2023 Lilac Grand Prix Results

By LetsRun.com
January 26, 2023

The 2023 Lilac Grand Prix – a World Athletics silver track and field / athletics meeting took place on Friday night at The Podium in Spokane, Washington. Compiled results appear below. Lap by lap splits can be found here. You can watch a free live stream replay here.

Men’s 800

1. Noah Kibet, Nike Union Athletics Club, 1:46.74
2. Isaiah Harris, Brooks Beasts, 1:47.27
3. Charlie Hunter, Nike Union Athletics Club, 1:47.99
4. Lorenz Herrmann, University of Idaho, 1:48.07
5. Christian Harrison, Adidas Golden Coast Track Club, 1:48.42
6. George Espino, Cascadia Elite, 1:54.72

Men’s 1500

1. Amos Bartelsmeyer, Nike Union Athletics Club, 3:39.90
2. Charles Philibert-Thiboutot, New Balance, 3:42.81
3. Henry Wynne, Brooks Beasts, 3:44.62
4. Reed Brown, Oregon Track Club, 3:48.04
5. Clayton Murphy, Nike, 3:49.76
6. Bryce Richards, Unattached, 3:52.41
   –Matt Wisner, Oregon Track Club, DNF

Boys HS Mile

1. Welsey Shipsey – Unattached – 4:13.03
2. Carter Cutting – Unattached – 4:14.58
3. Zack Munson – Unattached – 4:15.37
4. William Heslam – Unattached – 4:21.91
5. Brody Hartley – Unattached – 4:22.15
6. Matthew Thomas – Unattached – 4:24.28
7. Evan Bruce – Unattached – 4:24.45
8. Austin Clough – Unattached – 4:24.52
9. Jack Gladfelter – Unattached – 4:28.11
10. Reid Headrick – Unattached – 4:29.84
11. Luke Schmidt – Unattached – 4:30.17
12.  Elliot Hawley – Unattached – 4:32.69

Men’s 3000

1. Cole Hocker, Nike, 7:51.59
2. David Ribich, Nike Union Athletics Club, 7:58.34
3. Ivo Balabanov, Mammoth Track Club, 8:06.73
4. Jack Yearian, Oregon Track Club, 8:15.41

Women’s 800

1. Kaela Edwards, Adidas, 2:01.27
2. Madeleine Kelly, Canada, 2:03.37
3. Samantha Watson, Adidas, 2:03.56
4. McKenna Keegan, Nike Union Athletics Club, 2:04.38
5. Michaela Meyer, Nike Union Athletics Club, 2:04.77
6. Laurie Barton, Brooks Beasts, 2:05.28
7. Aaliyah Miller, On Running, 2:05.66

Women’s 1500

1. Sinclaire Johnson, Nike Union Athletics Club, 4:08.34
2. Gabrielle Jennings, Adidas Team Boss, 4:12.74
3. Eleanor Fulton, Unattached, 4:14.63
4. Allison Cash, Asics, 4:14.86
5. Hannah Hermansson, Valor Track club, 4:15.97
6. Molly Sughroue, Tracksmith, 4:17.38
7. Elizabeth Bird, Asics, 4:17.69
8. Marisa Howard, Idaho Afoot, 4:20.16
9. Jennifer Randall, Cascadia Elite, 4:20.70
10. Petronela Simiuc, Unattached, 4:21.26
11. Nia Akins, Brooks Beasts, 4:24.76

Girls HS Mile

1. Samira Kennedy, Unattached, 5:04.40
2. Logan Hofstee, Unattached, 5:04.46
3. Ella Thorsett, Unattached, 5:06.60
4. Bridget Burns, Unattached, 5:31.26
5. Katie Lubbe, Unattached, 5:48.27

Women’s 3000

1. Ella Donaghu, Nike Union Athletics Club, 9:11.87
2. Grace (Barnett) Stalnaker, Mammoth Track Club, 9:19.71
3. Carina Viljoen, Mammoth Track Club, 9:25.15
4. Kelsey Swenson, University of Idaho, 9:31.31
5. Stevie Lawrence-Wrist, Mammoth Track Club, 9:42.29

When: Friday, 9:15-10:30 p.m. ET (free live stream by Tracklandia) *Meet website/schedule/entries

Meet Preview

A number of West Coast-based pros will be opening up at this World Athletics silver meet organized by Nike Union Athletics Club coach Pete Julian, who joined us on this week’s LetsRun.com Track Talk Podcast to tell us all about it. (Competing in World Athletics label meets is becoming more and more important in getting world ranking points for the World Championships).

The most competitive race should be the men’s 800. Kenya’s Noah Kibet, who earned World Indoor silver last year at 17 and has been training under Julian this winter, faces 2021 NCAA indoor champ Charlie Hunter and veteran US pro Isaiah Harris. The women’s 800 is pretty deep as well and features four former NCAA champions (Sammy Watson, Aaliyah Miller, Kaela Edwards, Michaela Meyer).

I’m most interested in the season debuts of two of America’s top milers, Sinclaire Johnson and Cole Hocker. For Johnson, entered in the 1500 (9:58 p.m. ET), the big question is whether she can remain at the high level she demonstrated in 2022. Johnson was sensational last year: she ran a personal best of 3:58.85, dominated the 1500 at USAs, and was the top American at Worlds (6th). It was a huge breakthrough after a largely frustrating year with the Bowerman Track Club in 2021.

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Hocker won two US titles in his last trip to Spokane © 2022 Kevin Morris

Still just 24, Sinclaire Johnson is smack in the middle of her prime. But, as my boss Robert Johnson (no relation) likes to point out, Sinclaire’s year with Bowerman, despite middling race results, likely produced residual strength gains that helped Sinclaire in 2022. Combine that with a switch to more 800/1500 style training under Julian and she exploded last year. Can she keep it going in 2023 without the same Schumacher-forged endurance base?

Hocker, who will be repping the retooled Oregon Track Club, will run the 3,000 on Friday (10:13 p.m. ET), his first race after a frustrating 2022 campaign. A stress reaction in his foot derailed his season and saw Hocker bomb out of the USA prelims in the 1500, but it’s worth remembering that before that, Hocker was actually running faster than in his historic 2021 season. Last year, Hocker ran pbs in the mile (3:50.35), 3k (7:39.83), and 5k (13:08.55) and won US indoor titles in the 1500 and 3,000. There will be no shortage of challengers in the 1500 this year domestically, but Hocker is a humongous talent and still just 21 years old. Let’s see what he can do now that he’s healthy again.