good junior track season.
| Emily Lipari Roslyn HS/ Roslyn Heights NY junior Track PRs (2008, unless indicated): 4:30.58 1500, 4:50.24y, 9:37.53 3k, 10:33.72y
Key 2009 Indoor Meets: 1/30 – 3rd Millrose mile 4:57.70 1/24 – 3rd New Balance 4:59.87 1/17 – 1st Stanner Games 3k 9:50.21 1/10 – 1st Hispanic Games mile 4:54.40 12/12 – 1st Bishop Loughlin 2M 10:38.66
Key 2008 In/Out Meets: 8th NON 2M 10:33.72 2nd NON 1M 4:50.24 1st NY State 3k/1500 9:37.53/4:30.58 8th NIN 2M 10:56.39
The Skinny: Lipari’s record kind of speaks for itself: A great start, leading most of the distance events all winter – but also a lot of meets, more meets than any other Foot Locker Finalist (competing late into December with little break). That’s how Lipari rolls, though. She bounced back a bit from an off race at New Balance for a solid 3rd at Millrose. She also has major creds from getting 2nd at the NON mile last spring, though some top girls weren't there. Without defending BIG champ Jillian Smith in the race, Lipari and McGee are the top two contenders, in terms of proven current fitness at least.
| Bridget Dahlberg Newton South HS/Newton Centre, MA senior Track PRs (2008, unless indicated): 2:56.03i 1k (07), 4:51.75yi (07), 10:46.72y
Key 2009 Indoor Meets: 2/1 1st MSTCA Elite 2M 11:02.08 1/21 1st Dual Co. #4 mile 5:01.70
Key 2008 In/Out Meets: 5th Reebok BIG mile 4:58.67 1st Weston Twilight mile 4:58.07 1st Andover Inv. 2M 10:46.72
The Skinny: The peak of Dahlberg’s track career so far, timewise, was her ’07 indoor season which culminated in a 4th at NSIC with 4:51.75y. Last year she was 5th in the mile here, then saw her indoor season short-circuited by a hamstring injury. She’s begun to show a return to form as a senior with solid 5:01y and 11:02y wins in MA so far this winter and has reportedly had some top workouts getting ready for this race.
| Stephanie Brown Tri-Valley HS/Downs, IL senior Track PRs (2008, unless indicated): 2:08.1i, 4:56.46
Key 2009 Indoor Meets: 1/10 – 1st Arkansas Inv 800 2:08.41
Key 2008 In/Out Meets: 1st Normal West Inv 800 2:08.1 1st IPTT Invite 800/1600 2:13.23/5:04.77 1st 1A State Meet 800 2:10.96 2nd 1A State Meet 1600 5:08.05
The Skinny: Next to Parry, Brown has the best 800 speed in the field, and the victory at Arkansas gave her a lot of early-season confidence. On the other hand, it’s probably going to be a fast pace and Brown hasn’t proven she has the low-4:50s-or-better chops it will take to compete. Competing in IL Class A, though, and without much big meet experience, it can be said she hasn’t been in a mile/1600 of nearly this quality before. If it truly brings out the best in her, she may be competitive in the front.
| Shelby Greany Suffern HS/Suffern, NY senior Track PRs (2008, unless indicated): 2:14.5, 4:52.38, 9:48.92 3k, 6:42.86 2k ST Key 2009 Indoor Meets: 2/1 1st Rockland Co. 1500 4:48.8h 2/1 2nd Rockland Co. 3k 10:46.5h 1/24 1st Kevin Dare mile 4:57.08
Key 2008 In/Out Meets: 2nd Stanner mile 4:55.54 9th Millrose mile 5:07.03 3rd NSIC 2M 10:37.39 2nd Loucks 1600 4:52.38 5th Penn Relays 3k 9:48.32 1st NON 2k St 6:42.86
The Skinny: Last year, Greany pushed to get in the Millrose mile, but had a rough day in the race. This year, following a stellar finish to her XC season, she’s focused more on getting ready for the 2M for indoor, so this is her first really big mile race. Greany got a lot of well-deserved props for her 2nd at Foot Locker NE and 7th in the Finals. In track, her best efforts have come in the steeple, where she took the NON title last spring in a US#1 6:42.86. That, or XC, could end up being her best event in college as she doesn’t really have classic milers’ speed.
