
Date: Friday January 31st, 2025
Start Time: 5:00pm
Location: Dr. Conrad Worrill Track & Field Center; Chicago, IL
Outlook -
This is a meet that involves athletes from all ages. Here we will be only breaking down the high school and middle school athletes that are competing in this event. Get ready for some good racing and a potential national record attempt in a star studded 2 Mile.
60m -
This event will have the teammates Brooklyn Holmes and Autumn Price of Marian Catholic (IL) competing in it. Price has a PR in the 100m of 12.47 from last season while Holmes has a 12.27 PR. Both will be among the top sprinters in 2A this year and we get an early look at them here.
2 Mile -
The High Voltage 2 Mile looks to be the premier event to watch at this meet, but before we get to that race we will watch two sections of the 2 Mile that will still be very entertaining. Izzy Hardin of Maquoketa (IA) looks to be the top girl in Section 1. She was 5th at the Iowa 3A State Championships this past fall for cross-country and will be making her season debut. Section 2 looks to be a very competitive race between a few different competitors. Defending his home turf will be Gavin O'Connor of Brother Rice (IL). O'Connor ran 9:28 in the 3200m last indoor season and is coming off a great cross country season. Battling with him will be Preston Johnson of Marshalltown (IA) who has already ran 9:25 this season for 3200m. The Bobcats runner has made massive strides since cross country and will be looking to continue his momentum here. Christopher Angeles of Frankfort (IN) will also be near the front of this race. He ran 4:25 for the Mile at the Misfits Invite a few weeks ago and could win this.
After those two sections we will watch the Boys High Voltage 2 Mile take to the track.
The top seed in the field is Tayvon Kitchen of Crater (OR) who has ran 8:02.02 for 3K before which converts to a 8:37 3200m! He achieved that racing with college runners at the UW Preview/Mile City Meet this indoor season. He also ran 4:04 in the Mile the following day. Kitchen is very fit currently and will be looking to lay down a blazing time here in a full 2 Mile. Could the National Indoor Record of 8:34.91 be in jeopardy? Juan Gonzalez of Freemont (NE) at one point this country country season was considered the best runner in the country on the grass. He ended up finishing 13th at NXN and runner-up at FL Nationals. He will make his season debut here in this very talented field. Gonzalez has a PR of 8:47.01 in the 2 Mile and after how he ran in cross country, he may be able to dip under 8:40 here if has maintained his cross country fitness. Trey Caldwell of De La Salle (CA) just recently signed an NIL deal with HOKA. The breakout senior ran 8:53.69 to take 10th at the CIF State Meet in the 3200m. Caldwell had a great cross country season that saw him finish 3rd at the CIF State Meet and 12th at Foot Locker Nationals. If all goes well here, Caldwell could run a new PR here.
The girls race will be extremely intriguing with six athletes having the ability to win this race. Victoria Garces of Midland Dow (MI) will be the one that many people have their eyes on in this race. She was the national runner-up at both Nike Cross Nationals and Foot Locker Nationals during the cross country season. She has already ran 4:51.79 in the Mile this year at the MSTCA Boston Holiday Challenge. She will smash her current PR of 10:21 here. Keeghan Edwards of Mountain Vista (CO) is kicking off her season after a great cross country campaign. She took 4th at Nike Cross Nationals and cemented herself as one of the nations top runners. Her best track performance came at the HOKA Festival Of Miles when she ran 4:46.63 for the win in the High School Elite division. Mia Sirois of Barrington (IL) had an excellent open at the CYUP Misfits Invite presented by HOKA, when she ran 4:51/49 for a new Mile PR and then doubled back to win the 2 Mile in a new PR of 10:15.24. She was 6th at Nike Cross Nationals and the All-Time Illinois Record Holder in the 3 Mile. She could get very close to breaking 10:00 in this field. Abby Faith Cheeseman of The Webb (TN) didn't have the cross country she would have hoped for as she missed out on being All-American at both Nike Cross Nationals and Foot Locker Nationals. She still has the best resume in the field and it seems that other publications are just calling her a "depth" runner in this race. She has a 2 Mile PR of 10:02.08 which is the performance that it took for her to win the 2023 2 Mile at New Balance Outdoor Nationals. She was also the National Champion at New Balance Indoor Nationals this past winter with her 16:19.82 performance in the 5K. Chloe Huyler of Lakeridge (OR) will be another key name in this field. She has already ran 4:46.83 this season and was 20th during cross country at Nike Cross Nationals. This wasn't her best performance of the year though as she was ranked a top 10 runner in the nation at some points this year. She ran 16:32 for the 5K this year on the grass which shows he is in excellent shape to run something fast here. Her 2 Mile PR is 10:08.16 which could be in jeopardy here. Elin Latta of South Texas Heat Homeschool (TX) might be the runner with the most intrigue in this race. She is a very talented miler with her 4:43.92 PR that she ran at the CYUP Misfits Invite Presented By HOKA. She has yet to have a standout race outside of the Mile on the national stage. Could that race happen here and she runs close to sub 10:00?
