Hasay Runs HS Record, Makes 1500m Finals

It was a another great night of races at the U.S. Olympic Trials, with the 1500m semi-finals, and the finals of the women's 5K and men's 10K.

In the women's 1500m semis, 16-year-old Jordan Hasay started a long sustained kick from 300m out that brought her from 8th to 5th and earned her a spot in Sunday's final. Hasay's time of 4:14.50 broke Christine Babcock's U.S. high school record of 4:16.42, set only two weeks ago and which itself had eclipsed Kim Gallagher's 4:16.6 from way back in 1982.

NBC video of Hasay's race (requires Silverlight)

Babcock was in also in the second semi-final, and went out hard sharing the lead on the first lap. She faded a bit in the final two laps but finished 8th in 4:20.0. A very good time, but overshadowed by Hasay's historic effort.

All-Time U.S. High School Girls 1500 Times:

4:14.50 Jordan Hasay (Mission Prep) 08
4:16.42 Christine Babcock (Irvine Woodbridge)  08
4:16.6 Kim Gallagher (Upper Dublin, Ft Washington, Pennsylvania) 82
4:16.8 *Francie Larrieu (Fremont, Sunnyvale, California) 69
4:16.8 Polly Plumer (University, Irvine, California) 82
4:17.61 Sarah Bowman (Fauquier, Warrenton, Virginia) 05
4:17.84 Alisa Harvey (Jefferson, Alexandria, Virginia) 83
4:18.06 *Lynn Jennings (Bromfield, Harvard, Massachusetts) 77
4:18.62 Suzy Favor (Stevens Point, Wisconsin) 86
4:18.6 Margaret Groos (Harpeth Hall, Nashville, Tennessee) 77
4:18.8 Arianna Lambie (Bromfield, Harvard, Massachusetts) 03
4:18.9 Kathy Gibbons (Alhambra, Phoenix, Arizona)

Four Massachusetts runners competed last night at the Trials. Boston's Said Ahmed qualified for the men's 1500m finals, finishing 6th in his semi in 3:41.05. Marblehead's Shalane Flanagan followed her win in the 10K with a third place finish in the 5K in 15:02.81, two second behind Kara Goucher. Having qualified in both the 10K and 5K, Flanagan left open the possibility that she would compete in both at Beijing. Bromfield School alumna Ari Lambie led the 5K until three laps to go, but couldn't match the pace set by Flanagan, Jen Rhines, and Kara Goucher and finished 6th in 15:29.99. Braintree's Sean Quigley finished 9th (out of 25) in the men's 10K, running 28:21.96.