Right: North Rockland junior Katelyn Tuohy as she breaks the national high school 3,000m indoor record at the Dr. Sander Invitational at The Armory; Left: Bronxville seniors Matt Rizzo (No. 15) and Alex Rizzo (No. 8) ready to make competition see double in NYRR Millrose Games New Balance Boys’ High School Mile.Photos by John Nepolitan
NEW YORK, January 29, 2019 – Two of the major highlights of the 112thNYRR Millrose Games, scheduled for February 9that The Armory in Washington Heights,are the New Balance High School Mileswhich combine the top talent from the New York City metropolitan area with standout athletes from across the United States.
The 15 girls and 13 boys in this year’s girls’ and boys’ fields are some of the top distance runners in the country. Both races should be truly special. Here is an opportunity to get to know both fields:
GIRLS
· Katelyn Tuohy JR, North Rockland, NY: Tuohy is arguably the greatest female high school cross country runner in history, having won Nike Cross Nationals two years in a row, while resetting course records. She is extremely accomplished on the track as well, holding national records in the indoor 5000m and outdoor mile, with a personal best of 4:33.87 in the latter event. Tuohy is fresh off Saturday’s national high school indoor record performance in the Dr. Sander Invitational Women’s 3,000m, with a time of 9:01.81. Tuohy enters the NYRR Millrose Games as the solid favorite, but she finished a surprising fourth in last year’s Millrose mile, the only high school distance race she’s lost in the last two years. She will look to gain redemption after blowing away the field at the NYRR Millrose Trials with a time of 4:39.15.
· Marlee Starliper SR, Northern, PA: Starliper made quite the early season statement at the Coaches Hall of Fame Invitational in December, running a time of 4:47.21 to comfortably qualify for Millrose. Her personal best of 4:43.49 is the second best in the field, and it won her a Pennsylvania indoor state championship, shortly after she placed third at Millrose one year ago. Her other accomplishments include a victory at the prestigious Penn Relays and a runner-up finish at the Foot Locker Northeast XC Regional.
· Sarah Trainor JR, Franklin D. Roosevelt, NY: Trainor outlasted a deep field to place second behind Tuohy at the NYRR Millrose Games Trials in a personal best of 4:52.65, which was enough to qualify her for the main event. Trainor is a steeplechase specialist outdoors, placing third in the state and second at New Balance Nationals Outdoor in 2018.
· Lily Flynn SR, Ursuline, NY: Flynn qualified for Millrose by placing second behind Starliper at Hall of Fame with an impressive 4:54.21 timestamp. She has used that performance as a springboard to a remarkable indoor season so far, running personal bests in both the 800m and 3,000m, both of which were winning efforts. With a mile personal best of 4:48.26, Flynn’s stellar range makes her an athlete to watch. Flynn’s sister Anna placed fifth at Millrose in 2015.
· Lauryn Heskin SO, Marymount, NY: A local athlete hailing from New York City, Heskin qualified for Millrose by winning the 25thHispanic Games with an indoor best of 5:02.68. This victory followed consecutive third-place efforts at Hall of Fame and the Marine Corps Holiday Classic. Only a sophomore, Heskin looks to be a factor on the distance scene for years to come.
· Isabelle Goldstein JR, Germantown, PA: After coming up short on three prior occasions, Goldsteing punched her ticket to Millrose with a big personal best of 4:56.33 at the New Balance Games. Goldstein is the 2018 PAISAA champion in the 3,200m, and her sister Abbe won the Millrose mile in 2017.
· Camryn Wennersten FR, Ridgewood, NJ: Wennersten placed third at the Millrose Trials behind Tuohy and Trainor, running a personal best of 4:58.44 to claim an at-large qualifying spot. The freshman is the youngest athlete in the field and her teammate Will Baginski will compete in the boys’ race at Millrose.
· Jessica Schneider SR, Notre Dame, PA: Schneider placed third at the Hispanic Games, and her personal best of 4:56.40 ten days later at the DELCO championships was enough to earn an invite. Schneider placed third in the mile at the 2018 New Balance Nationals Outdoor and fifth at the state indoor championships.
· Taryn Parks JR, Greencastle Atrim, PA: Parks ran her personal best of 4:45.81 in 2017 to win a Pennsylvania outdoor state championship. More recently, she proved her fitness by winning the prestigious Virginia Showcase, earning her a Millrose invite. Parks also finished second at the state cross country championships and sixth in last year’s mile at New Balance Nationals Indoor.
· Victoria Patterson JR, Deerfield, MA: Patterson placed third at this month’s Dartmouth Relays, running a personal best of 4:57.68, which was her first time breaking the five-minute barrier. She is also the reigning NEPSTA champion in the 1,500m.
· Victoria Starcher JR, WV Flyers, WV: Starcher placed second at last year’s edition of New Balance Nationals Indoor with a personal best of 4:46.32. She went on to sweep the West Virginia state championships outdoors, winning titles in the 800m, 1,600m, and 3200m. With tremendous range and championship experience, Starcher is sure to be a contender.
