Shapiro Rips NJ No. 2 All-Time Mile In Boston

BU David Hemery Valentine Invitational
Jim Lambert


Lilly Shapiro turned in a spectacular performance when the senior at Colts Neck dropped a NJ No. 2 All-Time 4:45.39 in the mile on Friday night in Boston.

Shapiro's time, which came when she placed sixth in her heat against college and pro runners at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational at Boston University, is also the second fastest time in the county this season among high school girls.  

Senior Camryn Wennersten of the Garden State Track Club (GSTC) ran an indoor PR of 4:48.60 in a different heat, which is No 6 in state indoor history, and senior Andi Murray, who also runs for the GSTC, ran a huge PR of 4:55.92.  

Shapiro's 4:45.39 is the fastest time run by a NJ girls indoor in 39 years. Only Michelle Rowen of Washington Township, who ran the state record of 4:43.16 at the 1983 Eastern Championship at Harvard's Gordon Indoor Track in Cambridge, Mass., has run faster indoors than Shapiro. Shapiro is No. 2 on the national list for this season behind the 4:44.20 run by Rachel Forsyth of Michigan.   

The splits for the University of North Carolina-bound Shapiro were 1:09.37, 2:20.65, 3:33.46, and she closed with a 1:11.93 final quarter.

Shapiro is now No. 2 indoors and outdoors in state history in the mile. Last May, Shapiro ran 4:40.15 for 1,600, which only trails the 4:39.25 that Danielle Tauro of Southern ran in the mile in 2006.

Shapiro, who won the 800 at the Meet of Champions last spring, isn't done racing this weekend. She will be back on the starting line on Saturday in the 800 at the Purple Champions Invitational at the New York Armory.