Watch Hansen run 4:02.88 in the 1,600m at the 2022 Carolina Distance Carnival.
Rocky Hansen is at it once again. The Christ School (Arden, NC) senior earned the invitation to Boston, Massachusetts to compete at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, where he would race in the junior international mile against some of the best young milers in the world: Connor Burns (Southern Boone County, MO/Oregon signee), Simeon Birnbaum (Rapid City Stevens, SD/Oregon signee), Aaron Sahlman (Newbury Park, CA/Northern Arizona signee), Kole Mathison (Carmel, IN/Colorado signee), and Devan Kipyego (St. Raphael Academy, RI/Iowa State signee).
The field went out in 58.98, led by Great Britain's Kristian Green. Hansen went through in 1:00.06 and sat tightly in 5th position. Green brought the field through the half-mile mark in 1:59.76. Hansen ran a near even split and moved up into 3rd. He came around the halfway point in 2:00.45. He had the fastest second quarter of the field, 1:00.40.
It was Hansen pushing the pace the back half of the race up front with Burns, Burnbaum, and Kipyego. Once again, Hansen clocked the fastest quarter, this time splitting 1:01.52 and moving up onto the heels of Burns.
Hansen, a Wake Forest signee, opened up and exploded the final quarter mile. He was the lone runner in the field to have a final split under 1:00, going 59.15.
He crossed the line victoriously in 4:01.11, good for a new North Carolina indoor state record. And a performance that will surely open the eyes of all U20 milers in the world.
He joins Craig Engels in winners of the junior international mile at New Balance Grand Prix to come from North Carolina.
Watch Hansen run 4:02.88 in the 1,600m at the 2022 Carolina Distance Carnival.
Rocky Hansen is at it once again. The Christ School (Arden, NC) senior earned the invitation to Boston, Massachusetts to compete at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, where he would race in the junior international mile against some of the best young milers in the world: Connor Burns (Southern Boone County, MO/Oregon signee), Simeon Birnbaum (Rapid City Stevens, SD/Oregon signee), Aaron Sahlman (Newbury Park, CA/Northern Arizona signee), Kole Mathison (Carmel, IN/Colorado signee), and Devan Kipyego (St. Raphael Academy, RI/Iowa State signee).