| Brianna Welch North Shore HS/Glen Head, NY junior Track PRs (2007, unless indicated): 2:09.67, 2:53.02i 1k, 4:38.18i 1500, 4:57.20yi, 10:01.70i 3k (09)
Key 2009 Indoor Meets: 12/22 – 1st Spiked Shoe 1600 4:59.7h 1/10 – 1st Hispanic Games 3k 10:03.74 1/16 – 4th Yale Inv. Mile 5:03.39
Key 2008 In/Out Meets: 2nd Stanner Games 1k 2:55.36 7th Reebok BIG Jr. mile 5:00.61 5th NSIC 800 2:10.95
The Skinny: A good example of Welch’s range can be noted in her performances – a 10:03 3k AND a 59 400 at the Hispanic Games! Welch has done a good job of extending a career that was so prominent when she was a youth, but her PRs now date from 2007. She got very close to the 3k and appears to perhaps be on the way toward breaking through. She has the experience of having run in this race before, something only Parry and Dahlberg share.
| Alyssa Allison Festus Senior HS/ Herculaneum, MO senior Track PRs (2008, unless indicated): 2:12.85, 4:51.70, 10:42.22 3k St, 10:48.58
Key 2009 Indoor Meets: 1/18 – 1st Baymont Inn mile 5:20.63
Key 2008 In/Out Meets: 3rd USATF Jr. 3k St 10:42.22 1st State 3A 3200 10:48.58 1st State 3A 1600 4:51.70 3rd State 3A 800 2:12.85 1st USATF JO 2k ST 6:54.37
The Skinny: Allison had a super end to her outdoor season last spring, with a great triple in the state meet and a US#1 3k St mark at USATF Jrs. She had a good XC season with a 3A state title, though she wasn’t dominant state-wide like she was in track. Her only race this season was an easy 5:20 mile win at the Baymont Inn meet. Like Ornelas and Greany, she’s a steepler who also happens to be a pretty good miler. She have to be at her very best to compete near the top of this field.
| Brittany Koziara Boone HS/Orlando, FL senior Track PRs (2008, unless indicated): 2:13.13, 4:52.64, 4:53.73y, 10:36.14
Key 2009 Indoor Meets: None
Key 2008 In/Out Meets: 7th NIN mile 5:02.91 6th NON mile 4:53.73 1st 4A state 1600 4:52.64 3rd 4A state 3200 11:04.45 3rd Running-Zone.com Showdown 3200 10:36.14
The Skinny: After making Foot Locker Finals as a soph, Koziara struggled in the 2nd half of her junior harrier campaign. This will be her first track race of the year to see if she can come back from that. She has had solid races, though, in both of her Nike championship miles last spring, and an impressive win in the 4A 1600. If she’s in good shape and back to the miler’s mentality that served her well last spring, she could race with the better girls. | Amanda Winslow Collins Hill HS/Lawrenceville, GA senior Track PRs (2008, unless indicated): 2:12.83, 4:48.36, 4:50.88y, 10:45.22
Key 2009 Indoor Meets: None
Key 2008 In/Out Meets: 3rd NON mile 4:51.13 2nd Mobile Challenge mile 4:50.88 1st 5A state 1600/3200 4:48.36/10:45.22
The Skinny: This is Winslow’s first track race of the year after a fine XC season (that had a somewhat disappointing ending at NXN Finals). While she is a neophyte on the banked oval, a look at her track season last spring should cause concern for her rivals – Winslow loves the mile. She was 3rd at NON last spring, losing only to Emily Infeld and Lipari. She knows what it’s like to battle McGee to the wire, as she finished just a lean behind her at Mobile last spring. She has the 3rd best PR in the field, so if she’s ready, she will definitely battle up front.
|
Meet Index Page |