APU MEET OF CHAMPIONS DISTANCE CLASSIC
Mira Costa senior Dalia Frias crosses the finish line to win the mile at the APU Meet of Champions Distance Classic, setting a state record in the four-lap distance. (Daniel Hernandez photo)
* * *
PHOTOS | VIDEOS
AZUSA -- With the sun setting, the electricity began to set in at the Azusa-Pacific University facility. Already witnessing personal bests all throughout the day from thousands of distance runners and the reminder that it was "just good to be back!" echoing amongst the meet directors, those in attendance anticipated watching some of the fastest times in the nation being set forth in the invitational portion of the invite.
But, we're not quite sure all of us knew exactly what was in store! What took place over the course of less than two hours has never been matched in the history of California prep distance lore and the history books will forever remember what took place! We are truly in a Golden Age of Prep Distance Running!
In a girls mile race for the ages at the APU Meet of Champions Distance Classic, Mira Costa (SS) senior Dalia Frias overcame Ventura (SS) freshman Sadie Engelhardt to run four laps faster than any other girl in California high school track history.
Her mile time of 4:35.06 surpassed the previous state best of 4:35.24 set by Irvine University's Polly Plumer in 1982. With a kick for the ages, with a last lap in 66-second and closing in 31 seconds over the last 200 meters, Frias's 1600m time of 4:33.54 is faster than Plumer's converted 4:33.65 and new California state record!
Engelhardt, who set a fast pace from the gun until Frias overtook her with 50 meters to go, placed second in 
4:36.63 (4:34.79 for 1600), further dropping the national freshman class record of 4:38.24 that she had set earlier this outdoor season. La Canada sophomore Arielle McKenzie worked to stay with those two over the first 800 meters, but it was Oaks Christian sophomore Payton Godsey who pulled up for third with a best of 4:51.14, to hold off Canyon's Emma Hadley at 4:52.70. But, Frias stole all of the attention over that last lap in a race that looked all but sealed with 300 meters to go.
"My main goal was just to stick onto Sadie and just see what I could do and see how long I could hold onto her," Frias said. "I knew she'd be throwing down a really fast time today."
"Coming through those first few laps I was right on her and then I noticed she kind of started to pull through a little (on the third lap) and break off. I just really tried to stay on her. At that last 200, I knew I had a lot more in me and I knew that it was possible I could catch her and I just gave it everything."
Frias now ranks No. 3 all-time in the mile and Engelhardt moves to No. 6 all-time, now owning the #1 and #4 efforts ever in California State history for the event!
(The meet was timed by Finished Results, which recorded 1600m splits for the mile races.)
With that only being the second time in state history that two girls eclipsed 4:40 in the same race, one would think that they completely stole the show, BUT that was not quite the case at the 2022 version of the Distance Meet of Champs!
Another epic performance from the Newbury Park distance crew, as Colin Sahlman out-raced his younger brother 
Aaron in the 800 meters, twins Leo and Lex Young threatened the 4-minute mile barrier, and Samantha McDonnell rolled to a state-best 800m.
With conversations swirling around Newbury Park's Colin Sahlman being the greatest prep distance runner in national history, he came into the meet as the newly-minted California state record holder for the 1600/Mile after his jaw-dropping 3:58.81 indoor mile last month while coming back to two weeks later with a national leading 8:33.32 for 3200 meters! Two weeks ago, the senior recorded an indoor 1:50.90 performance for the 800 meters so what else could he add to what we've witnessed these past six weeks? Well...
In one of the fastest 800-meter races in California history, the Northern Arizona Unversity bound Sahlman took the pace through at an aggressive 53.9 split but his younger brother, Aaron was along with the ride at 54.1! Just as Colin seemed to be pulling away, Thacher's Ellis Delvecchio "shot out of a cannon" with 250 meters to go to run up on those two with 150 to go. Both brothers responded and with 40-meters to go, Aaron and Colin were shadows of one another. At the lean, Colin crossed at 1:48.48 while the junior at 1:48.91! Both joining an elite list of sub 1:49ers in state history, we witnessed PRs galore behind the flames with Delvecchio rolling to a 1:50.76 (his previous best was 1:54.06) and Wake Forest-bound Bryce Gilmore of Sage Creek at 1:52.93 with four others under 1:55!
This is the first time in national history that two from the same team broke the coveted 1:49 barrier, and being that they are brothers puts it on a whole other level. Junior Aaron Sahlman becomes only the third junior in California state history to break 1:49 with Michael Granville's 1:47.96 performance from 1995 still the carrot to go after in these next several months.
With that, this truly established Colin Sahlman as the greatest prep distance runner California has ever witnessed. Period and exclamation point as his time now sits #17 on the state all-time list. Let's also keep in mind - it is still only March!
For added emphasis to his legacy, an hour later, Sahlman paced the mile race bringing his teammates, Leo and Lex through the halfway point right at 2:02. Stepping up to take the lead, Leo picked up the pace with a 60-second third lap, only with into, yet another gear, under 59-seconds to cross in a jaw-dropping 4:00.77 with Lex at 4:04.68. This is the second-fastest mile ever run in California state history (Cooper Teare's 4:00.16 in 2017). It established a new NFHS (run only against high schoolers) junior-class national record as well while now giving Newbury Park FOUR boys to go under 4:05 for the full mile! It is absolutely CRAZY to think that Nico Young's 4:07.33 is now fifth on their all-time school list!
Clovis (CS) senior Christopher Caudillo placed third in 4:05.32 (4:03.83 for 1600m) for one of the fastest 1600/mile efforts from a junior in national history and now ranks 5th in the nation. Agoura senior Ethan Godsey was fourth in 4:10.91 (4:09.49 for 1600m).
Newbury Park's and Alabama-bound McDonnell, sidelined by a foot injury from the end of Cross Country season, did not 
wait around for anyone and crossed with a 62.4 through the first lap of her 800-meters. Making a splash in her 2022 outdoor debut, she crossed with the top time in the nation, outdoors, in 2:08.33. Washington-bound, Palos Verdes (SS) senior Anna Terrell was second in 2:15.25 and Vista Murrieta (SS) junior Analeiah Mendoza was third in 2:15.89. Both recorded two-second improvements.
Reflecting back to the Girls Mile, Newbury Park junior Ailish Hawkins rolled out a lifetime best of 4:55.42 in placing fourth while freshman teammate, Tiffany Sax, crossed in 4:55.58. Morgan Nygren also shined to date in 4:58.12 personal best.
Buchanan (CS) junior Sydney Sundgren won the invitational girls 3200m in 10:30.50 with Claremont (SS) 
sophomore Denise Chen next in 10:45.18. Anaheim Canyon senior Isabella Frisone was third in 10:46.38 with La Costa Canyon (SD) sophomore Gioana Lopizzo fourth in 10:46.98.
With the crowd playing a huge role in willing him through, West Torrance (SS) senior Conor Gibson won the invitational 3200m in 8:59.91 with a sub-65 second last lap! Keep your eyes on this state's next star as Clovis East (CS) sophomore Carter Spradling improved by over 30-seconds from 2021 as he challenged Gibson all through out, placing second in 9:01.14! Vista Murrieta (SS) senior Lance Denhalter over the last lap with a sub-63 second last lap to set a new school record to place third in 9:02.77.