The Top 3,200m Storylines At The RunningLane Championships

* A Herriman athlete competes in the 3,200m last year at the RunningLane Track Championships

Photo Credit: Chris Wells/MileSplit

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A fast-growing meet in Huntsville, Alabama is fast-becoming a place to capture personal records and U.S. No. 1 times.

For some, it's even been a place for state records. 

That's what the RunningLane Track Championships is becoming for athletes across the United States. 

In 2021, Sadie Engelhardt broke a world age group record in the mile for 14 year olds, while Addy Wiley racked up a U.S. No. 1 mark in the same race. In 2022, Pacers Homeschool senior Kayla Werner authored a meet record of 10:07 in the 3,200m ... before it was broken by her teammate Allie Zealand the very next year in 10:06.

And in 2023, we got an array of U.S. top 20 performances in the 2K steeplechase, 800m, mile and 3,200m.

This year's installment remains as talented as ever, with meet record times on the line across every event.

Over the next week, we'll examine each event and break down the top athletes and storylines heading into the disciplines. 

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GIRLS 3,200M TOP SEEDS

We have been on the verge of sub-10 for three straight years in the girls 3,200m championship at the RunningLane Track Championships. 

Will our fourth year be the charm? 

The data seems to be telling us something. In proceeding years, this race has gone 10:08, 10:07 and 10:06. If we look at the state of girls distance running, performances are also trending up. Last year alone, a total of 15 high school girls broke 10 minutes at the 3,200m distance. 

It seems a matter of time before we get the same result here. 

The top five seeds entering all possess times under 10:25, though Maury (VA) senior Lily Guinn owns the field's top seed of 10:02.80. That performance was from 2023, and it was registered over the full two-miles. So if we're being technical, Guinn already accomplished that feat last year -- her effort converts down to 9:59.3.

The Florida State recruit, however, will be tasked with finishing the complete race on the track this time around. 

She'll face a number of athletes with similar potential: Williamstown's (WV) Alyssa Sauro, who ran a career best of 10:11.81 on this track last year; Carolina Day School's (NC) Caroline Barton, who posted a healthy 10:18.53 at Arcadia in April; Creekside's Alyson Johnson, an AAU Junior Olympic Games champion who will be coming off the Florida State Outdoor Championships and finished eighth in this race last year; and The Covenant School's (VA) Sadie Adams, who has run a best of 10:23.72.

Of course, seeds aren't everything. 

Other runners to watch include Providence Day School's Morgan Boonshaft, Parkview Baptist's (LA) Lucy Cramer, Barrington's (IL) Mia Sirois and Pace Academy's (GA) Caroline Hood.

Right now, only three girls nationally have broken 10 minutes -- Elizabeth Leachman, Abby Faith Cheeseman and Isabel Allori.

BOYS 3,200M TOP SEEDS

The possibilities in the boys 3,200m championship race are tantalizing. 

Because no athlete has entered this race with higher credentials than Christian Brothers Academy's Joe Barrett. 

The standout New Jersey runner ran a junior class No. 3 time of 8:43.26 in April at the Arcadia Invitational. That performance also stands at No. 8 in junior class history and No. 1 in New Jersey history. In some respects, he's on the verge of surpassing a vaunted mark of 8:40, which, at least until 2022 had been unheard of. 

But hey, the title won't be paved. That's because we'll have some heavy-hitters like Ty Steorts, the reigning Penn Relays 3K champion; American Fork's Kaden Evans, who ran 8:46.10 at Arcadia; Bridgeland's (TX) Benjamin Montgomery, the reigning Texas Class 6A 3,200m champion; and Fremont's Juan Gonzalez, an absolute beast of a runner out of the Heartland who opened his outdoor campaign with an insane 8:51, a full 45 seconds faster than the next-best guy in the race. 

And then how about the defending RunningLane Cross Country champion Daniel Skandera? Our guy is homeschooled and competes unattached everywhere he goes. He ran 8:53 at the Homeschool Championships on May 4 in Tennessee.

A total of 10 athletes entered have PRs under 10 minutes, while 34 will have seeds under 9:10. 

Getting into the hot heat will be a challenge. 

But the perfect marriage of this race will be one with speed, tactics and late-game moves. 

A year ago, it was Herriman's Noah Jenkins who pulled away from the win in a new meet record of 8:49.68. The next four athletes followed under under 8:55. 

We are bound to get something special here.

Related Links: 

• 2024 RunningLane Track Championships meet page