California Girls will look to be undeniable this weekend at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. Chiara Dailey and Hanne Thomsen will compete in the Junior Girls International Mile, while Sadie Engelhardt is in the Women's Pro Mile.
This Sunday, Engelhardt will compete in her first race since Rich Gonzalez of PrepCalTrack reported that she will forgo her senior season of high school track and field. This season, the eight-time California State Champion will only compete in open and professional races.
Engelhardt will be lining up with a highly competitive field against Sinclaire Johnson, the 2022 U.S. 1500m Champion. Engelhardt will also be facing Maia Ramsden, a former 2-time NCAA 1500m Champion, and Susan Ejore, who finished sixth place at the 2024 Olympics 1500m final for Kenya.
Women's Pro Field
| Athlete | Indoor Personal Record | country |
|---|
Susan Ejore | 4:20.61 | KEN |
Sadie Engelhardt | 4:34.45 | USA |
Dorcas Ewoi | 4:49.90 | KEN |
Sage Hurta-Klecker | 4:25.45 | USA |
Sinclaire Johnson | 4:34.65 | USA |
Maia Ramsden | 4:24.83 | NKL |
Nozomi Tanka | 4:28.94 | JPN |
Heather MacLean | 4:23.42 | USA |
Engelhardt talked to Dominic Schuleter, host of The Running Effect Podcast, ahead of the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix this Sunday. She admitted starting this track season was rough because she caught the flu over Christmas break, but she's eager to race again at NBIGP.
"I think it's cool to see where I'm at. I honestly love racing so I guess we'll see where I'm at. I don't expect it to be anything crazy, but yeah, I'm excited to get out there." - Sadie Engelhardt
On The Running Effect Podcast, Engelhardt also emphasized that she hopes to be remembered as dominant in the mile and inspire others to reach the standards that people like Mary Cain set before her. Engelhardt broke the outdoor mile record last season with 4:28.46, but Mary Cain still holds the ultimate record with an indoor time of 4:28.25 in 2013.
Hanne Thomsen and Chiara Dailey are two other California standouts who will compete at NBIGP this Sunday. Thomsen is a senior at Montgomery High School in Santa Rosa, CA, and a four-time California State Champion. Dailey is a La Jolla High School junior in San Diego, CA, and a two-time California State Champion.
Dailey boasts a 4:44.47 outdoor mile personal record from the 2023 Brooks PR Invitational. In 2024, Thomsen competed at NBIGP for the first time and ran her ultimate mile personal record of 4:45.24 to finish seventh.
Both have a wealth of experience competing against high-level competition across the country, which makes them both contenders for breaking the tape on Sunday.
Junior Girl's International Mile
