Photo by Andrew Blake / MileSplit Indiana.
The girls race saw a star studded field with the top three finishers set to attend the University of Notre Dame, the University of Florida, and IU Bloomington this fall.
One of the most notable stories of the night was a last minute entry from Nicki Southerland after a Thursday meet cancellation allowed her the opportunity to race the Flashes Showcase for the first time in her career. Southerland was last year's champion in the 1600m at Indiana Girls State Meet as well as the 2023 RunningLane Nationals 1600m champion where she would run to a 4:43 in both races. From this indoor track season she was Indiana's small school 3200m indoor track state champion going 10:17 and would also place fifth in the mile with a 4:46 and sixth in the 800m with a 2:09 at this year's NBNI championship.
Also entered in the field was last year's Indiana 1600m state runner-up Josefina Rastrelli who ran a 4:49 at that meet, 4th place state finisher Julia Score who ran a 4:56 last June, as well as Kentucky's Reagan Gilmore who just came off a 4:47 1600m run at the AOC Distance Night in Louisville two weeks ago.
Immediately from the gun Southerland, Rastrelli, and Gilmore would start to separate themselves from the field going through the first 409m in a 71 high. The trio would stick together through the halfway point at 2:26 before Nicki and Reagan would turn over another gear around the 1K before heading into the bell lap. Although she would later state that she never felt comfortable with her lead Southerland would ever so slightly continue to increase the gap on the last lap to eventually take the win with a 4:50.80.
Gilmore from Assumption would earn the honors of runner-up with a 4:52.00 with Rastrelli rounding out the top three with a 4:56.17 effort. Mallory Weller would also run sub 5 with the Indiana defending state XC champion placing 5th right at the 5 minute mark. Both Weller and Dowty have already run under the 5 minute barrier from indoor track earlier this year.
2024 Flashes Showcase Elite Girls Podium
1st - Nicki Southerland - 4:50.80
2nd - Regan Gilmore - 4:52.00
3rd - Josefina Rastrelli - 4:56.17
4th - Mallory Weller - 4:56.60
5th - Libby Dowty - 5:00.31
6th - Jessica Hegedus - 5:02.67