Make no mistake about it...we are witnessing history. The current crop of young female runners in the state is the best ever to come through Georgia. Emily Borsare, Emily Reese, Shelley Taylor and Jackie Drouin have set the bar at a new level with their electrifying performances. Numbers like 16:59, 17:38, 17:52 and 17:43 (on a 3 mile course) would have been unheard of just a few years ago. Now they happen with sudden regularity. It all came into focus this weekend at the Region 7-AAAAA championships when I watched Jackie Drouin run an amazing race to finish over a minute ahead of her closest competitor, teammate Erin Guglielmo who ran a not so shabby 18:55. Then it hit me...what I had just witnessed was only the third fastest time in the state this season! The meet produced three times under 19 minutes as another Collins Hill runner, Alexis Nichols posted an eye popping 18:56. Abby Self, of Grayson has posted 3 sub 19 times this season, going 18:37 at the Carrollton Invitational in September. The two Emily\'s, one a sophomore and another a junior, have already met twice with each winning once. The state meet on Saturday will provide the last opportunity for these two young ladies to line it up to determine who gets bragging rights for the season. But the impact they\'ve had on the distance running community goes beyond their marvelous times. We are seeing a new era dawn in Georgia as athletes around the state have taken up the challenge and said, \"Why not me?\"
Emily Reese, came on like widfire last year, taking the running community by storm with her amazing finish at the Clara Bowl Invitational. It was evident that a truly amazing talent had entered the scene and athletes like Shelley Taylor and Emily Borsare knew that it was time to step it up...and step it up they did. Emily Borsare\'s meteoric rise is most likely directly attributable to the competition she faces with the likes of Reese and Taylor out there. While Shelley Taylor has progressed from the freshman phenom who ran 11:04 in the 3200 in her inaugural season to a seasoned veteran that posted a 17:43 on a 3 mile course up in Tennessee. In competition, one rises to the challenges presented and that has definitely been the case in women\'s distance running. A total of 62 girls have posted sub 19 times this season and more could possibly be added to the list after Saturday\'s races are completed.
In order to be competitive in the upper classifications, the standard has changed over the last couple of years. No longer can one expect to run a low 19 and be in the hunt in the higher classifications. Even in the smaller classifications, the standards are changing as evidenced by the results from Region 5-AA as Haley Kolff, Harriott Kelly and Ali McWhirter go 18:54, 18:55 and 18:56 to finish 1,2,3. We are definitely entering a new era full of talented young runners who know that in order to be considered the best, they are going to have to reach for new heights. In the end, the impact these young ladies have made on the running scene will last long beyond their years in high school. So thank you ladies, for your hard work, your dedication to your craft and your willingness to push the boundaries. Best of luck to you all on Saturday.