This race at Parilla Thrilla accounts for six of the Top 10 returning times for 2024 with Lily Bowen leading the way with the second overall time of 2:14.08.
Wide Open Events
As we ramp up towards the 2024 outdoor season, we are going to examine several events or event categories that have been dominated over the past couple of seasons by one or two individual athletes. With the graduation of those, these events are without a favorite for the first time in several years and we'll take a look at who is in position to emerge from the pack and take over the rankings.
Girls 800m
I couldn't make it out to Johnson City for the Tennessee State Indoor Championships in 2022 but I remember getting a text from a coach who was there that read "Girl from Centennial just won the 800m." My response was "What girl from Centennial?" It wouldn't remain a mystery for much longer as we would get to know Gabrielle Boulay very well over the next year and half as the she would go on to win three more 800m state titles in a row (indoors and out) ranking top two at the end of every season with an overall best of 2:12.36, TN #10 All-Time. But now that she's gone, what becomes of this event?
The elephant in the room is whether or not Nolensville's Claire Stegall, the state record holder, makes this distance a focus moving forward. In her first two seasons she has only raced the 800 a combined three times ending each year with the fastest overall mark in the state of 2:13.01 in 2022 and 2:09.11 in 2023. She has never raced the distance indoors and based on how cross finished, I would not be surprised if we don't see her again until the spring which won't give us much clarity for her focus before outdoors but if she does, it would likely dominate the headlines.
That said, there's no shortage of talent for this distance this season. Behind her is a slew of girls from 2:14 to 2:16 who collectively (with Stegall) make up the most girls ever to return under 2:17. In total, eleven return under that mark where the most in any year before this has been six and they are as follows:
| RANK | TIME | ATHLETE/TEAM | GRADE | MEET DATEPLACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2:09.11 | 2025 | Willco Championships1st F | |
| 2 | 2:14.08 | 2025 | Parrilla Thrilla1st F | |
| 3 | 2:14.49 | 2025 | ||
| 4 | 2:15.32 | 2026 | Parrilla Thrilla2nd F | |
| 5 | 2:15.43 | 2026 | ||
| 6 | 2:15.58 | 2024 | ||
| 7 | 2:16.27 | 2026 | Parrilla Thrilla3rd F | |
| 8 | 2:16.55 | 2026 | Parrilla Thrilla4th F | |
| 9 | 2:16.59 | 2024 | Parrilla Thrilla5th F | |
| 10 | 2:16.77 | 2026 | Parrilla Thrilla6th F | |
| 11 | 2:16.88 | 2024 |
Continued 800m Girls Returner Rankings >>>
Stewart's Creek's Camryn Merryman has placed Top 8 in the 400m the past two season's at state but, due to the order of events, has not attempted to qualify for the 800m. However, she'll dabble in the event during the regular season with more focus during club. She ended her outdoor season with a 2:14.49 at the AAU Championships.
Underneath The Threshold
I think what strikes me from just that small snapshot above is that there are three sets of teammates.
- Webb School Of Knoxville - Jazzlyn Garmer, Calysta Garmer, Carolina Areheart
- Brentwood High School - Lia Banovac, Peyton Strauss
- Daniel Boone - Sadie Honeycutt, Ella Battel
A team would need to average 2:16.5 per leg to break the record set just last year by Centennial in the 4x800m and the teams above are entering the season with multiple legs right on that average. So while that record stood for over forty years before Centennial broke it, it's hard to see how it stands for that long again.
No matter who emerges, I feel like we're going to see an escalation at this distance where a girl could run 2:16 and not advance out of their section or region which would have been unheard of just a couple of years ago.