STL Festival Of Miles To Kick Off The Post HS Season

Last year's Girl's Championship 800m produced several sub 2:10 performances

WATCH THE FESTIVAL OF MILES LIVE

Date: Thursday, May 30, 2019
Location: Saint Louis University High School
Time: 6:30pm
Schedule of events:
6:30pm Children's Hospital Healthy Kids Mile
6:45pm Children's Hospital Middle School Mile
7:00pm National Anthem & Introduction
7:10pm Children's Hospital Junior High Invitational Girls Mile
7:20pm Children's Hospital Junior High Invitational Boys Mile
7:30pm Spewak Training HS Girls Elite Development Mile
7:40pm Spewak Training HS Boys Elite Development Mile
7:50pm Moneta Group Mascot 400 meter dash
8:00pm The Four Sisters HS Girls 800 meter run
8:10pm Dakota Grizzly HS Boys 800 meter run
8:20pm Big River Running HS Championship Girls Mile
8:30pm Drury Hotel Elite Womens 800 meter run
8:40pm Big River Running HS Championship Boys Mile
8:50pm St. Louis Track Club Elite Mens Mile
Overview: The beautiful St. Louis University High School campus will be ready to greet another exciting evening of distance running at its finest for the 12th Annual FOM. As the sun begins to settle on the 80F evening, the excellence of top-notch girls and boys racing is expected to take over. With a myriad of Midwest and  Let's take a look at the fields.

Girls Championship Mile Field- Clara Mayfield (Manhattan KS), Madeleine Burns (Durango CO), Samantha Schadler (Rio Rico AZ), Olivia Markezich (Bear Creek WA), Jaybe Shufelberger (Washburn Rural KS), Madelynn Hill (Liberty MO), Sarah O'Sullivan (Mountain Vista CO), Ella Behrens (Chicago Whitney Young), Madison Reed (Mountain Vista CO), Sarah Murrow (St. James Academy KS), Abby Korak (Edwardsville), Lydia Roller (Staunton IL), Loral Winn (Dresden TN), Delaney Kemp (Mill Valley KS)  
-The field is not large or deep but as they say, somethings big things come in small packages. The compact fleet of girls appears to be evenly matched with the top runner Clara Mayfield listed at 4:52.83. Mayfield is the Kansas big class champion with just one loss on the season. She could be a candidate to go under 4:50 for the first time if the pace is right. Expect Madeleine Burns to challenge for the win, especially with her confidence of competing in high altitude Colorado and winning a state 3200m title there. Her listed converted mile time is second best at 4:53.22. If there is anyone in the field with a badge of honor, it's Olivia Markezich. She competed in the FOM last year and placed fifth. Markezich also earned a trip to the Footlocker National Cross Country Championship where she placed 36th last fall.

Locally, Missouri is represented by Class 5 1600m State Champion Madelynn Hill who has a season best of 4:56.58. Class 5 3200m State Champion and 1600m Runner Up Ginger Murnieks also are in the field with a season best of 4:59.97. This will be a rubber match between the pair. They also competed against one another at the Kansas Relays with Murnieks getting the upper hand. 

Typically, Illinois sends a sizable contingent to Gateway city. But on this occasion, it's just the Peyton Schieppe (O'Fallon) and Ailey Mitchell (Shelbyville) that are entered in the developmental races... Ella Behrens is coming off of an all-state appearance in the 3200 several weeks ago at the state championship Behrens also competed in the 1600 but finished last. She may be seeking redemption before heading off to college at Washington University in St. Louis this fall.

Boys Mile FieldCarter Cheeseman (Forth Worth Christian), Brett Gardner (Lincoln-Way East), Camren Fischer (Fayetteville AR), Edward Rush (Castle View CO), Christian Baker (Kirkwood MO), Jack Crull (Helias Catholic), Gabe McClain (Blue Springs MO), Wyatt Evans (Spanish Fork UT), Daniel O'Brien (Virginia Episcopal), Coleman Wilson (Bentonville AR), Wes Porter (Rockhurst MO), Jared Kreis (Lincoln-Way Central IL), Luke Tichi (Durango CO), Chandler Gibbens (Hickman MO), Miles Ally (Martin Luther King Jr, TN)
--Just like the girls contingent, the boy's field is largely void of any true superstar milers. But there is one big national name in the field. Carter Cheeseman makes his third trip to the Midwest area to compete. The future University of Notre Dame student-athlete comes with a stacked resume. The decorated All-American cross country runner has run 4:11 for the full mile this season and should be ready to set the track ablaze with an effort that could reach 4:07 or better. Brett Gardner is a runner who prefers the longer stuff, has actually run 4:11 and could be a threat at the front of the pack with state rival Jared Kreis. Kreis is the state leader in the 3200 but has a solid 4:16 on his resume.

The Show Me State features some top talent with Class 5 1600m and 3200m state champion Christian Baker in the field with a season best of 4:13.03. Class 4 800m Champion Jack Crull is also in the field and enters with a season best of 4:13.98. Also competing are Class 5 All-Staters Wes Porter and Chandler Gibbens who have both ran 4:15.88 and 4:18.62 respectively.

Girls 800m Field- Daphne Matthews (Heritage Hall OK), Addie Coppinger (St. Teresa MO), Madison Hulsey (Lee's Summit West MO), Emily Robinson (Bentonville AR), Hannah Robinson (St. James Academy KS), Mary Ralston (Kirkwood MO), Reina McMillan (Parkway North), Gabby Alongi (Duquoin IL)
-Expect a new winner with perhaps some new surprises here with this cast. Daphne Matthews is a good all-around runner from the 400-1600. She won her state meet in the 400 and 800 and took second in the 1600. 
Missouri will be represented in the Girls 800m by Class 5 Addie Coppinger who enters with a time of 2:13.19. Class 5's 5th place finisher Madison Hulsey who enters with a season best of 2:13.50, Mary Ralston who was 6th in Class 5 with a season-best of 2:18.31, and Reina McMillan who placed 3rd in Class 4 with a season-best of 2:18.47.

Boys 800 Field- Gabriel Robinson (Ravenwood TN), Harrison Witt (Mountain Vista CO), Jack Vincent (Clairemore OK), Aniey Akok (Ames IA), Jason Hoffman (Minooka IL), Micah Bruggeman (Joplin MO), Terry Robinson (Lansing KS), Jacob Landon (Carlinville IL) 
For the first time since he was in the 7th grade, Brandon Miller from local John Burroughs HS will not be competing. The superstar middle-distance runner pulled up lame in a meet with a leg injury in mid-April and has been out since. Gabriel Robinson leads a trio of runners in the 1:53 range. Robinson was state runner-up in the Volunteer championships last weekend. Keep an eye on Jack Vincent who ran 1:53 in a meet during the early portion of his season, but he was still able to place second in the state meet several weeks ago.

Missouri will be represented by super sophomore Micah Bruggeman who recently placed third at State in Class 5 with a season-best of 1:55.72