2024 OK High School Indoor Championship: Distance
The Boys 1 Mile Run is an 8 section straight final, set to begin at 10:30am. The first section is the fastest of the bunch, headed by Brody Woodcock from Deer Creek High School. Woodcock's time of 4:17.42 leads the pack by a little under 3 seconds. Following Woodcock is Cameron Langdon (Unattached 4:20.00). After Langdon, there is a 5 second drop in seeded times with three athletes seeded under 4:30. These athletes, Zachary Williams (Unattached 4:25.00), Trae Baker (Tahlequah High School 4:27.00), and Dade Humes (Piedmont High School 4:28.96), are all looking to contend for the win alongside Woodcock and Langdon.
The Girls 1 Mile Run has a 5 section final with the top 18 entrance comprising the fast section. 4 sub 5:20 athletes lead the mile entries. The athletes vying for the throne at the end of the race include Kinley Kite (Norman North High School 5:15.00), Madelyn Clark (Deer Creek High School 5.15.16), Ava Cornelius (Tulsa Union High School 5:17.73) Kenzin Readnour (Unattached, 5:19.00)
The David Sammons Boys Elimination Mile is a first of its kind of Oklahoma running. For those that are unsure of what an elimination mile is, it is your standard mile race, but every lap whoever is in last place gets eliminated. An event like this leads to some interesting tactics and a very fun race to watch. There are two athletes seeded in at sub 4:30. These two, Landry Finch from Piedmont High School and Eli Hopkins from Broken Arrow High School are seeded in at 4:21.98 and 4:26.32 respectively. Despite these two leading the rest of the pack by a good amount, the elimination mile makes personal bests less important when predicting the final results.
The David Sammons Girls Elimination Mile is stacking up to be one of the biggest spectacles of the meet. An elimination mile is different from your standard mile in that every 400m the athletes at the back are eliminated from contention and asked to step off. Strategy in this event can level the playing field for the less fit athletes. Expect to see wild surges thrown when you least expect it or a possible hot early pace by a top contender looking to gut check the field into coming with them. The final lap will be the most chaotic as you may have athletes tying up harder than usual from the battles that have ensued in the prior laps. The women are led by Gentry Turner of Bartlesville High School seeded at 5:05.47, Natalie Duggan defending 6a state champion in the 3200m seeded at 5:10.80 and Kinley Kite doubling from the standard mile seeded at 5:15.32. Will it be one of these three claiming the throne or will a dark horse with a clever strategy take them down.
The Boys 800m has 11 sections with your top entrance in the first heat. It took 2:02 to be entered into the fast heat with 7 of the 11 athletes boasting sub 2min seed times. The indoor 800m can be a scrappy event as real estate in the inside lane is a hot commodity. Look for Trae Baker of Tahlequah High School to lead the runners out with his 1:54.60 seed time. Zachary Lewis from Edmond Memorial looks to be Baker's top competitor with a 1:56.86 seed time. After these two men 7 athletes are all seeded within 1 second of each other so a wild battle to claw under the 2min barrier and secure a podium finish should ensue.
The Girls 800m has 5 Sections with the top 18 athletes with 16 athletes seeded below 2:30. Big players in the top section include 3 athletes below 2:20. Kinley Kite of Norman North is seeded at 2:14.55 leading the field. Caroline Sutton (Bixby High 2:17.00) Gabija Pukstas (Unattached 2:18.14). One of these three athletes will likely come away victorious but don't count out the field if this race becomes chaotic as the girls find their racing line around the track.
The Boys 3000m has 5 sections straight final. Section 1 is the fastest of the group, and is headed by two athletes already posting sub 9 minute times. Dade Humes from Piedmont High School leads the pack with a seeded time of 8:51.42. Following Humes is Maxton Barker from Santa Fe High School who is seeded in at 8:59.00. Look for these two athletes to follow up with some more fast times. Behind Humes and Barker are multiple athletes running in the low 9s, so this 3000m final could be set for some very fast times.
The Girls 3000m race is made up of 2 sections with both being finals. Like the boys, the first section is the fastest. There are 3 athletes leading the charge with sub 11 minute times. Gentry Turner from Bartlesville is seeded in at 1, with a time of 10:20.13. Natalie Duggan from Santa Fe High School is right behind Turner, running 10:20.79. Behind these two athletes is Ava Cornelius from Tulsa Union High School with a time of 10:31.03. Be on the lookout for a potentially close 3 person finish and fast times across the board.