Paige Sheppard and Blair Bartlett continued to make history and elevate their legacies as all-time greats with mind-bending performances at The Circuit NYC on Saturday night at the New York Armory.
Sheppard, who already owns the NJ outdoor record in the mile, adde the NJ indoor record in the 800-meter run to her remarkable resume when the junior at Union Catholic stopped the clock at 2:02.81, holding off a hard-charging Ellie Barada of Bloomington South High in Indiana, second in 2:03.02.
Sheppard’s 2:02.81 is No. 6 in U.S. high school indoor history, and it shattered the NJ record of 2:03.98 run by Athing Mu of Trenton at the 2020 Camel City Elite Invit. in Winston-Salem, N.C. Mu is a 2-time Olympic gold medalist and holds the American outdoor record in the 800!!
The 4-lapper was domianted by Jersey girls!!!
Junior Reagan Moore of Oak Knoll was third in 2:05.23, Union Catholic junior Sophia Thompson placed fifth in 2:08.27, and Union Catholic’s Abbey Robisky, one of the most taleneted freshmen we’ve ever seen in this state, was sixth in a NJ freshman record 2:08.68!!! Robisky’s time is broke the previous NJ freshman mark of 2:09.79 set by Sheppard at the Ocean Breeze Invit. in 2024 and makes her the 5th fatest freshmen in U.S. indoor high school history!!!!
Bartlett, a junior at Lawrenceville, smashed her third state record of the season when the indefatigable running machine won the girls 2-mile in a NJ record and U.S. No. 3 all-time 9:44.34!!!
Bartlett, who ran a NJ record and U.S. No. 2 all-time 9:42.38, to win the 3,200 at the Metro-Atlantic Prep League Championships last Saturday, destroyed the NJ 2-mile record of 9:56.96 set by Angelina Perez of Lakeland at the 2022 New Balance National Championships at the NY Armory. Bartlett also ran a NJ record 4:39.73 in the mile at the Millrose Games earlier this month.
The only two runners who have ever gone faster over 2-miles in high school than Bartlett are Mary Cain of New York (9:38.68 in 2013) and Elizabeth Leachman of Boerne Champion in Texas in 2024.