Third Meet On The Circut Set For Boston, With Elite Fields In 3,000 Meters And Girls Mile

By Keenan Gray of DyeStat

John Nepolitan photo

After visiting both Chicago and New York City, The CIRCUIT makes its penultimate stop to Boston, where the inaugural meeting series continues at the TRACK at New Balance Friday night before heading to Philadelphia for its final stop on March 1.

The CIRCUIT, a collaboration between RunnerSpace and Trials of Miles Racing, will feature high school and open races at four of the premier indoor tracks in the country this winter, with a few sections being the High Voltage window that’ll feature the top high school talent in the country.

WATCH THE CIRCUIT: BOSTON LIVE FRIDAY ON RUNNERSPACE (+PLUS required)

This week’s High Voltage races will feature both the boys and girls 3,000 meters and girls mile.

Nike Cross Nationals runner-up TJ Hansen of Freeland MI makes his way back to the TRACK at New Balance after finishing fourth in the boys international mile the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix on Feb. 2. This time he will race in the High Voltage boys 3,000 meters against future Colorado Buffaloes teammate Jack Graffeo.

Graffeo of Westford Academy MA was initially scheduled to race in the High Voltage two-mile in Chicago but was a late scratch due to an injury. He finished third at last fall’s Foot Locker Cross Country Championships.

Graffeo ran a stellar time of 14:06.49 at the BU David Hemery Valenine Invitational last weekend, good for US#1 and No. 7 all-time.

Aiden Monistere of Parkview Baptist LA, 25th at Nike Cross Nationals, will make his debut on The Circuit. The Baton Rouge native won both the boys mile and two-mile at The VA Showcase on Jan. 17.

Brennan McEwen (Franklin OR), Wil Ilmels (Century SD) and Preston Schmidt (Crater OR) complete the small boys field.

Zariel Macchia of William Floyd NY returns to Boston for the second consecutive weekend after competing at the BU Valentine Invitational, where she ran the ninth-fastest all-time 1,000 meter time for high school girls in 2:44.84.

Racing Macchia in the High Voltage 3,000 meters will be Keeghan Edwards of Mountain Vista CO, returning to The CIRCUIT after racing at the first meet in Chicago where she finished seventh in the girls 2-mile, Ruby Ihmels of Century SD, fourth at Foot Locker Cross Country Championships, and Ava Jarrell of Pendleton Heights IN.

Eighth-grader Mackenzie Skelly of William Penn Charter PA, the Pennsylvania Independent Schools cross country champion, is entered, too.

The girls mile features a rematch of two competitors from The CIRCUIT Chicago in Mia Sirois and Elin Latta.

Barrington IL’s Sirois finished second in the High Voltage girls two-mile race in a personal best 10:04.11, and South Texas Heat Homeschool’s Latta was a second behind in 10:05.14 for third.

Latta appeared at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in the girls international mile, finishing fourth overall two days after racing the High Voltage two-mile at The CIRCUIT Chicago, all while battling the flu.

Libby Castelli from Sioux Falls, S.D. (O'Gorman) has run a best of 4:47.79 this winter. The two-time NXN qualifier is eager for a racing opportunity on the track where she plans to run at New Balance Nationals Indoor next month. 

Sophia McInnes of Bayport Blue Point NY is making her second The CIRCUIT appearance a week after in New York City at The Armory where she was fourth in the High Voltage girls 800 meters in an indoor personal best time of 2:08.82.

Ihmels is doubling back from the High Voltage two-mile, and Remy Latta (South Texas Heat Homeschool), Kyleen Brady (Auburn NY) and Ginger Long (U32 VT) make up the rest of the field.