Katelyn Tuohy, a high school sophomore who spent the fall setting course records around the state of New York, set another one this weekend as she routed the field at Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) in Portland, Oregon.
Tuohy, of North Rockland High School, completed an undefeated cross-country season on December 2 by running 16:44.7 for 5K at Glendoveer Golf Course. It improved on the previous best time on that course by 12 seconds.
Related: High School Phenom Sets Records—While Coach Tries to Keep the Pressure Off
Her margin of victory in the gathering of the nation’s best teams was an astonishing 40 seconds over Kelsey Chmiel of Saratoga Springs, another New York teen, who finished second in 17:25.0. Mariah Castillo of Saugus High in California was third in 17:36.8.
“I kind of feel like I’m dreaming a little,” Tuohy told her local newspaper, Advertisement - Continue Reading Below after the race.
Tuohy, who finished 13th at NXN last year, made no secret of her goal to win. She went through her first mile in 5:06, which put a 15-second gap on the field.
“I went out a little fast to let the competitors know this was my race,” she told DyeStat in a video interview after the race, “and I wanted to lead from the gun.”
In an interview with Runner’s World in November, Tuohy said she has enjoyed her sophomore season. “I’m kind of more relaxed now, because if I’m not having fun with it there’s no point in doing it,” she said. “My biggest motivation now is just to make my coach and my family proud, and the records kind of come along with that.”
Fayetteville-Manlius of New York won the team competition with 89 points. That team has won 11 times in 12 years at Nike Cross Nationals.
In the boys’ race, Loudoun Valley High School dominated the team competition. Aidan Troutner was the individual winner in 15:03.9.
Next weekend, the country’s best individual runners gather in San Diego for the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships. Claudia Lane, the defending girls’ champion, from Malibu (California) High School, is the prohibitive favorite. Track fans hoped Tuohy and Lane would face off this season, but the matchup didn’t materialize.
Sarah Lorge Butler is a writer and editor living in Eugene, Oregon, and her stories about the sport, its trends, and fascinating individuals have appeared in Runner’s World Other Hearst Subscriptions, Run Your Butt Off! and Walk Your Butt Off!
