2017 Festival of MilesMay 30, 2017 by Johanna Gretschel
Festival Of Miles: 5 Hot Races To Watch
Festival Of Miles: 5 Hot Races To Watch
Preview of the 2017 Festival of Miles in St. Louis, Missouri, on Thursday, June 1, featuring Foot Locker Nationals champion Reed Brown taking up the chase to become the 10th prep to run under four minutes in the mile.
The annual Festival of Miles in St. Louis has produced 19 sub-four-minute miles since 2009, including Grant Fisher's historic run in 2015 to become the seventh high schooler to break the barrier. This Thursday, Foot Locker Nationals champion Reed Brown takes up the chase to become the 10th prep to run under four. Watch the live stream here on FloTrack starting at 6 PM CT on Thursday and read on for more about Brown's sub-four attempt and other top-notch races to watch.
When: 8:50 PM CT
Who: Jordan McNamara, Reed Brown, Morgan McDonald, Abraham Kiplagat, Rorey Hunter, Abraham Kiplagat Cheplaiti, Will Crocker, Reid Buchanan, Isaac Updike, Olli Hoare, Patrick Perrier, Tripp Hurt
Why: The biggest storyline in the pro men's mile centers around Southlake Carroll High School senior Reed Brown, who is attempting to become the 10th high schooler to break the four-minute mile. Brown, a University of Oregon recruit, has run 4:02.49 for 1600m and 4:03.23 for the mile this year, the former coming en route to a runner-up finish behind Sam Worley at the Texas state meet. Brown's range may skew more toward the distance ends of things -- he's a two-time Texas state champion over 3200m with a PB of 8:50.43 and won the Foot Locker National Cross Country Championship in December -- but he's also renowned in prep circles for his kick. He's got as good a chance as any to break four here; the pacer is prescribed to take the field through 800m in 1:56 and many will be aiming for the U.S. outdoor nationals "A" standard of 3:56.5.
​We talked to Reed Brown after his 4:03 mile PB at the Texas Relays:
​The favorite for the title may also be Jordan McNamara, a four-time champion at the Festival of Miles and the meet record-holder per a blistering 3:54.27 in 2014. For the past two years, the St. Louis race has been McNamara's fastest mile of the entire year. The Portland native opened his 2017 at the beginning of this month, recording a 1500m/3K double over two days in 3:54.14 and 8:22.5, respectively.
Wisconsin star Morgan McDonald is also entered here after failing to make the NCAA DI West Prelims despite winning the 5K at the Big Ten Championships. He also swept the 3K and 5K at the Big Ten Indoor Championships but did not quite make the cut for NCAA Indoors. McDonald is the Wisconsin school record-holder in the mile at 3:57.83, and it will be interesting to see what the Australia native can do here.
Also keep an eye on Abraham Kiplagat of Kenya, a 31-year-old 800m specialist who ran 1:43.77 in 2010.
When: 8:30 PM CT
Who: Lauren Wallace, Christy Cazzola, Shannon Leinert, Caitlin Collier, Alena Brooks, Valeska Halamicek
Why: The pacer is set to take this field through 400m in 59 seconds, with the USATF "A" standard of 2:02.00 as a clear goal. Lauren Wallace of the NorCal Distance Project is the top entrant with her two-year-old PB of 2:00.48. She has a good history at the Festival of Miles, having clocked 2:01.13 in 2015 and twice finished runner-up.
Watch out for Caitlin Collier, a junior at Bolles High School in Florida. Her season highlights include a triple sweep at the 2A state meet in the 800m, 1600m and 3200m. Collier is a huge talent and big-time meet performer; she set her 800m PB at 2:04.89 as just a sophomore at the USATF Junior Nationals last year. Her season's best is 2:05.29.
Christy Cazzola of Oiselle and Shannon Leinert of Brooks have run 2:02 and 2:01, respectively, and look to clock quick enough times to make the USAs field.
University of Minnesota alumna Alena Brooks competes for Trinidad and Tobago. She recently set an 800m PB of 2:03.09 in Kingston, Jamaica, but will need to cut that down to 2:01.0 to assure a spot on the IAAF World Championships roster.
