Blog Archives
Midwest Distance Digest – January 14, 2013
By Michael Newman
The Midwest Distance Festival is less than six months away. Yes, it is a long time but it will go by quickly. To help the time fly a little bit faster, I am introducing a weekly update that will count down to the second annual Midwest Distance Festival on June 8.
We will look at some of the top distance performances in the Midwest (and maybe beyond also) each week. You may see some of these great athletes on the Benedictine University track in June.
Erin Finn’s 10:18 3200 in Ann Arbor
Though it will probably be overshadowed by Mary Cain’s unbelievable 9:02 3k on Saturday in Seattle, Erin Finn (West Bloomfield HS, West Bloomfield MI) ran a great race on a track that she will call home the next four years on the campus of the University of Michigan. She split 5:12 / 5:06 in her 10:18 race. Steve U has a full recap with an interview of Erin. You can read more HERE
Amos Bartelsmeyer’s great double at the Arkansas HS Invitational
It looks like Amos Bartelsmeyer (Mary Institute-St. Louis Country Day School, St. Louis MO) is picking up where he last off last spring in track. The Missouri senior Saturday started off his track season with two sterling performances at the Arkansas HS Invitational. He started off his evening by winning the 1 Mile run in 4:13.26, over four seconds ahead of Trevor Gilley (Carroll HS, Southlake TX) who ran 4:17.67. Bartelsmeyer ran a great tactical race letting Gilley set the pace. Gilley looked like he had the race with 400 to go opening a two second lead. Bartelsmeyer closed in a 29 second last lap to pass a tiring Gilley and seal the win.
Amos came back an hour later and was just nipped at the line by Chris Ibarra (Atlanta, TX) by two hundredths of a second 1:52.74 – 1:52.76.
This is a great start of the year for Bartelsmeyer. Last year in track, he won the Missouri Class 3 State Championship in the 1600 and finished third in the 800. He has a PR of 4:11 in the mile which he ran at the Festival of Miles Meet at the end of May last year. His PR in the 800 is 1:51.08 which he ran in winning the Midwest Distance Festival last June. Although he missed close to a month in the cross country season, he still won the Missouri Class 3 Individual championship last November.
Amos has verbally committed to Georgetown University.
The times that he has run indicate that he will be one of the premiere prep milers in the United States this spring.
Topham’s running towards the top
Rebekah Topham (Griswold IA) already has a strong following in her home state of Iowa. Though only a sophomore, she has already captured four state championships (2 in track, 2 in cross country). She started off the season in style in consecutive week’s performances.
Last week at the Texas A&M HS Invitational, Topham dominated the fields in both the 2 and 1 mile runs in setting meet records in both of those events (11:09.10 / 5:04.10).
At the Arkansas High School Invitational Saturday in Fayetteville, Rebekah finished second in the Mile to Courtney Kriegshauer (Carroll HS, Southlake TX). Topham’s time of 4:55.28 was a seasonal best. She came back in the 800 to hold off Annika Sisson (Lee’s Summit West HS, Lee’s Summit MO) for the win. Topham’s winning time was a seasonal best of 2:17.78. Sisson’s time was 2:18.37.
Edwardsville’s 1:31.29 4×2 overshadows Brown’s 3 wins at Arkansas HS Invitational
The Edwardsville Track Club quartet of Bennett Gray, Brian Crowe, Isaiah Michel, and Craig James celebrate their victory in the 4 x 200 Meter Relay at the Arkansas HS Invitational on Saturday. Photo courtesy of Edwardsville track.
By Michael Newman
Aailyah Brown (Lincoln-Way East, Frankfort IL) captured 3 wins Saturday evening at the Arkansas High School Invitational at the Randal Tyson Track Center on the campus of the University of Arkansas. However, her exploits were overshadowed somewhat by an early season fast 4 x 2 by the quartet from Edwardsville.
Running as the E-ville Track Club but having all 4 runners students at Edwardsville HS, the Tigers ripped off an eye popping 1:31.29 to set a school indoor record and to win the Boys 4×2 relay. What is amazing is that Edwardsville ran 1:31.46 at the end of February at the Normal West Invitational last year. The E-ville relay team of Bennett Gray, Isiah Michal, Craig James, and Brian Crowe are ahead of last year’s team that had graduated all-state sprinter Cameron James as part of it. A time like this, especially in January, will put the rest of Illinois on notice that they could go close to 1:30 by the time the indoor circuit ends.
Brown had another great night dominating the races that she was entered in. She romped in the 60 Meter dash winning by a sizeable fifteen hundredths of a second victory. Illinois Elite Club teammates Kayla Hylton (Lincoln-Way North HS, Frankfort IL) and Alexis Hyshaw (Lincoln-Way East HS, Frankfort IL) finished fifth and sixth. Brown’s time of 7.60 is her fastest of the young 2013 season.
The Lincoln-Way East senior came back later in the meet to win in a convincing 24.58, over a half second ahead of Brianna Swinton (Parkview Arts-Science HS, Little Rock AR). Hylton (25.95) and Alexis Pierre-Antoine(26.06) finished sixth and seventh overall in this event.
The Illinois Elite Club 4×2 team of Aaliyah Brown, Asia Brown, Kayla Hylton and Imani Haynes started off the night with over a second win running 1:41.51 to dominate the race.
Cahokia made their presence known in this meet in the Triple Jump and in a big way. Cahokia Track Club athletes placed 2-3-4 in this event. The Comanches were led by Freshman Ja’Mari Ward who jumped a personal best of 46-9. Senior Chris Moore (45-1 ½) and Junior Jalon Monigan (44-11 ½) finished behind their teammate. Monigan came back later in the 800 to run 2:01.