· Claire Walters SR, Fayetteville-Manlius, NY: Despite sporting a relatively modest personal best of 5:02.14, Walters’ 1,500m PB of 4:34.91 set this past December suggests that she is capable of running significantly faster. The senior is most accomplished on the cross country course, placing fifth at each of the past two editions of Nike Cross Nationals to play a starring role in F-M’s incomparable XC dynasty.
· Phoebe White JR, Fayetteville-Manlius, NY: White’s 1,500m personal best of 4:36.92 figures to put her right in the mix along with her teammate Walters. White displays excellent range, as she holds a PB of 2:11.39 in the 800m, while also contributing to her program’s cross country success.
· Kelsey Chmiel SR, Saratoga Springs, NY: Chmiel has established herself as perhaps the second-best cross country runner in the nation, finishing second behind Tuohy at Nike Cross Nationals in both 2017 and 2018. On the track, Chmiel ran her mile personal best of 4:44.55 at Millrose a year ago to place second and defeat Tuohy in the process. She is also a sub-ten minute 3,200m performer, making her one of the most accomplished athletes in the field.
· Taylor Ewert JR, Beavercreek, OH: Ewert holds a personal best of 5:00.22, but her true talents are in the racewalk, where she is the USATF junior champion and already one of the best competitors in the country at any level. Ewert has rewritten the junior racewalk record book over the past couple years and she will compete in the professional mile racewalk at Millrose in addition to running the high school mile.
BOYS
· Sean Dolan SR, Hopewell Valley Central, NJ: The senior from Hopewell Valley is the reigning New Balance Nationals Outdoor champion in the mile and he holds an impressive personal best of 4:08.86. Dolan placed ninth in the mile at Millrose a year ago, and he is an accomplished 800-meter runner, with a personal best of 1:50.74. Dolan has committed to run collegiately at Villanova University and his father is the Director of Track & Field/Cross Country at the University of Pennsylvania.
· Matt Rizzo SR, Bronxville, NY: Rizzo stamped his entry to Millrose by winning the mile at the 25thHispanic Games in a time of 4:17.32, a personal best. He placed third in the 1,600m at the NYSPHSAA outdoor championships and also has an impressive cross country pedigree, finishing second at the prestigious Manhattan College XC Invitational and winning the Class C state championship.
· Alex Rizzo SR, Bronxville, NY: Rizzo ensured that he will join his twin brother on the Millrose starting line by winning the mile at the New Balance Games in a nearly identical personal best of 4:17.69. He also placed one spot behind his brother at Manhattan and finished third in the 1,000m at last year’s NYSPHSAA indoor championships. Rizzo will attend the U.S. Naval Academy next year.
· William Coogan JR, Phillips Exeter Academy, NH: A junior from New Hampshire, Coogan has sliced nearly six seconds off his personal best this winter, running 4:16.04 in December. Coogan has turned heads since the start of his career placing sixth in the freshman division of the mile at New Balance Nationals Indoor two years ago at The Armory. His father Mark Coogan is a former Olympic athlete, and now coaches the New Balance Boston training group, which includes Abbey D’Agostino.
· Jake Renfree JR, Knoxville Catholic, TN: Renfree is the best distance runner in the state of Tennessee, winning state championships in the indoor two mile, outdoor 1600m, and most recently the cross country title. With a personal best of 4:12.13 set at the Brooks PR Invitational, Renfree looks to once again test himself against a national caliber field.
· Tim McInerney SR, Christian Brothers Academy, NJ: McInerney punched his ticket to Millrose the old-fashioned way, defeating a deep field at the NYRR Millrose Games Trials on January 9thwith a time of 4:16.01. McInerney comes from a program with an unmatched pedigree for producing distance runners and he will be a threat with his lethal kick and a 1,600m best of 4:10.37.
· Will Baginski SR, Ridgewood, NJ: Baginski finished second at the Millrose Trials behind McInerney with a personal best of 4:16.87, earning him an at-large invite to the main event. The senior placed sixth at the Manhattan XC Invitational this past October. His teammate Camryn Wennerstenwill compete in the Millrose Girls High School Mile.
· Shea Weilbaker SR, Saratoga Springs, NY: Weilbaker claimed the first automatic Millrose invite of the season by winning the mile at the Coaches Hall of Fame Invitational in a time of 4:19.27. The senior is one of the most credentialed long-distance athletes in the field, winning the NYSPHSAA cross country championship this past November, to go along with his 3,200m titles both indoors and outdoors.
· Sean Ryan SR, Northport, NY: Ryan earned his Millrose bid by finishing second to Matt Rizzo at the Hispanic Games with a personal best of 4:17.93. The senior ran a leg on the runner-up 4x800m relay at the 2018 NYSPHSAA outdoor championship and won the 3200m at this year’s Molloy Stanner Games hosted by The Armory.
