Mile Previews
The Boys
Oh, what a difference a day makes. How about even 30 minutes?
Well with that controversy behind us, let's talk about the great field of 21 in the boys' mile at this year's PTFCA indoor championships.
Lampeter Strasburg senior Colin Whitaker is back in the mile Sunday after placing third last year at 3,000, while future Notre Dame teammate Ryan Pajak of Ringgold moves down to the mile after placing fifth then second in the past two 3K finals at PSU.
A year ago, Butler's Drew Griffith outkicked former Hatboro Horsham ace Brian DiCola after a back-and-forth battle between the top two finishers in what turned into the third and fourth fastest mile times in meet history.
The two fastest times? Those came the year before as another Golden Tornado distance ace, CJ Singleton, pushed barrier-breaking Gary Martin of Archbishop Wood to the limit in a thrilling 8-plus laps. Martin prevailed, regaining the lead late in the race and finishing in 4:04.59 to Singleton's 4:06.60.
In a few short months, Griffith, Pajak and Whitaker all will be freshmen fighting for race action on a deep Fighting Irish roster. On Sunday, it should be a great race, with Griffith expected to lead from the gun. On the strength of his huge mile PR in Boston earlier this month and this past Saturday's fastest-ever indoor 2-mile run of 8:38.67, he has earned the favorite tag in this race, with the always-game Pajak staying close.
@oldschooltrack Picks: Don't get me wrong ... it's been a very good indoor season in Pennsylvania in the boys' mile, as 53 athletes have covered the full mile in under 4:30 through the middle of February. Grayson Ruffner of Wissahickon has broken 4:18 in the mile twice so far and also gone 1:55 in the 800 to shed the light on one from that large group, plus there is almost a month's worth of postseason events to come! A year ago, the final number of sub-4:30 was 47, and it was 35 in 2022 and just 29 in 2019, the last full season before the global pandemic canceled a chunk of the 2020 postseason. Despite those big 2024 numbers, the real number to focus on is Griffith's low number - 4:02.71 - earlier this month in a HS-finishers only mile in Boston and the more than 12 seconds that time has on the next fastest performance from a full mile or converted 1,500/1,600. All eyes will be on Drew Griffith.
The Girls
During a stellar high school career, Logan St. John Kletter hasn't been perfect, but no one has or is. What the Mt. Lebanon senior has been extremely good at is getting better and better.
After a cross country season that saw the future North Carolina Tar Heel claim a second PIAA distance title and her first Foot Locker Finals berth, St. John Kletter wasted no time in kicking off her indoor season in style with the first of two sub-4:50 miles. Her 4:48.08 to lead a very strong PA contingent at the VA Showcase back in January is No. 1 on the PA mile charts thus far and No. 14 nationwide, leading Keystone runners by a full 5 seconds over 5,280 feet. She also has cranked out a completely solo (she won by 76-plus seconds!) US#3 10:14.94 3,200 on the big oval at Youngstown State, obliterating a facility record set by in 2015 by distance legend Brianna Schwartz of Shaler Area.
Late to the 1,600/mile game this year but equally as fast is Olivia Cieslak of Haverford Township. Not only is the junior US#1 at 800, but she also is US#4 in the 1,600 with a 4:46.29 victory last weekend at Ocean Breeze and has a quick 600 time.
Outdoors last year, Cieslak was the state's fastest at 800 and 1,600, while St. John Kletter topped the mile and 3,200 lists. The credentials are about as even as you can get.
@oldschooltrack Picks: Five in the field of 20 have covered 1,600 or 1 mile in under 5 minutes, with Baylee Espinosa and Robin and Wren Kucler joining Cieslak and St. John Kletter. Those two have a sizable lead in the performance lists, but who leads and who follows in the hot heat of the 1 mile? That might determine the winner of this coin-flip race.