Boys
Steve Murdock (Shenendehowa, Clifton Park NY) and Paul Springer (Unionville, Pa) had planned to make an assault on the ancient national high school record, 14:29.28 set in 1984 by Brad Hudson.
Right away the pace was solid – 2:56.2 for the first kilometer – but not fast enough for the record. Andrew Hanko (Trinity Christian, NJ) tried to stay with them but dropped off, while Murdock and Springer traded the pacesetting work.
Springer took over after the first K and stepped up the pace to 70s. They stayed there through 2:57.8 2nd kilo and 2:56.7 3rd, hitting 8:50.7 for 3,000.
With 7 laps to go, Murdock went on his own, 11:47.1 with a thousand to go, and he ran hard all the way in for 14:36.57, the 2nd-fastest boys’ indoor 5K ever.
“ I was going for the record,” Murdock said. “I was disappointed that the first mile wasn’t faster. I had been hoping for 4:40.” The initial 1,600 was 4:44.2.
Springer held on for 14:51.07, a Pennsylvania state record and the 6th-fastest ever. Hanko also got a state record, running 15:04.42 to break the New Jersey mark of 15:30.38 set last year by Brandon Jarrett.
Girls
Elizabeth Briasco, the tiny ninth-grader from Queens Science (NY), took the early pace, and only Marissa Treece (Glen Lake, Maple City, Mich) went with her. Briasco towed the spike-haired Miss Treece through a solid 5:26 first 1,600.
The second kilo began to lag (3:21.1, then 3:30.9), and Treece suddenly bolted to the front. Her 7th 400 was 87.3, her 8th 80.0. “I just went with the first girl,” she said, “and when the pace lagged, and I just surged.”
Treece, a senior headed for Notre Dame, ran it in hard from there, never splitting slower than 82. Treece, a 5-4, 109-pound 17-year-old, was Michigan Division 4 cross country champion. She failed to make the Foot Locker nationals, running 19th in her regional. On the track last year she ran 4:54 for 1,600 and 10:43 for 3,200, losing narrowly at her state championships in both events, then went on to finish 8th at the USATF Juniors 1,500.
In the race for 2nd, Chelsea Ley (Kingsway, Gloucester Co, NJ) eventually caught fellow freshman Briasco, running 17:41.90, to break the 24-year-old national freshman record by 7 tenths. Briasco, who is 14 years old, 4 foot 10 and weighs 76 pounds, ran 17:49.60.
Treece ran an excellent 17:04.32, the 4th fastest ever.
