Wiley holds off Duke’s Maatoug to smash NAIA all-time mark, also post JDL Fast Track collegiate record with 4:32.15 effort; Steelman and Kioko shine in 3,000 victories, with Detra, Heppenstall, Holdsworth also earning Camel City Elite wins

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – For all the success Addy Wiley enjoyed in the past year in the 1,500 meters representing the United States at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Colombia, as well as the 1,600 meters with the fastest performance in American prep history at Grand Valley State, her first significant breakthrough as an elite middle-distance athlete at Huntington North High in Indiana came in the mile at the 2021 RunningLane Championships in Alabama.

Competing in her first collegiate indoor mile as a freshman at Huntington University, Wiley delivered another remarkable effort Saturday at Camel City Elite in a memorable showdown against Dutch athlete and Duke sophomore Amina Maatoug.

INTERVIEWS | RACE VIDEOS | RESULTS | PHOTOS by Phil Ponder

Wiley smashed the absolute NAIA record by clocking 4 minutes, 32.15 seconds, surging past Maatoug (4:32.54) in the final 50 meters after the competitors traded leads in the second half of the race, including getting their feet tangled up just past the 800-meter mark in an attempt to gain the advantage after pacer Jazmine Fray stepped off the track.

Wiley, who covered the final 200 meters in 33.0 seconds, and Maatoug – 33.59 last lap – also ran faster than the previous collegiate facility record of 4:36.10 established by Clemson’s Grace Barnett in 2017, leading seven athletes to sub-4:40 efforts.

Wiley, who decided to attend Huntington in August after originally giving a verbal commitment to attend Colorado, also became the first collegiate female athlete in meet history to win a Camel City Elite race.

Finley McLear of Miami (Ohio) was the first male competitor to achieve the feat in 2021 in the 800 meters.

Wiley, the NAIA cross country runner-up in November, had already produced the fastest indoor 600-meter performance in division history with her 1:29.77 effort Jan. 20 at Indiana Tech, part of three victories in less than two hours, including 800 and 1,000 races.

She also ran 9:24.28 in the 3,000 meters Dec. 9 at Grand Valley State, the fifth-fastest NAIA all-time indoor mark on an oversized track.

But Wiley was eager to take on the challenge of competing against a field of professional athletes and NCAA Division 1 standouts in the mile, especially after clocking 4:38.14 to win the 2021 RunningLane national outdoor crown, as well as running 4:26.16 in the 1,600 in June in Michigan and placing fifth in the 1,500 in the World U20 final in 4:11.43 in August in Colombia.

Wiley’s performance Saturday elevated her to the No. 8 all-time competitor on the 200-meter flat surface at JDL Fast Track, trailing only American professional athletes Shannon Rowbury, Rachel Smith, Stephanie Garcia Cichosz, Cory McGee, Morgan Uceny, Heather Kampf and Josette Andrews.

Maatoug ascended to the No. 9 all-time performer at JDL Fast Track, separating herself from adidas professional and 2021 Division 1 outdoor 1,500-meter champion Anna Camp-Bennett (4:37.13), along with North Carolina State’s Samantha Bush (4:37.79) and Furman’s Megan Marvin (4:38.80).

Amaris Tyynismaa, a former All-American at Alabama competing unattached for North Carolina State, placed seventh in 4:39.24.

Before Wiley’s record, which elevated her to No. 6 among all collegiate indoor competitors this season (No. 2 with her adjusted mark 4:29.49 as a result of the flat track conversion at JDL Fast Track), the Camel City Elite schedule started in impressive fashion with four athletes producing sub-9 performances in the women’s 3,000 meters, the most in a single race in meet history.

Hannah Steelman, a professional athlete for On Running who previously competed at Camel City Elite representing both North Carolina State and Wofford, emerged victorious in 8:58.41.

Steelman, who was sixth in 2019 and fifth in 2020 for Wofford before taking runner-up in 2021 competing for North Carolina State, not only earned the winner’s prize of $6,000, but also secured an extra $1,000 time bonus.

Eilish Flanagan, an Irish competitor and NCAA Division 2 champion at Adams State representing Finn Valley Athletic Club, closed well in the final 100 meters to place second in 8:59.16.

