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. |