The CYUP Misfits Invitational Run Down

It was non-stop fire at the 2025 CYUP Misfits Invitational presented by HOKA (Griffin Forberg photo)

RESULTS I VIDEOS I PHOTOS

------------
Chicago, IL--

The Dr. Conrad Worrill Track & Field Center was the scene of another great event. The fifth annual CYUP Misfits Invitational presented by HOKA was the best in quality and overall experience yet.

Over 1200 athletes competed, producing 265 elite performances that met the Milesplit second-team standard.

There were so many happy faces because of the athlete and fan experience, which should always be a paramount goal.

Let's take a look at some key performances:

Girls-

The HOKA Mile was billed as one of the deepest on Illinois soil. It did not disappoint. Texas native freshman Elin Latta came in as the favorite. Immediately, she moved off the gun first and was off to the races with Annika Swan (Jr., Chicago St. Ignatius). They opened up a sizable lead on the first field with 68.8 and 2:21. During the second half of the race, it was all Latta who ran 4:43.92. It was a US#1 and a meet record. Jessie Jazwinski of Michigan caught Swan late to finish in the runner-up spot 4:50.15. Swan took third in 4:50.94. It was also the deepest mile field in the country.

Charlize-Trinity McKenzie is a talented athlete from Cedarburg, Wisconsin, with an incredible range. Today, she chose the 1000m and repeated it with more authority. The junior hit the open circuit in 31.06, and it was all but over by the first 400. Mckenzie topped things off with a US#2 2:48.95.

17 girls broke 8.00 in the prelim, led the boiling hot water efforts of Angelena Bullocks (Sr., Chicago Whitney Young) and Kyenret Rinkam (Sr., Brookfield Central). The Titans roared to 7.59 and 7.61 efforts. As expected, the final was one of the day's most exciting races. Bullocks got a perfect start, and it was over before Rinkam could react, busting a personal best of US#5 7.41. The crowd, as well as Bullocks, was highly emotional. Rinkam clocked 7.46 for the runner-up spot. Her time is the 14th fastest time in the country.

In the final fast section, the 300m had some heavy-hitting short and long sprinters. Returning for the double were Bullocks and Rinkam. Adding to the mix were Naomi Bey-Osborne (Sr., Kankakee), Delaney Brinker (Ladue Watkins, MO), and Nevaeh Burns (So., Oak Park, MO). Bey-Osborne was in the penultimate section and won that in 39.88, ahead of Rinkam's 39.91, who edged Madalyn Marx (Jr., Mahomet-Seymour), who ran a PB 39.99. In the "championship section," Burns and Bullocks dueled around the first two turns before tieing up late. Brinker's poise and strength allowed her to float past the finish line in 39.01. It was the second-fastest time in meet history. 

McKenzie did not defend her title in the 600m, making way for the supreme freshman Janae Coleman of the Motor City TC/Oak Park, MI, to show who she is. Early on, it appeared as though she was going to do just that. Unfortunately for her, the underrated junior Ellie Barada of Bloomington, IN, had other plans. She picked off Coleman's teammate, Dayshana Kellogg, with 125 meters remaining. The result was a convincing win for Barada in a US#4 1:31.90. 

The triple jump was supposed to be a major highlight in the meet. It did not quite live up to the billing. Superstars Dominique Johnson of Huntley and Jordan Hamb of Chicago South Shore competed in multiple events for the first time this season. They may have been a bit exhausted. Johnson won in 38'9."

Kaylee Meyer (Sr., Schaumburg) got into the mix with her record-breaking performance in the high jump. Meyer leaped 5'7" which is now US#12.

The final event of the day was the girls' two-mile race. A fleet of heavy hitters ensured there would be fireworks. The race was led by pacer Anna Sophia Keller (Arroyo), an IHSA legend and former University of Notre Dame standout. She guided the girls through the first mile in about 5:07 before stepping off the track. 

Sundara Weber (Jr., Sandwich) seemed a bit impatient, which may have been a reason that Mia Sirois (So., Barrington) and the favorite Ella Hagen (Sr., Summit, CO) were able to creep up on her unnoticed. Hagen led for a period of time during the latter third of the race. Sirois seized the moment with 400 to go and prevailed over Hagen in a new meet record and US#1 10:15.24.

Boys-

We will start with the HOKA Mile. NXN national runner-up was in the field. Senior TJ Hansen of Freeland, Michigan, ran a solo effort in 4:09.21. He led from wire to wire, cranking out 62, 2:05, and 3:08-yard checkmark splits. 

The 60HH turned out to be one of the best overall events. It was a two-section final, and Maxwell St. Claire of Wisconsin took the first section in 8.19. Notably, he stumbled in the prelim and narrowly made it into the final. The second section was won by Indiana native John Peters from Merriville in 8.16. 

The 60m was just as thrilling as the hurdles races. Homewood-Flossmoor sophomore Zion Morrison bolted out of his block and won his first major high school title in 6.88. The huge personal best did not go without a ton of emotion. "This means a lot to me, especially after everything that I have been through." Morrison missed the outdoor season due to injury.

The winner of the 300m was decided after 26 sections. Rondre Austion of the Motor City TC set a meet record of 34.15 and ranked in the top 15. 

Caleb Winders of Bloomington, IN, etched his name into 600m history. The opening 400 was in the 52-second range, with Owen Horeni (Jr., Yorkville, IL) leading. He began to tire, and Winders took charge and won easily in 1:18.48. Winders go to #3 on the all-time list and US#2 behind the great Quincy Wilson.

Keegan Smith of Knoxville, Tennessee, won the two-mile. He had two pacers for the first 2000m. One was mile champ and future U of Colorado teammate TJ Hansen. After a slower-than-expected first mile in 4:32, Smith showed a bit of distress but was able to hold on in 9:09.15- US#7