Potential Is Brimming Ahead Of The 800m At RunningLane

* Justin Northwest's Cooper Lutkenhaus won the 800m at the UIL Texas State Championships

Photo Credit: Chance Kirby/MileSplit Texas

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Don't sleep on the 800 meter finals at the RunningLane Track Championships. 

The two-lap race will feature some of the nation's best senior talents and also an array of top-up-and-comers at the distance, including freshman national record-holder Cooper Lutkenhaus. 

A year ago, six boys whipped through the meet record, though things aren't quite the same on the girls side. The race's standard was set in 2021 by Morgan Monesmith and has held strong since. 

If there's ever been a year for that mark to go down, 2024 is it. 

Reigning Georgia state champion Oluwatosin Awoleye will square up against Indiana's finest, Nicki Southerland, who was second in this race last year. 

Just how will everything shake out? Check out all the details below. 

RUNNINGLANE TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS BOYS 800M RESULTS OVER THE YEARS

1:49.61 -- Keyshawn Garcia, Edinburg North (TX), 2023

1:50.55 -- Jonah Kirspel, South Walton (FL), 2023

1:50.85 -- Rocky Hansen, Christ School (NC), 2023

1:50.91 -- Max Armstrong, Vestavia Hills (AL), 2023

1:51.26 -- Marcus Gaitan, Houston Lutheran South (TX), 2023

1:51.34 -- Julian Carter, Marion (AR), 2023

1:51.51 -- Alex Leath, Vestavia Hills (AL), 2021

1:51.54 -- Michael Woolery, Episcopal Academy (PA), 2023

1:51.66 -- Drew Costelow, Valor Christian (CO), 2022

1:51.67 -- Will Sumner, Woodstock (GA), 2021

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Boys Top 800m Seed

Could we see records go down in the boys 800m on Saturday? 

The chances are (very) high. 

In year four of RTC, a total of 18 athletes enter with seed times under 1:54, while we have five runners with performances under 1:52. A year ago, the meet record was sliced and diced, with six boys eclipsing the former mark of 1:51.51. 

Last year's championship race also saw our first performance under 1:50, specifically the barn-storming effort of Keyshawn Garcia, who ripped the last 100m to finish in a time of 1:49.61. 

So what can we expect? 

For starters, two Texans are entered with times at 1:49 and 1:50, including freshman sensation Cooper Lutkenhaus of Justin Northwest and senior Adin Lathrop of Bridgeland. 

Lutzenhaus will be a prime attraction here. The first-year athlete set a freshman national class record at the Texas Class 5A Championships, clocking a time of 1:49.84, and now all evidence points to him being the next-man-up at the distance. What's more, his season is far from over. If we take last year as an example, he raced three times from May 19 through June 18. The chances for another fiery-race from Lutkenhaus is high. 

But we also shouldn't sleep on Lathrop. The fourth-place finisher from the UIL Class 6A state meet has run a best of 1:51.63 on the season. 

We also can't forget about Julian Carter, a senior from Marion (AR). He's the top returner from last year and owns a time in the meet's top 10 rankings, with a performance of 1:51.34 last year. Three runners from Arkansas are entered in the 800m with seed times of 1:52.

Girls Top 800m Seeds

The girls 800m final will feature a spitfire matchup between two girls with 2:05 speed.

That should spell great news. 

Because in cases like this, fierce competition usually takes athletes to personal record times. When you add in the fact that there are four more girls with seeds under 2:10, this race could be absolutely electric. 

Nicki Southerland should be motivated here. While she hasn't lost a single race over the 2024 season, she did not win this one a year ago. In fact, she lost by two-hundredths of a second to Elyse Wilmes, who won in 2:06.97. 

Oluwatosin Awoleye, meanwhile, continues to dazzle. The reigning Georgia 6A champion won a national title at adidas Track Nationals in 2023, registering a then-career best of 2:06.15. But she bested that performance two weeks ago at the Georgia State Championships, hitting 2:05.55.

This race could get really interesting down the stretch. 

Junior Elena Rybak is the third seed here; she won an Illinois state title over the weekend in Class 1A, authoring a time of 2:10.06. She's also run 2:07.13 on the season.

The home-state girl to watch is Jordan Bray. The Alabama recruit certainly has the speed to keep up, with a 400m PR of 55.49 to her name. 

RUNNINGLANE TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP GIRLS 800M RESULTS OVER THE YEARS

2:06.89 -- Morgan Monesmith, Hathaway Brown (OH), 2021

2:06.97 -- Elyse Wilmes, Father Tolton Regional, 2023

2:06.99 -- Nicki Southerland, Delta (IN), 2023

2:08.22 -- Isis Symone Grant, Sandy Creek (GA), 2022

2:09.10 -- Anna Macon Corcoran, Yorktown (VA), 2022

2:09.18 -- Kenyah Conner, Woodward Academy (GA), 2023

2:11.05 -- Gretchen Farley, Park Tudor (IN), 2021

2:11.18 -- Cady McPhail, Auburn (AL), 2021

2:12.10 -- Justine Preisano, Cuthbertson (NC), 2023

2:12.26 -- Sydney Morrell, Cheyenne Central (WY), 2022

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