Almost 20 years later, and Saratoga Springs is still setting the standard in the four-by-mile.
Way back in 2005, the quartet of Lindsey Ferguson (4:58.4), Karyn Delay (5:13.3), Caitlin Lane (4:55.9) and Nicole Blood (4:51.7) took down the high school national record at Nike Indoor Nationals, good for a total of 19:59.24.
For all that time, they were the only team to ever crack 20 minutes indoors for the rarely contested event. That's not without challenge, mainly from squads of their own in the interim.
In fact, 50-percent of the top 10 marks in the event have all come from Saratoga -- running as Kinetic Track Club -- at the indoor national championships.
Flash forward to 2022.
Saratoga Springs was back with their best team ever.
On Friday at Nike Indoor Nationals, Saratoga was back to its record breaking ways, shaving another 10 seconds off their standing record, winning the girls championship in a new all-time No. 1 performance of 19:49.10.
The mark was a long time coming, after this current crops' breakout season in 2019 that saw them capture the Team Nationals title in Oregon. Just last year, the team also broke the outdoor national record in the 4xmile, going 19:40.67.
The girls from New York were on pace to break the record that indoor season, but New Balance Nationals Indoor saw a cancellation at the last minute, postponing their effort.
A similar effort in 2021 was also deterred by another cancelation, although the foursome managed to clock an early-season 20:10.18 at adidas Indoor Nationals, good for US No. 5 all-time in the event.
The foursome was more evenly balanced on Friday, as Ella Kurto, Alycia Hart, McKenzie Hart and Emily Bush put together all four mile splits at or under the 5-minute mark.
The win came in a race where their 'B' team would take second-place, throwing down a respectable 20:24.28, good enough to break into the US No. 25 performance all-time as well. That squad consisted of McKinley Wheeler, Sheridan Wheeler, Anya Belisle, and Madelyn Miller.
An impressive effort, maintaining Saratoga's strong legacy in the event.
And if you think there will be any interruption next year, only Mackenzie Hart and Kurto are seniors.
Expect the Streaks back in 2023.
Photos by Tom Smith / MileSplit
