*Juliette Whittaker took the victory at the GSTC Spring Opener in the 1500m
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Mount De Sales Academy's (MD) Juliette Whittaker hasn't competed since she ran the third-fastest indoor time ever by a high school girl in the 800m in January. She won the event at the VA Showcase in 2:02.50 and hit the USATF Olympic Trials qualifying standard.
This weekend at the GSTC Spring Opener, she picked off where she left off a couple of months ago.
Since the starting gun went off for the 1500m, as to be expected, Whittaker took charge immediately. As the laps dwindled, the gap between her and the rest of the field increased.
Whittaker ran away with the victory in a US No. 1 time in 4:19.79. According to the MileSplit database, Whittaker's performance would be ranked within the top 20 on the all-time list.
Women 1500 Meter Run Open
pl name grade team mark heat
1 Juliette Whittaker Unattached 4:19.79 1
2 Ersula Farrow Garden State Track Club 4:34.11 1
3 Kayla Schramm Garden State Track Club 4:44.25 1
4 Karley Piers Falmouth High School 4:46.24 1
5 Kendra Lewis Unattached 4:46.29 1
6 Allison Lynch Boston North Track Club 4:46.60 1
7 Casey Walter Northern Valley Demarest 4:50.76 1
8 Amilia Wise Blazing Ladies 4:51.77 1
Besides Whittaker, however, the meet also had some other stand-out performances.
As we reported on Sunday, Lawrenceville School's (NJ) Charlotte Bednar broke her own state record in the 5K with a time of 15:52.10 while competing in a mixed field.
She moved up to the top five on the all-time list and became one of nine girls to run under 16 minutes outdoors in high school. MileSplit editors reached out to all-time stat-keeper Jack Shepard, who informed us that Bednar's performance would go down in the all-time record books.
Shepard does not discount the gender of pacers, or athletes who perform in mixed fields. However, at the state or NFHS level, record-keeping could be a different story.
Meanwhile, in a men's 800m field, the freshman Marcus Reilly of Northbridge (MA) ran a personal best of 1:53.35 to finish fourth. He clocked the No. 1 freshman time in the country and a US No. 19 mark.
Wolcott senior Nick Bendtsen ran a US No. 2 time in the 1,500m of 3:56.78. North Brunswick's (NJ) Camryn Wennersten was first in the 3K in 9:54.20, capturing a US No. 4 effort.
Girard College's (PA) Margaret Conteh finished second in the 100m and 200m, setting new personal bests of 12.44 and 24.75, respectively. Paulsboro's (NJ) Amirah Sharpe was first in the 400mH (1:01.74) and second in the 200m in 25.16, while her sister Arianna Sharpe was first in the 400m in 57.75.
Woodbridge Freedom's (VA) Trei Thorogood went 22.06 in the 200m and 49.52 in the 400m.
Piscataway Township's Kaelen Mitchell won the long jump with a mark of 23-8.75 (7.23).
Newburgh Free Academy's James Onwuka was first in the 400m in 48.74. Toms River sophomore Lily Oliver won the 800m in 2:16.82.
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