Engelhardt achieves National Federation High School record with 4:31.72 performance, featuring 1,600-meter split of 4:29.86; Noonan triumphs in boys mile in 4:06.89, Ventura runs 17:23.17 in the boys 4x1,600 relay, Santa Barbara clocks 7:45.47 in the boys 4x800 relay and Corona Santiago secures girls 4x800 win in 9:04.87

By Pete Marshall for DyeStat

Photos by Chuck Utash

WALNUT, Calif. – Ventura High of California junior Sadie Engelhardt is an attraction at any meet in which she competes.

And she sets out to break not just personal records, but meet and national all-time marks as well. 

Such was the case Friday at the 64th Mt. SAC Relays Presented by Nike, as Engelhardt not only broke her own meet record in the mile with a time of 4:31.72, but set a new National High School Federation record in the process as well at Hilmer Lodge Stadium.

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Her performance was the fastest outdoor mile in U.S. prep history, eclipsing the 2018 mark of 4:33.87 achieved by Northland Rockland High of New York graduate Katelyn Tuohy.

Only a 4:28.25 indoor mile by former Bronxville High of New York standout Mary Cain at the 2013 Millrose Games at the Armory in New York is a faster prep mark than Engelhardt.

The 1,600-meter split of 4:29.86 for Engelhardt has only been bettered by former Huntington North High of Indiana standout Addy Wiley, who clocked 4:26.16 at a postseason outdoor meet in 2022 at Grand Valley State in Michigan. 

Engelhardt took a sizable lead within the first 200 meters and easily prevailed against runner-up Chiara Dailey of La Jolla (4:48.47). Madeleine Gear of Foundation Christian Academy in Florida took third in 4:51.21, with junior Reena Hsieh of Arcadia High in California clocking 4:51.76 for fourth.

“My coach and I were talking about it before that I really needed to stay focused on the paces,” Engelhardt said. “I tried to stay as close to a 33-second 200 as possible on every 200. It was kind of like time-trial training mentality. It obviously helped having the crowd and everyone.”

But, with Engelhardt, there’s always a bigger goal in mind, especially after running 4:09.70 in the 1,500 on March 16 at The TEN event sponsored by Sound Running at JSerra High.

“Obviously, going sub-4:30 (in the mile) has always been a goal of mine,” she said. 

But Engelhardt was not the only outstanding performance in a high school mile Friday.

Dana Hills junior Evan Noonan won the boys invitational mile in 4:06.89, the top time in the state and the No. 3 time in the country, edging out Palo Alto’s Grant Morgenfeld (4:08.86). Jason Parra from Long Beach Millikan took third in 4:09.10 and Devin Ibarra from El Diamante in Visalia finished fourth in 4:09.99.

It marked the second time this season that Noonan and Morgenfeld have squared off over four laps, with Noonan also earning a victory March 30 in the 1,600 by a 4:06.80 to 4:10.23 margin.

“The goal was to go under 4:06 for a full (mile) which would’ve been close to 4:04 in the 1,600,” Noonan said. “Missed it by a little bit. I wish I just could’ve gone a little faster in the end, but my legs were feeling it.” 

In the boys invitational 4x1,600 relay, the quartet of Blake Harris, Hollis Costa, Micah Grossman and Anthony Fast Horse from Ventura (17:23.17) edged out the lineup of Will Hauser, Jared Saal, Henry Hauser and Landon Pretre of Menlo School (17:34.64) as those two teams posted the third- and fifth-best times in the country this season.

“It feels awesome,” Grossman said. “We knew we were good as a team. Cross Country season didn’t go like we had wanted. We came in here with the intent of showing we still can throw down when it matters. We were looking a little faster on the time, but it was still a solid time and we got our school record.”

In the girls invitational 4x800, Corona Santiago had sophomores Taylor Davis, Jaela Jaffe, Kinsley Whitecavage and Braelyn Combe run splits of under 2:20 to win in 9:04.87.

“The momentum of every single one of our relay PR'ing before it got to me was a great motivator to just finish the race and I was so happy when we finished,” said Combe, who ran the anchor leg.

Santa Barbara’s senior lineup of Blaise Snow, Magne Henriques, Bode Andrulaitis and Andreas Dybdahl won the boys 4x800 relay (7:45.47), with the No. 2 mark in the state and No. 4 time in the country this year, edging out Cathedral (7:47.48) and Santa Margarita (7:48.39).

“It’s super reassuring because we’re all pretty healthy and ready to run fast,” Snow said.

Other invitational race winners Friday were: Temescal Canyon’s Megan Crum (3,200, 10:37.15), Trabuco Hills’ Dylan Jubak (3,200, 9:07.52) and the San Clemente girls 4x1600 lineup of Liza Yetter, Kat Piantka, Caiya McAlister and Sedona Sweginnis clocking 21:22.95.