ST. LOUIS — Fate had nearly decided how Ellery Lincoln's race would go.

 

Checking into her hotel on Wednesday, Lincoln was handed a key to room 426. Thursday night, she ran a personal best 4-minute, 27.65-second mile to win the high school girls championship mile at the HOKA Festival of Miles in St Louis.

 

Lincoln became the fourth high school girls in history to run under 4:30. Her time is also a junior class national record, and moves her to No. 3 all-time behind Jane Hedengren (4:23.50) and Sadie Engelhardt (4:27.13). 

 

Lincoln entered Thursday's race as the national leader at 4:30.00, an effort she ran solo and won by over 10 seconds at the Nike Jesuit Twilight Relays in her hometown of Portland. With the help of a pacer, wave lights, and the nation's top milers assembled, Lincoln was ready for something even faster.

 

Lincoln led the field through the first quarter mile in 68.21 seconds and 2:15.61 at the halfway point. The only other runner willing to go with her from the start was Braelyn Combe of Santiago (Corona) CA, coming off an 800/1,600 double at the California state meet last weekend.

 

"I knew I was capable and just that confidence and belief in myself helped me run strong and confident in those middle laps," Lincoln said. 

 

With a lap remaining, and the rest of the field over three seconds behind, both Lincoln and Combe began to pick up speed. As they headed down the backstretch for the final time, Combe made an effort to pass Lincoln and nearly got the advantage. But Lincoln held her off and bolted around the final curve and pulled away. 

 

"I was kind of watching our shadows go by on the track and being pretty aware of where Braelyn was over that last 200," Lincoln said. "Being super confident in myself and holding my line on the inside was kind of what helped me come away with the win tonight."

 

Lincoln ran her last lap in 64.40 seconds, more than half a second faster than what she closed in last month in Portland. 

 

"I knew that if I was able to have some competition, have some people pushing me, I would be able to break (4:30)," Lincoln said. 

 

"Especially with the last month I've had of training since then. We knew I was getting in some pretty good shape. So, great conditions tonight, great people to help me out, I think we knew it was definitely on the table if I just gave myself a chance."

 

The future Oregon Duck will move on to the USATF U20 Championships in Eugene in a couple of weeks, where she hopes to make the U.S. team in the 1,500 meters for the World U20 Championships, which is coming to Hayward Field in August.

 

"I think you have to have confidence in yourself when you're going after something big like that," Lincoln said. "So, I'm gonna say, 'yes, I believe in myself.' My body hasn't given me a reason to give up on it."

 

Combe, who ultimately finished almost five seconds behind Lincoln in second, did run 4:32.41, moving her to No. 6 on the all-time list for the outdoor mile. 

 

In addition to a 4:30.38 effort from Allie Zealand in 2024, which is No. 5 all-time, combining Hedengren, Engelhardt, Lincoln, Zealand and Combe, the five fastest high school outdoor full mile times have all been run at HOKA Festival of Miles. Addy Wiley's converted 1,600 meters best is 4:27.72, which slots in a fourth on the combined list. 

 

Abby Hennessy of Westford Academy MA, who entered as US#2, finished third in 4:35.14. Sophomore Elin Latta of South Texas Heat Homeschool ran a lifetime best 4:35.98 to finish fourth and Kara Glenn of St. Charles IL rounded out the top five in 4:38.68, bringing the total to five girls under 4:40.

 

For the second year in a row, the fastest high schooler, in this case Lincoln, was also faster than the winning time of the professional race that followed. 

 

Rachel McArthur was the only women in the professional field to break 4:30, running 4:27.91 and beating defending champion Christina Aragon by over four seconds in 4:32.02.

 

In the girls elite mile, the second-tier race, Mary Nesmith of Marietta GA ran 4:42.95, beating Ellie Maddox of Sioux Falls Christian SD (4:44.10) and Charlee Gall of Cedar Falls IA (4:45.43) for the top spot on the podium.

 

Angelina Cottone of Father Tolton Catholic MO, five days after winning a state title in the 800 and second in the 1,600, won the girls Missouri Mile in 4:53.79.

 

In the only non-mile event of the night, Josie Hill won the girls 800 in 2:05.86. Six girls broke 2:10.