Aisling Cuffe let it be known over the weekend that she's still the premier female distance runner in the nation.
Aisling Cuffe set two national-besttimes at the New York Loucks Games.
File photo by Kirby Lee
The 5-foot-4 senior from
Cornwall Central (New Windsor, N.Y.) set two national season bests while starring in the New York Loucks Games in White Plains, N.Y. Her winning time of 4 minutes, 40.56 seconds in the 1,600-meter run lowered her own No. 1 time of 4:45.46. Her time of 9:56.16 in the 3,200 easily toppled super freshman Sarah Baxter of
Simi Valley (Calif.) from the top spot (10:14.11).
Her 3,200 time also was a New York state record and No. 4 all-time in the nation.
TEXAS PRODUCES 7 NO. 1 TIMESLiving up to its storied past, the Texas Class 5A state track meet produced a flock of great efforts, including three No. 1 individual and four relay national times for this spring.
Taylor Houston of
Fort Bend Elkins (Missouri City, Texas) won the 200 in a national-leading 23.35. Courtney Ocolo, a junior from
Newman Smith (Carrollton, Texas), set a new standard when she won the 400 in 53.79.
The third No. 1 was posted by Gregory Coleman of
Warren (Texas), who won the 300 hurdles in 36.34.
The new relay marks were by the
North Shore (Houston) boys 400- (40.22) and 800-meter (1:24.45) teams. On the girls side, new marks were established by
Garland (Texas), 1:36.52 in the 800, and by
DeSoto (Texas), 3:41.41 in the 1,600.
* In Class 4A, Mariam Amadu of
Kingwood Park (Kingwood, Texas) starred despite running with her broken arm in a sling. She won the 300 hurdles in 41.63, which was No. 1 in the nation until Keni Harrison of
Clayton (N.C.) was clocked in 41.41.
*
Marcus (Flower Mound, Texas) senior cross country star Craig Lutz finally won his first state track title, capturing the 5A 3,200 in 8:52.91.
* North Shore's Jaylon Hicks won the 5A 100 in 10.15, but was aided by a strong tailwind.
GUNNER NIXON WINS 4 GOLDSDecathlon star Gunner Nixon of
Santa Fe (Edmond, Okla.) dominated his final Class 6A state track meet. The multi-talented senior won titles in the high jump (6 feet, 10 inches), long jump (24-4½), 110 hurdles (14.01) and the 300 hurdles (37.58). His long jump effort erased a state record that had stood since 1969. He then celebrated with a backflip off the podium.
KENDELL WILLIAMS STARS IN GEORGIAKell (Marietta, Ga.) sophomore star Kendell Williams won three championships during Georgia's Class AAAA state meet. She captured the high jump (5-8), 100 hurdles (13.48) and the 300 hurdles (42.42). Both hurdles times are Class AAAA meet records.
ORMAN RUNS FASTEST 3200Tuba City (Ariz.) senior Billy Orman turned in the nation's fastest time in the 3,200 this spring with a clocking of 8:48.63 - which also is a state record – during the Division III state finals. One day earlier he won the 1,600 run in 4:06.75, just off the state record despite 100-degree heat.
HEMAN IS TOP HIGH JUMPERCentral (Breese, Ill.) high jumper Jena Hemann took over the national high jump lead when she cleared an even 6 feet for her third straight title during the Class A Wood River Sectional. The Texas A&M recruit also won the triple jump (38-5¼), 100 (12.1) and long jump (19-1½).
VENA THROWS SHOT 75-9Morristown (N.J.) superstar Nick Vena set another national best when he threw the shot a personal-record 75-9 during a mid-week meet at Morris Hills, N.J. His record also is No. 3 all-time.
POTPOURRI* Nigel Preacher, a senior from
Brookhaven (Columbus, Ohio), set a high jump record of 7-1/4 during the Columbus City League meet.
*
Neptune (N.J.) junior Ajee Wilson ran a national-best 2:05.25 to win the 200 during the Swarthmore (Pa.) Last Chance meet.
*
Mount Ida (Ark.) star Andrew Irwin broke the state record when he pole vaulted 17-1 during the Meet of Champions.
