Blair Bartlett nearly took down the NJ record with a sensational performance at the HOKA Festival of Miles on Thursday night at St. Louis University High School in St. Louis, Mo.
The sophomore from Lawrenceville ripped a 4:39.63, the second fastest time in state history and No. 7 in U.S. history for a sophomore, to place sixth in one of the greatest fields ever assembled. The race was won by Jane Hedengren of Timpview High in Utah, who broke the national record by clocking a 4:23.50.
Bartlett, whose previous PR for the mile was 4:43.16, is now No. 2 all-time in NJ history in the mile behind Danielle Tauro of Southern, who ran 4:39.25 to finish first at the 2006 Nike National Championships at the University of North Carolina A&T in Greensboro
Bartlett's time through 1,600 meters was 4:37.99, which also places her No. 2 in NJ history behind the state record of 4:37.65 that sophomore Paige Sheppard of Union Catholic ran to win the 1,600 at the Meet of Champions on Wednesday.
The splits for Bartlett were 68.90, 69.19 (2:18.09), 71.19 (3:29.27), and she closed in 70.35.
It's been an amazing season for Bartlett, who is one of the biggest breakout distance runners in the nation.
At the Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Philadelphia in April, she produced one of the biggest upsets in recent years at the 129th meet, running a NJ and meet record 9:13.60 to knock off defending champ Addison Ritzenhein of Niwot High in Colorado in the 3K!
Bartlett's performance was so impressive that it earned her the High School Girls' Athlete of the Meet Award for Individual Events!!!
Bartlett ran a 68.75 final lap and passed Ritzenhein, the 2023 Nike National Cross-Country Champion, with 200 to go. Ritzenhein was second in 9:20.16.
The 9:13.60 by Bartlett broke the Penn Relays meet record of 9:15.3 that Penn Relays Wall of Famer Cathy Schiro of Dover High in New Hampshire set in 1985, which was the oldest standing meet record in any high school event. It also took down the NJ record of 9:18.11 that Angelina Perez of Lakeland ran when she finished first at the 2022 Penn Relays in 2022.