Morley finishes fast at PR Meet

SEATTLE — Bigfork’s Makena Morley finished sixth in the two-mile run in a historically fast heat at the prestigious Brooks PR Invitaitonal on Saturday at Renton Memorial Stadium.

Morley, who just completed here junior season for the Valkyries, finished her race in 10 minutes, 15.37 seconds, the sixth-fastest time in the country this season. Each of the top seven finishers in the race ran faster than the country’s previous top mark this season.

The mark is a personal best for Morley, who finished fifth in the two mile in 10:22.17 last week at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals in North Carolina. She ran 10:21.85 at the New Balance Indoor Nationals in New York in March.

Morley is a two-time Class B state champion in the 3,200-meter run, the equivilant race in Montana. The two-mile run is about 19 meters longer. Her best time in the 3,200 is 10:16.38 to finish seventh at the Arcadia (Calif.) Invitational in April.

The winner, Bethan Knights of Irvine, Calif., finished in a meet-record 9:53.54, the third-fastest time ever run by a high school girl. The top three finishers in the race ran faster than the meet record.

The Brooks PR Invitational is a national meet that features the best high school athletes in the country. It is dubbed the “Fastest high school track meet in the nation.”

Brooks PR Invitational

Saturday

Renton Memorial Stadium

Seattle

Two Mile Run — 1, Bethan Knights, Irvine, Calif., 9:53.54 (meet record, old record: Erin Finn, West Bloomfield, Mich., 10:08.24, 2013); 2, Hannah DeBalsi, Westport, Conn., 9:55.05; 3, Stephanie Jenks, Marion, Iowa, 10:06.54; 4, Audrey Belf, Birmingham, Mich., 10:11.24; 5, Caroline Alcorta, Springfield, Va., 10:11.71; 6, Makena Morley, Bigfork, 10:15.37; 7, Destiny Collins, Temecula, Calif., 10:19.28; 8, Ella Donaghu, Portland, Ore., 10:25.12; 9, Brianna Schwartz, Pittsburgh, 10:31.48; 10, Addi Serrenner, Goleta, Calif., 10:32.80; 11, Bella Burda, Lagrangeville, N.Y., 10:33.02; 12, Hannah Christen, Burke, Va., 10:44.30.