Edwardsville senior Julian Harvey had a great night in the field events. He finished 3rd in the Long Jump jumping an indoor personal best of 22-5. Harvey also finished 2nd in the High Jump clearing 6-5.
Maya Neal (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville IL) usually will be in four events when it gets close to state meet time. On this night, the talented sophomore concentrated on the 60 Meter High Hurdles. She finished second in the finals running 9.02.
Aaliya Harmon (Rich Central HS, Olympia Fields IL) finished second last week at Texas A&M with a 18-4 effort in the Long Jump. Saturday night she won the event jumping 18-7, a seasonal best for the senior.
In the evening’s final event, the 4 x 40 meter relay, Cahokia showed that they are already in mid-season stride. The foursome of Marlin Brady, Jalon Monigan, Michael Monigan, and Darren Payton ran 3:25.07 to place second. This is the same quartet that won this event at the Illinois state meet last May. To show the depth of 400 meter runners Cahokia has, their “B” team ran 3:32. If this is an indication of the strength of this team this spring, it will be tough to knock off the Comanches in this event in May.
Monday Morning Finish Line – January 7, 2013
Welcome to the 2013 Track season!
This is the first of the Illinois Prep Harrier Monday Morning Finish Line Video shows. I will do one more in January. When Dyestat Illinois opens in the next month, this feature will continue on that site.
Illinois Prep Harrier will continue as we continue into this season. Dyestat Illinois is not something new. It is just a continuance of what I started with Illinois Prep Harrier. I am excited for what is to come and I am sure you all will be as well. There are many stories to tell in the 2013.
Thank you for letting me serve you in doing this.
Any questions: newman.dyestatil@gmail.com
Brown repeats double win at Texas A&M High School Classic
Aailyah Brown on her way to the win in the 200 Meter Dash at the Texas A&M Classic on Saturday. Photo Credit: Dwayne Pierre-Antoine
By Michael Newman
Aaliyah Brown (Lincoln-Way East HS, Frankfort IL) comfort level showed Saturday on the track that she will call home for the next 4 years. The Illinois senior defended her 60 Meter and 200 Meter Dash titles at the Texas A&M HS Classic held inside the Gilliam Indoor Track Season.
Aaliyah Brown after her win in the 200 Meter Dash at the Texas A&M Classic on Saturday. Photo Credit: Dwayne Pierre-Antoine
Brown, who in December had verbally committed to Texas A&M, started her afternoon by winning the 60 Meter Dash in 7.55 seconds. She was 7 hundreths of a second ahead of Rushell Harvey (Westside HS, Houston TX). Brown just missed the meet record that she set a year ago of 7.46. She came back in the 200 to win in 24.60. She ended her day by running on the Illinois Elite Club 4 x400 Meter Realy. Those efforts earned her the Girls Running co-athlete of the meet. She shared that honor with Sophomore Rebekah Topham (Griswold IA) who destroyed the fields in winning both the 1 mile and 2 mile runs in meet record times (5:04.10 / 11:09.10).
Shamier Little (Lindblom HS, Chicago IL) started off her 2013 as well at this meet. The future Aggie placed third in the 60 Meter High Hurdles (8.75) and then came back and finished third behind Brown in the 200 Meter Dash (25.04).
Two freshmen sprinters on the Illinois elite squad may their 2013 debuts and showed that they will make a difference in the Girls sprint fields in 2013. Kayla Hilton (Lincoln-Way North HS, Frankfort IL) ran a personal best of 7.80 to place sixth in the 60 Meter Dash. She came back in the 200 to finish seventh in the finals (25.22). Hylton finished just ahead of fellow Illinois Elite teammate and freshman Alexis Pierre-Antoine(Lincoln-Way East, Frankfort IL) in the 200 (25.73).
Aaliya Harmon (Rich Central HS, Olympia Fields IL) made her presence known in both the horizontal jumps. The second place finisher in the 3A state meet in 2012 looked like she has not lost her step in the Long Jump. Her leap of 18-4 ½ earned her a second place finish. She also competed in the Triple Jump where she finished seventh (36- ¼).
Watch Brown’s win in the 60 Meter Dash on Saturday
Coming in 2013…
Coming soon…Dyestat Illinois
As you know in June of 2012, ESPN decided to drop its high school website which meant dropping Dyestat. A stripped down version of Dyestat (Dyetrack) was brought back for the fall cross country season with efforts to obtain funding for the site.
At the beginning of November, John Dye announced ceasing operations for Dyestat.
A few weeks ago, Runnerspace announced the acquisition of the Dyestat name and all of the assets connected with it including the Dyestat and Dyestat IL domain names, the Dyestat archives, and the Dyestat TFX database.
I am happy to announce in 2013 that Dyestat Illinois will be back…better than ever!
A launch date has not been determined yet for Dyestat Illinois but hopes are to have the website up and running by the end of January.
This will not be the same Dyestat Illinois that closed its doors last August. There will be new features that will be introduced in the first few weeks after the site is open. Along with that, we will give you coverage of both Boys and Girls Track & Field in Illinois starting with the indoor season in February and culminating with unprecedented state meet coverage from Charleston in May.
We also are hoping to have the TFX database that you love and enjoy up and running by the end of January.
Illinois Prep Harrier will still be around but will be reconfigured. Stay tuned for news on that. One feature that you liked from the fall season, Monday Morning Finish Line, will move to Dyestat Illinois.
I am excited for what the 2013 season will bring and the stories that Dyestat Illinois will be able to bring you.
If you have any comments or things that you would like to see on the new Dyestat Illinois, please contact me at newman.dyestatil@gmail.com.
Michael Newman
Editor – Dyestat IL
Illinois Prep Harrier 