Who to Watch at the 7th Annual Magis Miles

Wilson Georges of Limestone will be on full display at the Magis Miles

Time Schedule: 

The 7th Annual Magis Miles will be held at Saint Ignatius in the South Loop of Chicago On the evening of June 4th, 2022. Aside from the COVID-year hiatus, the Magis Miles has grown as an event each year since its inception in 2015. The meets have been held in search of the first-ever sub-4:00 mile outdoors in Chicago. Yes, it has been done indoors (with Cooper Teare going 3:50.17 at the Wisconsin Windy City Invite in February 2022), but never outdoors in the city. The closest has been St. Olaf's Jake Campbell who won the 2016 version in 4:02.05. 

There have been many trademark moments on the way, however, not the least of which being Katelynne Hart's all-time Illinois record Mile (and 1600 en route, 4:38.00). With the event now back in full throttle, these names may be the athletes to make another memorable evening this Saturday. 

Illinois Alumni shooting for Sub-4

Although not technically one name, there are a host of post-collegiates in the Mens' Magis Mile, and many of these names will be very familiar for fans of Illinois high school track. 

The first is 2012 Lane Tech graduate David Timlin. Timlin anchored the 2012 Lane Tech championship 4x800 relay, and ran a successful career at Indiana State. Since his collegiate graduation, Timlin has run 3:57.69 in the full Mile. Timlin made his first Magis Miles appearance in 2021, coming in second to Jack Anstey of Illinois State. The allure of Magis Mile has been enough for Timlin to travel from his Pacific Northwest base to race in his hometown.

Mundelein 2015 graduate Bryce Richards is entered in his first Magis Mile. Richards was an 800m specialist for the Mustangs, and went on to run at Kansas. Richards has Timlin narrowly beat for the fastest PR in the field, with a 3:57.61 run last year at the St. Louis Festival of Miles. Richards current form is more of a mystery, but he has just as good a shot to break 4-minutes as anyone else. 

Finally, Saint Ignatius 2013 graduate Jack Keelan enters his first Magis Miles field. Keelan won the Illinois distance triple crown in the 2012-13 year (XC/3200/1600), and also won the Pac-12 outdoor 10,000 meter run title. Keelan broke 4-minutes twice for Stanford. This marks Keelan's first competitive return to Saint Ignatius, and this homecoming of sorts will be the first time he steps on the school's new track south of Roosevelt. 

Ava Parekh & Mary Grace Hegberg

Cheating again and getting two names in this spot, Ava Parekh and Mary Grace Hegberg have worked in concert to each have legendary careers in Illinois before heading to opposite coasts to compete collegiately. Their seasons have each looked very different--Hegberg ran a national with many great performances and Parekh spent much of the season recovering--but they both ended up at the same spot, competing in some of the deepest distance races in IL state meet history. Both have run 4:46 for 1600, and as Illinois' best at the high school level in the meet, represent the high schoolers in the Women's Magis Mile. As the curtain closes on these legendary careers, what will their final performance look like? 

Wilson Georges

On a Boy's State meet weekend that saw some of the tightest distance finishes imaginable, Wilson Georges' 1600 blowout was the exception. The future Buff finally broke through for his first state championship and pulled gradually away from Drew Rogers to win in a 2A state meet record for 4:08.58. The sub-4:10.00 time qualifies Georges for the Elite Men's Mile, where he will dragged to potentially an even faster time. He is most comfortable front-running, so keep an eye on him to see how he responds with post-collegiates now in his race. 

Photo courtesy of Loyola TFXC on Twitter. @RamblersTFXC

Anneka Murrin

The contingent of female collegians running the Elite Women's Magis Mile is led by Loyola University's Anneka Murrin. Murrin, two-time Missouri Valley Conference XC champion, comes off a 3rd place performance in the 1500 at the MVC championships on May 13 (4:27.06). Last year, she broke 4:20 for the first time at Eastern Kentucky, and this makes her the top seed in a strong Women's Elite Mile. Watch for Murrin to be joined at the front of the race by Wisconsin's Emma Watcke, graduate of Hinsdale Central and owners of a 4:21.94 1500 best. 

Photo courtesy of Nebraska Track and Field Twitter @NUTrackandField

Alea Hardie

There were dominating performances at state meets all around the country, but one of the most dominating came out of the South Dakota AA state meet on May 27-28 from O'Gorman High School's Alea Hardie. Hardie is a senior who has signed with Nebraska. As the two-time defending 800 and 1600 state champion, Hardie was already used to being South Dakota's best. But Hardie found another level in 2022, adding the 3200 and tripling victories in the 3200 (10:24), then the 800 (2:09) and finally the 1600 (4:45) on the following day. That 1600 performance makes her the fastest high school seed from this season and one of the three fastest in the Women's Elite mile. Hardie can make a major headline running fresh in the South Loop.