Friday night marks the date for the 2nd Annual Kentucky Dream Mile being held at St. Xavier High School in Louisville. The best of the best distance runners will be in attendance trying to throw down new best times in the premier distance event. The event is unusual in the aspect that it is only two races, one girls mile and one boys mile. Even with the small line-up of races, the crowd will be excited and the energy of a cross country meet will be in the air (weird feeling for May.)
My advice to the runners competing, this race is different than a typical 1600m and it is supposed to be different. This is not about who wins and who finishes 7th or 10th. This is about running fast. Do not settle in the first two laps and go with the pace, settling behind the leader. Run this race different, take the lead and see what happens.
Meet Records
Elizabeth Anderson (duPont Manual) 5:01.28 (Now at Vanderbilt University)
Ryan Eaton (Greenwood) 4:16.22 (Now at the University of Louisville)
Girls Preview
The runner that everyone will key off is Emma Brink of Sacred Heart. Brink is the Kentucky 1600m State Record Holder who comes in with a best of 4:52 for the One Mile Run. She will probably open with a 2:24 or faster 800m split and look to run sub 4:50, but she will need help to get there. Sayre senior Ann Eason has been on fire since January. She has run sub 11 several times in the 3200m, and just ran a 5:02 at the Eastern Relays two weeks ago finishing behind Brink. She will be looking to drop under the magical 5:00 mark becoming just the 10th Kentuckian all-time to do it.
Cassidy Haleleads a crop of duPont Manual runners in the race coming in with a best time of 5:09 this year. Another runner who has been burning up the track lately is Emily Frith of Lincoln County. She is coming off personal best times of 5:12 and 11:19 both run last Saturday at the EG Plummer Invitational. A note for the future four freshmen girls are in the field of 15 led by Assumption frosh Bailey Davis.
Boys Preview
Earlier this season North Hardin senior Andrew Stewart won the One Mile Run at the Mobile Challenge of Champions throwing down a time of 4:16.04 for the full mile. With his 50 flat 400m and 1:53 800m speed he has the most potential to run a 4:13 or faster. Opening with a 2:05 would not be out of Stewart’s comfort level at all. Holy Cross sophomore Jacob Thomson has run best times of 1:57 in the 800m and 9:15 in the 3200m over the last week. The question is can he crack the 4:15 mark to go along with those other marks. This field has the potential to run super fast as most of the runners are primary 800m or 3200m runners and out of their typical comfort zone. Apollo senior Justin House is coming off a 1:54 800 last week. South Warren senior Jared Skrabacz is coming off a 4:21 1600m and a 9:14 3200m over the last three weeks. Austin Carter of the host school St. Xavier will look to mix it up and defend his home turf. Frosh Patrick Gregory is a real wildcard who has run 1:58 and 4:26 this season.