Photo: Derrick Dingle/MileSplit New York
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While the country heads into the final few weeks of the indoor track and field season, there's no better time to shift focus towards the impending outdoor campaign.
Below, we take a look at the top distance runners coming back for another season on the outdoor oval and why they're someone you need to pay attention to.
Top Girls Distance Returners:
Emma Patrick (Severn School):
Last spring, the future Northwestern Husky collected PBs from the 800m up to the 5000m. Her best marks came at The Gator Invitational and New Balance Nationals Outdoor, where Patrick ran 10:41.51 for 3200m in Fulton, Maryland, and 17:20.56 over 5k in the "City of Brotherly Love".
The senior went as quickly as 17:39.10 on the grass this past fall, and is set to be the top returner in the 1600m and 3200m out of the state's private schools.
Amaris Pope (Elizabeth Seton):
Throughout her junior season, Pope was one of the top mid-distance runners in the state, consistently finishing up front whenever she stepped onto the track. In the half-mile, she came close to matching her PB from her sophomore year (2:11.29), running 2:12.86 in a runner-up finish at the International Youth Championships.
In a state that has produced more than a few noteworthy 800m runners, Stanford's Juliette Whittaker, one of them, Pope could move up from No. 14 on the all-time lists.
Marella Virmani (River Hill):
The top 1600m runner coming back this spring is just a junior, and has been testing the waters already this indoor season, from the 500m to the 800m. Coming off of two runner-up finishes at the MPSSAA Indoor State Championships last month, the 4:52 miler is already ahead of where she left off a year ago.
With a few months of turnover and speed already out of the way, don't be surprised if she brings River Hill a state title in May.
Katherine Morey (Winston Churchill):
One of the few juniors highlighted on this list, Morey has something to prove this spring. After coming within just seconds of breaking 5:00 in her last three races in May 2025, Morey is eager to get the ball rolling and get back to where she left off in 2024.
With a 4:58 PB to her name and two consecutive top-three finishes at the state championships, this Bulldog is coming for the crown.
Leila Sollas (Patterson Mill):
In her penultimate outdoor season at Patterson Mill, Sollas finished third overall and runner-up in the 400m and 800m, and was consistently one of the most dominant and talented runners in the state.
Winning 14 of her 16 races in both events combined, Sollas was always in contention coming down the homestretch. In the 2024-2025 season, she won the 800m title both indoors and outdoors and is eager to get back to her winning ways.
Grace Redmond (Severna Park):
One of the younger talents in the state, Redmond has already asserted herself as one of the best of the best. As a freshman, she posted PBs of 2:16.95 (800m), 4:58.27 (1600m), and 11:03.62 (3200m), the No. 21, No. 10, and No. 11 times in freshman state history.
Not only that, Redmond was recently crowned the MPSSAA Indoor State champion in both the 800m and 1600m, taking down a few names that bested her in 2025.
Siena Pegues (Severna Park):
As a sophomore, Pegues qualified for state in the distance trifecta (800m, 1600m, 3200m), finishing third in the 3200m in 10:49.03. It's not often that an athlete can pull off that feat in their early years, but one of the many Severna Park stars had no problem.
Last month, in her first MPSSAA Indoor State Championships, she finished runner-up in both the 800m and 1600m, getting ever closer to that elusive state title.
Lauren Virmani (River Hill):
Even though it's just the second day of March, the Northwestern commit has already over two dozen times this season. With the outdoor season right around the corner, Virmani's goals this winter were to run fast and win some hardware, and unsurprisingly, that's precisely what she wanted to do.
At the indoor state championships last month, Virmani toed the line in the 2A 500m, 800m, 1600m, and 3200m, winning the two longest titles alongside her twin sister, leading the River Hawks to the team title.
Destiny Fruge (Bullis School):
Although the Bullis School is primarily known for its historically talented sprint program, Fruge has been a huge piece to the Bulldog puzzle in the distance events.
Last month at the Ocean Breeze Elite Invitational, Fruge became the fourth-fastest junior in state indoor history, running 2:12.95 to finish fourth in the 800m. Her strong indoor season, paired with a year of training, is bound to make her a threat at both the state and national level.
Ava Snyder (Liberty):
Before she's even had the chance to start her sophomore track season, Snyder already has two state titles and three more top-four finishes to her name.
The defending 1A 1600m state champion is one of the top returners throughout all classes and has already shaken off the dust after an effective indoor season. Finishing third a few weeks ago in the 1A 1600m state championship final, Snyder is counting down the days until she can get her title defense off and running.