Ali Ince will be a key figure at the Brooks PR Invitational. It will all go down for her in the 800m at 7:05 CST.
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It's been nearly a month since "Ali" Allison Ince has competed in her favorite event.
The last time the Normal Community High School superstar laced up her spikes to contest the 800m was at the IHSA Girls State Championship on May 18.
She is entered in the prestigious Brooks PR Invitational at Renton Memorial Stadium, just outside Seattle, Washington. The first action kicks off at 5:30p.
Ince is one of a few, if not the only girl in the field, on par with a four-peat. Yes, she is a three-time winner and would desperately like to win and take down Alexa Efraimson's meet record of 2:03.26. Ali sits #2 in meet annals with a time of 2:03.98 from her freshman year.
Widely revered as the nation's top half-miler, Ince won the 2024 New Balance Indoor National title. She currently sits in the #5 national position with a time of 2:05.26.
If Ince is to become victorious, it will be against one of the deepest fields, if the deepest in history. Top-ranked by the numbers is the newly minted national mile record holder Sadie Engelhardt of Ventura, California, standing in the way. Engelhardt has run 2:03.48 in her only attempt. US#3 and US#4 Olivia Cieslak of Pennsylvania and Nicki Southerland of Indiana will be honest opponents for Ince.
The boys' 800m race will commence at approximately 7:10 p.m., with Patrick Hilby (senior, Aurora Central Catholic) making his Brooks PR debut.
Like Ince, Hilby won the New Balance Indoor title and breezed through the regular season, which included victories at the Arcadia Invitational and the IHSA state meet.
Hilby has come on the scene in a big way over the past year, winning last year's NBON title in a personal best 1:48.87. Thus far, he has a season-best 1:49.47, US#4 on the charts.
Ethan Walther of Delaware has the nation's top time of 1:49.02, which he achieved nearly two weeks ago at the Festival of Miles. Right behind him is US#2 freshman sensation Cooper Lutkenhaus of Texas at 1:49.12. Lutkenhaus now owns the class record and will have many eyeballs on him. Trey Sato (Sr., Grayslake Central) will have an opportunity to go for an outstanding time and possibly finish on the top three medal stand. His 1:50.71 PB is among the best in the country.
Keep an eye on middle-school stars who are about to enter high school.
Abe Martin of Morton Junior High School and Karanveer Patil of Lake Zurich North have dueled on Illinois soil, with Martin getting the better of Patil in the IESA state championship. However, Martin will compete in the 800m and Patil in the mile. Both have an opportunity to set nice personal bests against stellar fields. Carson Kaiser of Sugar Grove Kaneland Harter, MS, is in the mile field. He ran 4:32.36 at the Festival of Miles.