One Mile. All out. Three hundred thirty-two competitors, 22 heats. Times ranging anywhere from 8 minutes to 3:59.79, to be exact.

On April 28, the Marist Mile brought together some of the fastest distance runners in the country for a night of pure speed, grit, and track magic. Hosted on our campus, this inaugural invitational featured top-tier athletes from across the state—all racing the mile, and only the mile.

Coach J. Clark Rivers, alongside Coaches Kevin Lisle and Matt McMurray, spent months conceptualizing and constructing the meet, ensuring its high caliber of competition.

The energy was absolutely unmatched as Lisle pointed out.  “The best track meet that I have ever been to,” Lisle said simply.

“DJ Chosen,” also known as Ansley Cho, and MBC’s David Owens spent the evening behind the DJ table and anchor stand. They entertained the audience and broadcasted the event to the loyal fans at home.

The most memorable moment from the night was Tommy Latham’s historic sub-4 performance. Supported by hundreds of his class- and teammates, Latham joined the exclusive club of only 25 high schoolers to ever achieve this feat, clocking a time of 3:59.79.

All in all, most of the runners who competed in the meet achieved a personal best, with standout performances by Maeve Waddell, Morgan Waddell, and Andrew Stricklin, who all achieved Milesplit “Elite Performance” distinctions.

As the sun set over the track, though, it wasn’t about the fast times or personal bests. The Marist Mile was about demonstrating what is so special about our school.

We put blood, sweat, and tears into everything we do on the field, court, track or classroom. We cheer each other on as we reach incredible heights, heights that nobody can reach alone.