Mainland sophomore Sofia Day opened her season with an impressive two-mile win Saturday at the Bishop Loughlin Games at Ocean Breeze.
Day ran 11:18.57 for the full two miles and finished 15 meters Ava Gumb of nearby St. Joseph Hill Academy in Staten Island, who ran 11:21.79.
Day was in third place with one lap to go, 10 meters behind Gumb and four meters behind Emily LaMena of John Glenn High in Elwood, N.Y., on Long Island.
But she ran her final 200 in a sizzling 31.48 to blow away the field.
Day ran her first three half miles in an evenly paced 2:50.85, 2:52.59 and 2:51.85 before closing in 2:43.28 for her final 800, 74.61 for her final 400 and 31.48 for her final 200.
Day’s time converts to 11:14.63 for 3,200 meters, which isn’t far off her PR of 11:08.72 from last year’s Meet of Champions at the Bubble. She didn’t compete last spring, so this was her first track race since the Meet of Champions in March.
Day is coming off a XC season where she placed 11th at the Meet of Champions.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 