Sonic boom! Park Tudor's Sophia Kennedy sets meet record at Carmel Distance Showcase

CARMEL – That “boom” heard immediately after Friday night’s Carmel 3,200 Distance Showcase might have been a meteor. Nothing related to the low times posted by many of the state’s top distance runners.

We think, anyway.

Park Tudor senior Sophia Kennedy posted a 10:07.28 to set a meet record in a girls event that included many of the top distance runners in the state on a cool, windless night in the 50s that was perfect for eight laps around the track.

“I’ve been looking forward to this meet all week because I love a good race,” said Kennedy, who was coming off a victory in last week’s Franklin Central Distance Showcase in the mile. “This was really fun. It gives you a lot of confidence going into the state meet, same as last week. To come out here early in the season and run pretty fast, it’s awesome.”

Kennedy, a Stanford signee, was hoping to break the 10-minute barrier coming into the event, but said she came out a little slower in the first mile than she hoped. “We slowed down a lot in that second lap and I just couldn’t get around people,” she said. “But it’s OK. Lesson learned. I was glad to come back a lot faster in the second mile, with good practicing training paces, which is important in championship racing.”

Kennedy opened up a good distance between herself and the rest of the field in the second half of the race. Addison Knoblauch, a Homestead junior who set the state indoor record in the 3,200, finished second with a 10:12.69 and Park Tudor senior Gretchen Farley was third with a 10:13.86.

Farley, a Notre Dame recruit who shines in the 800 (second in state last year) and 1,600 (third in state as a junior), was inarguably the most ecstatic runner in the stadium after her race. She knocked 28 seconds off her best 3,200 time, which came during the indoor state meet.

“I’m usually an 800-meter girl,” Farley said. “I’ve been doing 800-meter training, but my coach and I were talking and it was like, ‘You know what, let’s just go out there and do a 2-mile. We have great competition here and I had a lot of fun. No pressure. Just see what I can do.”

Delta junior Nicki Southerland, the defending state champion in the 3,200, finished fourth with a time of 10:14.61. Cathedral senior Catherine Holtrup was fifth (10:19.95).

Farley said part of her plan was to try to keep Kennedy in sight.

“My goal was just to stick with the top pack,” she said. “I knew those top girls were going to push each other and they would have some real fast times. My goal was to stay in there and getting to that halfway point was tough because that’s usually where I end my race. I had another mile left. But being with the girls up there helped pull me along and get that great time today.”

Kennedy was focused on her own race, but also proud of what was happening behind her and seeing Farley, her teammate, finish strong.

“She’s such an athlete,” Kennedy said. “She’s a really talented girl and it’s awesome to be able to do stuff like this together.”

The boys race also produced some great times as five runners posted sub-9 minute times. It was no surprise Carmel senior Kole Mathison, the defending state champion in the 1,600 and 3,200, led the way with an 8:56.38. Martinsville junior Martin Barco, who caught Mathison last week on the final lap to win the Franklin Central race, again closed strong and finished second with an 8:57.68.

“I think it went pretty much according to plan and I’m feeling pretty confident with how I’m feeling right now,” Mathison said. “I’m still kind of building up the mileage and getting some workouts in and preparing to build that base for the state tournament. It’s good to come out here against great competition again and have everybody around the state here. Have two guys on the team break nine (minutes) is a special thing.”

Mathison’s teammate, junior Anthony Provenzano, finished third with a time of 8:58.81. Provenzano finished second in the cross-country state meet in the fall to Mathison. Brebeuf Jesuit junior Cameron Todd, who was in Mathison’s shadow most of the race, finished fourth (8:58.85) and Bloomington North senior Kyle Clark rounded out the top five (8:59.98).

“You don’t get this kind of competition every day or every week,” Mathison said.

For Mathison, the win is another step toward preparing himself for the next several weeks leading into the state meet.

“I’m definitely nowhere near peak fitness still, but I’m working closer toward that,” he said. “Over the next couple of weeks we’ll get in some quicker track work and that lactic stuff and aerobic side of training.”

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Park Tudor's Kennedy, Carmel's Mathison win Carmel Distance Showcase