When: 8:10 PM CT
Who: Brandon Miller
Why: Hometown hero Brandon Miller, a freshman at St. Louis John Burroughs High School in Missouri, first made national headlines last summer when he set the age group world record for 14-year-olds in 1:51.23 at the AAU Junior Olympics. He has transitioned well to the high school ranks and just last weekend set a national freshman class record in the half mile by clocking 1:50.84 to win the Missouri state title. His time stood as the fastest across all classifications.
Miller broke the prior freshman record of 1:51.03 set by Michael Granville back in 1993. Granville, of course, would go on to set the overall national high school record of 1:46.45 in 1996.
Miller thrives in the spotlight, and this meet under the lights should be the perfect atmosphere for him to produce something fast.
​Watch Brandon Miller run 4:25 as an eighth grader to win the Festival of Miles Junior High Mile in 2016:
Big River Running High School Boys Mile Championship
When: 8:20 PM CT
Who: Brodey Hasty, Seth Hirsch, Jack Aho, Harrison Smith III, Jake Gillum, Clayton Adams, Jake Gebhardt, Ryan Murphy, Conner Hawkins, Cayce Reese, Michael Mooney, Andrew O'Keeffe, Carter Cheeseman, Ryan Parson, Scott Thompson
Why: While all eyes are turned to Reed Brown's sub-four mile attempt in the pro race, the high school boys' championship will also feature a star-studded lineup of the nation's best harriers.
Brodey Hasty headlines the field with his 4:08 mile and 8:45 two-mile credentials. Still just a junior, Hasty is heir to the throne of elite prep boys distance running and already has a national title under his belt, per the 2017 New Balance Nationals Indoor two mile. Yet, he has not raced since the indoor season which makes his fitness a question mark ahead of Thursday's race.
Other top contenders include Wisconsin commit Seth Hirsch, a four-time All-American at Foot Locker and NXN. The newly crowned Nebraska state champion for 3200m recently set his 1600m PB at 4:14 with a runner-up finish in that event at the state meet. Jack Aho of Grayslake Central, Illinois, was third at the Festival of Miles in 2016, where he set his PB of 4:08.79, a time that makes him one of the fastest in the field. This spring, the senior took third in the 1600m and runner-up honors in the 3200m at the Illinois state meet.
Harrison Smith III is a wild card. The junior hails from Eldorado High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he has clocked PBs of 50.99 for 400m, 1:54.77 for 800m, and 4:18.51 for 1600m at altitude; FOM estimates that his 1600m best converts down to 4:11.98 given an adjustment for altitude. Smith is the New Mexico state champion for 800m. He was fifth at the Festival of Miles in 2016.
When: 8:40 PM CT
Who: Madison Mooney, Emily Venters, Quinn McConnell, Ellie Friesen, Lauren Neugeboren, Victoria Findley, Cara Melgares, Marlena Preigh, Taylor Somers, Danielle Rinn, Sophie Scott, Rebecca Boushelle, Gracie Hyde, Claire McCune, Madelynn Hill
Why: Madison Mooney of Colorado is one of a handful of girls who can say she beat Sammy Watson in high school. A junior from Broomfield High School, Mooney took down the 2:01 800m performer and national indoor record-holder Watson in the full mile at the Arcadia Invitational this April, 4:47.32 to 4:47.72. However, Mooney hasn't had a flawless season -- she placed just seventh at the Colorado state meet in what is likely her specialty event, while coming back for runner-up honors in the 800m. Granted, Colorado is one of the more difficult state track and field championships in the country, so it will be nice to see her rebound from that disappointing result here. Mooney was the developmental mile champion in 2016, and her PB makes her one of the top seeds for Thursday night's championship.
​Watch Madison Mooney win the Developmental Mile at the 2016 Festival of Miles in 4:55.51:
If Mooney shows any vulnerability, Emily Venters of Kansas is the top contender to win. The Boise State signee broke through the 4:50 barrier for 1600m earlier this month with a 4:49.36 effort at the Shawnee Mission North Relays versus fellow Kansas stars Cailie Logue, an Iowa State commit, and junior Molly Born. Venters competes in a different classification from either of those girls and was able to easily sweep the 1600m and 3200m at her state meet for the first time. Last year, she took 11th place at the Festival of Miles so she will look to close her senior year with a big improvement upon that run.
