Sure, this performance is only a week old - but did you see that last 100 meters?
It was insane.
Taylor James dropped perhaps her best performance of her very young career at the Music City Distance Carnival in the 800.
The Niwot sophomore (soon-to-be-junior), and two-time half-mile State champ sat in second place through the opening lap, which the pack cruised through just over 61 seconds. Despite a near-fall after being tripped just before the 400 was reached, she held her pace and regrouped.
Down the backstretch it appeared that nearly everyone was still in the hunt, though James sat in the most ideal position to kick for the win, and that's exactly what she did.
With 200 meters to go she kicked hard and around the corner. With 100 to go the race was down to two. James moved out to lane 2 - then lane 3 when Bailey Goggans moved out and off the rail. Despite kicking from one lane outside the Lane Of High Hopes (Lane 2), Lane 3 became her Lane of High(er) Hopes, and she rocketed by Goggans with 40 meters of real estate remaining.
James crossed the finish line without anyone breathing down her back, in 2:05.83 for the second fastest half-mile in the country, a huge personal best, and the biggest win of her young career.
As incredible as James' run was, she wasn't the only Colorado half-miler with a big result.
Alamosa's Lilly Lavier had a huge race of her own, running a four-second PR of 2:08.57 to finish fourth, and Keely Jones capped her Valor Christian career with a 2:14.22 finish to give Colorado its third top-10 performer.
James is scheduled to compete this weekend at the Great Southwest Classic in the 800.
