Jenna Hutchins (Science Hill) beat some elite competition at the VA Showcase. WATCH above.
Beth Donnelly, Sofia Rutherford and Jenna Hutchins had huge weekends.
It's safe to say that Tennessee distance running is on the map.
In Nashville, Rutherford and Donnelly had huge races against college runners. Their times have them first and second in the state so far this season.
Rutherford finished 7th in a really fast field, running 4:55.46 for a full mile. Donnelly wasn't far behind, finishing in eighth with a 4:56.03.
Rutherford took 11 seconds off of her time at the KYA Classic last weekend in Johnson City. Yes, the Vanderbilt track is a quick one. Especially compared to the surface and turns at ETSU. But that's an impressive improvement from week to week for the Brentwood sophomore.
Donnelly, a senior, made a similar jump. She won the KYA Indoor Classic with a 5:06.54.
She was just over a tenth-of-a-second ahead of her teammate Rutherford. But it was the sophomore who won this round back in their hometown.
Meanwhile in Virginia, Jenna Hutchins had a huge weekend against some of the nation's best.
She took two first place finishes away from Liberty University in the mile and two mile. Her 4:57 mile puts her right behind Donnelly for third in the state. Her 10:31 two mile is the top time in the state and the second-fastest in the nation so far this season.
Not too shabby.
So all that means that in the national rankings for the mile, Tennessee is well-represented.
Here's the top ten...
| RANK | TIME | ATHLETE/TEAM | GRADE | MEET DATEPLACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4:44.75 | 2022 | ||
| 2 | 4:53.63 | 2020 | ||
| 3 | 4:53.73 | 2021 | ||
| 4 | 4:54.66 | 2020 | ||
| 5 | 4:55.14 | 2022 | ||
| 6 | 4:55.46 | 2022 | ||
| 7 | 4:55.53 | 2021 | ||
| 8 | 4:56.03 | 2020 | ||
| 9 | 4:56.55 | 2021 | ||
| 10 | 4:57.16 | 2022 |
They're just getting started. But so far, so good for this talented trio in the 2020 indoor season.