Olesen, Blade Finish Strong at New Balance Outdoors


Menlo-Atherton junior Tatum Olsen, pictured in qualifying at the CIF-State Meet, dropped a huge 1-mile PR while placing second in her heat at the Nike Nationals Outdoor Championships on Sunday at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
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Two returning CIF-State Meet medalists headlined results from California high school track and field athletes on the final day of competition at the Nike Nationals Outdoor Championships on Sunday at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

Menlo-Atherton (CC) junior Tatum Olesen, a State Meet medalist in the 800m, and Santiago-Corona (SS) sophomore Rylee Blade, each ran PR times to place among the top five in the elite girls 1-mile run. 

Olesen dropped a huge PR time of 4:47.61 for second place behind New York's Zariel Macchia (4:47.16) in the second of three heats. Olesen, who had the fourth-fastest time among the three heats, opened at 70.10 and closed in 67.329 to improve on her previous best of 5:04.08. 

Olesen, who hadn't competed in a four-lapper since winning her league 1600m title for the second year in a row in early May, has twice placed seventh at the State Meet in the 800m. 

Blade, the CIF-State 3200m champion, placed third in her heat in 4:48.60, closing in 69.94 after running in 10th place through the first two laps. Her time ranked fifth among the three heats. That time lowers her best in the mile by .09 seconds.

Both marks rank among the top seven for CA girls returning in 2024. 

Another already on that list, La Costa Canyon (SD) junior Gioana Lopizzorallied from 11th in her heat with a consistent plan, crossing in 4:51.88. She had opened in 71.38 and then ran 73.4, 73.5 and 73.5 for 12th overall among 44 girls who competed in the three heats. Lopizzo has a mile PR of 4:47.76 from Mt. SAC.

Elsewhere among CA athletes competing on Father's Day in Eugene ... 

A fast group of boys looking to drop sub-4 in the mile fell short as Simeon Birnbaum of Rapid City, SD, won in 4:02.22 holding off Newbury Park (SS) senior Leo Young (4:02.58) and Rocky Hansen of North Carolina (4:03.63).

Young's twin Lex Young placed fifth in 4:04.60.

Birnbaum, who closed here in 55.8, went 3:57.53 for the mile earlier in the month leading three others, including Hansen, across the line in sub-4s at the HOKA Festival of Miles.

Leo Young closed in 56.9 after running laps of 60, 63, and 61.

Torrey Pines (SD) senior Ryan Thomas closed in 59.5 to placed 12th in 4:10.01. Jesuit (SJ) senior Brandon Moreno, representing Lange's Gang, ran 4:12.18, and Los Gatos (CC) sophomore Aydon Stefanopoulos ran a PR time of 4:13.03. 


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Two of CA's top returning long hurdlers, John Mueller of Loyola (SS) and Vincent Atilano of Cathedral Catholic (SD), battled in the 400-meter hurdles on Sunday. Muller, representing the Los Angeles Cubs, placed sixth in 54.00 with Atilano, representing Havoc Youth TC, next in 54.31. 

In the girls emerging Elite 400m hurdles, Rocklin (SJ) junior Giselle Kirchner, representing Revolution Express TC, placed third in 1:04.79, and junior Brittany Rivas of La Canada (SS) placed fifth in 1:05.07.

In the girls championship 400m hurdles, Torrey Pines (SD) senior Karina Janik placed seventh in 1:00.92, Oaks Christina (SS) sophomore Eleanor Borchard placed eighth in 1:01.34, and Morgan Herbst, a sophomore from Carlsbad (SD) representing ProCaliber TC, was ninth in 1:01.59.

Redondo Union (SS) senior Dylan Curtis cleared 16-00 in the pole vault to place seventh in the championship division. King (SS) junior Jaden McKee cleared 15-06.25 for ninth.

In the Emerging Elite pole vault division, Redondo Union (SS) junior Louis Goldman, and St. Ignatius Prep (CC) junior Lex Lehnert each cleared 14-00.50, to earn the top two spots. Orland (NS) sophomore Logan Meredith, representing Trojan Army TC, cleared 13-6.50 and shared fourth place with San Clemente (SS) junior Dexter Brice.

Seventh-grader Ava Torgersen of the Oakland Cubs TC won the girls 3K race walk in 15:16.11. Her teammate, Nicolas Leduc Oakland, placed third in the boys event in 16:54.32.

In the emerging elite girls 1-mile, Archbishop Mitty (CC) sophomore Evie Marheineke placed fifth in a PR clocking of 5:00.14. El Cerrito (NC) junior Niall Monteleone placed seventh in the boys race in 4:19.59. 

Rodrick Pleasant, who won the 100m in 10.21 (0.4) earlier in the meet, placed fourth in the 200m, running 21.17 (0.7). His current and future teammate the University of Oregon, Brazil Neal, also representing Urban Youth TC, placed fifth in the 200m in a PR of 23.79 (0.2). Right behind her was La Jolla (SD) junior Payton Smith, representing Havoc Youth TC, crossing in 24.06.

Golden Valley (SS) freshman Marley Scoggins, competing for New Image Training Group, placed second in the 200m in 24.61 (0.7), with sophomore Alysiana Winston of Revolution Express placing fourth in 24.87.