Fast Times Await at APU Meet of Champions Distance Classic

APU Meet of Champions Distance Classic
Mark Gardner


1600 meters (4:01 pm)

  • Meet Record: Riley Bowen, Sonoma Academy (2016) 4:48.18
  • Break into All-Time Top 10: 4:51.60 
  • 2018 Winner: Tori Gaitan (Great Oak/SS) 4:51.59
Mile (7:32 pm)
  • Meet Record: Riley Bowen (Sonoma Academy | 2016) 4:49.83
  • Break into All-Time Top 10: 4:53.80
  • 2018 Winner: Haley Herberg (Capistrano Valley/SS | Sr.) 4:53.20
The top athletes that want to double back up for the 800 or 3200 have the option to either compete in a late afternoon 1600 meters or they may simply focus only on the Mile, which will be held under the lights at 7:32 pm.  Eight of the top nine from the 2018 edition of the afternoon 1600 were underclassmen.  Leading the charge in that afternoon 1600 will be a group, comprised primarily of Great Oak athletes.  Fatima Cortes was the runner-up a year ago with a 4:53.21 and comes into 2019 as the second fastest Californian.  The UC Berkeley-bound harrier improved to a 4:46.73 in 2018, which ended with her eighth place finish at the California State Meet.   Ayala junior Mikaela Ramirez will be right there pushing the pace as she was third a year ago with a 4:57.10.  Ramirez has already amassed a 2:14/5:00/10:32 resume this past month while she would have qualified for the State Meet in the 1600 and 3200, but focused on the 3200 meters.  Walnut's Chloe Arriaga is a past State Meet qualifier in this event and two-time Masters Meet qualifier, while coming in with 4:52.45 personal best.  She is headed up to UC Davis this summer.      

The ladies will run the Mile in the Invitational nighttime section.  The all-star lineup includes a loaded field, ranging from the 4:47 where every runner is capable of breaking 5:05 for the Mile.  The headliner is Mayfield sophomore Audrey Suarez.  After rocketing to the Div. 4 State Meet title and qualifying for the Foot Locker Nationals last November, Suarez is the current California leader for the event.  She displayed incredible breakaway strength in her 1600 (4:55.53) and 800 (2:14.99) victories at the Redondo Invite two weeks ago.  Suarez placed fifth in the 1600 at the 2018 State Meet while running under 4:49 in all three of her final races during the 2018 postseason.   The incredible Buchanan duo of Corie Smith and Meagen Lowe come down from Clovis.  Smith was fifth in this race in 2018 (4:58.59) while Lowe is coming off a 4:58.00 performance last weekend.  She placed ninth in the 1600 meters at last year's State Meet and comes in with a best of 4:48.87.  La Costa Canyon's Kristin Fahy is also listed to compete in the Mile (along with the 3200 an hour later).  She leads the state for a 1500 (4:32.44) which converts to a 4:54 for the Mile.  Fahy owns a best of 4:50.26 for the 1600, but has always kept the 3200 meters as her primary focus once the postseason approaches. 

Mission Viejo's Kelli Hines comes into the weekend as strong as ever.  Hines, bound for Yale, rolled to a 4:55.77 at an indoor meet last month.  She has been derailed by injuries the past two postseasons after qualifying for the State Meet final as a freshman.  Another one of Orange County's best, do not overlook San Clemente junior Hana Catsimanes.  Known more as a middle-distance athlete in years past, she exploded to a 31-second personal best in winning the 3200 meters last week after capping off a cross country season that ended at the Foot Locker Nationals.  She will be well in range of eclipsing her personal best of 4:55.00 for the 1600 meters.  Perhaps a sleeper in the field, Menlo's Charlotte Tomkinson took over the CA lead for the 800 meters, holding off a strong field en route to 2:10.61 victory last weekend at Dublin!     

A trio of freshman join the party in Canyon's Emma Hadley, Sanger's Nia Lamas and Granda Hills' Sofia Abrego.  Hadley (5:04.50) and Abrego (5:07.82) emerged from the cross country season as two of best ninth graders in the state while Lamas (5:02.67) is a bit under the radar because of an injury that sidelined her in the postseason.  Abrego was runner-up at the Winter Championships in the 1500 meters, running a 4:40.02 but was more impressive a week later with a 4:57.39 performance, finishing just behind Mission Viejo's Hines.