Millrose Games (NY)
Sam Ritz (1937), Jeremy Spiezio (1944) and James Burke (2010) headline the Millrose Games High School Boys Mile.
The 108th NYRR Millrose Games are the indoor track and field circuit's annual festival of speed, relays and - the Mile.
High school studs will share the track with current legends as professionals warm up for the Wannamaker Mile, which includes several runners who won the event as prep standouts. Who will go down in history this year?
Marissa Sheva (Pennridge, PA) enters the girls field with the fastest season best, a US #2 4:50.73 from the Bishop Loughlin Games in December. The senior rounded out the pack in 5:12 at last weekend's New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, but was fighting illness. If in form, Sheva should be the favorite. If she is still struggling with her health, then look to Catherine Pagano as the dark house. The Northern Highlands, NJ senior, a Stanford commit, owns the second-fastest seed time at US #3 4:53.29 via a runner-up finish at Bishop Loughlin.
Pagano jumped back on the leaderboard last weekend with the year's first sub-2:10 800m clocking, a US #1 2:09.8 to win the Varsity Classic (NY). Also of note, Olivia Sargent (Pennsbury, PA) and Mady Clahane (Cumberland Valley, PA) are two of only three girls to break 10 minutes for 3k this season and certainly have the endurance to keep up an aggressive attack.
On the boys side, 2014 Millrose Games High School Mile champion Luke Gavigan (Tappan Zee, NY) returns. He ran 4:08.96 to win last year, though he enters this race with a 4:17.25 season best.
The top seed time belongs to Jeremy Spiezio (Greenwich, NY), who ran US #5 4:09.8 to finish third at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix last weekend. The future Princeton Tiger has competed well all season, finishing no lower than fifth in any race. Second quickest at the mile this season is Sam Ritz (Germantown Academy, PA) at US #7 4:10.5, who may actually have the best foot speed in the entire field as he also owns US #2 1:52.81 in the 800m and US #3 2:27.28 for 1k.
James Burke (Port Jefferson, NY) has not raced a mile since his 4:17.51 Millrose Games qualifier back at December's Bishop Loughlin Games. But his high profile US # 1 2:26.75 1k to win the stacked Armory Track Invitational over the likes of Spiezio, Ritz, Gavigan and others in the field is enough to peg him as a favorite.
But Millrose isn't all about the mile. Paulo Benavides (El Paso, TX) broke the National High School Record in the pole vault last weekend with an insane 17-11 clearance. He expects to challenge his own record with plenty of competition from US #6 Tommy Dial (Jenks, OK) and US #5, Freshman Class National Record holder Armand Duplantis (Lafayette, LA).
The Boys Eastern 55m Dash is going to be lightning, with US #2 6.28 performer Darryl Haraway of DeMatha Catholic (MD) versus US #5 6.32 stud Noah Lyles (T.C. Williams, VA).
The girls 4x800m relay features 13 of the top 18 teams in the country, highlighted by US #1 Benjamin Cardozo (9:11.38) versus US #2 Western Branch (9:12.47) versus US #3 Suffern (9:18.0), who also owns the US #1 DMR time of 12:01.10. In the sprints, Cardozo will return for another showdown with Medgar Evers and Paul Robeson - all New York squads.
Can't get enough? Check out the MileSplit Millrose Games Features:
Millrose Games High School Invites Start List
New York MileSplit Meet Preview
It Runs in the Family - the Ludwikowski Legacy
Carroll can't wait to compete with the best at Millrose Games
Friday Focus: Paulo Benavides
Friday Focus: Sam Ritz
After illness, Millrose miler James Burke ready to prove his worth
Marissa Sheva nabs third straight Millrose mile qualifier
