Defending Brooks PR 800m champion Christina Aragon prepped for this year's race with gymnastics! She recently qualified for the Olympic Trials in the 1500m. Watch the video above to see her journey.
Girls Distance
800m
Who: Sammy Watson, Christina Aragon, Aaliyah Miller
When: 2:50 p.m. PT
Why: The nation's top three ranked 800m runners headline what could be the fastest high school girls half-mile race in history. Watson, the 2015 IAAF World Youth champion for 800m, just missed the Olympic Trials standard of 2:03.0 three weeks ago--she fought for a 2:03.06, which ranks No. 10 all-time. It took a 2:04.0 for Aragon to win Brooks PR last year, and she's in even better shape this spring--she qualified for the Olympic Trials in the 1500m with a time of 4:09.27 to become the third-fastest prep in U.S. history. No. 3 ranked Miller is undefeated and could get pulled to a big PR; her best is 2:05.94.
When: 2:50 p.m. PT
Why: The nation's top three ranked 800m runners headline what could be the fastest high school girls half-mile race in history. Watson, the 2015 IAAF World Youth champion for 800m, just missed the Olympic Trials standard of 2:03.0 three weeks ago--she fought for a 2:03.06, which ranks No. 10 all-time. It took a 2:04.0 for Aragon to win Brooks PR last year, and she's in even better shape this spring--she qualified for the Olympic Trials in the 1500m with a time of 4:09.27 to become the third-fastest prep in U.S. history. No. 3 ranked Miller is undefeated and could get pulled to a big PR; her best is 2:05.94.
Mile
Who: Amanda Gehrich, Julia Heymach
When: 3:25 p.m. PT
Why: Gehrich executed a perfect race to win her second consecutive California state title in the 1600m over the always-tough Destiny Collins. The Utah commit ranks U.S. No. 1 in the event with her season-best 4:41.39, and has run 4:40.25 for the full mile. Heymach will race the mile this year after taking third in the 800m in 2015; the four-time Texas state champion set the state record last year in 4:40.97 for 1600m and ran 4:44.0 this spring.
When: 3:25 p.m. PT
Why: Gehrich executed a perfect race to win her second consecutive California state title in the 1600m over the always-tough Destiny Collins. The Utah commit ranks U.S. No. 1 in the event with her season-best 4:41.39, and has run 4:40.25 for the full mile. Heymach will race the mile this year after taking third in the 800m in 2015; the four-time Texas state champion set the state record last year in 4:40.97 for 1600m and ran 4:44.0 this spring.
Two-Mile
Who: Fiona O'Keeffe, Emma Grace Hurley, Libby Davidson, Shona McCulloch, Aubrey Roberts
When: 1:30 p.m. PT
Why: California state champion O'Keeffe is the top returner to the field; she placed fourth last year in 10:11.87, and owns a PR of 10:00. This year, she will look to crack the 10-minute barrier for the first time. Her competition includes Roberts, who just set the Wisconsin state record for 3200m at US No. 5 10:13.68; McCulloch and Davidson, who battled to 2-3 finishes at the Penn Relays 3K in quick times of 9:30.17 and 9:33.52; and Hurley, who soloed a number of impressive runs, including the nation's fastest two-mile time of 10:22.58.
When: 1:30 p.m. PT
Why: California state champion O'Keeffe is the top returner to the field; she placed fourth last year in 10:11.87, and owns a PR of 10:00. This year, she will look to crack the 10-minute barrier for the first time. Her competition includes Roberts, who just set the Wisconsin state record for 3200m at US No. 5 10:13.68; McCulloch and Davidson, who battled to 2-3 finishes at the Penn Relays 3K in quick times of 9:30.17 and 9:33.52; and Hurley, who soloed a number of impressive runs, including the nation's fastest two-mile time of 10:22.58.