Paul VI junior Shaelan McNally joined the sub-5 club Saturday with a PR performance at the New York Indoor Nationals at the Armory.
McNally ran 5:01.18 for a full mile and placed 2nd in the Emerging Elite division. Her time converts to 4:59,.43 for 1,600 meters and makes her the 17th girl in South Jersey history to go under five minutes indoors.
She’s the fastest miler in South Jersey this winter.
McNally placed 2nd to senior Grace Tyson of Lafayette High in Wildwood, Mo., who won the race in 4:57.61.
Her previous PR was 5:01.74 at last weekend’s Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze, and her outdoor PR is 5:02.10 from Delsea last May.
McNally is the No. 2 junior in New Jersey this indoor season, behind only Freehold Township’s Emma Zawatski, who ran 4:48.71 in Boston last month and won the Meet of Champions in 4:49.53.
McNally doubled back later in the day and ran 18:38.57 for the 5,000.
All-Time South Jersey Indoor 1,600-Meter List
4:41.52y … Michelle Rowen [Washington Twp.], 1983
4:49.46y … Erin Donohue [Haddonfield], 2001
4:51.60 … Briana Gess [Haddonfield], 2016
4:52.33y … Rachel Vick [Kingsway], 2017
4:53.36 … Lindsey Kane [Washington Twp.], 2014
4:53.85 … Nicole Clifford [Cherokee], 2022
4:54.58 … Celine Mazzi [Delsea], 2014
4:55.04y … Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 2010
4:56.1h,y … Ruth Lockbaum [Glassboro], 1985
4:57.12 … Megan Quimby [Lenape], 2015
4:57.72 … Caitlin Orr [Lenape], 2010
4:57.77y … Aubrey Pierontoni [Kingsway], 2022
4:58.48 … Natalia Ocasio [Lenape], 2010
4:59.28y … Grace Wassell [Highland], 2022
4:59.29 … Julia Despirito [Shawnee], 2014
4:59.39 … Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 2012
4:59.43y … Shaelan McNally [Paul VI], 2023
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 