Rachel Paul Looking for Top Mile Time at Millrose Games

Sachem East’s Rachel Paul will run in the Millrose Games on Saturday.

The prestigious meet has changed locations for the first time in over 100 years and will be held at the 168th Street Armory in Manhattan instead of Madison Square Garden.

“The change in venue may be upsetting to some, but the Armory ensures that some fast times will be run,” said Sachem East track coach Dan Schaub, “as it is considered to be one of the best indoor track & field facilities in the world. The site is also a familiar one for high-schoolers used to heading into upper-Manhattan on weekends for top-quality meets held at the Armory throughout the indoor season.”

Paul will be running the invitational girls mile, a top-quality race in which each competitor earns a spot in the field only through a rigorous qualifying process. She is looking to improve on her fifth place finish from last year's Millrose Games and also looks to notch one of the nation's top mile times this year. She is currently ranked No. 9 in America.

According to a preview on the Armory’s website, five of the mile entrants ran sub-4:50 in early-season qualifying races, including Paul, Bronxville's Mary Cain, North Shore's Samantha Nadel and Brianna Nerud and Friends Academy's Kelsey Margey. There is a chance that the national indoor mile record – set 39 years ago when Debbie Heald from California ran it in 4:38.5 – could actually be broken by one of these girls.

While Sachem-alum and 2012 Olympic-hopeful Maria Michta won't be competing in the racewalk at this year's meet - she is gearing up for the USATF National Championships in New Mexico instead -, Jenna Monahan (Sachem East alum, former high school national champion, and current Sachem East volunteer coach) will be. In addition, Jeanna Composti (another Sachem alum and former high school national champion) will be competing in the women's distance medley relay for the New York Athletic Club.

Follow along with webcasts from the Armory on their website and check Sachem Patch Saturday night for updates about the race.