NXN champion opens indoor season with 3K, then takes aim at 5K national record

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

North Rockland NY sophomore Katelyn Tuohy, the reigning Nike Cross Nationals champion, has two big opportunities to open her 2018 indoor track season.

Raiders coach Brian Diglio confirmed Tuohy will be racing in the 3,000 meters Jan. 6 at the Ocean Breeze Freedom Games in Staten Island, followed by the first 5,000 of her career Jan. 20 at The Virginia Showcase at Liberty University in Lynchburg.

Tuohy ran 9 minutes, 42.63 seconds in the 3,000 last year at the Freedom Games, when former Lake Braddock VA standout Kate Murphy became the No. 3 prep performer in history with her 9:14.12 effort.

Only Alexa Efraimson of Camas WA and Mary Cain of Bronxville NY have run faster indoors in the 3,000 than Murphy, on a regulation or oversized track.

The big target for Tuohy will be in the 5,000 in Virginia and her pursuit of the national high school indoor record 15:55.75 set March 10 by former Grandview CO star Brie Oakley, the 2016 NXN champion, at New Balance Nationals Indoor at The Armory in New York.

Tuohy ran a record 16:44.7 on the 5-kilometer layout Dec. 2 at Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland, Ore., to capture the NXN championship. Oakley clocked 17:10.1 to win the title last year.

Diglio indicated it will likely be the only indoor 5,000 that Tuohy runs this season, since North Rockland's focus at New Balance Nationals Indoor is traditionally on the relays. Tuohy anchored an 11:34.85 national indoor record performance in the distance medley relay at NBNI in 2016, before Murphy and Lake Braddock broke that mark at last year's Virginia Showcase by running 11:34.54.