Lutkenhaus Runs 1:45.23 In Tune-up Race Before 600 At Millrose Games; Former BYU Standout Meghan Hunter Win's Women's 800; Wilma Nielsen, Flavien Szot Handle Strong Mile Fields

By Oliver Hinson of DyeStat

John Nepolitan photos

INTERVIEWS | RESULTS/VIDEOS

NEW YORK — The only thing that’s changed for Cooper Lutkenhaus is the jersey. 

In his professional debut, the 17-year-old broke Brandon Miller’s American U20 indoor record in the 800 meters at the Dr. Sander Scorcher, crossing the line in 1 minute and 45.23 seconds for his first win as a Nike athlete.

“I felt really strong coming out here,” Lutkenhaus said. “It was definitely a little nerve-wracking, that first race, but to have that under my belt… it’s really exciting.”

In a meet with four professional events and dozens of elite mid-distance runners from around the country and world, Lutkenhaus’s performance was easily the most anticipated. The high school junior felt the buzz around him, but he didn’t let it faze him.

Just as he did in the races that earned him fame last year — any of the four times in which he broke the high school record in the 800, for instance — Lutkenhaus looked calm and collected in Saturday’s race. He recorded slightly positive 400-meter splits of 51.1 and 54.1 seconds and made quick work of an elite field, winning by nearly two and a half seconds over Nike’s Shane Cohen, the 2024 NCAA champion in the 800.

Lutkenhaus made waves last summer for saying that he used middle school tactics to earn second place at the USATF Outdoor Championships. Fittingly, on Saturday, he said he drew upon his high school experiences — always being in front and having to pace himself — to earn his first professional win. When the pacer stepped off halfway through, Lutkenhaus was already leading by a few strides, and the pack never made contact with him again.

“I’ve done that before,” Lutkenhaus said. “Whenever I ran Nike Indoor Nationals last year, I just took it from the gun and just tried to see how fast I could go. The goal for this (race) was to get right behind the pacer and close as much as I could.”

In a tighter race, he said, he probably could have gone faster. Despite being only a few weeks into the new year, he believes he’s in the best aerobic shape of his life. After taking some time to sharpen, he’s eyeing a World Indoor Championships berth. After Saturday, he’s one step closer; he knocked out the qualifying standard, which is at 1:45.90 this year.

He’ll also be running at the Millrose Games next weekend. Normally, the winners of the professional races at this meet earn spots at Millrose, but Lutkenhaus already had a spot in the 600, so the next spot will be passed down to Cohen.

Meghan Hunter Wins Indoor Debut In Women's 800

Former BYU standout Meghan Hunter also made her indoor professional debut for Nike this weekend (at age 24 instead of 17), winning the women’s 800 in a time of 1:59.70.

Hunter made it her mission to break 2:00 in the 800 last year, she said. When she did, it was one of the best moments of her career, but it also showed her that there was plenty more on her horizon.

Running 1:59 in a season opener only furthered that shift of her perspective.

“When I did it (the first time), it’s like, ‘Okay, now I kinda have some new things to look towards,” Hunter said. “I’m really grateful that I’m now to the point where I’m able to open up a season like that.”

Hunter’s immediate readiness is even more improbable considering the way her 2025 season ended. She was spiked in the Achilles while racing at the USATF Outdoor Championships in August, and that led to an Achilles tendon injury that forced her to cross train for three months. 

“We weren’t really sure if we were going to be able to open up this early,” Hunter said, “but the (cross training) paid off. We’ve been seeing a lot of gains through each week, and sub-2:00 did feel like a possibility (today).”

Hunter qualified for the Millrose Games with her win, but there is no women’s 800 meters, so she’ll be able to pick between two races: the 600 or the 1,000. 

Oregon’s Wilma Nielsen earned a slice of redemption in the women’s mile, as well as a spot in the Millrose Games mile, winning in an NCAA-leading 4:26.74.

Nielsen took second to Katelyn Tuohy in last year’s race, and for a few of the middle laps on Saturday, it looked as if the crowd was in for a repeat. Tuohy led through 1,000 meters with Nielsen trailing, and with three laps to go, Nielsen made a decisive move, and Tuohy showed no resistance.

Asics’ Rachel McArthur put up a fight in the last 100 meters, but it was too little, too late as Nielsen cruised to the win.

“It’s an honor running with (Tuohy),” Nielsen said. “She’s really good, and I’m really glad she went with the pacer… when she went, I wanted to stick with her. I felt really good in the last 400, so I was like, ‘Let me try to get a good time.’”

Nielsen is looking to make the most of her opportunity next weekend. She wants to break the NCAA record of 4:23.46 held by her teammate Silan Ayyildiz, as well as the Swedish record of 4:23.68, which was set by Yolanda Ngarambe at the 2024 Millrose Games.

Flavien Szot closed out the professional slate with a win in the men’s mile, breaking the tape in 3:54.00. The Frenchman made a move with two laps to go and gave himself plenty of room, which turned out to be a smart move. When Empire Elite’s Ben Allen took a spill heading into the first turn of the final lap, Szot avoided any kind of trouble, and he had all but secured the win.

Szot said he was pleased with his performance given it’s only his second race of the season. His main goal of 2026, he said, is to compete at the European Outdoor Championships in Birmingham in August.

Claudel Chery Tunes Up For Millrose High School Mile

North Rockland’s Claudel Marc Chery delivered a signature win in the boys invitational 1,000 meters, closing in 28.48 seconds for his final 200 meters to break the tape in 2:30.07.

The senior got boxed in at the beginning of the race and found himself in eighth place after the first lap. He made a risky move to free himself, swinging wide into lane three and moving up into the front of the pack, and that move paid off. Heading into the bell lap, he took the lead and never gave it up.

Next week, he’ll be racing against Andrew Beroset, Rocco Culpepper, Trent Daniels and other elite high schoolers in the Millrose Games high school mile.