The current national leader for high school girls mile is 4:45.97, run by Taylor Roe of Washington; that time is well within reach for the top entrants here.
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Pro Men's Mile
When: 8:50 PM CT
Who: Jordan McNamara, Reed Brown, Morgan McDonald, Abraham Kiplagat, Rorey Hunter, Abraham Kiplagat Cheplaiti, Will Crocker, Reid Buchanan, Isaac Updike, Olli Hoare, Patrick Perrier, Tripp Hurt
Why: The biggest storyline in the pro men's mile centers around Southlake Carroll High School senior Reed Brown, who is attempting to become the 10th high schooler to break the four-minute mile. Brown, a University of Oregon recruit, has run 4:02.49 for 1600m and 4:03.23 for the mile this year, the former coming en route to a runner-up finish behind Sam Worley at the Texas state meet. Brown's range may skew more toward the distance ends of things -- he's a two-time Texas state champion over 3200m with a PB of 8:50.43 and won the Foot Locker National Cross Country Championship in December -- but he's also renowned in prep circles for his kick. He's got as good a chance as any to break four here; the pacer is prescribed to take the field through 800m in 1:56 and many will be aiming for the U.S. outdoor nationals "A" standard of 3:56.5.
​We talked to Reed Brown after his 4:03 mile PB at the Texas Relays:
​The favorite for the title may also be Jordan McNamara, a four-time champion at the Festival of Miles and the meet record-holder per a blistering 3:54.27 in 2014. For the past two years, the St. Louis race has been McNamara's fastest mile of the entire year. The Portland native opened his 2017 at the beginning of this month, recording a 1500m/3K double over two days in 3:54.14 and 8:22.5, respectively.
Wisconsin star Morgan McDonald is also entered here after failing to make the NCAA DI West Prelims despite winning the 5K at the Big Ten Championships. He also swept the 3K and 5K at the Big Ten Indoor Championships but did not quite make the cut for NCAA Indoors. McDonald is the Wisconsin school record-holder in the mile at 3:57.83, and it will be interesting to see what the Australia native can do here.
Also keep an eye on Abraham Kiplagat of Kenya, a 31-year-old 800m specialist who ran 1:43.77 in 2010.
Pro Women's 800m
When: 8:30 PM CT
Who: Lauren Wallace, Christy Cazzola, Shannon Leinert, Caitlin Collier, Alena Brooks, Valeska Halamicek
Why: The pacer is set to take this field through 400m in 59 seconds, with the USATF "A" standard of 2:02.00 as a clear goal. Lauren Wallace of the NorCal Distance Project is the top entrant with her two-year-old PB of 2:00.48. She has a good history at the Festival of Miles, having clocked 2:01.13 in 2015 and twice finished runner-up.
Watch out for Caitlin Collier, a junior at Bolles High School in Florida. Her season highlights include a triple sweep at the 2A state meet in the 800m, 1600m and 3200m. Collier is a huge talent and big-time meet performer; she set her 800m PB at 2:04.89 as just a sophomore at the USATF Junior Nationals last year. Her season's best is 2:05.29.
Christy Cazzola of Oiselle and Shannon Leinert of Brooks have run 2:02 and 2:01, respectively, and look to clock quick enough times to make the USAs field.
University of Minnesota alumna Alena Brooks competes for Trinidad and Tobago. She recently set an 800m PB of 2:03.09 in Kingston, Jamaica, but will need to cut that down to 2:01.0 to assure a spot on the IAAF World Championships roster.
High School Boys 800m
When: 8:10 PM CT
Who: Brandon Miller
Why: Hometown hero Brandon Miller, a freshman at St. Louis John Burroughs High School in Missouri, first made national headlines last summer when he set the age group world record for 14-year-olds in 1:51.23 at the AAU Junior Olympics. He has transitioned well to the high school ranks and just last weekend set a national freshman class record in the half mile by clocking 1:50.84 to win the Missouri state title. His time stood as the fastest across all classifications.
