Twelve Blockbuster Races On Tap For Brooks PR In Seattle

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

The all-star matchups coming Wednesday at the Brooks PR Invitational feature some of the biggest names on the high school landscape going head to head and testing their post-state meet fitness.

Overcast skies without much wind and temperature about 65 degrees are forecast for the meet, which could be ideal for some of the distance races in particular. 

The meet starts at 2 p.m. Pacific. 

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Here is breakdown of the 12 scheduled high school races at the University of Washington track. 

GIRLS 2-Mile, 2 p.m. Pacific/5 Eastern

Natalie Cook has enjoyed an historic senior year and the Texan from Flower Mound High might have her eye on meet and national records in the first race of the program. 

Cook ran 9:48.25 to win the state title in the 3,200 meters and the 2-mile national record is 9:51.35, which was set at the Brooks PR event in 2017 by Brie Oakley. 

Irene Riggs ran a somewhat off-the-radar 9:54.69 3,200 meters for US#4 at the Mountaineer Showcase in April for an all-time West Virginia record. 

Dalia Frias of Mira Costa CA ran the US#5 time of 9:55.50 when she won the Arcadia Invitational 3,200 in April. 

Colorado state champion Eva Klingbeil is another one to watch as she will be coming down from altitude and ran 10:00.26 at Arcadia. 

Ellie Shea from Massachusetts ran 4:16.04 for 1,500 meters at the Trials of Miles 

The rest of this talented group could keep a pack going deep into the race and someone could emerge, the same way Bozeman's Camila Noe did in 2018 (9:54.95). 

Kayla Werner from Virginia ran 10:07.80 at the RunningLane championships.  

BOYS 2-Mile, 2:15 p.m. 

Connor Burns showed the world what he could do in the mile in his home state of Missouri at the Festival of Miles, where he broke Jim Ryun's all-time junior class record with 3:58.83. 

He won't have pros for pacing, but Burns has a chance to show what he can do running fresh in a 2-mile in a talented field that includes nine runners from the Northwest states of Oregon and Washington. 

Michael Maiorano from South Medford is never shy about going out hard from the gun in an attempt to keep things honest and fast. The other Oregonians in the race, James Crabtree, Wes Shipsey and Aiden Smith are all familiar with running as hard as they can for as long as possible. (Crabtree is out with COVID)

Standouts from the Washington state meet, Zack Munson and Will Schneider, will be joined by Class 1A runner Kelton Gagnon from Klahowya. 

The freshman class national record (8:53.98) could be challenged, with Keegan Smith from Knoxville Catholic TN and Vince Recupero from Bishop Blanchet WA both going after it.  

GIRLS 400, 2:45 p.m.

Shawnti Jackson is the U.S. leader in the 400 meters with 52.32, although it seems likely that it might take something faster – from her or somebody else – to win this race. 

The defending Brooks champion, Kennedi Sanders from Mississippi, has a chance to repeat and lower her personal best of 52.62. 

California state champion Takiya Cenci from Clovis North is undefeated in the event this spring and could be poised for her first sub-53 second race. 

Haley Tate was the Texas 6A runner-up with US#4 53.03 and fellow Texans Christine Mallard (53.63) and Hali Murphy (53.80) are in the mix as well. 

Olympic trialist Roisin Willis from Wisconsin has a personal best of 52.64 from 2021 that she'd like to improve upon.   

BOYS 400, 2:50 p.m.

This race has the potential to be one of the highlights of meet with a matchup between Will Sumner of Georgia and Ohio's Justin Braun. 

Braun, US#1 with 45.65 seconds, suffered an injury and was not able to compete at the Ohio state championships June 3-4. Braun said Tuesday evening that he's still unsure whether he will be able to race. 

Sumner has run 45.78, which he achieved to break the all-time Georgia record. 

