Clark AA, but gets tripped up in 800 final, dashing PR, Team USA hopes
Makayla Clark was an All-Time Missouri great during her high school career at Lee's Summit and Lee's Summit West High School as a long-sprinter and distance runner. Clark headed north for college at Iowa State and was looking to cap her freshman year with a top-2 finish in the 800 and a PR.
Clark shined for the Cyclones in the 4x400, distance medley relay, 800, and 1,000 meters as a freshman. Clark and the Cyclones won the Drake Relays DMR. At the Big 12 Championships, Clark ran on ISU's 4x400 in the final as the Cyclones finished 2nd in a school record time of 3:31.02.
Clark also ran to a 3rd-place finish in the 800 with a PR of 2:05.56. At the NCAA Division I West Preliminary Championships, Clark ran 2:06.39 to take 15th in the 1st round before a 2nd round 2:06.14 to also take 15th.
In Oregon, in the 800 prelims heat 2, Clark had a great finish. A stride back of a pack of four with 120 meters to go, Clark hit the homestretch, moved to lane 3, drove to the finish, and just passed three competitors to take 2nd behind Illinois high schooler and fellow Festival of Miles competitor Allison Ince. Ince won the tight battle in 2:08.00 while Clark finished in 2:08.18, Charlize-Trinity McKenzie at 2:08.21, while 4th and 5th were just behind, also under 2:09. All five athletes in heat #2 were faster than heat 1 winner, placing Clark 2nd overall in the prelims.
In the final the following day, Clark started in lane 7. The battle for positioning began quickly after the break-in. Clark was in a good spot, in third just to the inside of lane 2. But just after the 200-meter mark, dreams were dashed for a couple of athletes. Both Clark and McKenzie went down, ending their chances at a Team USA berth. McKenzie, who was in 5th behind Clark, got tripped up and fell to the track. Clark had a few awkward steps then moved outside and fell to track. It appeared McKenzie may have hit the back of Clark and Makayla's attempt to stay upright was short-lived. Clark may have been injured and moved outside to safely fall to the track at the conjunction of lanes 2 and 3 to avoid getting run over.
McKenzie got up and got through 400 meters in 65 seconds, two seconds back of 6th and 5 seconds back of 1st, and continued through 600 meters before not finishing.
Clark wasn't able to do the same. Rhode Island's high school senior and Harvard University signee Sophia Gorriaran, who sits at #4 on the season high school national performance list, won in 2:04.33. Allison Ince, the Illinois high school junior who was 6th at the Festival of Miles in 4:43.67 and sits 2nd on the national list with a 2:03.17, was 2nd in 2:05.22. The University of Miami freshman Gabriella Grissom was 3rd in 2:08.21.
Sadly, Clark's shot at improving on her 2:05.56 PR, a top-2 finish, and a spot on Team USA for the Pan Am Under-20 Championships came to a harsh end on the Hayward Field track. It was a blunt finish to Clark's outstanding freshman year in college, but Clark finished 8th to earn U20 All-America honors and will have plenty of opportunities ahead to put more great performances on her running resume.
Lee takes 10th and 19th as junior at U20s
St. Louisan and Parkway Central junior Skyye Lee had a phenomenal season. A year after helping the Colts to a dominating win in the Class 4 state meet, Lee continued her skyward progress to be among the country's best. Lee captured four titles at this year's state meet, winning the 100-meter hurdles, then the 100-meter dash, the 300-meter hurdles, and finally the 200-meter dash. Lee scored 40 points, helping Central to a 3rd-place team finish and another trophy.
Lee set PRs in each of her four events at state, 13.36, 11.67, 43.31, and 24.19 seconds. In Oregon, Lee was entered in the 100-hurdles and the 100. In the 100-hurdles prelims on Friday, Lee ran 13.66, just missing a spot in the finals. She finished 3rd in heat #2 of 3, just 0.04 seconds back of 2nd place with the top-2 finishers in each heat and the next two fastest finishers advancing to the final. Lee finished 10th overall.
A day later, in the 100 prelims, Lee ran 11.97 to place 6th in her heat and 19th overall of the 24 competitors. Nine of the finishers ahead of her in the 100 were collegians, two grades above the junior. Lee, like fellow St. Louis high school junior A'Laji Bradley, now face the onslaught of college recruitment. Coaches from across the country will vie for their services, hoping for a commitment before the first national signing day in November.