Sheppard Smashes National Soph. Record, Wins 800 At Brooks

Brooks PR Invitational
Jim Lambert



Paige Sheppard was in seventh place at the bell, more than three seconds behind the leader and favorite Emmry Ross of Michigan in the girls 800-meter run on Sunday at the Brooks PR Invitational at Renton Memorial Stadium in Renton, Washington.

But Sheppard, even with Ross still holding a huge gap on the field with 250 to go, didn't panic. The sophomore star at Union Catholic knew she had work to do, but she remained patient and poised, waiting for the right time to pull the trigger. With 200 to go, it was time!!!

Sheppard unleashed a perfectly timed wicked kick with around 200 to go, reeling in Ross as they came off the final turn. Sheppard then blasted her way past Ross, who ran a very ambitious 58.02 opening 400, and  kept pouring it on down the final straight as she finished off a stunning comeback victory in breathtaking and electrifying fashion, stopping the clock at a jaw-dropping 2:01.50!! 

Sheppard's sizzling 2:01.50 shattered the national sophomore record, smashed the meet record, is the No. 3 time in NJ history, and places her No. 11 on the all-time U.S. high school list.

Ross, the New Balance National Indoor Champion at 800 this past winter who has run a US No. 5 all-time 2:00.53 this season, finished second in 2:02.83. Rumson senior Clemmie Lilley was sixth in a PR of 2:04.76, which is No. 7 in NJ history, and sophomore Reagan Moore of Oak Knoll was eighth in 2:10.44.

Sheppard, who split 60.42 for the final 400, took down the national sophomore record of 2:02.26 that Sophia Gorriaran of the Moses Brown School in Rhode Island ran at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials. She also broke the longest existing meet record of 2:03.26 set in 2014 by Alexa Efraimson of Camas High School in Washington.

The only two runners in NJ history who have run faster in the 800 in high school are the two current American holders in the event, World Champion and American indoor record holder Ajee' Wilson of Neptune, who ran 2:00.91 when she finished first at the 2012 IAAF World Junior Championships, and 2-time gold medalist and American outdoor record holder Athing Mu of Trenton, who ran 2:01.17 to place fourth at the 2019 USA Track and Field Championships. That's it!!! 

This is the second record-breaking performance in 5 days for Sheppard, who has produced one of the all-time greatest seasons in NJ history this spring. At the NJSIAA Meet of Champions last Wednesday, Sheppard won the 1,600 in a NJ record 4:37.65. 

Now she does this!!!!  

WOW!!!!

Sheppard was one of three Union Catholic girls who competed at Brooks.

UC senior Taylor Cox, who ran a NJ record 13.18 in the 100 hurdles at the Meet of Champions, placed third in the HH in 13.39, and UC sophomore Sophia Thompson placed sixth in the mile in 4:49.28.

Ryan Jennings of Timber Creek ran 11.44 to finish fourth in the girls 100 dash.