Her first year of high school track isn’t even over yet and Dylan Hosty has already become one of the greatest middle-distance runners in state history.
With her historic 4:42.21 full mile Sunday in Renton, Wash., four days after her mind-blowing 2:06.04 for 800 meters at the Meet of Champions, the Haddonfield freshman is one of only two girls in state history to run sub-2:07 and sub-4:45 in her entire career.
And Hosty did it in the span of five days on opposite sides of the country, breaking two school records held by Olympians – Marielle Hall’s 800 record and Haddonfield coach Erin Donohue’s mile record.
Hosty’s 2:06.04 is No. 2 in South Jersey history behind Natalie Dumas’s 2:00.11 at West Philly Nationals last June and No. 14 in state history. Her 4:42.21 is a South Jersey record and No. 5 in state history.
Sheppard is No. 2 in state history in the 800 at 2:00.65 from Brooks P.R. on Sunday and the state record holder in the mile at 4:33.67 from last year’s West Philly Nationals.
Several New Jersey girls have come close to that unique double. Ridgewood’s Camryn Wennersten ran 2:07.68 and 4:43.83, Danielle Tauro ran 2:09.21 and 4:39.25, Sophia Thompson ran 2:08.99 and 4:41.84, Blair Bartlett has gone 2:09.78 and 4:39.63 and Lily Shapiro ran 2:06.94 and 4:40.15 for 1,600 meters. Ajee’ Wilson ran 2:00.91 and 4:52.89. Olympic gold medalist Athing Mu ran 2:01.17 but never ran a high school mile.
Hosty is one of only five girls in the country – and the only freshman – who have run as fast as 2:06.04 and 4:42.21 this year.
The others are junior Ellery Lincoln of Lincoln High in Portland, Ore. [4:27.65, 2:05.21]; senior Braelyn Combe of Santiago High in Corona, Calif. [2:04.52, 4:32.41]; sophomore Kaitlyn Estep of Cardinal Gibbons in Raleigh, N.C. [2:04.78, 4:36.56]; and sophomore Kara Glenn of North High in St. Charles, Ill. [2:05.66, 4:38.68].
Hosty is the first freshman to run 2:06.04 and 4:42.21 since Sadie Englehardt of Ventura, Calif., ran 2:05.66 and 4:35.16 in 2022. She’s now an All-America at North Carolina State
Ellery Lincoln
Combe
Estep
Glenn
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 