Upload a Photo Upload a Video Add a News article Write a Blog Add a Comment
Blog Feed News Feed Video Feed All Feeds

Folders

 

 

2013 Midwest Distance Festival Meet Preview

Published by
Midwest Distance Classic   Jun 7th 2013, 11:32pm
Comments

A perfect spring night may result in a hot Boys Mile


By Michael Newman

 

Lisle, Ill --- Track athletes in the Midwest have endured a horrible spring season with not the best weather to compete in. I was expecting the same thing a few weeks ago when planning this meet. I guess the crappy weather is not in the cards.

 

Forecasts for Benedictine University call for temperatures Saturday evening to dip in the mid 60’s with no precipitation and light winds. The 2nd annual Midwest Distance Festival is a showcase for some of the top athletes coming from nine states in 2013. A long spring waiting for the perfect moment may be the cure for what these athletes have been through this spring. We should see some fast performances beginning at 6:30 PM with the Open 5k.

 

The feature race of the day will be the Boys Mile Run with 6 state champions in the field. Jack Keelan (St. Ignatius College Prep, Chicago) has the fastest seed time in the event. Two weeks ago at the Illinois State Track Meet, he won both the 3200 Meter Run and the 1600 Meter Run within 90 minutes. He will be pushed by Carl Hirsch (Brookfield Central HS WI). The senior has won the Wisconsin D1 state championship in the 3200 / 1600 Meter Run the last two years. He ran 4:12 indoors at the Brooks Meet in Seattle. He ran a 1:49 split last year for his 4x8 relay at their state meet. Jacob Poyner (Warsaw HS IN) finished third at the Indiana state meet just dipping under 4:10 (4:09.95). The unknown factor in this race could be Josh Evans (Lin-Marr HS, Marion IA), the Iowa 4A 3200 Champion. He won the Drake Relays prep relays in 4:10 at the end of April. That race was his fourth of his weekend.

 

Also watch in the second section of the Boys Mile Eric Brown II (Wisconsin Lutheran HS, Milwaukee). Last week at the Wisconsin State Meet, the sophomore set a state record in running 1:51 to win the 800 Meter Run.

 

The Boys 2 Mile Run could see a winning time under 9 minutes. Addison DeHaven (Brookings HS SD) was a double winner in the 3200 /1600 in the South Dakota state meet. His 3200 winning time was 9:00. He finished 3rd in this race last year as a sophomore. TJ Carey (Lake Orion HS MI) could be one of the runners that could be pushing him. Carey won the MI D1 state championship in the 1600. He is capable of running 9:05 in this race. Watch for a pair of Illinois Juniors to push the pace as well. Nolan McKenna (Wheaton-Warrenville South HS IL) finished fifth in the ILLinois 3A 3200 running 9:05, just 8 seconds behind Keelan. Zach Smith (Downers Grove North HS IL) finished 3rd in the 3A 1600 at the state meet. He did not run the 3200 outdoors, but ran 9:18 indoors at the end of February. Both runners could push a sub 9.

 

The Boys 800 has an underrated field, but that field could result in some fast times. Andrew Dusing (Brookfield Central HS WI) finished second last weekend at the D1 800 at his state meet. Dusing is ready to go. Last Wednesday at the Wisco Mile in Milwaukee, Dusing fell at the start but recovered to get third in the race. 2012 WI D1 state champ Brad Johnson (Brookfield East HS WI) could be Dusing’s chief competition. Johnson finished second last year at the Midwest Distance Festival. He finished sixth last weekend at this state meet, but he is capable of running sub 1:52. Alex Riba (O’Fallon HS IL) concentrated in the 3200 / 1600 this spring running a 8:59 to finish second in the IL 3A State 3200 Meter Run. He has run 4:10 also this spring in the 1600. He has the leg speed to push for the win.

 

It was disappointing that the Girls Mile was cancelled. That loss could be null with a great field assembled in the 800. Michelle Dobbs (Rochelle HS IL) set a 2A state record 3 weeks ago at the Illinois State Meet running 2:10.78. McKenna Kiple (Wheaton-Warrenville South HS) finished second in the 3A 800 Meter Run with a PR of 2:11.74. Kiple, along with teammates Hope Schmelzle and Erin Hermann, are using this race as a tune up for next weekend’s New Balance National Championships in the 4 x 8 Relay. The three were part of a team that ran 8:59 last spring. Keep an eye on Schmelzle in this race. Shianne Baggett (Whitney Young HS, Chicago) finished fourth in this year’s 3A 800 Meter Run and will push for a time near 2:10 as well.

 

Wisconsin is represented with some of the top 800 Meter Runners in their state. Talia Spiegelberg (Wisconsin Lutheran HS, Milwaukee) won the Wisconsin D1 800 last week and will challenge for the win here. Alison Parker (Neenah HS WI) ran 2:12 in the 800 Meter Run two years ago in winning the D1 championship. She could be in the 2:10’s Saturday night. Her sister Jennifer finished second this year. Expect both of the Parker’s to be towards the front. A late entry was Delaney FitzPatrick (Lakeland HS, Minocqua WI) has won the D2 1600 Meter Runs the last two years. Running this race fresh could put her in the 2:10 range. I could see a winning time going under 2:10.

 

The Girls 2 Mile Run is a new race this year and has a good field that could see a winning time in the 10:40’s. Emily Bean (Assumption HS, Louisville KY) is the Kentucky 3A 3200 champion and has the top seed time in this event. Sarah Ray (Warsaw HS IN) finished eleventh at the IN state meet in the 3200 last Saturday but has a seed time only two seconds behind Bean. She will go for the win Saturday night. Also watch for Victoria Clinton (Kaneland HS, Maple Park). The sophomore concentrated on the 1600 & 800 in her first season of track. But the defending 2A XC champion in Illinois ran 16:56 at Detweiller. She could push for the win.

 

The 200 Meter Steeplechase is the mystery event but it is no mystery who the favorite is. Marcelo Burbano (Lane Tech HS, Chicago) won the Midwest Distance Festival is this race last year in 6:19. We could see him go lower on Saturday.

 

 



More news

History for Midwest Distance Classic
YearResultsVideosNewsPhotosBlogs
2019 1 8 3 473  
2017 1 21 4 267  
2016 1 18 9    
Show 4 more