Rising seniors Angie Allen (North Lincoln) and Carmen Alder (Pinecrest) took to the track to go head-to-head for the first time during their senior years. The seniors are very familiar with each other as they have gone head-to-head over twenty times over their career in both XC and Track. This was only the 2nd time however, that Allen got the better of Alder. Allen is ready to put her mark on the state and prove to everyone she is the best of the best. Allen had ran 11:42 in a 3200m time trial earlier this summer and also officially dipped under the 5:00 mark in the 1600m! She was poised for a breakout race on the national stage.
Alder and Allen, along with Alder's younger sister Vanessa Alder, rising freshman Morgan Boonshaft (PDS), and Molly Kuzma (The O'Neal School) made the 7 hour drive to Tennessee to compete with some of the country's elite.
The favorite going in was Jenna Hutchins (Science Hill, TN) and she lead the pace out quick. She wanted to dip under 10:00 and the chase pack wanted to get as close as they behind her. Alder and Allen positioned themselves well in the chase pack as the race progressed.
Over the course of the final mile the chase pack began to string out single file down the track. Allen and Alder remained on each other's heels.
Hutchins stole the show crossing the line in a meet record and class record time of 9:49! As the rest of the field shot down the final straightaway Alder and Allen were battling it out. With familiar foes at each other's heels this pushed both athletes over the final 100m. It was Allen, however, who held off Alder's final surge crossing in 6th place in a new personal best time of 10:35! Alder finished in a personal best of 10:36!
The younger Alder was not far behind and cruised down the homestretch finishing in 10:52 dipping under the 11:00 barrier for the first time in her young career. Morgan Boonshaft was right behind her in 10:59.98, a fantastic mark for a freshman. NCISAA 2A product Molly Kuzma was 20th in 11:15.
Angie Allen's mark is good for NC#16 All-Time Outdoors in the 3200m.
Miles Phillips (North Lincoln) represented the boys from NC and did so very well! He ran a 9:22 and notched a 10th place finish! A great day for our NC athletes in Tennessee! They are in peak shape, so it is interesting to see if they can get any 5000m time trials under their belt before November!
Girls 3200 Meter Elliptigo
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Name Age Team Finals
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Finals
1 Jenna Hutchins Johnson City, TN 9:49.83
2 Natalie Cook Flower Mound, TX 10:16.07
3 Mia Prok Boulder, CO 10:20.18
4 Lucca Fulkerson Longmont, CO 10:20.48
5 Lily Cridge Indianapolis, IN 10:30.07
6 Angie Allen Denver, NC 10:35.00
7 Carmen Alder Southern Pines, NC 10:36.58
8 Faith Duncan Lebanon, OH 10:42.59
9 Madison Shults Lafayette, CO 10:47.32
10 Eva Klingbeil Longmont, CO 10:47.76
11 Ciara O'Shea Richmond, KY 10:48.66
12 Miranda Lorsbach Montclair, NJ 10:49.06
13 Anna Weirich Portola Valley, CA 10:49.10
14 Vanessa Alder Southern Pines, NC 10:52.00
15 Kiley Murphy Seale, AL 10:52.28
16 Kaitlyn Vanderkolk Brentwood, TN 10:59.15
17 Morgan Boonshaft Charlotte, NC 10:59.98
18 Allison Newman Germantown, TN 11:07.85
19 Marilyn McCarthy Murfreesboro, TN 11:11.98
20 Molly Kuzma Foxfire, NC 11:15.63