Girls 1600m
After how well the Girls 800m went earlier in the day I thought no way the 1600m could match it. I was certainly incorrect. Carmen Alder (Pinecrest) was looking to break 4:45 and was led by Colter Nichols to pace the girls field through 1000m in 71s. Angie Allen (North Lincoln) showed no fear to the fast pace as she was looking to drop her 4:55 personal best to under 4:50 and stuck on Alder's heels from the gun.
It broke into two races from the start, Alder and Allen up front and pretty much the rest of the field all together running just under 5:00 pace through the opening two laps. Alder would cross the 800m in 2:23.1 with Allen just behind at 2:23.53. The remainder of the fast section were led by Maddie Huecker (Lake Norman) and Lilly Walters (Hough) as they cross the 800m in 2:28 5 seconds back of the lead. The whole field was at 2:31 or below giving them a great shot at the 5:00 mark.
As the pace for Alder was nearly spot-on, she picked it up on the 3rd lap where she started to pull away from Allen. After 71.5 second laps through 800m Alder clocked a 1:10 3rd lap putting her at 3:33.41 at the bell! Allen would cross at 3:37 in great position to break 4:50. Alder put on a show the final lap around dropping a 67 second final 400m to clock a 6 second personal best of 4:40.81 moving her to NC#3 All-Time outdoors only trailing Wesley and Ryen Frazier. Alder's mark is also good for a current US#3. Allen would also pick up the pace with a 71 final 400m for a 4:48.86, good for NC#8 All-Time Outdoors and a 7 second personal best!
In the chase group Mary Bonner Dalton (Myers Park) picked up the pace after the 800m mark and was making a change to get to the front of that group. She ran a 1:14 third lap to move ahead of Huecker as Vanessa Alder (Pinecrest) and Ryann Aycock (Cary Christian) started moving up to the front of that pack as well.
Huecker did not fade and actually had the second-fastest final 400m in the field a 1:10.79 as she tried to reel in Dalton, but would get outleaned at the line with Dalton at 4:55.24 and Huecker 4:55.31. Dalton's mark was good for a new Myers Park outdoor school record jumping ahead of Julia Lucas, a NC#14 All-Time mark and a new North Carolina Freshman State Record! Huecker would also break 5 minutes for the first time in a major way clocking 4:55.31 which is good for NC#15 All-Time Outdoors! Vanessa Alder, Aycock and Walters would each finish with their first sub-5 minute 1600m as well at 4:57.98, 4:58.98 and 4:59.25, respectively.
For an entire outdoor track season, only twice has North Carolina had 7 girls under 5 minutes for the 1600m. Last night we were able to see 7 girls under 5 minutes in a single race giving the state 9 girls under the barrier in 2021. The field was deep coming in and did not disappoint as it became the best girls 1600m in North Carolina state history.
Other notable girls 1600m performances was Emma Jones (Weddington) clocking a PR of 5:01.90 to place 9th, Caroline Murrell (Northwood) holding off 8th grader Hannah Rae Shaffer in 5:06.33 to 5:06.34 to win the second fastest section in what were eight and five second personal bests! 20 girls in the 65 girl field ran 5:10 or faster, 35 girls under 5:20 and 46 girls under 5:30!