Kellenberg sophomore Aidan Hopkins has had a breakout year.
A year ago, as a freshman, his 1600m personal best was a 4:41.19. It was respectable for his Class, ranking 33rd amongst all freshmen within New York State last year. But then the times started dropping indoors.
He opened with a 9:27 for 2 Miles in December. A week later, he pulled 20-seconds off his mile personal best, running 4:22.12 at the Marine Corps Classic. Two months later, on his second attempt at the distance, he lowered it 4:21.73. He opted for the 3200m at the State Meet, brining his best down to a 9:20.03, good for 15th overall.
Outdoors, a plateau may have been expected, but the opposite happened. The times kept dropping. Now focused on the mile, took 7th overall in the famed Loucks Games, bringing his Mile time down to 4:15.62. He went back to his League Meet a week later, and ran 4:16.26 for 1600m in a near solo effort.
The CHSAA Intersectional Champs serve as the State Meet for the Catholic Schools. There, despite his age, he dominated the four lap outing, winning by six seconds in the 1600m, with a time of 4:13.25. In fact, four of the top six finishers were sophomores, all of them under 4:24 for the distance.
But it's Hopkins' time that is of note. Converted to the mile for posterity, that mark is 4:14.75, making it the second fastest sophomore mark of all time for the true distance. John Trautmann went 4:11.8h for the 1600m in 1984, and then Ryan Sykes (Horace Greeley) went 4:13.46 at States last year as a sophomore. The other marks on the All-Time lists are true miles. The current State Record is held by Brian Rhodes-Devey (Guilderland), who went 4:13.49 for the Mile at the Eddy Games in 2025.
With plenty of Season left, in much bigger fields, that record is on watch. Just over a second remains in the way.
One Mile (and: m=1600 meters)
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8G: 4:22.80m Noah Tindale (Guilderland) 2015 ** (May 19, Suburban Council, Colonie)
Fr: 4:14.98m Noah Tindale (Guilderland) 2016 ** (May 17, Suburban Council, Troy)
So: 4:11.8m John Trautmann (Monroe-Woodbury, Cen Valley) 1984
4:13.60y Brendan Fennell (Pearl River) 2001 (Jun 17, AOC Nat, NC State Univ)
4:13.49y Brian Rhodes-Devey (Guilderland) 2005 (May 14, Eddy Meet, Niskayuna)
Jr: 4:05.24m Nick Ryan (Fayetteville-Manlius) 2012 ** (Jun 9, NY State Champ, Cicero-N Syr)
Sr: 4:02.7y Matt Centrowitz (Power Memorial, Manhattan) 1973 (Jun 23, AAU Jr Nat, Univ FL)
Kellenberg sophomore Aidan Hopkins has had a breakout year.
A year ago, as a freshman, his 1600m personal best was a 4:41.19. It was respectable for his Class, ranking 33rd amongst all freshmen within New York State last year. But then the times started dropping indoors.
He opened with a 9:27 for 2 Miles in December. A week later, he pulled 20-seconds off his mile personal best, running 4:22.12 at the Marine Corps Classic. Two months later, on his second attempt at the distance, he lowered it 4:21.73. He opted for the 3200m at the State Meet, brining his best down to a 9:20.03, good for 15th overall.