Kelsey Chmiel of North Carolina State, who took third in 8:59.25, lowered her own collegiate facility record after finishing second last year in 8:59.96. Chmiel joined Rachel Smith as the only female athletes to produce a pair of sub-9 performances at JDL Fast Track.

Susan Ejore of Under Armour Baltimore Distance placed fourth in 8:59.57, increasing the total to nine female athletes in meet history to achieve sub-9 efforts.

Athanas Kioko, a Kenyan competitor and All-American at Campbell now working as an assistant coach at Wake Forest and representing Fast Break Athletics in Tennessee, triumphed in the men’s 3,000 in 7:46.52, the second-fastest time in facility history behind only a 7:45.49 by Paul Chelimo in 2017.

Kioko, fourth last year in 7:50.46, pulled away in the final 400 meters from two-time Camel City Elite mile winner Willy Fink of Under Armour Baltimore Distance, who clocked 7:49.84.

North Carolina State’s Ian Harrison was the fastest collegiate competitor, taking third in 7:55.35, as eight athletes achieved sub-8 performances.

Derek Holdsworth of Bell Lap Elite benefited from leader Vincent Crisp losing his balance and falling in the final 50 meters, remaining composed to navigate his way to victory in the men’s 800 meters in 1:49.03.

Edose Ibadin of Under Armour Mission Run, representing Nigeria, also closed well in the last 100 meters to place second in 1:49.32.

Zach Beale of Charlotte was the top collegiate athlete in the field, securing third in 1:50.81. Crisp, also competing for Under Armour Mission Run, recovered from the fall, but placed sixth in 1:57.05.

Robert Heppenstall, a Canadian athlete and Wake Forest graduate representing Reebok Boston Track Club, won the men’s mile in 4:00.47, covering the final 200 in 27.17 to hold off unattached Duke competitor Nick Dahl (4:01.78), who only has outdoor eligibility remaining in the spring for the Blue Devils.

Sean Peterson of New Balance Boston took third in 4:01.98 and Wake Forest’s Thomas Vanoppen was the fastest collegiate athlete, finishing fourth in 4:02.02, just ahead of teammate Zach Facioni (4:02.18).

Brenna Detra, a Wisconsin graduate, won the women’s 800 in 2:04.33, withstanding a late surge from Virginia Tech’s reigning Division 1 indoor champion Lindsey Butler (2:04.55) to emerge victorious.

Butler was competing in the 800 for the first time since winning the NCAA indoor crown in March in Alabama, with a stress fracture in her right foot sidelining the Hokies’ standout for the entire spring outdoor season.

Charlene Lipsey of Under Armour Mission Run, second last year, took third in 2:04.97, with BYU’s Alena Ellsworth finishing fourth in 2:05.05.

Furman freshman Camryn Wennersten followed the Camel City Elite schedule by running a lifetime-best 4:43.09 in the first section of the women’s open mile, edging Grace Hartman of North Carolina State in 4:43.78. Both athletes would have placed in the top 10 in the elite competition.

North Carolina freshman Eva Klingbeil, competing unattached, won the women’s open 3,000 in 9:17.26.

Klingbeil is redshirting the winter indoor season, since she is representing the United States at the World U20 Cross Country Championships on Feb. 18 in Bathurst, Australia.

Hamza Chahid of Wingate University, a freshman from Morocco making his collegiate debut, won the men’s open 3,000 in 8:01.79 to elevate among the top five NCAA Division 2 competitors this season.

Dustin Blevins of Montreat College in North Carolina completed his sweep of the men’s long jump and triple jump with a sixth-round effort of 49-11.25 (15.22m). Blevins took over the NAIA lead Friday with a 24-7 (7.49m) performance in the long jump.

Elon’s Linn Hertz Saebbo prevailed in the women’s triple jump with a third-round mark of 38-6.25 (11.74m).

Wake Forest swept the men’s and women’s shot put, with Thomas Kitchell opening his series with a 61-4 (18.69m) effort and Amanda Schaare earning the win with a third-round performance of 50-3.50 (15.33m).