SEATTLE — Dalia Frias and Irene Riggs ran the two fastest two-mile times outdoors ever by a U.S. girl high schooler at the 2022 Brooks PR Invitational on Wednesday (15) while Natalie Cook did not start the race at the University of Washington Husky Track.
After getting off to a modest start to the race, the two top finishers separated themselves from the rest of the field in the second half of the contest before featuring in an exciting final 100m battle.
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Frias of Mira Costa (Calif.) held a slight lead over Morgantown’s Riggs down the homestraight and was also successful at fending off a late surge from her rival to take the historic win by just a step in 9:50.70.
Her winning time saw her breaking the previous two-mile national record of 9:51.35, which was also set at the Brooks PR Invitational by Brie Oakley in 2017.
“It means so much [to break the record],” Frias, the Duke commit said afterwards. “This whole season has been a hill of up and I couldn’t have asked for a better season than this.
“My training has just been so progressive. Shout out to my coach. She’s amazing. This is my last race and I just wanted to go out strong and finish on empty and just be happy with it.”
Riggs was also below the previous national record after finishing in second place with a time of 9:50.72, while Niwot High senior and Colorado state champion Eva Klingbeil took third place with a time of 10:03.61.
Natalie Cook, who has been in great form in 2022, was expected to be one of the leading contenders for the title today, but the Oklahoma State-bound Flower Mound High senior did not start the contest.
Air Academy’s Bethany Michalak took fourth in 10:05.25 with third place going to Kayla Werner in 10:05.65.
2022 Brooks PR Invitational RESULTS
1 Dalia Frias MIRA COSTA HS 9:50.70
2 IRENE RIGGS MORGANTOWN HS 9:50.72
3 Eva KlNGBELL NIWOT HS 10:03.61
4 Bethany Michalak AIR ACADEMY HS 10:05.25
5 Kayla Werner Unattached 10:05.65
6 Jenna Mulhern WEST CHESTER HENDERSON HS 10:09.32
7 Arianne Olson HOLLAND WEST OTTAWA HS 10:15.17
8 Sophia Kennedy PARK TUDOR HS 10:20.13
9 Ella Borsheim BELLARMINE PREP 10:25.38
DNF Ellie Shea Belmont HS
DNF Charlotte Bednar LAWRENCEVILLE HS
DNS NATALIE COOK LEWISVILOLE FLOWER MOUND HS
DNS Caroline Lehman CAMBRRIDGE CHRISTIAN HS
