In addition to running fastest times by 16-year-old athletes in U.S. prep history, Hutchins also sets national junior class mark in girls 3,200 meters, with Harrison eclipsing national sophomore class boys mile standard; Gorriaran clocks under 2:03 in girls 800, with Braddock, Steury both running sub-9 efforts in boys 3,200

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

For two of the most talented 16-year-old distance runners in the country, Saturday night was all about timing, both on the clock and with their academic calendars.

Jenna Hutchins, a junior at Science Hill High in Tennessee, started classes Monday, with sophomore Rheinhardt Harrison of Nease High in Florida still waiting two more weeks to begin the new school year.

Those unique windows of opportunity, combined with track races being showcased in August as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, allowed both athletes to set national class and age-group records at the Music City Distance Carnival at Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, Tenn.

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Hutchins dominated the high school girls 3,200 meters to cap the evening, running 9 minutes, 49.83 seconds to eclipse the 2008 national junior class record of 9:52.13 held by Jordan Hasay, a former star at Mission Prep School in California. Hutchins also broke the age 16 mark of 9:52.02 set in 2018 by recent graduate and Michigan signee Katelynne Hart of Glenbard West in Illinois.

Harrison, competing unattached in the men’s mile, finished seventh in 4:01.34 to shatter the national sophomore class record of 4:03.29 established in 2011 by Edward Cheserek during his high school career at St. Benedict’s Prep in New Jersey. He also smashed the age 16 standard of 4:06.20 set last year by Nathan Green of Borah High in Idaho.

“Everything just lined up really nice for us tonight,” said Hutchins, who also took down the meet and state records, the latter standard a 9:59.80 by Christian Academy of Knoxville graduate Rebecca Story in 2017.

“God was really looking out for both of us, with him still being a sophomore and me being a junior. Racing in August is something I wasn’t used to, but this was going to be the only race of my outdoor season and my first since Millrose Games indoors (in February), so I wanted to take advantage of it.”

Hutchins elevated to the No. 3 all-time prep performer in a true 3,200 race, trailing only recent North Rockland of New York graduate and North Carolina State signee Katelyn Tuohy – who clocked 9:47.88 at the 2018 Loucks Games – and former Thousand Oaks all-time great Kim Mortensen, who ran 9:48.59 at the 1996 Southern Section Masters Meet in California.

Including high school 2-mile performances, Hutchins is No. 5 overall with a converted 9:53.28 effort, a list that also includes Brie Oakley of Grandview High in Colorado at 9:51.35 in 2017 and Ericka VanderLende of Rockford High in Michigan at 9:53.0 last year, both marks coming at the Brooks PR Invitational.

“I’ve always looked up to all of those girls and I’ve used them as inspiration and their times as targets to strive for,” said Hutchins, who covered the final lap with a 71.5-second split.

“I’m just honored to be mentioned with them. This meet really means a lot to me and I can’t thank Dave Milner, the meet director, enough for putting this all together. Being in Tennessee and doing it on home soil makes it that much more special.

“Going under 10 was my main goal and then trying to get the state record was the next step, but going sub-9:50 was the cherry on top. It was better than I even expected. I’m still really surprised with what I was able to do.”

Brynn Brown of Denton Guyer High in Texas ran a 9:39.38 time trial in the 3,200 in May with the help of male athletes pacing her after clocking 9:58.58 in February at the Coppell Relays.

Hutchins had run 10:05 in a solo time trial July 17, but knew the cross country fitness accumulated during the summer would benefit her pursuit, along with the pacing of the race Saturday going through 1,600 meters in 4:55.

Natalie Cook, a rising junior at Flower Mound High in Texas, was second in 10:16.07. Mia Prok and Lucca Fulkerson, teammates at Niwot High in Colorado, ran 10:20.18 and 10:20.48, respectively.

“It was such a fun race and I enjoyed the experience so much,” Hutchins said. “I was feeling really good (after my time trial) and I came in wanting that (sub-10) goal. I’m just glad that all my hard work paid off.”

Harrison had run 4:09.79 on June 13 at the Desert Dream Last Hurrah in San Tan Valley, Ariz., to finish fourth in a men’s elite mile race.

But after receiving virtual instruction during the past two months from Tom Schwartz of Tinman Elite, an extension of their coach-athlete relationship that began in January 2018, Harrison demonstrated significant improvement Saturday competing against established college and professional runners, including five who ran under 4 minutes.

“Entering the third lap, I was tired, but I saw the time and decided to go for it,” Harrison said on the live Webcast after coming through the midway point at 2:02.55 and splitting 3:03.99 entering the final lap.

“I wanted to go after what Ches ran, maybe if I got lucky, run under 4, but I’m super happy still.”

Harrison elevated to No. 2 among U.S. prep athletes this year, trailing only Highland High of Arizona graduate and Washington signee Leo Daschbach at 3:59.54, and ascended to 20th in American prep history.

He also achieved sophomore class and age-16 national records for 1,500 (3:45.88) and 1,600 meters (3:59.96) en route to his final effort, which also eclipsed the 2003 Florida state mile mark of 4:03.87 held by Samuel Vazquez of Flagler Palm Coast.

Sophia Gorriaran, a rising sophomore at Moses Brown School in Rhode Island, also competed against elite runners in the women’s 800, finishing fifth in 2:02.97 to lower her own state record and become the 13th prep athlete to run under 2:03.0.

Judson Greer, a rising senior at Melissa High, just missed the Texas state record in the 5,000 competing in the men’s elite section. Greer clocked 14:28.70 to finish 13th, falling short of the 2017 mark of 14:25.6 achieved by Alex Maier of Flower Mound.

Jackson Braddock, a rising senior at Southern Regional High in New Jersey, set the boys 3,200 meet record by running 8:54.02, improving to the No. 4 outdoor prep performer this year. Braddock eclipsed last year’s mark of 8:55.27 run by Kashon Harrison of Kirtland Central in New Mexico.

Izaiah Steury, a rising junior at Angola High in Indiana, took second in 8:57.17 to ascend to the No. 6 outdoor 3,200 performer this year.

Darius Kipyego, a rising senior at St. Raphael Academy in Rhode Island, was runner-up in the second section of the men’s 800 in 1:49.98.

Bailey Goggans of Marble Falls in Texas ran 2:06.07 to place fourth in the second section of the women’s 800, with Amaya Turner of Wheeler High in Indiana taking sixth in 2:09.54.

Heidi Nielson of Katy Cinco Ranch in Texas clocked 4:29.33 to finish 12th in the second section of the women’s 1,500.