Tuohy's Meet Record 2-Mile Paces Others To New Heights

By Mary Albl of DyeStat

NEW YORK – All-American distance runner Katelynne Hart admitted she was nervous before the start of the girls 2-mile race. Sydney Thorvaldson was a wide-eyed sophomore from Rawlings, Wyo., making her first trip to New York City to run at The Armory.

Both of them knew what they signed up for: a chance to run a really fast time.

With junior Katelyn Tuohy of North Rockland NY entered in the field, Hart and Thorvaldson were led to new indoor personal bests, as Tuohy clocked 9 minutes, 51.05 seconds to set a New Balance Nationals Indoor record. Hart finished in second place (9:58.42) and Thorvaldson was third (10:01.52).

“For me, I just wanted to be in the front pack and feel strong, and I knew that with the competition in the race, we were all going to be pushed to run fast times,” Hart said. It’s an indoor PR … Katelyn definitely helped me push myself.” 

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Thorvaldson, who broke a 19-year-old record in the 3,200 meters at the Simplot Games in Idaho in February, running 10:19.05 (which adjusted for a full 2 miles with the altitude conversion), doesn’t get the opportunity to run in big meets and against national talent very often. While there were nerves, Thorvaldson said she was proud of hanging with Tuohy for a few laps.

“Being invited out here is just amazing,” she said. “I feel like it flew by.”

Tuohy, who guided her team, the Red Raiders of Thiells, N.Y. to a distance medley relay title Friday, was gunning for Mary Cain’s 2-mile national record of 9:38.68, but said she just didn’t have it in her legs. 

“Racing the mile in the distance medley on Friday (and) it’s been a long season," she said. “I think if I work hard, I think I can definitely hit that mark maybe in the spring or next winter.” 

But what Tuohy did have in the tank was enough to push the rest of the field to new limits. Five girls finished under 10:20, and four of the top five were underclassmen. 

“I think when one of us kind of makes strides forward and runs faster, it just pushes the whole rest of high school too,” Hart said. “It’s exciting. We’re only going to get better from that.”