Coburn leads six athletes under World Championship standard, with Hurta holding off prep standout Mu; Sprout edges Culpepper in boys mile, with James winning girls 800 and Hutchins girls mile

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Emma Coburn has achieved several career highlights in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, including eight U.S. national titles, a pair of NCAA Division 1 crowns and an IAAF World Championships gold medal in 2017.

But Coburn celebrated a career first Saturday night at the 17th annual Music City Distance Carnival at Vanderbilt Track in Tennessee by winning the elite women’s 1,500 meters.

It marked the first victory in 18 career 1,500 races, combining indoors and outdoors, for Coburn, who clocked 4 minutes, 5.24 seconds to break the meet record of 4:05.69 set last year by Portugal’s Marta Pen Freitas.

RESULTS

Coburn, who just missed her personal-best 4:05.10 from the 2015 Prefontaine Classic, led six athletes under the World Championship qualifying standard of 4:06.50, including training partners Cory McGee (4:05.90) and Aisha Praught-Leer (4:06.22), who placed third and fifth, respectively.

Helen Schlachtenhaufen took second in a personal-best 4:05.49, McGee also ran a personal best, as did fourth-place finisher Ce’Aira Brown (4:06.06), who lowered her mark from April 20 by more than a second. Shannon Osika, who had run 4:06.17 in 2017, also achieved the World standard by finishing sixth in 4:06.28.

Hanna Green, whose previous best was 4:09.33 from April 19, improved to 4:06.66 to finish seventh, just missing the global standard necessary to participate this fall in Doha, Qatar.

Coburn, a Colorado graduate, improved to No. 13 in the world this year in the 1,500, recording the fastest time thus far on U.S. soil after a pair of May meets in China produced the top 12 performances.

Junior Tori Starcher of Ripley WV, competing in the first section of the elite 1,500, placed 11th in her heat and 34th overall in 4:24.27.

Another Buffaloes standout, redshirt junior athlete Sage Hurta, achieved a significant personal best in the women’s elite 800 to not only prevail in 2:00.99, but hold off 16-year-old standout Athing Mu of Trenton Track Club in New Jersey, who ran 2:01.38 to eclipse the meet’s previous high school record and elevate to the No. 6 all-time prep performer.

Mu, the American indoor record holder in the 600 meters, led Hurta by a 58.14 to 58.93 margin entering the final lap. Hurta’s performance helped her ascend to the No. 13 performer in the world this year, also producing the fastest time on U.S. soil during the outdoor season, with Mu elevating to No. 16.

Hurta, who produced a 2:03.46 effort April 20 to win at the Mt. SAC Relays in Torrance, Calif., eclipsed the Colorado program record of 2:02.54 held since 2009 by Jenny Simpson.

Brad Barton, 53, set a 50-54 age-group world record in the mile, clocking 4:19.59. Barton eclipsed the record of 4:25.04 held since 2001 by fellow American Nolan Shaheed.

In the girls high school 800 race, junior Taylor James of Niwot CO ran a personal-best 2:05.38 to triumph against sophomore Bailey Goggans of Marble Falls TX (2:06.61), producing the second- and fifth-fastest performances in the country this season behind Mu.

Two more Colorado prep standouts delivered a thrilling race in the boys mile, with Valor Christian junior Cole Sprout holding off Niwot junior Cruz Culpepper by a 4:04.19 to 4:04.82 margin, achieving the top two times in the nation this season. Jake Renfree of Knoxville Catholic TN placed third in 4:05.90 for the No. 3 effort nationally.

Jenna Hutchins, a freshman at Science Hill TN, won the girls mile in 4:43.33, rallying on the final lap to surge past Valerie Lastra of Mater Academy FL (4:45.95), resulting in the Nos. 4 and 5 performances in the country this season.

Hutchins eclipsed both the 2017 high school meet record and all-time state best of 4:45.63 set by Christian Academy of Knoxville graduate Rebecca Story, improving to the No. 4 freshman all-time freshman performer.

Another meet record was broken in the men’s elite 1,500, with four athletes running faster than last year’s standard of 3:39.77, led by Rob Napolitano holding off Jake Edwards by a 3:38.48 to 3:38.77 margin.

Alex Kay of Vanguard FL ran a personal-best 1:51.76 to earn a victory in the boys high school 800, with sophomore Gabriel Robinson of Ravenwood TN finishing second in 1:53.11.

A pair of British athletes swept the elite 3,000 steeplechase races, with Rosie Mae Clark elevating to the No. 12 performer in the world this year by clocking 9:39.08 in the women’s race and former Eastern Kentucky standout Jamaine Coleman winning the men’s competition in 8:30.67, just ahead of Australian Max Stevens in 8:31.29.

The highlight of Friday’s competition was a meet-record 1:44.68 by Puerto Rico’s Wesley Vazquez in the men’s elite 800, helping him ascend to the No. 4 performer in the world this season. Vazquez just missed his 2014 personal-best 1:44.64, but ran under 1:45 for the first time since 2016, to get past Canadian standout Brandon McBride (1:45.04) and Nigerian record holder Edose Ibadin (1:45.60).

There were also four sub-4 miles in the men’s elite race, increasing the meet’s all-time total to 29.

Chris Hatler won the race in a personal-best 3:58.52, the fastest time run at the meet since 2014 and No. 6 in meet history, with Craig Nowak right behind with his first sub-4 performance of 3:58.61.

Brandon Lasater, who broke the 4-minute barrier for the first time in his career at the 2015 meet, was third in 3:59.78 and Troy Reeder achieved his first career sub-4 effort by taking fourth in 3:59.90.

Meet records were also set in both the boys and girls high school 3,200-meter races.

Kirtland Central NM senior Kashon Harrison ran a personal-best 8:55.27, eclipsing the 2007 standard of 8:56.24 held by Ben Hubers of McEachern GA.

Emma Wilson of Greencastle IN also ran a personal-best 10:23.41 to take down the 2017 record of 10:40.32 set by The Kings Academy TN graduate Niamh Schumacher.

Alethia Marrero won the women’s elite 600 in 1:27.02, just ahead of Madeline Kopp (1:27.56).

Willy Fink won the men’s elite 5,000 in 13:43.44, with 12-time NAIA champion Aminat Olowora of Oklahoma City University clocking 16:21.14 to prevail in the women’s 5,000 in her professional debut.

The high school 2,000 steeplechase races were won by Merrol Hyde Magnet TN senior Alex Ponce in the boys competition in 6:16.88 and Spanish River FL junior Rylee Pustilnik in the girls event in 7:11.20.