Barada Makes Confident Move With One Lap To Go, Holds Off Dumas' Kick For First Indoor Title; Addison Ritzenhein Anchors Real Training Colorado To Back-To-Back DMR Titles

By Keenan Gray of DyeStat

Photos by Kylie Graham, Evan Poulsen

RESULTS/VIDEOS | INTERVIEWS

NEW YORK - When Elle Barada moved past Natalie Dumas with 250 meters remaining, she expected a response.

But Dumas couldn’t counter, and so Barada kept pressing on the gas.

The Bloomington South IN senior stormed away from Dumas the final lap to win her first Nike Indoor Nationals title in the 800 meters, running 2 minutes, 4.32 seconds Saturday afternoon at The Armory.

“I just was focused on kind of me and how I felt,” Barada said, who finished second in last year’s national final. “If (Natalie) was going to follow, I was just going to have to deal with that and deal with the pressure of her being right on my back.”

Dumas went straight to the front from the start, going through the first 200 in 30.07, then 31.49 to run 61.56 for the first half of the race. Barada hung back in second, running 30.29 then 61.78.

“I knew that it was going to be quick and so I really just wanted to stay in contact and stay alert and stay awake,” Barada said.

The margin began to open with Dumas and Barada moving away from the rest of the field on the backstretch of the penultimate lap. Going into the homestretch before the bell, Barada moved to the outside of Dumas and into the lead with a lap to go.

“I was really confident in it,” Barada said. “I felt really good and I knew that I couldn't have any doubt if I was going to make that move.”

Back in February, Barada and Dumas met at the Millrose Games in the 600, where Dumas' closing speed carried the day. A month later, the strength of Barada proved to be the difference at the longer distance.

“Going into the 600, I knew that she can close well because she's done it against me in the past,” Barada said. “So, I knew that if I was going to take it, she was probably going to be right behind. But I know I also have a good kick, so it was kind of like battling the different tactics there.

Dumas, who returned from a five-day spring break trip to Disney World with her senior classmates at 3 a.m. Saturday morning, finished in a season’s best 2:05.30 for second place, improving three spots up from last year’s national final.

“I saw Elle take the lead and I just tried to make sure I stayed with her,” Dumas said. “At that point there it was, ‘Do I want to give up here’, or ‘Do I want to fight and see if I can hold her off to the end.’ I tried to stick on her, stay there the whole time, and I was going to kick on her at the end, but she unfortunately kicked before me.”

Addison Ritzenhein anchored Real Training Colorado to a second consecutive girls distance medley relay title in 11:37.89, holding off a late comeback from The Lawrenceville NJ and their anchor Blair Bartlett, the girls 5,000 champion.

"It's beyond words honestly," Ritzenhein said. "We worked so hard for this. We were here last year and going for the win. This year, we mainly focused on having fun and put no pressure on ourselves."

Elise Hagen led off with 3:34.47 1,200 leg, Elsza Bergen in the 400 in 62, Anna Prok in the 800 in 2:15.02 and Ritzenhein anchored in 4:46.12.

While Ritzenhein was working with a 15 second lead after the exchange from Prok, Bartlett managed to close the margin on Ritzenhein lap-by-lap and finished her 1,600 in 4:33.23, pulling within three seconds of Real Training Colorado's winning time.

"Watch Addy was so nerve-racking, but it was so fun to watch her," Prok said. "She's so strong."

The McNamara Mustangs MD finished the evening winning the girls 4x400 relay in 3:45.64, anchored by Kyla Whitehead in 54.94.

Nia Harrison, Bailey Hensgens Share High Jump Title

Just like Qatar's Mutaz Essa Barshim and Italy's Gianmarco Tamberi at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Nia Harrison (Greenhill TX) and Bailey Hensgens (Incarnate Word Academy MO) elected to share the girls high jump title at 5 feet, 11.50 inches (1.82m). 

"I'm really happy I get to share it with an amazing person," Harrison said.

Harrison and Hensgens were successful on their first three heights before both missing first attempts at 5-8.75 (1.75m). On each of their second attempts, they both were successful, which led to two more consecutive second attempt makes at the next two bars before bowing out at 6-00.75 (1.85m).

"This was my first time competing back and forth with such great jumpers, so I was just feeding off everyone's energy," Hensgens said.

Parker Coes (Katy Morton Ranch TX) jumped a second-round mark of 20-4.25 (6.20m) to claim the girls long jump title. Janessa Brown of Jackrabbit TC GA was the only other competitor in the field to jump over 20 feet, finishing second in her sixth-round mark of 20-2.25 (6.15m).