Madeleine Burns and Abby Scott turned in two of the fastest times for Durango High School athletes when the duo competed at the Festival of Miles – an invite-only meet – last week in St. Louis.
Burns, who will enter her junior year at DHS in the fall, turned in a sub-five minute mile and finished sixth in a time of 4 minutes, 56.26 seconds. Scott, who graduated last month and will attend Williams College in Massachusetts in the fall, ran the 800 meters and finished in 2:12.67, which was good for fifth in the race.
According to MileSplit, Burns’ time was the 50th fastest for high school girls this year across the country, and Scott’s time ranked 131st in the nation this year.
Opposed to the 1,600 meters ran at high school meets, Burns ran a true mile in St. Louis, which is 9.34 meters longer than the 1,600, and her time bested 2007 DHS graduate Laura Thweatt, who set the DHS school record in the mile with a time of 4:59 and went on to run at University of Colorado before beginning a strong professional career that has continued in the marathon distance. However, DHS cross-country and track and field coach David McMillan said he’s not certain if the time will count as a new school record, as it was accomplished outside of Colorado.
Regardless, it’s a feat Burns was excited about.
“I feel like that has always been my dream ever since I started running the mile in middle school,” she said. “When I was in middle school, I was trying to get under six minutes. Then, coming into high school, I was running a lot faster, of course, and as soon as it was in sight, I wanted to run under five minutes. Definitely seeing all my hard work and running over the winter paying off was pretty special.”
Tori Findley of Blue Springs, Missouri, won the race in 4:49.35.
Scott’s time in the 800 would break the DHS record by nearly four seconds. If it counts as a new school record, it won’t change the name next to the record time, as Scott already holds the fastest time in the 800 at DHS.
In the race, Scott was in the middle of the pack of eight runners after the first 400 meters and ran the opening lap in 1:04.07, and finished the second 400 in 1:08.60. Marlena Preigh of Fairview High School in Bolder won the event in 2:07.56.
The elevation change from Durango to St. Louis, a change of about 6,000 feet, played a factor in the times of the two girls.
“It definitely helped out a lot,” Burns said of the elevation change. “Even warming up, it definitely felt like there was more oxygen than I was used to, and I closed super fast in my race. My last lap was my fastest, and I think that was thanks to the lower elevation.”
Burns and Scott then went from the Midwest back to the Southwest for the Great Southwest Track and Field Classic during the weekend in Albuquerque.
The two competed in the 800 merged event together. Back at more than 5,000 feet of elevation, Scott turned in the fourth fastest time in the event at 2:15.91, while Burns, who got boxed in during the race, was 15th in 2:19.16, which was still a personal record for her. Carlee Hansen of Utah was fastest with a time of 2:12.89.
The Great Southwest Classic also saw a handful of Bayfield High School athletes in competition.
Jordan Lanning, who will be a senior at BHS this fall, placed fourth in the high jump with a height of 5 feet, 7 inches. The mark of 5-07 matched the second highest cleared at the meet, but Lanning was moved down to fourth after she needed more attempts to clear 5-07 than second-place DamonAsia Taylor of Illinois and third-place Taylor James of Colorado. Missouri’s Jessica Haney won the event with a height of 5-08.75.
Lanning was also 28th in the 100 hurdles with a time of 15.47 seconds, and 34th in the long jump with a leap of 17-05.5. Emily Sloan, a 2018 graduate of Rock Canyon High School in Highlands Ranch who will run for the University of Oregon, won the 100 hurdles in 13.54. Maya Evans, a 2018 graduate of Lutheran High School, won the long jump with a jump of 20-10.75.
David Hawkins, a soon-to-be senior at Bayfield High, placed fifth in the shot put with a throw of 55-05.5. Kain Medrano, an incoming senior at Pueblo East, won the event with a toss of 59 feet.
Recent BHS graduates Carl and Dawson Heide were in Albuquerque for the meet, as well.
Carl Heide competed in the 110 and 300 hurdles. He was 13th overall in 110 hurdles with a time of 14.99 seconds and was 21st in the 300 hurdles in 40.03. Missouri’s Jekeel Suber won the 110 hurdles in 13.91. Florida’s Thomas Burns, the top 300 hurdler in the nation who will run at the University of Miami next year, won the 300 hurdles in 35.47.
Dawson Heide ran the 400 and placed 28th overall with a time of 51.53. Sean Burrell of Louisiana won the event in 46.13.
kschneider@durangoherald.com
