After a brief hiatus, Katelyn Tuohy (North Rockland) returned to the track last night, and captured a record that had eluded her once before. At the Millrose Games, Tuohy had an FAT split of 4:24.84, which was then just shy of the Sophomore State and National Record set by Mary Cain in 2012 at the Indoor State Meet, where she ran 4:24.25. In an ironic twist of fate, Tuohy would run into Cain just a week later, when she was awarded the Gatorade Athlete of the Year for Cross Country.
Now, after eleven days rest from her Class A Championships, Tuohy was ready to run, recovered from a mid-season illness that had hampered her performance and training. The flu had plagued much of Section 1, and it would seem the Sophomore succumbed to the same seasonal illness. For the North Rockland star, the snow delay that pushed the meet back four days was a welcome turn of events.
Although entered in the 1000m and 3000m as well, the sophomore opted to concentrate on the 1500m at the State Meet, required to place Top 3 at the Qualifier to get the opportunity to do so. The flu was a big influence on her decision to scratch from the 1000m double, which had originally been the plan. She shot out from the gun, and quickly gapped the field. Aided by the crowd, and lapping the field, Tuohy crossed the line victorious, running an outright National Record.
Her time of 4:23.91 broke Cain's record, this time done in a near solo effort. The National Record lands her at NY #3 All-Time, as well as US #9 All-Time in the event. It also makes her the odds-on favorite for a State Title in the event. The State Meet would also mark her final attempt to lower her record in
that event, as she plans to run the 2-Mile and DMR at New Balance
Indoor Nationals, with a possible appearance in the SMR as well.
As it stands through eight qualifiers, nobody will be seeded within 20-seconds of Tuohy at the State Meet. Of the remaining Sections, only Sarah Trainor (FDR) and Kelsey Chmiel (Saratoga) would be able to close that gap based on the current State Rankings. Both those athletes are also the Top Seeds in the 1,000m and 3,000m respectively, so it remains to be seen which direction they go.