Melissa
Donais
Phillips Andover MA senior
Melissa Donais was the
stunning winner of the Millrose Mile in Madison Square Garden.
She barely made the field by breaking 5 minutes for the
first time (4:58.44) at Yale, where she will run next year,
on January 19.
Donais
approached Millrose with a bold attitude of breaking on
top and seeing how long she could last. This is not so much
a strategy as a personality issue. "At least I get
some of the glory, and even if I don't win, I get a better
time," Melissa explained.
In this case, she got both
the win and the time. Her lead kept getting bigger instead
of smaller through 11 laps until she crossed the finish
line in 4:53.90, a 5-second PR and the fastest mile in the
country this year. All this on the tight turns of the Garden,
which saw the boys fail to break 4:20 in a tactical race.
photo by Victah Sailor at
Millrose Games