· Tobias Wolfson JR, Riverdale, NY: An Armory regular, Wolfson participated in every Millrose qualifying event and his persistence paid off at the New Balance Games. Finishing second behind Alex Rizzo, Wolfson ran a personal best of 4:18.04, holding the lead late and doing enough to earn an at-large bid. Wolfson is also the reigning USATF Junior Olympic regional champion in the 800m.
· Sam Affolder SR, Loudoun Valley, VA: Hailing from the same program that has produced outstanding athletes such as professional runner Drew Hunter, Affolder holds a personal best of 4:08.69. He is also a sub-nine minute 3,200m performer and he ran a leg on the winning 4 x 1 mile relay that set the national record of 17:01.82 at New Balance Nationals Indoor at The Armory. Affolder’s brother Noah holds the Millrose record of 4:07.24, set in 2017.
· Sam Toolin SR North Kingstown, RI: Toolin holds a mile personal best of 4:13.43 dating back to 2016, which he came close to equaling with a 4:14.53 at Boston University last month. Since then, Toolin has picked up victories at the East Coast Invitational and the URI Rhody Classic. He also placed third at the Rhode Island state cross country championships last November.
· Carter Cheeseman SR, Fort Worth Christian, TX: Cheeseman is the reigning Texas 5A cross country state champion and he went on to finish tenth at the Foot Locker National Championships. On the track, his mile personal best is 4:12.20 and he ran a superb two-mile time of 8:57.33 at the Brooks PR Invitational, while also winning state championships in both events. Cheeseman’s father competed in the high school mile at Millrose in 1984.
Members of the media interested in covering the 112thNYRR Millrose Games, to take place 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday, February 9that The Armory in Washington Heights, can sign up for credentials by clicking HERE.
The high school girls’ and boys’ mile are two of one of many world class track & field events on center stage during the 112thNYRR Millrose Games, the most historic indoor meet. The men’s shot put will feature Olympic gold and silver medalists Ryan Crouser and Joe Kovacs respectively throwing from the center of the track. Other top athletes who have been announced in other events include defending Women’s NYRR Wanamaker champion Colleen Quigley, Emma Coburn, Kate Grace,Aisha Praught-Leer,Edward Cheserek, Yomif KejelchaNick Willis. Clayton Murphy, Donavan Brazier, Craig Engels, Ajeé Wilson, Natoya Goule, Torie Bowie, English Gardner, Deajah Stevens, Nia Ali, Morgan McDonald, Grant Fisher, Hassan Mead andPat Tiernan. The night’s signature events will be the prestigious NYRR Men’s and Women’s Wanamaker Mile.
The 112thNYRR Millrose Games will be televised live nationally by NBC Sportsfrom 4:30 p.m.-6 p.m. and live streamed on USATF.TVfrom 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. NBC Goldwill have live streamed bonus coverage from 4 p.m.-6 p.m.
For more information on the 112thNYRR Millrose Games and to purchase tickets please go to www.nyrrmillrosegames.org.
Follow The Armory on Facebook, Twitterand Instagramat @armorynyc, or go to ArmoryTrack.comor Armory.NYC.
There will be a NYRR Millrose Games Press Conferenceon Friday, February 8th, beginning at 10:30 a.m. at the NYRR RUNCENTER, located at 320 West 57thStreet between 8thand 9thavenues in midtown Manhattan. Please RSVP Nick Nicholas if planning to attend at nick@nicholaslence.com.
About the NYRR Millrose Games
With a storied history that spans more than a century, the NYRR Millrose Games is one of track and field’s most prestigious and enduring annual events. A New York City sports staple, the meet moved to the New Balance Track & Field Center at The Armory in Washington Heights in 2012 after having called Madison Square Garden home from 1914 to 2011. The Games—established by employees of Wanamaker’s Department Store—features track and field’s most prolific male and female stars as well as collegiate, high school, club and youth competitors. More than 200 athletes share the distinction of being both Millrose and Olympic champions. In November of 2013, New York Road Runners became the title sponsor of the NYRR Millrose Games, which is owned by The Armory Foundation. The NYRR Millrose Games is a USATF television series event and The Armory Foundation appreciates the support of USA Track and Field.
About The Armory Foundation
The Armory is a New York City non-profit institution, with the mission of "Keeping Kids on Track." Each season The Armory— the proud home of the NYRR Millrose Games — hosts more than 100 track & field meets and welcomes more than 220,000 athlete visits. Among its many youth sports and educational programs, including the acclaimed Armory College Prep program, The Armory runs the leading collegiate indoor track meet with the Dr. Sander Invitational, and hosts the largest high school indoor track meets with this year's 25th Hispanic Games, The New Balance Games, and the New Balance Nationals Indoors. The Armory also runs NewYork - Presbyterian ColumbiaDoctors Indoor Marathon presented by New York Road Runners, which is the world’s largest indoor marathon relay. The Armory is also the home to the National Track & Field Hall of Fame and dozens of very large education-focused events. For more: Please visit Armory.NYC and ArmoryTrack.com.
