Athletics News

New Balance Girls — Hodge Stuns In Record 200

New Balance Girls — Hodge Stuns In Record 200

With times of 22.77 and 22.33 Adaejah Hodge claimed the two fastest prep 200s ever. (KEENAN GRAY)

BRIGHTON, MASSACHUSETTS, March 10-12 — A blinder of a 200 High School Record by Adaejah Hodge (Academy, Montverde, Florida) and ironwoman distance running by local Ellie Shea (Belmont, Massachusetts) topped the bill in a nationals rife with fast running around the Track At New Balance oval.

Junior Hodge joined schoolmate Issam Asinga as an HSR-setter in the lap. After Shawnti Jackson (South Granville, Creedmoor, North Carolina) zipped a 22.96 in her heat, Hodge went even faster in hers, chopping Mia Brahe-Pedersen’s record from earlier in the year by 0.12 to 22.77.

Hodge was just getting started and in the next day’s final bludgeoned the national record down to 22.33.

The time was a World Junior (U20) Record, as well, 0.07 faster than Bianca Knight’s standard set in ’08. Hodge is just 16, so had rolled past the World U18 Record also.

“I don’t know when we’re going to see athletes like this ever again,” Hodge’s coach, Gerald Phiri, told milesplit.com. “I think it’s going to be a very long time.”

Shea, fresh off her 10th at the World Junior XC, was more than comfortable in her home surroundings. The junior put on quite a display for the hometown crowd taking a 5K/2M double and finishing a solid 3rd in the mile.

Shea kicked off the festivities on Friday dismantling the field at 2M. She clocked a list-leading 9:49.82, moving her into the No. 4 spot on the all-time list.

“I felt good after the World Cross and there wasn’t much change in my training,” said Shea. “I didn’t have to change up my routine much at all. Once I got into the lead in both races I just stayed focused. I didn’t feel any additional pressure in either race.”

At the finish she was 17 seconds clear of runner-up Hanne Thomsen (Montgomery, Santa Rosa, California) at 10:07.06 and 3rd-place finisher Karrie Baloga (Cornwall Central, New Windsor, New York) at 10:07.10.

Shea’s 5K was a solo trek from the start. Lapping the field and then some, she carried out 37/38 splits the entire distance for a 57-second victory margin at the end of her 15:46.28 run. That performance put her No. 2 on the all-time list behind Katelyn Tuohy’s 15:37.12 from ’18.

Sadie Engelhardt (Ventura, California) took the mile on Sunday with a soph-class record 4:38.65 good for No. 10 on the ATL. Behind her, Shea finished nearly 10,000m of championship racing clocking 4:40.76 in…

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