Photo Credit: MileSplit
6. Juliette Whittaker Breaks 2-Minutes For 800 Meters, Addy Wiley runs fastest 1,600m ever in high school history
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Whittaker's Story l Results - Wiley's Story l Results
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Forgive us for placing this so far down on the list. It's hard to look at the remarkable achievements of Juliette Whittaker and Addy Wiley from this past spring and not be in complete shock.
Whittaker, who would go on to win the Gatorade National Player of the Year award in track and field for the outdoor season, became the first female to cross the two-minute barrier at 800 meters since Mary Cain in 2013.
And she would end up doing it twice.
The first, during a performance in May against professionals in New York City, she ran a time of 1:59.80, which was just a shade over Mary Cain's mark of 1:59.51 from nine years prior at the Prefontaine Classic.
Whittaker, however, wasn't finished.
A month later, at the USA U20 Championships, she ran a new national record of 1:59.04, standing alone atop the high school national rankings.
"I just wanted to give it everything I got," Whittaker said in May after her race at the Trials of Miles. "I just did not want to finish and feel regret thinking I could do more."
In August, while competing alongside her future teammate Roisin Willis at the World U20 Championships in Colombia, Whittaker finished third in the event. Willis was first (more on that further down the list).
Wiley, meanwhile, hit us with the sneak attack.
Perhaps after closing off her high school career with Huntington North at the Indiana State Championships and claiming two wins in the 800m and 1,600m, few would have been surprised if she had called it a career.
But no.
Just eight days later at the GVSU Midwest Redemption, Wiley ripped off a time of 4:26.16 in the 1,600m.
It was a new national record at the distance and it would have been faster than Mary Cain's overall high school national record of 4:28.25 from 2013 at the full mile.
We know, we know.
You only race the distance that's in front of you. But nevertheless, we also respect the pursuit from Wiley.
INDEX:
Natalie Cook's 5K - The All-Time 800 And 1,600m - Brenden Herbert's Madness - Newbury Park's Greatness - Team USA's World Haul - The 800 Meter Double - The Sub-4 Club