* Jane Hedengren (left), Shawnti Jackson and Simeon Birnbaum all won events in impressive fashion at the Brooks PR Invitational.
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The biggest week of high school track and field this outdoor season got off to quite the notable start.
All-time marks, anticipated head-to-head matchups and some impressive upsets highlighted a Brooks PR Invitational for the record books.
It all began on quite the high note in the 2-mile races, where we saw three boys enter the US top 5 all-time rankings for high schoolers.
He's been on a tear this season since winning the Arcadia Invitational 3,200m in a US No. 2 all-time 8:34.10, and Simeon Birnbaum continued his dominance in Seattle on Wednesday afternoon.
Birnbaum clocked yet another US No. 2 all-time mark of 8:34.10, but this time it came at the longer 2-mile distance to win the Brooks PR title, just a year after winning the mile at the same invitational meet. That historic performance came in typical Birnbaum fashion, too, as he used his trademark sit-and-kick tactics to close in 55 seconds on the final lap and surge to the lead.
But the guys behind him also moved up the 2-mile high school rankings. Connor Burns of Southern Boone County (MO) moved to No. 3 in history with a 8:34.33 second-place effort, and Christ School's (NC) Rocky Hansen now owns No. 4 on the all-time list thanks to a 8:35.22 finish for third.
One of the most exciting matchups of the championship came in the girls 100m, which featured a long-awaited showdown between the nation's top two sprinters in Shawnti Jackson of South Granville (NC) and Lake Oswego (OR) junior Mia Brahe-Pedersen.
Jackson, fresh off her astonishing 10.89 (+0.9) national record at Music City Track Festival, meant business as she burst out of the blocks and never looked back en route to a win in 11.00 (+0.4). Brahe-Pedersen would run strong for second in 11.09, but Jackson would come away with the Brooks PR title and the win in their first meeting this season.
Another high-profile, all-time moment came in the shorter distances as Akala Garrett of Albemarle (NC) continued to do Garrett-like things in the hurdles, improving her 100mH best to 13.13 (0.6) to become a top 10 performer in U.S. high school history.
She moves past some notable names, including Olympian and former North Carolina high school state record holder Anna Cockrell.
But perhaps the more surprising moment of the day came down the final homestretch of the girls mile at the end of the afternoon.
Gutting out a kick to get in front of US No. 1 miler Tatum David at the finish line was Timpview (UT) sophomore Jane Hedengren, winning in a new Brooks PR record of 4:35.69. The Utah state champion logged a nearly six-second mile PR and closed in 67 seconds over the final 400m to grab the win.
Hedengren now moves to US No. 2 all-time for the sophomore class in the outdoor mile, only behind arguably one of the greatest high school distance runners of all time in Katelyn Tuohy.
Four girls in total would dip under 4:40 for the race, including Hedengren, David in second (4:35.87), Bethany Michalak for third (4:37.39) and Karrie Baloga in fourth (4:37.52).
Other upsets of sorts unfolded on the track, including a lean at the line from Wisconsin star Nathan Cumberbatch to win the boys 800m in a US No. 1 1:48.20, and Squalicum (WA) standout hurdler Andre Korbmacher put together his best 110mH effort of the season with a US No. 3 13.40 (-0.5) winning mark. Ellie Shea of Emerging Elites (MA) also moved to the track for the high school races to win the 2-mile in a nation-leading 9:53.36.
A total of five new US No. 1 high school marks went down in Seattle on Wednesday, kicking off the beginning of what could shape up to be a mind-boggling week of prep championship racing.
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