Starliper, Payamps Win Featured 3,200s at Loucks Games

By Mary Albl of DyeStat 

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- Katelyn Tuohy was a no-show in the 3,200 meters Friday, but Marlee Starliper stepped up to ensure that the race produced the day's biggest headline at the 52nd Glenn D. Loucks Games. 

Starliper, a Northern PA junior, led wire to wire and ran 9 minutes, 54.75 seconds to break a 41-year-old Pennsylvania best and run the No. 13 time in U.S. history on the 3,200/2-Mile list.

Starliper's performance surpassed Martha White (State College), who ran 10:12.6 for two miles in 1978, as well as Brianna Schwartz's 10:10.03 3,200 from 2014. (Starliper's time converts to about 9:58 for 2 miles).

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“I just really wanted to focus on staying relaxed that first mile, and after that I just wanted to keep seeing if I could keep picking up the pace and finish strong,” Starliper said. 

Starliper made the trip over state lines Friday only to find out Tuohy, who currently holds the US#1 time in the 3,200 (9:53.3) and was listed in the 800, mile and 3,200 for the three-day meet, but opted to focus solely on the mile this weekend.

Plans changed for Starliper as she and Saratoga Springs NY's Kelsey Chmiel battled for the first 1,600, but Starliper was able to build a sizeable lead, negatively splitting the final half of the race. Chmiel placed second in 10:15.42, while freshman teammate, Ella Kurto, was third in 10:21.61.

Starliper's final lap, 73.17 seconds, was her fastest. 

“We got to the meet and my coach said that (Katelyn) had scratched. I was pretty disappointed because I was really excited to have her as competition and see what I could do,” Starliper explained. “It changed because I figured most likely I’d be leading the race, but Kelsey (Chmiel), she’s great competition well. I was just so excited to come to New York because there was so many great distance runners.” 

Next for Starliper will be a tour through her district meet, state meet and then post-season. 

“I had fun today, and I’m happy with it (her time),” she said. “I think the best is still yet to come." 

In the boys 3,200 meters, St. Anthony's NY senior Matt Payamps, who finished second last year, used a strong late push to win in 8:52.30, beating out Arlington's MA Ryan Oosting at the line (8:52.81). 

“It was rough. I led most of it,” Payamps said of the final 1,600. “I just told myself to keep going.” 

Five individuals finished in under nine minutes. 

“Just to be able to compete with those guys, and come up on top against them, it’s an honor and proves that what I have been doing this season has been working out for me,” Payamps said. 

For Oosting, the race was his first big outing of the season and gave him confidence heading into the rest and the championship portion of the season. 

“I’ve definitely got my confidence back,” Oosting said. “I can go into the rest of the races feeling good.” 

In the first heat of the 3,200, Aidan Puffer, a freshman from Manchester CT, led wire to wire, crossing the line in 9:10.33, the top freshman time in the country. His time held up for 10th overall.  

In the 800 meters, Conor Murphy of Classical RI clocked 1:52.49, lowering his personal-best time in the event. 

Sophomore Makayla Paige of Tewksbury MA claimed the girls 800 crown in personal-best time of 2:10.31, coming from behind to catch Maggie Smith of Sacred Heart of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Smith finished in 2:10.91. 

“It was like slow motion,” Paige said of the finish. “I didn’t know if I was going to catch her (Smith).” 

Other highlights included Nolan Landis of Madison OH winning the boys shot put title with a mark of 60-5.25. 

Landis, who went to school in Pennsylvania his first two years of high school, made his fourth appearance at the Loucks Games. He said he was happy to come back to this meet for his senior year and get a quality mark. Landis is set to compete in the discus Saturday. 

“It really means a lot,” Landis said. “Last year I came pretty close to winning the disc, and to come back this year and win the shot ... it really means a lot.” 

Zach Love of Dalton School NY, won the boys long jump with a leap of 24-3.25.