The 2017 American Family Insurance ALL-USA Preseason Girls Track and Field team was selected by Fred Baer, founder of the Track and Field Writers of America, and Mike Kennedy, high school editor of Track & Field News.
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Here are the five athletes selected in middle and long distance (800, 1,500, mile, 3,000, 3,200, 2 mile). Returning ALL-USA selections are denoted with asterisks.
(i) denotes indoor mark; all others outdoors.
Race distances in meters unless noted.
CAITLIN COLLIER
School: Bolles School (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Year: Junior
Times, events: 2:04.89, 800; 4:19.05, 1,500
Nevada Mareno (Photo: Kevin Morris, Photorun.net)
NEVADA MARENO
School: Leesville Road (Raleigh, N.C.)
Year: Senior
Times, events: 4:18.48, 1,500; 10:00.44, 2-mile
Kate Murphy (Photo: Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
*KATE MURPHY
School: Lake Braddock (Burke, Va.)
Year: Senior
Times, events: 2:06.70i, 800; 4:07.21, 1,500; 9:10.51, 3,000
BRIE OAKLEY
School: Grandview (Aurora, Colo.)
Year: Senior
Times, events: 9:56.06i, 2-mile (2017); 15:55.73i, 5000 (2017)
Sammy Watson (Adrian Kraus, Democrat and Chronicle)
*SAMMY WATSON
School: Rush-Henrietta (Henrietta, N.Y.)
Year: Senior
Times, events: 52.69, 400 ’15; 2:01.78i, 800 `17; 4:22.09, 1,500
NEED TO KNOW:
Watson, the 2016 outdoor 800-meter leader at 2:02.91, erased the legendary high school indoor 800 record of 2:01.8, set in 1978 by Mary Decker — running 2:01.78 in a “pro” race at the Millrose Games in New York. Watson also broke the 600-meter record of 1:28.78 twice indoors, lowering it to 1:27.13.
Kate Murphy is the returning 1,500 meter leader and made it to the semifinals at the U.S. Olympic Trials. She won the 2016 USATF National Junior title at 3,000 meters.
Brie Oakley became the first high school runner to better 16 minutes for 5,000 meters indoors, winning the New Balance high school nationals in a record 15:55.75 in March. She also won the two mile at the same meet in a season-leading 9:56.06.