Michelle Rorke,
one of those Bronxville girls
|
Michelle Rorke is in command at the start of
the bell lap and wins in 4:58.74, good enough to get her in
the Millrose Games February 1.
|
 |
by John Dye
Bronxville NY, a small community of 6,500 just north of the Bronx
in Westchester County, was placed on the high school running map
in the fall when their three best girls started running 1-2-3 in
almost every cross country race they entered.
They could come from Central Casting for pretty, polite, All-American
girls. Two of them are twins -- Catha and Caroline Mullen -- and
the third, Michelle Rorke, looks enough like the Mullens to be their
sister. Race announcers and writers can't tell them apart without
a program.
But Rorke today set herself apart from not only her teammates but
the rest of the girls mile field when she ran off to a 4:58.74 victory
-- a huge 11-second PR which was an immediate ticket to the Millrose
Games high school girls mile February 1 in Madison Square Garden.
Rorke made her move on lap 7 and was firmly in command by the start
of the bell lap. Teammate Catha Mullen held the early lead, and
then runner-up Jen Campbell, Farmingdale NY (5:01.64), led through
the middle laps, with the Bronxville girls right behind.
Splits:
| Lap |
Elapsed |
Splits |
Leader |
|
1
|
32.8 |
32.8 |
|
|
Casey Nelson |
|
2
|
1:10.1 |
37.3 |
70.1 |
|
Catha Mullen |
|
3
|
1:48.2 |
38.1 |
|
|
Catha Mullen |
|
4
|
2:27.3 |
39.1 |
77.2 |
2:27.3 |
Jen Campbell |
|
5
|
3:06.6 |
39.3 |
|
|
Jen Campbell |
|
6
|
3:46.5 |
39.9 |
79.2 |
|
Jen Campbell |
|
7
|
4:22.0 |
35.5 |
|
|
Michelle Rorke |
|
8
|
4:58.74 |
36.7 |
72.2 |
2:31.4 |
Michelle Rorke |
End of lap 1
Soph Casey Nelson,
a newcomer from Hunterdon Central NJ in only her third race
ever, led the first lap and finished third in 5:01.68, a 16-second
improvement over her Hispanic Games time 2 weeks ago. Casey,
a year-round soccer player on a nationally ranked team, dropped
basketball last month and tried track. It is obviously a success.
|
End of lap 2
|
End of lap 5 - Bronxville 3 dog Campbell
|
End of lap 6 - Campbell leads,
but Rorke is ready to strike.
|
Girls Invitational Varsity Mile
1 - Bronxville 4:58.74* Meet Record
Michelle Rorke
2 - Farmingdale 5:01.64
Jen Campbell
3 - Hunterdon Central 5:01.68
Casey Nelson
4 - Tri-Valley 5:03.48
Heather Iaturo
5 - Bronxville 5:04.13
Caroline Mullen
6 - Immaculate Heart 5:05.11
Caitlyn Smyth
|
The Bronxville girls, ranked #1 in the US in the 4x800, returned
to the track later in the day to win that race in 9:24.87,
just a few ticks slower than their best.
Right, anchor Catha Mullen finishes the job.
|
 |
New Balance Games
|