Mile
Following up the 2 Mile will be some great races of the Mile with many emerging national standouts will be competing. Braden Lofquest of Gretna East (NE) is the top seed in this field with his 4:11.05 Mile PR. He has shown that he has great speed and endurance. He has a 1:51 800m PR and was the Nebraska Class B State Champion in cross country. He could potentially dip under 4:10 here. Reed Grotenhuis of Stinger (WI) is the 2nd best seed entering this meet with his 4:14.57 PR. He was 5th at the Wisconsin State Meet in the 1600m last spring and 8th at the Wisconsin State Meet in cross country. Rory Gaan of Palatine Fremd (IL) will be looking to defend his home state in this race with one of the top seeds in the field. His 4:16.14 1600m PR is a 4:17 Mile conversion. He had a great cross country state meet when he ran 14:21 to take 7th. Shane Conroy of Portage (IN) is a potential dark horse in this field. He has been All-State in the 3200m at the Indiana State Meet for consecutive years, but has not had the opportunity to lay down a fast Mile. His 9:02.69 3200m PR shows that he is capable of running something great here.
On the girls side, Remy Latta of South Texas Heat Homeschool (TX) looks to be the favorite to be the fastest girl in the race. She ran a new PR of 5:04.78 in the Mile at the CYUP Misfits Invite Presented by HOKA which shows that she is in excellent shape currently. Izzy Hardin of Maquoketa (IA) had a great cross country season where she took 5th at the Iowa State Cross Country Meet. She is scheduled to run in the Mile and 2 Mile so expect her to only race one of these races.
200m
In the 200m, it will be exciting to witness the season debut of Amina Hadziahmetovic of Prospect. She ran 25.22 in this event last year and barely got to contest it as she was in other events during most meets and Prospect having insane 200m depth last year. If she runs around 25.5 in this race then that will be huge for her.
800m
Eliza Pfarr of Home School Eagles (WI) is a talented runner but unfortunately due to being a home school student, she does not receive many opportunities to compete. She sports a PR of 2:19.92 in the 800m and has run under 5:00 for the Mile. She will be in the mix for the fastest girl time on the day. Ruah Franzmann-Simmert of Tri-State Homeschool (WI) runs into the same problem in terms of getting opportunities to compete as Pfarr does. The sophomore sports a PR of 2:19.51 in the 800m which she used to win the Wisconsin Freshman State Title.
before we get kicked off with the top heat of the High Schoolers, Brayden Domont of Bourbonnais (IL) will be on the track. The middle school phenom will be looking to continue his reign of terror after he ran 4:32 in the Mile at the CYUP Misfits Invite Presented by HOKA. All eyes will be on Domont when he takes to the track. Spencer Alf McFarland (WI) will have everyone eyes on him as the favorite for this race. Alf has already ran 1:56 this season and has a PR of 1:54. He is ready to roll after a few weeks off. Don't discount Jemekhi Tally and Jack Wanezek who could potentially sneak away with a win.
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