Angelina Napoleon (Allegany-Limestone) clears a barrier in the 2023 NYSPHSAA state meet 2,000 meter steeplechase
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Angelina Napoleon (Allegany-Limestone) entered the 2,000m steeplechase with as much confidence as anyone.
Last month, she reclaimed the national record in the event -- from Cornwall's Karrie Baloga -- when she ran 6:19.75 at the Section 6 Class C Championships.
On Friday evening, she got her running rhythm going when she ran a U.S. No. 3 ranking in the 800m to take the NYSPHSAA title in 2:03.97.
Napoleon was going to ensure the race would be fast, but so would the company of Cornwall senior and University of Colorado signee Karrie Baloga and Iowa State signee Sheridan Wheeler (Saratoga Springs).
Wheeler entered ranked U.S. No. 5 all-time; she ran 6:27.80 behind Baloga at the Loucks Games, so there was a quiet confidence there for her as well.
Photo by Todd McDonough/MileSplit NY
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Baloga entered the state meet U.S. No. 2 on the all-time list. She was U.S. No. 6 coming into the 2023 outdoor season, but in mid-May she ran 6:22.85 at the Glenn D. Loucks Games to steal the national record from Napoleon -- though she would only hold it for two weeks.
When the race began, it went very swiftly with Napoleon and Baloga running stride-for-stride through the first 800m.
Their splits were 1:09 and 1:15, respectively, for a 2:25 second half mile. Just before 1,200m mark, Napoleon attempted to put some space between her and Baloga, but even with the prior night's 3K on her legs, Baloga stubbornly refused to let her go and at 1,600m, their splits were 5:02 and 5:03.
As impressive as Napoleon and Baloga were, Wheeler was running just as well just two seconds behind them at 1,600m with a 5:05 split.
She was hitting the same splits on laps three, four and five, which demonstrated her ability to run at record pace.
Where she fell behind the record holders was at the start -- she was one second off on the first lap and two seconds off on lap two.
In the end, it nearly took another national record race for Napoleon to record the win, and the 2023 NYSPHSAA 2K steeplechase state title.
She lowered the standard by 0.66 seconds, from 6:19.75 to the 6:18.41, and defeated Baloga, who followed in 6:21.31. Wheeler crossed the line in 6:22.13 for third-place and to become the U.S. No. 3 all-time performer.
