With New PR, Roisin Willis Primed For Another Run At New Balance Title

By Doug Binder and Mary Albl of DyeStat

Middle- and long-distance runners continued to torch the 200-meter oval Friday at the Boston University Last Chance meet.

One day after historic performances for Karissa Schweizer of the Nike Bowerman Track Club and her teammates, college, pro and a few high school runners made more history.

Roisin Willis, a sophomore from Stevens Point WI, ran an age-15 world best in the 800 meters, winning the second-fastest section in 2:03:05. The performance moved her to No. 4 on the all-time high school list behind Mary Decker, Sammy Watson and Juliette Whittaker, who ran 2:03.01 on the same day at the Fastrack Last Chance Meet at Ocean Breeze in New York.

“I knew that first section was going to be won in a pretty fast time and they were going to go out really fast,” Willis said. “I knew it would be good competition either way. I'm pretty happy with (Section 2). I didn’t even know if a win would be possible. You go out fast and try and maintain and to take a win in that heat. It was a huge confidence booster for me. I’m starting to feel very comfortable in the 800.”

Willis won the New Balance Nationals Indoor title as a freshman in 2019. Her previous best for the distance was the 2:04.86 she ran to win the Brooks PR Invitational last spring.

“I did run a 2:06 in December, but I took a long break after that and this was really my first 800 of the season,” she said. “And I think I’ve done a lot of work and now I feel like I’m really starting to get into my 800 prime, so I think I’m dusting off the cobwebs a little bit with this race, but I think I’m ready for New Balance.”

In the same section, Sophia Gorriaran, a freshman from Moses Brown RI, ran unattached and broke Willis’ freshman class national record with a fifth-place finish in 2:03.98.

In the men’s 1,000 meters, 14-year-old Marcus Reilly, an eighth grader from Edge Elite TC in Massachusetts, placed second in 2:27.56. That was another world age-group best, besting a record that stood since 1989.

In the men’s mile, three Oregon Ducks went under 3:59 together in the same race. Charlie Hunter won the fastest section in 3:55.41, edging out teammate Cooper Teare (3:55.50). Freshman Cole Hocker ran 3:58.20 for fifth place, becoming the fourth-fastest U-20 miler of all-time indoors.

Oregon also made news in the men's 800 meters. Freshman Luis Peralta ran 1:48.10 for the win and teammate James West was second in 1:48.67. West was doubling back from a sensational 1,500 on Thursday night in which he broke Edward Cheserek's collegiate indoor record with 3:36.93.

In the fastest section of the women's 800 meters, Maïté Bouchard of Canada's Sherbrooke University ran 2:00.93 for the win. Another Canadian, two-time Olympian Melissa Bishop, was second in 2:00.98.

In the women’s elite 1,500 meters, New Balance’s Heather MacLean ran a 30-second final 200 to go past Emily Lipari and win the race in 4:05.29. MacLean enjoyed a breakout 2019 where she made huge improvements to finish seventh at the USATF Outdoor Championships.

Justyn Knight of Reebok Boston TC won the men’s race in 3:36.13. That was slightly behind the pace of Thursday night’s invitational winner, Josh Thompson of the Nike Bowerman Track Club, who clocked 3:34.77.

Shadrack Kipchirchir won a fast invitational men’s 5,000 meters in 13:08.25. His last lap split of 28.854 got him to the finish line first ahead of Marc Scott (13:08.87), Cheserek (13:09.05) and Eric Jenkins (13:10.07).

For Scott, who is from Great Britain but trains in the U.S. with the Nike Bowerman Track Club, it was a European indoor record.