Rebecca Story, a junior from Christian Academy of Knoxville, did the unthinkable in breaking 10 minutes in the 3200 meter run on Tennessee soil at the Hoka One One Postal Nationals event hosted by the Knoxville Youth Athletics at Hardin Valley Academy in Knoxville on Friday evening.
Story clocked off splits of 1:14, 1:14, 1:15, 1:16, 1:15, 1:16, and 1:17 for her first 7 laps before clocking a 69 second last 400 to just under the 10 minute barrier with a personal best 9:59.85 performance. She had no competition either with almost a minute separating her from the second place girl in Halle Hausman breaking 11 minutes for a 10:58.31 runner-up effort.
The post-season tune-up performance is certain to gain more national recognition and consideration for Story as a real contender in whichever nationals qualifying regional race she decides to race in next weekend in North Carolina. Her previous personal best in the 3200 meter run from the outdoor season was 10:16. However, Story ran 10:11 for full two miles at the Brooks PR Invitational in Seattle, which the converted sub 10:10 run in June should have been a good sign of a performance like this coming from one of Tennessee's all-time greats.
She finished 79th at Foot Locker South Regional as a sophomore, while placing 44th in last year's NXN Southeast Regional. Based on her 3200 time on Friday night, Story is ready to join the nationals bound party next weekend.
In the boys 3200 fast heat, Ben Varghese of Daniel Boone bounced back nicely from a disappointing state meet which he was unable to finish the race despite challenging Brentwood's Brodey Hasty and Taylor Vroon for the majority of the D1 AAA race. Varghese won the Hoka One One Postal Nationals event with a new 3200 personal best time of 9:02.42 closing with a 64 second last lap. It was a repeat victory for Varghese, which he won this race last year at Hardin Valley with his prior 3200 PR of 9:14.
Finishing 17 seconds later as the race runner-up to Varghese was D1 A-AA state cross country champ George Goodwyn of Knoxville Catholic in a time of 9:19. Goodwyn just held off another state champion runner in D2 AA champ Carter Coughlin of the Webb School of Knoxville, who finished 3rd in a 9:20 PR dropping 17 seconds off his prevous best.