1600 Meters - Parks leads crazy deep group of sub-5er
Last year in the 1600m, the fastest freshman in PA ran a 5:09.36. This year, ten freshman posted times faster than 5:09. Even more impressive, three of the those top 10 freshmen broke 5 minutes in the 1600m at the state meet this spring. All three of these sub-five minute freshmen are in the mid-state, which made for some awesome battles to spectate this spring in District 3.
At many invitationals, Northern's Marlee Starliper and Greencastle-Antrim's Taryn Parks faced off in the distance events. Parks edged out Starliper XC win in the fall, and this trend continued in track. Even at indoor states, the pair finished within a hundredth of a second of one another in the mile.
Just when Parks seemed unbeatable, Starliper had her time to shine, winning the 1600 at both the Mid-Penn and District 3 Championships. Starliper clocked a jaw-dropping 4:50.78 at Mid-Penns, solidifying herself as a force to be reckoned with in the postseason. Parks ran a 4:55 in both races for second place. Additionally, freshman Katie Locker of Elizabethtown Area ran a 5:01.49 for third in the District 3 1600 meters.
Photo by Abby Huber
These three talented freshmen all made it out of the trials at states, but they faced more than just each other in this year's stacked final. Parks shared what she thought set her apart from her competition and reflected on her mindset going into the big race,
"I think what set me apart from the competition was my mental toughness," she said. "Going into states, I was coming off two big losses in the 1600, but the week leading up to states I was determined to not leave Shippensburg without a gold medal. When I look back at that week, I just tried to surround myself with positive people and stay focused by keeping in the back of my mind the hopes of winning gold."
Her determination was unyielding. Parks not only came away with a gold medal, she ran a ten-US#1 and currently US#2 freshman time. She is now a state champion in both XC and on the track. What is this freshman's secret?
Her coach Richard Seacrest shared his thoughts on what makes Parks different from others.
"She has made a full commitment to running 12 months out of the year," he said. "Taryn has the ability to 'see the field' within races and she is brave enough to react to moves that are made. She doesn't seem to become complacent with her performances. She always wants to run faster."
With her talent, commitment and racing skills, Parks has a bright future in distance running.
The class of 2020 had an overall impressive showing in the AAA 1600 meters at States. It is crazy enough to have one freshman breaking 4:50, but we have two in PA. Starliper also had a PR that weekend, running an incredible U.S #3 freshman time of 4:49.68 for third. Katie Locker also rose to the challenge in the 1600m. She dropped even more time off her personal best, running 4:56.70 for eighth place.
Other freshman to look for in the rankings are Reagan Underwood of Wilson and Annie Wicker of Quaker Valley. Also in the future, look for fast times from Germantown Academy's freshman Isabelle Goldstein, the younger sister of talented distance runner Abbe Goldstein.