Aria Pearce, a high school freshman from Kansas who opted out of her state season this spring to pursue opportunities outside the state, ran a meet record of 55.71 seconds for 400 meters on Saturday at the RunningLane Track Championships.
The performance, a U.S. No. 20 time for the freshman class and a No. 4 mark in Kansas, represented a nearly two-second PR for the Rock Creek High School student.
It was also the second-fastest time ever recorded for a freshman girl in Kansas.
But Pearce isn't necessarily a hard 400m athlete.
She set two Kansas state wind-legal records over the spring in the 100m and 200m with times of 11.81 and 23.79, respectively, and owns FAT-best marks of 11.38 and 23.14, which also represent the fastest all-conditions times in Kansas history.
"I definitely think it will really help my 200m and 100m, just for endurance," Pearce said.
Pearce said she will compete at Nike Outdoor Nationals in June. She may decide to enter the U.S. U20 Championships, which are an extension of the Nike Outdoor Nationals this year.
Photo Credit: Jake Westing/Milesplit
Girls 400m Results
| PLACE | VIDEO | ATHLETE | TEAM | MARK | WIND | HEAT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Aria Pearce | 9 | Unattached - KS | 55.71 | 1 | ||
| 2 |  Catarina Williams | 10 | Oak Mountain HS | 58.39 | 1 | ||
| 3 |  Kendall Fallon | 10 | Boerne Champion | 59.13 | 1 | ||
| 4 |  Cameron Bruce | 10 | IMG Academy | 1:03.66 | 1 | ||
| 5 |  Macie Huffstutler | 10 | Cold Springs | 1:03.83 | 1 | ||
| 6 |  Carmen Regalon Nieto | 10 | Harris Co. High School | 1:05.41 | 1 | ||
| 7 |  Lila Klein | 8 | Harris County Carver MS | 1:12.81 | 1 |