Tatum David destroys the girls all-time 3200m record on a Monday evening built for distance racing
It was a small invitational hosted by Herrin High School and it was in a low 60s degrees, a perfect storm to run a fast distance race on the track. Sometimes the best things in life happen when we least expect them. In Tatum David's case, she had been kind of "off the grid" in terms of the national scene since running an astonishing 3200m (10:00.71)at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational in California.
The senior superstar from Olney Richland County High School has been welcomed with open arms since moving back from Florida prior to the start of the school year. David had been working with teammates in other areas of her repertoire such as the speed game and sharpening her blades for the post-season run.
Last weekend there was the Distance Night In Palatine event which is essentially the "Oscars" for distances runners, there was some chatter of "where is Tatum at?" The Tatum's were hundreds of miles away in Virginia on a family trip. According to her father Rob, "Tatum sat in the car for a long time on the Virginia trip and we were not thinking about any sort of record. We didn't even record the race!" Needless to say, this makes the 9:48.64 incredibly special and there is a belief that David is not done. In the meantime, she will relish in the joy that her mark is the fastest time in the country, and it also breaks the all-time state best of 9:52.02 by former Glenbard West phenom Katelynne Hart.
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Tatum's race splits: 1:09.4, 1:14.7, 1:13.9, 1:13.9, [4:52], 1:13.5, 1:15.9, 1:16.4, 1:11.3