Saturday Stories From New Balance Nationals

New York Steeple Sweep

Alex Harris didn’t let a rival’s fast earlier heat or her No. 1 ranking affect her mindset before stepping foot on the track for the 2,000-meter steeplechase.

The sophomore from North Rockland (NY) just focused on the prize at the end, something she never lost sight of en route to her winning time and PB of 6 minutes, 52.10 seconds. She beat second-place finisher, Amanda Bakley of Pennsauken (NJ), who captured the unseeded heat with a solid 6:57.49 clocking.

“I was just focusing on myself,” said Harris, who copped the individual title at the Loucks Games in early May. “I know there is nothing you can do about what anyone else does. I was just focusing on my own race and being mentally tough and getting out there and executing.”

Harris hit her opening 400m split at 74 seconds. She was never seriously-challenged the remaining four laps.

“I saw my first lap and felt I had to get out faster than that,” she said. “I wanted to go sub 6:50.”

The runner-up Bakley improved on her best by nearly 20 seconds.

“I knew I could race better than the last time I ran,” said the New Jersey runner. “The last time I ran I did 7:15, which got me here. My coach and I felt I could do much better than that so I just came in thinking I could do better.”

The Big Apple also made it presence known in the boys’ 2K steeplechase, taking the top two positions. Jack Jibb of Monroe-Woodbury captured the individual title with a time of 5:50.71. Elon Nohilly of John Jay was second at 6:03.48.

Jibb took the pace out hard, hitting his opening 400m at 64 seconds.

“There were people pushing me so I definitely had to go out fast,” he said. “I was going for like 68-70 seconds.”

Jibb’s winning time moved him up to No. 1 in the national rankings.