Even if Braun is not yet at 100 percent, there could be fierce competition coming from undefeated Texas 6A champion Darius Rainey (46.36), Washington state champion Will Floyd of Seattle Prep, a junior who has run 46.84, Maryland 2A state champion Judson Lincoln IV, who has run 46.37 and Arizona state champ Avaunt Ortiz (46.69). 

Georgia freshman Sidi Nije is a future star with a season-best of 46.61.  

GIRLS 100 HURDLES, 3 p.m.

Jaiya Covington from Houston's Eisenhower High ran US#5 13.42 in April, which is the fastest of anybody in the field. 

Talented freshman Aleesa Samuel from Florida made enormous strides in the event and won the 2A state title with 13.73. She'll get a chance to show what she's been working on since her state final on May 12. 

Rylee Hampton, another Houston resident, has run 13.69w placed third in the loaded Texas 6A final. 

Taylor McKinnon (13.78) and Falon Spearman (13.81) bring strong credentials from North Carolina and Jessicka Woods is the Georgia 5A state champion. 

It's also a great opportunity for freshman multi standout and local JaiCieonna Gero-Holt (Emerald Ridge WA) to run in a fast field and improve her PR of 14.49w.

BOYS 110 Hurdles, 3:05 p.m.

Kendrick Smallwood comes in with the top time, 13.36 seconds, which he ran in March at the 94th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays. 

Smallwood won the Texas 5A state title in a wind-aided 13.44 seconds and could be looking to improve that in Seattle. If he can, then the fifth-place finisher at last year's Brooks PR Invite could be the class of the field. 

Florida 4A state champion Cyrus Ways is US#3 (13.53w) and has a wind-legal best of 13.66. 

Michigan state champion Benny Diaz (US#7 13.63) could be a darkhorse pick who is a bit more accustomed to cooler weather. 

Texans Donovan Bradley (US#4 13.55) and Shane Gardner (US#13 13.69) and Alabama state champion Patrick Daves (13.70)

Upland CA junior Kai Graves-Blanks is the California state champion and finished behind Smallwood and Bradley at Texas Relays. 

Georgia's Malik Mixon ran his personal-best 13.64 at Brooks last year, when he took third.  

GIRLS 800, 3:30 p.m.

Last year, freshman Ali Ince from Normal (Community) IL ran a far-better-than-normal 2:03.98 to win the Brook PR Invitational. 

The Illinois state champion in the 400 and 800 this spring is back in Seattle to defend her title. 

Texas 5A champion Kailey Littlefield (US#7 2:06.21) will get a matchup with Texas 6A champion Samantha Humphries (2:07.68). 

Californian Cate Peters has run under 2:07 this spring. Peters won the 62nd Mt. SAC Relays title with US#10 2:06.89.   

BOYS 800, 3:35 p.m.

High school running matchups don't get any bigger than Colin Sahlman versus Gary Martin. But two of the fastest milers in prep history are going to be racing two laps, not four. 

Sahlman has run 1:48.80 and has a slightly better PR than Martin, who won the Pennsylvania state meet with 1:51.24 on the back end of a double. 

Ohio state champion Nick Plant might be the favorite. An an 800-meter specialist, with a best of 1:48.65, his closing speed in the 200 meters will be tough to beat. 

The five other guys in the race all have season bests between 1:50 and 1:51.6, led by Florida 4A runner-up Miguel Pantojas De Jesus (1:50.09). 

GIRLS 100, 3:45 p.m. 

The name that pops out right away is Shawnti Jackson, who is making the trip out from North Carolina and is the U.S. leader in the 400 meters and US#5 in the 200. 

But Jackson, who broke the national high school record in the 60 indoors in March, has only run the 100 twice outdoors this spring and could be poised to do something big. 

Micayah Holland from Montverde Academy in Florida ran the fastest wind-legal time in the country this spring at the Florida state championships, when she ran 11.26. 

Adaejah Hodge ran the No. 2 wind-legal time, 11.33, at the Georgia state championships. 

