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Distance event action continues to heat up in the Midwest. While some of the national focus was on the Simplot Games in Idaho, there were some great performances put up at the University of Kentucky High School Invitational on the spacious 300 Meter Track of the Nutter Fieldhouse. Ersula Farrow (Oak Park MI) rebounded from last week’s race at the SPIRE Showcase in a big way. Farrow ran the fastest time in the nation running 2:09.21 for the win ahead of Georgia’s Caitie Faust. Two time Illinois 1A champion in the 800 Cassie Mundekis (Midwest Central HS, Manito IL) ran a three second indoor personal best (2:13.12)to finish third in the race. The showdown between Farrow and New York’s Sammy Watson should be a special one at the New Balance Indoor Nationals in the middle of March.

The Boys 800 had the most Midwest interest at this Kentucky meet. Sophomore Cameron Cooper (Oak Park MI) ran the 10^th fastest time in the nation (1:53.66) when he finished fourth in the race behind winner Terrell Jackson (Memphis University TN). Jason Ferrante (Northville HS MI) finished sixth a week ago at the Spire Showcase race. He improved his time by two seconds (1:54.95, US #19) to finish seventh in this meet. Ferrante finished tenth in the 800 at last year’s Michigan D1 State Meet. The University of Michigan signee could be a difference maker in this event in his state this season. The big surprise in this meet was the ninth place finish by Peyton Chapman (Bolingbrook HS IL). He did not run the 800 last year instead qualifying for the Illinois State Meet in the 400 Meter Dash. His 1:56.94 time is currently the best time in Illinois early in their indoor season.

A great 800 Meter performance was achieved also by Kaley Ciluffo (Bettendorf IA) at the Simplot Games. She controlled her prelims with the fastest time (2:15.78). The same held true in the final on Saturday when she controlled the pace and rolled to a win (2:09.73, US#3) by two seconds ahead of Sophie Cantine (Lakeside WA). Ciluffo has committed to attend Clemson University this fall. She also is ranked in the top ten nationally in the 600 and 1000 Meter Runs.

One of the bigger surprises this past week was turned in by Brittany Aveni (Geneva HS OH) at the NEOITC All Star Meet at the Spire Institute Track on February 20. Aveni ran a six second seasonal best when she won the 800 Meter Run (2:11.74, US #7) nearly four seconds ahead of Frances Bull (Lake Catholic HS, Mentor). The Geneva junior, who finished 10^th last spring in the Ohio D1 State Meet, now has the fastest time in her state. Aveni is also part of her school’s 3200 Relay team that has run 9:35.21 and has the fastest time in the state.

The Gazelle Sports Elite Meet on February 21 at Grand Valley State’s 300 Meter track produced a pair of great performances in the 3200 Meter Run. Sarah Kettel (Capital Home School, East Lansing MI) ran the nation’s best time (10:28.82) by over two seconds ahead of Audrey Belf and Rachel Dadamio (Seaholm HS, Birmingham HS). Kettel improved her personal best by a whopping 23 seconds in this race. Nine Michigan Girls prep runners have gone 11:00 or faster in this event this indoor season.

Jesse Hersha (Concord MI) dominated the Boys race. The Michigan D4 state cross country champ last fall ran away from Brayden Law (Homestead HS, Ft Wayne IN) to win the race by eight seconds. Hersha’s time of 9:11.95 (US #8) lowered his personal best by 20 seconds. Law’s time (9:19.92, US #21) finished more than a second ahead of Kevin Hall (Saline HS MI).

The Illinois indoor season started to kick into high gear with a pair of fast 3200 Meter Run races on February 20. In a seven team meet at Proviso West High School, Zach Dale (Conant HS, Hoffman Estates) kicked his season off in grand style. Both Dale and Hinsdale Central’s Blake Evertsen blew by the first 1600 in a comfortable 4:37. Dale opened up his lead on Evertsen by five seconds at 2400 meters and pulled away for a 15 second win (9:14.7, US#12) and the fastest time in the state.

Annie Zaher (Central HS, Hinsdale) easily won the 3200 Meter Run in the Cicero Invitational at York High School’s Joe Newton Fieldhouse. Her time of 11:08.8 is the fastest time in Illinois. On a tight 160 Meter track at Downers Grove North High School, Kelly O’Brien (Palatine HS IL) ran 5:07.3 to win the 1600 Meter Run ahead of freshman Lindsey Payne (Glenbard West HS, Glen Ellyn IL) in a small quad meet. O’Brien’s Palatine team ran the state’s best time (9:56.5) to win the 3200 Meter Relay.

Missouri’s Big River High School Indoor Series concluded on February 22 with its championship meet at the Hearnes Fieldhouse on the campus of the University of Missouri. Last fall’s Missouri Class 4 State Cross Country Champion Stephen Mugeche (Blue Springs HS MO) had a great double. He started out winning the 1 Mile Run (4:16.73, US #29) by three seconds ahead of Nebraska’s defending Class A 1600 champion Reno Law (Millard South HS, Omaha NE). The outcome was different for Mugeche in the 3200 Meter Run. In his first race of the season, Kansas 5A state cross country champion Stuart McNutt (Blue Valley West HS, Overland Park KS) finished eight seconds ahead of Mugeche winning the 3200 Meter Run (9:17.21, US #17). It was two seconds faster than he ran in this same race a year ago. The University of Tulsa signee is looking forward to a great outdoor season. He missed the 2014 track season due to injury.

Rebekah Topham (Griswold HS IA) ran the fastest indoor time for Iowa so far this season winning the 1 Mile Run (5:05.82, US #57) to win by ten seconds ahead of Hannah Pierson (Marquette HS, Chesterfield MO). Topham came back in her first meet of the season to finish 3^rd in the 800 Meter Run behind race winner Joy Ripslinger (Assumption HS, Davenport IA). Topham is the defending Iowa Class 1A champion in the 800, 1500, and 3000 Meter Runs.

This weekend – Michigan and Illinois take center stage this weekend for Midwest Meets. The MITS Indoor Championships at Eastern Michigan University will feature some of Michigan’s top distance runners including Grant Fisher (Grand Blanc HS), Logan Wetzel (Saline HS), Jesse Hersha (Concord HS), Ersula Farrow (Oak Park HS), Audrey Belf (Seaholm HS, Birmingham), and Sarah Kettel (Capital Home School, East Lansing).

One of the big meets in Illinois will be the 50^th edition of the Proviso West Invitational. All-state runners such as Ryan Clevenger (Downers Grove North HS), Irwin Loud (Oak Park-River Forest HS), Blake Evertsen (Hinsdale Central HS), Pavlo Hutsalyuk (Lane Tech HS, Chicago), Matt Plowman (York HS, Elmhurst), and Ty Moss (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville) will take to the 200 Meter track. The Normal West Invitational and the Lockport Open Meet should also have some great performances.

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For more information on the Midwest Distance Classic in June, visit their website here.

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