Ince, Hilby show their dominance with 800 Meter Run wins at Arcadia

 

Good early season performances by Illinois distance runners

 

Photo: Ali Ince on her way to a second Arcadia title (Ken Martinez for DyeStat Photo)

 

 

 

By Michael Newman

 

 

 

Patrick Hilby of Aurora Central Catholic and Allison Ince of Normal Community made their presence known a month ago at the New Balance Indoor Nationals winning national championships in the 800 Meter Run. Saturday evening at the Arcadia Invitational just outside of Los Angeles both runners showed their dominance on the track winning both 800 Meter Run Invitational races within a span of 10 minutes.

 

 

 

Ince finished second in this race a year ago but won as a sophomore in 2022. There was no doubt she would win in her final time in this meet as soon as the race started. There was no change in strategy for this senior taking the lead at the start and daring the rest of the field to try to stay with her. It seemed as Ince passed the first 400-meters in 58.44 that no one was able to accept the challenge.

 

 

 

The 2023 race had the field coming back on the Illinois runner in the final 200-meters. She passed 600-meters in 1:30 and accelerated once again making sure no one would sneak up on her. Her margin of victory was five seconds running 2:05.26 (US #2) for her second title in this meet.

 

 

 

“I knew the competition would be great today and the weather would also be great,” Ince said after her race. “I wanted to go out between 58 and 59 seconds which I did. The second lap did not go as planned. I wanted to get the win out here and I accomplished that.”

 

 

 

L’Mio Edwards of Claremont CA was the closest to Ince at the end running 2:10.09 to finish second. The second Illinois runner in the race, Ahry Comer of Pope County, ran 2:10.70 to finish fourth overall.

 

 

 

“I learned a lot from last year’s race when I got caught at the end,” Ince added. “This was my first race outdoors. I just have to work on that last 200-meters.”

 

 

 

Next up on the track was Patrick Hilby who got the nation’s attention last month in Boston that he would be the runner to watch in this two lap race this spring. Just like in the Girls Invitational race right before his, Hilby expressed his authority winning the race in the first 200-meters in the race just like Ince did. The Aurora senior passed the first 200-meters in 25 seconds. By the time he passed 400-meters in 52.43 (his fastest first 400 this year) as he led the field by over two seconds. The gap closed in the final 100-meters of the race, but Hilby held off the rest of the field as he ran 1:49.47 to claim the win.

 

 

 

“I wanted to race the same way I did at nationals leading all the way and see what happens in the end,” Hilby said after his win. “The last 80 meters I started tying up a lot. I almost fell with 50 left. I just committed to it and got through the line.”

 

 

 

Noah Nielsen of American Fork closed on Hilby in the final 100-meters finishing in second (1:49.86). Noe Kemper of Boise ID ran 1:50.68 in finishing third. Trey Sato of Grayslake Central continues to set personal bests in every race that he is in. He ran 1:51.95 at Illinois Top Times two weeks ago. Saturday night, Sato ran 1:50.71 to finish fourth.

 

 

 

“The first goal was to get the win today,” Hilby added. “I did not get the time I wanted. I’m excited for the win over this stacked field.”

 

 

 

Illinois runners set some high standards in the 3200 Meter Run races held at this meet on Friday and Saturday. It started on the three 3200’s that took place on Friday night. In the first Boys Open race, Will Foltz of Tuscola was third entering the final lap of the race. Foltz closed with a 61.1 final lap to run a huge personal best of 9:09.66 to win that race.

 

 

 

Josiah Hortin of Tuscola two weeks ago at Top Times won the Class 1A 800 Meter Run and 1600 Meter Run. Hortin had a successful  jump in distance running 9:05.86 to finish second in the Boys Open #2 race. Will Kozlowski of Lane Tech was also in this race running 9:33.95.

 

 

 

Rory Gaan of Fremd ran in the third open race of the night and once again dropped his personal as he ran 9:09.37 to finish eighth in that race. Gaan had more work to do on Saturday running in the 1 Mile Run open races. Gaan was in the mix for the lead throughout the third section of the event ending up running 4:17.60 to finish third in that section, 12th overall in that division.

 

 

 

Two Illinois runners on Saturday night ran under 9-minutes. Four runners in the Rated division ran under 8:58 in that race. One of those runners was Camyn Viger of Plainfield South. Viger took his time in the race passing the first 1600-meters in 4:31. He moved through the pack the next three laps taking the lead as the race entered the final lap. Viger closed in a 63.2 final lap finishing fourth with an 8:57.90. Omar Alsaidi of Oakdale CA ran 8:57.29 to win that race.

 

 

 

Dylan Nalley of Marion was the lone Illinois runner in the invitational race and the fastest Illinois runner in the event in this meet. It may not have been the time that this senior wanted in this race but he was aggressive throughout the eight laps he ran. He passed 1600-meters in 4:26.5 and clicked 67 second laps the rest of the way running an outdoor personal best of 8:55.64.

 

 

 

69 Boys runners in the six 3200 Meter Run races went under 9-minutes including 37 runners in the final 3200 of the night.

 

 

 

Three Illinois Girls ran in the 3200 Meter Run on Friday night. Jane Lynch of Loyola Academy ran 10:48.22 to finish seventh in the Girls Rated race. Mia Kotler of Latin School ran 10:31.71 to finish fourth in the Girls Seeded 3200 Meter Race. Molly Farrell of Marshall ran 10:43.45 in the same race for the second fastest time in Illinois at this point this season.

 

 

 

Annika Swan of St. Ignatius College Prep had to get up early Saturday morning running in the Girls Open 1 Mile Run. Swan was in the top five throughout the third and final section of this event. Swan ended up running 4:57.84 to finish fourth in her section, fifth overall. St. Ignatius College Prep’s quartet of Lizeth Montes, Maeve Griffin, Emma Valencia, and Ella Hwang ran 12:32.44 to finish 13th in the Girls Open DMR.

 

 

 

This was a business trip for Nicholas Strayer of Lyons Township as he competed in two events. Strayer ran in the final section of the Boys Open 1 Mile Run. Strayer had a slight lead entering the final lap of the race. He ended up running 4:16.83 to finish sixth overall. Two hours later he was on the line to run the Boys Open 800 Meter Run. Strayer ran 1:57.71 to finish 11th in his section. Whitney Young was in the Boys Invitational DMR towards the end of the meet. The quartet of Calvin Allaband-Gamble, Dalton Lowery, Kendall Easterly, and Adam Abiade ran a state leading time of 10:35.64 to finish 16th out of the 18 teams in the field. The quartet on Friday ran 17:54.83 to finish fourth in the Boys Seeded 4x1600 Meter Relay.