By Ricky Quintana
Copyright- National Scholastic Sports Foundation
Raleigh, NC- 10 state champions. 10 runners under 4:49.74 seconds for the 1600m. 5 of the top eight nationally ranked milers in the nation. Those are just some of the credentials of one of the deepest girl’s mile fields in high school history. The winner will be decided on June 19 at the Adidas Outdoor Championships at Paul Derr Track on the campus of North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C. The two day event that begins on June 18th is in its fourteenth year and will feature some of the best high school track and field athletes in the nation.
Leading the way will be Katelyn Kaltenbach of Smoky Hill High in Aurora, CO., arguably the best distance runner in the nation. The 2003 Foot Locker Cross Country Champion has continued to roll this track season winning the NIKE Indoor mile in a meet record time of 4:45.32(the best mile time indoor and outdoors) and collecting her fourth state track title at the Colorado State high school track and field championships. Kaltenbach who's racing schedule has had her compete on each coast, has not lost all year long, cross country or track.
For her achievements this past fall, Kaltenbach, only a junior, was awarded the named the Sportswomen of Colorado 2003 Sportswomen of the Year on March 14, flying from Landover, MD after her mile victory to Colorado for the awards ceremony that evening.
The field will be tough though. Any one of the several of the nation's top middle distance runners could win the title. They include:
Alicia Follmar, Saratoga HS(Saratoga, CA)- Follmar clocked an impressive 4:46.47 to win the California state championships June 5 against a very tough field. Her come from behind victory was good enough to get her a second consecutive state title. Her outdoor 1600m time is the best among the entrants.
Sarah Bowman, Fauquier(Warrenton, VA)- Bowman ran away from the field at the Penn Relays this season to clock the season’s fastest mile time of 4:48.55. She owns the 4th fastest time in the nation in the 800m, 2:07.69 and the fastest 1500m time, 4:23.8, in the nation. At the VA state championships, the versatile Bowman led her team to the runner-up trophy by winning the mile in 4:51.11(a state record), the 800m in 2:10.44(a state record), placing 2nd in the high jump with a mark of 5 feet 3 inches and running a leg on the 4 x 400m championship team. Since her surprise victory in the mile at the 2003 NIC Championships, Bowman has suffered ailments that have left her below par the past two championships. A sore back kept her from defending her NIC mile title this year(11th place) and at last year’s AOC(16th place), sickness kept her from performing at her best. She’s on schedule to reverse that trend this year.
Jennifer Barringer, Oviedo, FL- Barringer has emerged as one fot he top distance runners this year. At the FL 4A state championships on May 9, she set two state meet records, 4:48.90 for the 1600m and 10:35.36 for the 3200m. On May 22, she ran a personal best of 4:49.01 for the mile; the best time ever for the distance in Florida history. She also finished 3rd at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships in San Diego in December. A front runner, Barringer will be sure to make the pace quick.
Maggie Infeld, Beaumont(Cleveland Heights, OH)- This year, Ohio is nation’s girl’s miling hotbed and Infeld is the best of the lot. Infeld set the state meet record with her 4:47.79 in the Division I championships. She also ran 2:10.83 to win the 800m title. It was the third time she has won both. Infeld is the top returnee after last year’s 3rd place finish, 4:51.86. A very tenacious competitor, count on her to be there late. She’ll run for the Georgetown Hoyas next year.
Magin Kebert, West Lafayette, IN- Kebert finished third behind open runners at the Billy Hayes Invitational at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN on May 7. Her time of 4:27.94 ranks her 3rd nationally. Kebert did not compete for her high school this year. A North Carolina State signee, she’ll be running on her future home track.
Jacqueline Areson, Pope John Paul II(Boca Raton, FL)- The fastest soph in the field posted a best of 4:49.53 using a stinging kick to nearly hand Jenny Barringer her first defeat on the track this season. She was disqualified from the 1600m at her region meet for a uniform violation, but qualified and eventually won the 800m at the Florida 2A state championships. She placed 5th at the NIKE indoor Championships in time of 4:55.37. Areson ran 5:07 last year for the 1600m and is possibly the most improved runner in the nation. Her late quick finishes may surprise so keep an eye on her.
Sunni Olding, Minster, OH- The Notre Dame signee and the defending AOC two
mile champ won the Div. III (smallest schools) state championship in a fast
4:48.20, a tournament record. She became the ninth girl in state history to
win the title four years in a row. She won her second title with a 10:38.02
clocking in the 3200m. She finished her career with nine titles in cross
country and track. The basketball forward also helped sixth seed Minster(25-2) to the DIV. VI basketball championship March 20.
Alissa McKaig, Concordia( Ft. Wayne, IN)- McKaig, a non state qualifier last year, won this year’s state championship in 4:49.62; a 10+ second
improvement over last year. McKaig, a former soccer player, also finished
4th in the 3200m in 10:41.97. College choice: Baylor
Lindsay Donaldson, Lincoln Sudbury Regional(Sudbury, MA)- Donaldson won the MA state mile championship in 4:51.24 by 13 seconds. Then a half hour later,
the senior bound for Yale, led her team from seventh to first on the final
leg of the 4x800m for the team win.
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