And Texan Autumn Wilson owns the fastest wind-legal time with an 11.19 that she ran back in March at the 94th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays. 

BOYS 100, 3:50 p.m. 

Terrell Robinson, Jr. broke the North Carolina state meet record when he ran 10.31 this spring and is back in Seattle to try and win the Brooks PR title after taking fourth last year. The three guys in front of him have all graduated. 

Fellow North Carolina sprinter Trevin Moyer is also on the trip. Moyer was injured at last year's Brooks meet and is eager for redemption and won the North Carolina 1A title this spring. 

Max Thomas ran 10.40 to win the Arcadia Invitational and finished third at the California state meet. 

Micah Larry shined bright this spring for Montverde Academy in Florida, winning the 2A title with 10.46 but also running a season's best 10.27. 

Alabama 7A champion Charlie Sexton ran a very windy 10.15 but also a wind-legal 10.49 

Gerard Holmes of Fort Bend Marshall saw significant relay duty as his team ran to Texas 5A titles in the 4x200 and 4x400 relays. 

Carter Birade (10.50) and Jacob Andrews (10.56) are teammates from Sehome WA and dominated the Washington Class 2A final.  

GIRLS MILE, 4:20 p.m. 

Freshman sensation Sadie Engelhardt got her first taste of racing in a professional field last Saturday at the Portland Track Festival and ran an all-time freshman class record of 4:11.79 in the 1,500 meters. 

Engelhardt, who has run 4:35.16 for the full mile this spring, appears to be in shape to go even lower if the early pace is fast. 

Defending champion Juliette Whittaker is also an all-time talent in this event and the dual between the Stanford-bound senior and the freshman could be epic. Whittaker edged Engelhardt by a 4:37.23 to 4:37.40 margin in March at New Balance Nationals Indoor at The Armory in New York.

Samantha McDonnell from Newbury Park, an Alabama commit, might have been overshadowed a bit by the boys on her team, but she has run US#5 4:37.37 this spring in the 1,600 meters and may be able to hold on for the ride, as well as Colorado state champion Riley Stewart and Michigan state champion Julia Flynn. 

Mia Cochran from Pennsylvania ran 4:42.43 for a victory on May 20 at the Trials of Miles in New York.    

Taylor Rohatinsky pulled triple duty at the Utah state meet and could be ready for fast time coming down from altitude.  

BOYS MILE, 4:30 p.m. 

Welcome to 12 guys who are eager to become the next sub-four high school miler, joining the four who have already done it in 2022.

James Donahue from Massachusetts ran 4:02.98 for the full mile May 28 and ran 4:02.66 indoors in March. 

Caleb Lakeman, who won all the biggest races in Oregon, is eager to prove he can run faster than the US#9 4:04.46 that he clocked April 29. He improved his 1,500 personal best to 3:47.67 last Saturday in Portland. 

Aaron Sahlman from Newbury Park CA ran 4:05.00 in February and really hasn't taken a crack at it since. 

Zane Bergen of Niwot CO ran 4:02.64 to finish behind Martin in March at New Balance Nationals Indoor and is getting his first chance in months to race at sea level. 

Devan Kipyego of Rhode Island won the Trials of Miles in NYC in 4:05.51.

Simeon Birnbaum essentially tied the South Dakota all-time best when he ran 4:07.88 at Arcadia to match the 4:07.9 run by Jim Reinhart in 1973. 

Isaac Teeples of Kamiakin WA ran 4:05.55 to finish second behind Lakeman at the Jesuit Twilight Relays. Charlie North of Franklin (Portland) ran 4:05.61 for third in that race and Aiden Emerson ran 4:06.10 four fourth. 

Chris Riley from Texas has a 1,600-meter best of 4:05.78. New Jersey's Jackson Barna has run 4:07.00 for the full mile and New York's Myles Hogan was right behind him in 4:07.98.