Alicia Monson, Elle Purrier St. Pierre Shine in Distance Events at Millrose Games

New York City was sitting under a blanket of snow this weekend, but the track action at the 114th annual Millrose Games was super hot.

In the women’s 60 meters, training partners Aleia Hobbs and Mikiah Brisco went 1-2 in 7.11 and 7.15, but 16-year-old Shawnti Jackson stole the show in third place by smashing the national high school record in 7.18. The time also stands as an age group world record for 16-year-olds. Talent runs in the family, as Jackson is the daughter of Bershawn “Batman” Jackson, an Olympic medalist and 2005 world champion in the 400-meter hurdles. 

The women’s 3K was deja vu for track fans who tuned in to the USATF Cross Country Championships earlier this month. Rivals Alicia Monson of On Athletic Club and Weini Kelati of Dark Sky Distance once again made it a two-woman race, separating themselves from Mexico’s Laura Galvan over the first 1,000 meters. Monson, racing in a brand-new model of On spikes, pulled away over the last quarter-mile to win in 8:31.62, a Millrose Games meet record and facility record at the Armory. It’s a world-leading time this year and makes her the eighth-fastest U.S. woman ever. The win is Monson’s second victory in the 3K at Millrose after winning the event as a collegiate runner for the University of Wisconsin in 2019. Kelati finished second in 8:33.72, with Galvan setting a new national record of 8:42.29 in third.

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In the women’s Wanamaker mile, Elle Purrier St. Pierre proved she is still the queen of the mile in the United States. The Olympian and reigning Millrose Games champion controlled the race once the rabbit stepped off the track, cruising home in 1:03.69 to win in 4:19.30, well ahead of runner-up Josette Norris in 4:20.81. This was the second consecutive mile victory for Purrier St. Pierre at the Millrose Games after winning in 2020, where she set the American record of 4:16.85. 

Nike Union Athletics Club teammates Konstanze Klosterhalfen of Germany and Jessica Hull of Australia were third and fourth in 4:22.59 and 4:24.06; the latter setting a new national record. 

The biggest question mark ahead of the women’s mile was how Olympic 800-meter champion Athing Mu would fare in the longer distance, which she switched to after running a solo 4:37 at Texas A&M a few weeks ago, but the 19-year-old stepped off the track with about 250 meters to go after running within the pack in sixth place for most of the race. She reportedly did not go through the mixed zone to speak with media after the race.

Meanwhile, in the 800 meters, Mu’s absence meant that Ajee’ Wilson easily cruised to her 16th consecutive victory at the Armory. The 27-year-old won in 2:01.38, putting nearly a full second on runner-up Natoya Goule of Jamaica over the final quarter mile. High schoolers Roisin Willis and Sophia Gorriaran were fourth and fifth, respectively, in 2:03.28 and 2:03.66, while Michaela Meyer, who took fourth-place at the Olympic Trials last summer, made her professional debut for Nike with a solid third-place run in 2:02.94, an indoor personal best.

In the 60-meter hurdles, American Keni Harrison—the Olympic silver medalist in the 100-meter hurdles last summer—couldn’t recover from a slow start and finished just fourth in 8.00. Brittany Anderson of Jamaica won in 7.91, a personal best.

The 400 meters saw Wadeline Jonathas win in 52.51 ahead of Jessica Beard in 52.95. Raevyn Rogers of Nike Union Athletics Club, the Olympic bronze medalist in the 800 meters, finished fifth in 55.58.

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