* Addy Wiley is the top returning miler of 2022
Photo Credit: Chris Wells/MileSplit
Update: Citing escalating cases of COVID-19 around New York City and the U.S. in recent weeks, TrackSmith canceled its plans for a New Year's Eve Midnight Mile featuring a handful of races, including two elite high school fields, late on Monday via email.
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A who's who of the nation's best girls distance runners will line up on New Years Eve (Jan. 31) at the Armory in New York City for a chance to run a distinguished mile.
The field will include the nation's top outdoor miler from 2021, Huntington North's (IN) Addy Wiley, along with the nation's best sophomore miler of 2021, Moses Brown School's Sophia Gorriaran, and a crop of the best and brightest in the country, including the likes of Mount De Sales' (MD) Juliette Whittaker, Stevens Point's (WI) Roisin Willis, Chicago Latin's (IL) Ava Parekh and Saratoga Spring's (NY) talented threesome of Ella Kurto, Mackenzie Hart and Emily Bush.
The elite girls high school mile is part of the New Year's Gala at the Armory, which is an event being produced by Tracksmith. There is also a high school boys mile planned for the same night.
Whittaker, Willis and Parekh are all headed to Stanford University in the fall of 2022.
The national indoor and overall record-holder in the mile is Mary Cain. The former Bronxville (NY) superstar last set the mark in 2013 with a time of 4:28.25 at the Millrose Games. Five years later, North Rockland's (NY) Katelyn Tuohy converted on the national outdoor mile record with a time of 4:33.87 at New Balance Nationals Outdoor.
Could any of these girls go after the national record on New Year's Eve?
There's certainly pageantry. And perhaps that will be the target.
Three of them -- Whittaker, Willis and Gorriaran -- all reached the U.S. Olympic Trials in June of 2021 in the 800m, with both Whittaker and Willis advancing to the semifinals. That same threesome broke a World U20 best in the 4x800 indoors in January as well.
Willis was the country's top half-miler outdoors with a time of 2:00.78, while Whittaker ran the best indoors with her 2:02.07.
But no girl in the field has broken 4:40 in the mile indoors over the course of their careers.
Wiley and Whittaker are the only two females to broken 4:40 all-time. The Colorado signee secured a U.S. No. 1 performance of 4:38.14 at the RunningLane Track Championships in May of last year, while Whittaker ran 4:38.65 at the Brooks Invitational in June.
Resumes:
- Addy Wiley: 4:38.14 (outdoors), 4:47.63 (1,600m converted, indoors).
- Juliette Whittaker: 4:38.65 (outdoors), 4:43.89 (indoors).
- Roisin Willis: 4:43.09 (1,600m converted, outdoors).
- Sophia Gorriaran: 4:43.74 (outdoors), 4:47.21 (indoors).
- Ava Parekh: 4:47.86 (1,600m converted, outdoors), 4:47.17 (indoors).
- Emily Bush: 4:54.04 (outdoor), 4:52.48 (indoor).
- Ella Kurto: NA (outdoor), 4:54.92 (indoor).
- Mackenzie Hart: 4:56.69 (outdoor), 5:03.11 (indoor).