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Christ School junior Rocky Hansen threw down an incredible time of 4:02.88 in the 1,600m to take the win in the Craig Engels Elite 1600m at the Carolina Distance Carnival on Friday at Weddington High School.
The mark is good for a current U.S. No. 3 and a NC No. 3 All-Time 1600m/Mile mark, just behind Engels and Cameron Ponder. He's the 14th faster junior ever nationally in the event.
Hansen also took nearly four seconds off of Dylan Ferris' 1,600m junior state record after he ran 4:06.58 in 2007.
The pace went out hot. Alec McMillan of South Mecklenburg paced the field through 400m and the leaders went through the quarter split in just over 60 seconds. Then Connor Kleiderer of Charlotte Country Day held on and was able to hold that pace through around 700m.
The battle was on between Porter Ridge junior Jacob Laney, who would assume the lead, with Hansen just behind. They'd go through the 800m just over 2:02, with Caden Townshend (Weddington), Sam Rich (Catawba Ridge, SC), Dawson Reeves (Christ School) and Levi Streeval (Daniel Boone, TN) coming through at around 2:04.
Laney would hold the pace through the 1,200m, and he and Hansen went through in 3:03. They would lead the race through 1,400m.
We've seen Hansen close every major race he's been in over 2022 incredibly fast, and he did no different on Friday, passing Laney with 200m to go to clock in a sub-60 400m to take the win in 4:02.88.
Laney would hold on for second in 4:07.26. His mark is good for the third-fastest junior 1,600m in NC history and it's a current NC No. 2, U.S. No. 11 and a NC No. 10 mark all-time outdoors.
Previously, Hansen has shown just how strong he's been; he ran 8:51 for 3,200m in April, kicking for a heat win in the same fashion at Arcadia, but closing in 59-point after coming through in 3:03 at 1,200m when your PR coming in was 4:12? That's incredible.
It's a massive jump to have a 10-second PR in the 1600m and especially when you're at that level.
Townshend would out-kick the second group and held off Streeval at the line to run 4:10.07. Streeval was fourth in 4:10.17 and Isaac Clark was fifth in 4:11.01 and Charlie Ortmans was sixth in 4:11.25. Those marks are good for U.S. No. 23, 25, 31 and 41, respectively.
Streeval and Ortman's marks are also good for a state-leading mark in Tennessee and Virginia.
Reeves ran 4:12.88 to place seventh after doubling back from a fourth-place finish in the 800m earlier in the day -- he ran 1:54.19. His mark is good for the second fastest sophomore time in NC history, just off Taylor Gilland's 4:12.27 conversion.
Zachary Willer, Stephen Fernetti and Ethan Snyder would also clock personal bests of 4:13.78, 4:13.91 and 4:15.75, placing eighth, ninth and 11th respectively.
With Engels, the North Carolina 1,600m state record holder, in attendance, he knew his state record of 4:02.54 was in trouble after seeing juniors Hansen, Laney, Townshend and sophomore Dawson Reeves run insane times.
The event produced seven of the top eight 1600m marks in North Carolina on the season.
North Carolina distance running is at an all-time high as what is fast within the state seems to only continues to get redefined.
| Years | Sub 4:20 1600m |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 14 |
| 2014 | 12 |
| 2015 | 6 |
| 2016 | 11 |
| 2017 | 18 |
| 2018 | 16 |
| 2019 | 16 |
| 2020 | 0 COVID-19 |
| 2021 | 19 |
| 2022 | 25 |
| BOYS 1600 METER RUN FINALS | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PLACE | ATHLETE | TEAM | RESULT | WIND | H# | |||
| 1 | Rocky Hansen | 11 | Christ School | 4:02.88 | 12 | |||
| 2 | Jacob Laney | 11 | Porter Ridge | 4:07.26 | 12 | |||
| 3 | Caden Townshend | 11 | Weddington High School | 4:10.07 | 12 | |||
| 4 | Levi Streeval | 12 | Daniel Boone High School | 4:10.17 | 12 | |||
| 5 | Isaac Clark | 12 | Weddington High School | 4:11.01 | 12 | |||
| 6 | Charlie Ortmans | 11 | The Potomac School | 4:11.25 | 12 | |||
| 7 | Dawson Reeves | 10 | Christ School | 4:12.88 | 12 | |||
| 8 | Zachary Willer | 12 | Unattached NC | 4:13.78 | 12 | |||
| 9 | Stephen Fernetti | 11 | North Lincoln | 4:13.91 | 12 | |||
| 10 | Sam Rich | 12 | Catawba Ridge HS | 4:14.78 | 12 | |||