Completing an 8-16-32 distance sweep midweek probably is
enough racing over a 7-day stretch for most high schoolers.
For Mia Cochran, there still was one race on her schedule last week, and she was up for the challenge as the Moon Area senior registered a mile PR and a victory in the Trials of Miles: Track Night NYC.
"Going into WPIALs, I felt really good mentally and physically about the week ahead," Cochran said. "After I finished WPIALs, I felt super good and just started to focus on the next race."
One of Pennsylvania's all-time distance talents, Cochran headed to the Big Apple not long after winning runs of 2:14, 4:56 and 10:48 at last Wednesday's District 7 meet to get ready for the gathering at Icahn Stadium on Randalls Island in Manhattan. Last Friday's meet full of pros racing from 800 to 5,000 meters featured miles for invited preps.
With a dozen runners from six states, the girls' high school mile looked to be another big out-of-state test for Cochran, who also competed at her future college home - the University of Arkansas - and the Penn Relays during the 2022 outdoor season.
"Going into Friday night, I was a little scared about the turnaround but once I got to the track and did my warm-up, I knew I was going to have a really good race," the Arkansas signee said. "I felt insanely strong throughout it, and that race just got me super excited for states!"
With Penn Relays HS mile champ Juliette Whittaker serving as rabbit after winning the women's 800 earlier in the meet in an outstanding 1:59.80, Cochran was next in line and checked in with opening splits of 68.07 and 2:19.11. A third lap in 72.25 put Cochran in front en route to the victory in 4:42.43, with the runner-up more than 5 seconds back.
The performance is Cochran's fastest ever outdoors over a mile and also better than her 4:42.49 run at this winter's New Balance Nationals Indoor.
