Mooney Goes 8:50.96 For US No. 1 At Arcadia

Michael Mooney chopped another 30-seconds off his PR in the 3,200 to run 8:50 at the Arcadia Invite. 

9:51. 9:20. 8:50

What do these times mean? Well, you've just read Michael Mooney's 3,200 progression this season. And while there are a few asterisks in the progression, like his 9:51 was run in the wind (and at altitude), and his 9:20 was run at altitude and he didn't kick until the final 800, his 8:50.96 at the Arcadia Invitational is just quite simply insane. 

Mooney's second place finish was additionally tantalizing, as he lost by the slimmest of margins - .01. 

His 1,600 and 5k PRs hinted at his 9:20 potential, but Mooney has clearly gone to a new level with his latest performance.

(Side Note: Among the select few who really saw this coming was his coach Greg Weich, who hinted last week that Mooney would break 9 at Arcadia.)

To put Mooney's 8:50 more into perspective... 

Mooney's current 1,600 PR is 4:21. It doesn't take a math major to know that an 8:50 3,200 is two 4:25s. What can he run for the 1,600 at altitude, at state? Now, there's question that newly minted 4:12 miler Carter Dillon may be asking, because Mooney's 8:50 hints that the Broomfield senior is clearly ready to run that fast.

Adding the impressive feat, Mooney's 8:50 puts him in the class of Brent Vaughn, another Greg Weich-coached athlete. Vaughn ran 8:45 at Arcadia in 2003, and went on to run 13:18 at the University of Colorado, and win the 2011 US Cross Country title, among his many accolades... 

Colorado Impresses At Arcadia

Michael Mooney wasn't the only one to tally a big performance, as sister Madison Mooney duplicated her brother's feat with a second-place finish of her own in the Invite Mile, running 4:49.92. Quinn McConnell and Anna Shults were in the race as well, running 4:56 and 5:08. In the open heats of the mile,  Tiana Bradfield ran 5:08, while Alex Raichart and Lizzy Harding both ran 5:12, Laura Thompson ran 5:14, Elizabeth Constien ran 5:15, and Grace Johnson ran 5:19. In the 3,200 Telluride's Soleil Gaylord lowered her PR to 10:44, and Ivy Gonzales ran 11:02 in the seeded section.

Adding to the big, big weekend were milers Cruz Culpepper and James Lee, who went 1-2 in the Invite Mile. Culpepper took his first win over Lee, running 4:13.13 to Lee's 4:13.92. It solidified last weekend's 4:11 result in Texas, and marked Culpepper's first big win, which is sure to be the first of many. 

Meanwhile, Easton Allred and Ares Reading ran a PRs of 9:08 and 9:14 in the seeded 3,200

In the sprints Emily Sloan ran her first 100 hurdles of the outdoor season in style. Sloan won the Invite division in 13.43 - the No. 2 time in the country. Sloan doubled back to finish second in the 300 hurdles in 42.25, the No. 3 time in the country.

Rock Canyon teammate Riley Masten went 5-4 in the high jump, while Platte Canyon's Hayley Rayburn went 12-7 in the pole vault to finish third. 

Niwot's Mary Gillett finished third in the seeded 400 in 56.12

On the first day of competition, a few Colorado boys ran in the Rated 3,200. Leading the way was Ryan Matson, who ran 9:19, Joshua Krafsur was a second behind in 9:20, Jonathan Woolf ran 9:21, Isaac Russo ran 9:28, and Kieran Nay dipped under 9:30, running 9:29.

In the girls Rated 3,200 Grace Johnson led the way with a 10:49 finish, while Isabella Prosceno was a second behind in 10:50. Almost dipping under the 11-minute mark was Liz Hogan, who ran 11:02. In the seeded section the trio of Lizzy HardingLina Corrales, and Addi Iken all ran 10:55.