Oakley surges past Mortensen, Knights

Cal Berkeley signee prevails in 9:51.35 to set national outdoor 2-mile record at Brooks PR Invitational, better than 1996 standard in 3,200 by Thousand Oaks CA graduate and 2014 performance of future Cal teammate

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Just in case the outcomes of select races in the past three months did anything to question where Brie Oakley belongs in the discussion of the all-time elite girls high school distance runners, the Grandview CO graduate provided one final impressive response Saturday.

Oakley won the 2-mile race at the seventh annual Brooks PR Invitational at Shoreline Stadium in Seattle in 9 minutes, 51.35 seconds, the national high school outdoor record.

Thousand Oaks CA graduate Kim Mortensen ran 9:48.59 for 3,200 meters in 1996, which converts to 9:52.01 in a full 2-mile race. Oakley's 3,200 split Saturday was approximated at 9:47.92, making her faster than Mortensen at both distances.

"I definitely wanted to break 10. I did want to go sub-9:50, but I'm really happy with what I did," said Oakley, who also eclipsed the outdoor record in a full 2-mile race of 9:53.54 set by Northwood CA graduate and future Cal Berkeley teammate Bethan Knights at the 2014 meet.

"I'm really happy to end on this note. I'm really blessed."

Oakley had waited 10 weeks for a rematch with Malibu sophomore Claudia Lane following their thrilling 3,200-meter showdown April 8 at the 50th Arcadia Invitational. In their first race since Lane won the Foot Locker National cross country title and Oakley captured the Nike Cross Nationals Championship, Lane prevailed by a 9:57.52 to 9:57.59 margin.

Although Oakley placed second to Fort Collins standout Lauren Gregory -- fourth Saturday in 10:05.26 -- in the 1,600 at the Colorado state meet, her 10:09 performance in the 3,200 while competing at 5,500 feet altitude May 20 followed by her 4:41.95 mile June 2 to finish runner-up at the adidas Boost Boston Games were indications that she was ready to deliver a significant performance in her final prep competition.

"I wanted to come out here and get a little redemption. I felt like I had a little bit more that I could have done at Arcadia and it just motivated to come out here and leave it all out on the track," said Oakley, who posted the fastest 2-mile time in a high school only race.

"At Arcadia, I let Claudia lead the whole race. (Saturday) I let her take it out, but then I wanted to take it over and run my race."

Lane finished second in 10:01.18, with McKinney North's London Culbreath running a national freshman record 10:04.73 to place third. Oakley finished third last year in 10:08.89.

"I let (Claudia) lead through the 800 and then I decided to take over. She came up and tried to pass me again, so when I moved back in front, I wasn't going to give it up," said Oakley, who was honored with the girls performance of the meet award.

"I wanted to keep stepping on the gas and try to get her off me because I know she has a kick and she could come up on me."

Oakley won the New Balance Nationals Indoor 2-mile title in March in U.S. No. 3 all-time 9:56.06, just missing the Colorado state indoor record of 9:55.92 held by Melody Fairchild that had stood since 1991.

The only 2-mile prep performance that ever produced a faster time than Oakley was the 9:38.68 effort set by Mary Cain running against a field of professionals from the 2013 New Balance Boston Indoor Games.

"It means a lot," Oakley said. "It's been an amazing year and an incredible journey. I don't think I could ask for much more."

Although Oakley opened the meet in exceptional fashion, the attempt to close the meet with a sub-4 mile fell short, with Sam Worley of Comal Canyon TX prevailing in 4:02.04 over Cooper Teare of St. Joseph Notre Dame CA in 4:02.56.

Reed Brown of Southlake Carroll TX, who finished second Saturday in the 800 in 1:51.01, had become the 10th high school male runner to produce a sub-4 mile June 1 when he clocked 3:59.30 at the Festival of Miles.

Teare had run 4:00.16 on April 14 at the 59th Mt. SAC Relays and Worley clocked 4:00.61 on April 1 at the 90th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, but neither individual was able to improve upon those marks Saturday, despite rabbit Will Laird of Garfield WA pacing the field through the first 800 in 1:59.

Worley still broke the 2014 meet record of 4:06.32 set by former Summit OR star Matthew Maton, who went on to run 3:59.38 in 2015 before arriving at University of Oregon.

Brodey Hasty, a junior from Brentwood TN who didn't compete for his high school team during the spring, won the 2-mile race in 8:45.95, leading 10 athletes under 9 minutes. Luis Grijalva of Armijo CA was second in 8:46.68 and Talon Hull of Weber UT placed third in 8:46.94.

Anna Gibson of Jackson WY, who finished sixth in the mile at the adidas Boost Boston Games, secured a victory in the rematch in 4:43.77 with several of the same competitors in the field. Gibson ran 4:43.06 in Boston, but prevailed in a sprint finish Saturday with Allie Schadler of Rio Rico AZ (4:44.03) and national freshman record holder Lexy Halladay of Mountain View ID (4:44.24).

Halladay won the mile in Boston in 4:41.80. Annie Hill, who won last year's Brooks PR mile in 4:41.52, finished fourth Saturday in 4:46.18.

Four athletes entered the boys 400 meters having run under 46 seconds this season, but it was Jamal Walton Jr. of Miramar FL that battled through a stiff headwind on the backstretch to win in a meet-record 46.04 and earn male performance of the meet honors.

Walton eclipsed the 2012 mark of 46.06 set by former St. Peters Prep NJ star and University of Florida standout Najee Glass. Elija Godwin, the defending champion from Newton County GA, was second in 46.23.

Dawson LaRance of Billings Senior MT, who ran 1:49.63 in the 800 on June 11 at the Portland Track Festival, held off Brown in 1:50.98 to secure his second significant victory in a week.

Patriot star Rachel McArthur came up just short in her pursuit of the Virginia state record in the 800, but emerged victorious in 2:05.68. New Hampshire standouts Kristie Schoffield of Merrimack Valley (2:07.15) and Leya Salis of Bedford (2:07.32) finished second and third.

Oregon signees Joseph Anderson of Upland CA and Kaylah Robinson of El Cerrito CA swept the hurdles titles.
Anderson, fifth last year in the 110 hurdles, won in 13.68 and Robinson -- seventh last season in the 100 hurdles -- clocked 13.72.

Both athletes are competing at the USATF Junior Outdoor Championships in Sacramento, with Anderson looking to improve on his 13.33 wind-legal clocking June 3 at the California state meet and Robinson trying to produce another sub-13 effort after running a wind-aided 12.98 to take second at the state final.

Bailey Lear of Frisco Heritage TX won the girls 400 in 53.32, ahead of local star Jai'lyn Merriweather of Union WA (53.44) and Natalie Price of Granville OH (53.66).

Alicia Burnett of Fort Zumwalt South MO, one of eight freshmen invited to compete at the meet, was the only ninth-grader to secure a victory, clocking 11.92 in the girls 100. Burnett entered the event as the national freshman leader at 11.46.

Isaiah Cunningham of Rancho Verde CA held off Chauncy Smart of Auburndale Senior FL in the boys 100 to prevail by a 10:53 to 10:55 margin.