Running with heavy heart, Wells sets record
Days after grandfather passed, she breaks her own state 3,200 mark
Caroline Wells ran with a heavy heart on Friday night.
Only days after her grandfather died, the Winter Springs junior turned in an inspired effort to dominate the 3,200-meter run at the RunningLane Championships track meet in Alabama. She led from start to finish against a strong field and broke her own Florida state record with a time of 10 minutes, 8.77 seconds at James Clemens High School outside of Huntsville.
“This was my last 3,200 of the year, so I was pretty excited to race a PR,” Wells said Monday afternoon after working a shift at her summer job as a pool lifeguard at the Tuscawilla Country Club.
Wells, who won Class 3A state titles in the 1,600, 3,200 and 4x800 relay last month, surged in front at the start of Friday’s race and was in control all the way against a lineup that included competitors from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.
Another Florida state champ, Caroline Lehman of Tampa Cambridge Christian, finished second in 10:16.48, followed by Pennsylvania state leader Jenna Mulhern, who was third at 10:17.47.
Wells was interviewed by Flrunners.com shortly after her
Friday victory and allowed the tears and her emotions to flow.
“I raced with a little bit more purpose today for my grandpa,” Wells said.
Then she explained that he died in Texas from pancreatic cancer and choked up, pausing to wipe tears from her cheeks as she remembered her grandfather’s long-distance encouragement.
“It was just really important to me,” Wells said, and then paused again. “Just getting to race for him. … always getting a text from before and after [was] something important.”
Her 3,200 time ranks ninth nationally and fourth among juniors for 2021. Next, Wells sets her sights on two different distances in upcoming national events on the West Coast.
She is scheduled to run the mile at the Brooks PR Invitational on July 2 in Seattle and then compete in a 5,000-meter race on July 3 in the NSAF Outdoor Nationals meet, which is set for June 30-July 3 at fabled Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
That was the site of the NCAA Championships, which wrapped up Saturday, and is the venue for the U.S. Olympic Trials (June 18-27).
Wells said she wants to lower her personal-best mile time of 4:45.22 and then go after the state all-time best for the 5K.
That record is 16:18.91, set by Ashley Brasovan of Wellington High School in a victory at the Outdoor Nationals meet in 2008.