* Sadie Engelhardt after running a U.S. No. 2 all-time 4:29.34 indoor mile at New Balance Indoor Grand Prix.
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Add another all-time mile performance to Sadie Engelhardt's resume.
Engelhardt, star Ventura (CA) senior and NC State commit, notched a U.S. No. 2 all-time indoor mile effort competing against pros at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston on Sunday, clocking 4:29.34 for seventh place.
The World Indoor Tour meeting at the TRACK at New Balance served as Engelhardt's indoor season opener. And a big opener it was, competing against the likes of well-known pros including Americans Heather Maclean, Sinclaire Johnson and Sage Hurta-Klecker.
Engelhardt kept at the back of the field for most of the race, sitting off the shoulder of former Harvard star and now-OAC team member Maia Ramsden, but closed in a strong 65 seconds to move into seventh at the tape.
Only Mary Cain has gone faster than Engelhardt at the U.S. high school level in the mile. Cain holds the overall high school national record at 4:28.25, which she set indoors at the Millrose Games in 2013 as a junior.
And her stellar effort came after an admittedly tough stretch in the lead up. Engelhardt told reporters after the race that she had suffered an Achilles injury and caught the flu during her preparation for indoors, leaving what she said was just about three weeks of solid training before her mile in Boston.
"I'm very surprised," said Engelhardt. "I came in with a lot of doubts."
It now marks the second time that Engelhardt has dipped under 4:30 at the mile distance, having also done so outdoors at HOKA Festival of Miles last summer where she ran a 4:28.46 U.S. high school outdoor record.
"I'm still in high school, so this is like the fun part before it gets really serious in college and (at the) professional level, so just doing my best," Engelhardt said.
She'll compete yet again in the Northeast in just a week's time, running at the Millrose Games on Feb. 8 at The Armory in New York.
Engelhardt entered the race on Sunday coming off a strong senior cross country campaign where she set a 5k PR of 16:24.00, won her third-straight CIF cross country title and placed 11th at Nike Cross Nationals.
Related Links:
New Balance Indoor Grand Prix Interviews
COROS MileSplit50 Indoor Rankings