ENDICOTT, N.Y. – When Katelyn Tuohy was done running four laps around the track, done pouring water over her head and accepting the first of many congratulations, she smiled.
She couldn’t grin.
She’d accomplished most of what she wanted to do, but not quite all.
The North Rockland freshman, who already had the fastest time recorded by a high school girl in the 1,500-meter run this year, took a sledgehammer to that mark Saturday at the New York State Track and Field Championships at Union-Endicott High School.
Tuohy, whose previous best was 4:25.11, ran away from the field to finish in 4:18.51.
The only thing she failed to do was continue her run of beating Mary Cain’s freshman marks. The former Bronxville prodigy ran the 1,500 in 4:17.84 back in 2011.
But Tuohy said her primary goal was breaking 4:20.
“I can’t be upset with that,” she said of her time.
She added she knew she had to push the middle laps to offset the kick of Corning’s Jessica Lawson, who finished in 4:22.38.
“I knew the field was amazing,” Tuohy said. “They’re the best in the state and country.
She laughed when asked whether last year she could have pictured herself running 4:18.51 this year.
“Actually, yeah,” said Tuohy, who ran 4:24.36 last year to finish second at states.