Stephanie Brown (IL) wins a blazing 800m in 2:08.10
This indoor season, Stephanie Brown (Jr., Tri-Valley, IL) has made a name for herself. Her first two and a half years in high school were impressive, but Brown had yet to reach the nationally elite. This winter Brown made that jump, transforming herself from one of the best in Illinois to one of the best in the nation. Before Wednesday, the central-Illinois junior ranked U.S. top ten in both the 800m dash and 1600m run, but had yet to be really challenged.
Wednesday evening at the Lady Wildcat Invitational at Illinois Wesleyan University, Brown got the national match-up that was desired. Competing in the 800m dash, she would go head-to-head with Ashley Verplank (Sr., Bloomington, IL). For the past year Verplank had become an iconic figure in Illinois distance running. She took the track world by storm last spring running 2:07.59 and showing up big during large national competitons. Coming into this season, Verplank was the U.S. #5 returnee for 800m.
And so Brown v. Verplank became a reality, and the race didn't disappoint. From the gun, Brown jumped to the lead and pushed the pace early. Leading through the 400m in 63.4 seconds, Brown continued to push the pace with Verplank following right behind. While many in attendance figured Verplank would make a move at some point, the North Carolina-bound senior never did and Brown pulled away over the last 150 meters to win 2:08.1 to 2:09.9.
With a big win now to her name, Brown moved up to U.S. #3 for 800m, matching her U.S. ranking for 1600m. There are ten days left in the Illinois indoor season, which means she has one more shot to lower some indoor personal bests. Her next major competition comes at the Illinois Prep Top Times Invitational, March 28-29, where MileSplit will be on-site. With every race, Brown establishes herself a little bit more and with so many great results thus far, the season is looking unbelievable for this fresh-face of U.S. prep distance running.