Miller broke the prior freshman record of 1:51.03 set by Michael Granville back in 1993. Granville, of course, would go on to set the overall national high school record of 1:46.45 in 1996.
Miller thrives in the spotlight, and this meet under the lights should be the perfect atmosphere for him to produce something fast.
​Watch Brandon Miller run 4:25 as an eighth grader to win the Festival of Miles Junior High Mile in 2016:
Big River Running High School Boys Mile Championship
When: 8:20 PM CT
Who: Brodey Hasty, Seth Hirsch, Jack Aho, Harrison Smith III, Jake Gillum, Clayton Adams, Jake Gebhardt, Ryan Murphy, Conner Hawkins, Cayce Reese, Michael Mooney, Andrew O'Keeffe, Carter Cheeseman, Ryan Parson, Scott Thompson
Why: While all eyes are turned to Reed Brown's sub-four mile attempt in the pro race, the high school boys' championship will also feature a star-studded lineup of the nation's best harriers.
Brodey Hasty headlines the field with his 4:08 mile and 8:45 two-mile credentials. Still just a junior, Hasty is heir to the throne of elite prep boys distance running and already has a national title under his belt, per the 2017 New Balance Nationals Indoor two mile. Yet, he has not raced since the indoor season which makes his fitness a question mark ahead of Thursday's race.
Other top contenders include Wisconsin commit Seth Hirsch, a four-time All-American at Foot Locker and NXN. The newly crowned Nebraska state champion for 3200m recently set his 1600m PB at 4:14 with a runner-up finish in that event at the state meet. Jack Aho of Grayslake Central, Illinois, was third at the Festival of Miles in 2016, where he set his PB of 4:08.79, a time that makes him one of the fastest in the field. This spring, the senior took third in the 1600m and runner-up honors in the 3200m at the Illinois state meet.
Harrison Smith III is a wild card. The junior hails from Eldorado High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he has clocked PBs of 50.99 for 400m, 1:54.77 for 800m, and 4:18.51 for 1600m at altitude; FOM estimates that his 1600m best converts down to 4:11.98 given an adjustment for altitude. Smith is the New Mexico state champion for 800m. He was fifth at the Festival of Miles in 2016.
Big River Running High School Girls Mile Championship
When: 8:40 PM CT
Who: Madison Mooney, Emily Venters, Quinn McConnell, Ellie Friesen, Lauren Neugeboren, Victoria Findley, Cara Melgares, Marlena Preigh, Taylor Somers, Danielle Rinn, Sophie Scott, Rebecca Boushelle, Gracie Hyde, Claire McCune, Madelynn Hill
Why: Madison Mooney of Colorado is one of a handful of girls who can say she beat Sammy Watson in high school. A junior from Broomfield High School, Mooney took down the 2:01 800m performer and national indoor record-holder Watson in the full mile at the Arcadia Invitational this April, 4:47.32 to 4:47.72. However, Mooney hasn't had a flawless season -- she placed just seventh at the Colorado state meet in what is likely her specialty event, while coming back for runner-up honors in the 800m. Granted, Colorado is one of the more difficult state track and field championships in the country, so it will be nice to see her rebound from that disappointing result here. Mooney was the developmental mile champion in 2016, and her PB makes her one of the top seeds for Thursday night's championship.
​Watch Madison Mooney win the Developmental Mile at the 2016 Festival of Miles in 4:55.51:
If Mooney shows any vulnerability, Emily Venters of Kansas is the top contender to win. The Boise State signee broke through the 4:50 barrier for 1600m earlier this month with a 4:49.36 effort at the Shawnee Mission North Relays versus fellow Kansas stars Cailie Logue, an Iowa State commit, and junior Molly Born. Venters competes in a different classification from either of those girls and was able to easily sweep the 1600m and 3200m at her state meet for the first time. Last year, she took 11th place at the Festival of Miles so she will look to close her senior year with a big improvement upon that run.
The current national leader for high school girls mile is 4:45.97, run by Taylor Roe of Washington; that time is well within reach for the top entrants here.
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