ARCADIA — Finally.
You could almost see that was what La Jolla High School’s Chiara Dailey was thinking after winning the girls’ mile run at the Arcadia Invitational late Saturday night.
“It has been a progression,” the Stanford-bound senior said after she clocked a time of 4 minutes, 41.12 seconds, which converts to a section-record 4:39.52 for 1,600 meters.
While Saturday was a milestone in Dailey’s storied high school career, it wasn’t a personal record.
At the HOKA Festival of Miles at St. Louis University High School last June, she clocked a 4:39.14 for the mile — which converts to a 4:37.08 for 1,600 meters, the mark she counts as her best.
The National Federation of High Schools, which the CIF San Diego Section uses as its guideline, counts marks made in high school meets during the season. Since the HOKA Festival came after the California state meet concluded, it doesn’t count.
Either way, Dailey is the record-holder with the three fastest performances and more chances to lower that time.
Several hours after Sage Creek’s Josiah Bowman set a section record and became the first area runner to crack the 1:50 barrier by winning the seeded 800 in 1:49.54, Dailey was content to sit back in second place until the final 300 meters, when she charged off the turn and built an uncatchable lead.
About that progression …
“As a freshman, I finished way behind,” she explained, holding the finish tape as a souvenir. “As a sophomore, I got rolled. And last year was better (setting the second record by .01 seconds at 4:40.28). This time I got to feel what it’s like to win at Arcadia — I really didn’t care about the time.”
Dailey said she’ll run the 800 next week at Mt. SAC, adding, “I’ll probably run the 1,600 at state.”