The 2nd Annual Dream Mile went off without a hitch and produced a ton of new personal best times in the process.
Below is a play-play I received via the phone during the races. Thanks to Mark Rowe and Mike Horan for recanting what was going on before their eyes.
Girls Dream Mile
Emma Brink, senior from Sacred Heart has won nearly every award a Kentucky Track and Field athlete can win, but she had not won the Dream Mile before tonight. Last year she sat out the race due to an injury. After tonight she can add Kentucky Dream Mile winner to her resume as well.
Brink was helped along the way by her teammate, Jacklyn Puopolo who started the race as the rabbit. Brink was the obvious choice to win, but senior Ann Eason (Sayre) did her best to try and play the role of spoiler. Eason was able to hang with Brink until about the 1350m mark when Emma pulled away in typical Brink fashion by opening up her long stride.
Brink won with a 4:56.39 which converts to 4:54.67 which ties her own time for #1 in the state. Eason was second with a 5:00.63 which converts to a 4:58.89, which is her first time under the 5 minute mark. Her time also ranks her #7 All-time in Kentucky. Brink is currently the all-time record holder with a 4:50.81.
Race Details and Splits Placed on the KYtrackXC.com Forum
Brink and Eason opened up with a 32 for the first 200. Rabbit went through the 400 at 106 and Brink/Eason followed at 108. The rest of the pack was at 113.
At the 600 mark, the rabbit pulled out at 150. Brink and Eason split 227 at the 800. Ashley Svec led the next group through at 239.
Brink and Eason came through the 1000 at 308 and 1200 at 344. Cassidy Hale led the next group at 359.
With 250 to go Brink started to pull away from Eason crossing the 1400 mark at 421. She had about a 8 meter lead.
Brink won with a 4:56.39. Eason 2nd 5:00.63, and Cassidy Hale was 3rd with a 5:11.15.
Two more Manual and svec crossed at 514
Boys Dream Mile
Andrew Stewartof North Hardin came in as the favorite in this race with expected close competition from Jacob Thomson (Holy Cross), Jared Skrabacz (South Warren), and Justin House (Apollo.) The only expected part of this race that happened was the fact that these four were 1-4.
Stewart led the race early following his teammate, Josh Ortega who was playing the role of the rabbit. Stewart led the majority of this race, while Jared Skrabacz started off slower cutting down the lead each lap till they were nearly even at the 1200m mark. They dueled it out down the stretch with Skrabacz the Class AA Cross Country State Champion winning by .3 of a second. Skrabacz ran a 4:17.40 which converts to a 4:15.91 which currently ranks #2 in Kentucky and is #15 All-time in Kentucky. Stewart was second with a 4:17.40.
Race Details and Splits Placed on the KYtrackXC.com Forum
Sounds like it was a nice race. Ortega from North Hardin was the rabbit. He went through the 400 at 100 with Stewart at 102, thomson 03. Gregory and Hurd 104. 600 mark was stewart at 135 with Thomson leading a pack at 137.
800 was Stewart at 2:07, skrabacz at 210 and Thomson at 211. Carter moved up here as well.
1000 mark was stewart at 240, skrabacz at 242 and the pack at 243.
At this point skrabacz started making up ground on stewart with each going through the 1200 at 313/314.
Over the last 200 stewart and skrbacz dualed it out with Thomson closing on them.