2025 USA Indoors Women’s Recap: Nikki Hiltz Completes 1500/3000 Sweep, Resurgent Nia Akins Wins 800

By Noah Jampol
February 23, 2025

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The 2025 USATF Indoor Championships came to an end in Staten Island on Sunday afternoon with US outdoor champions Nia Akins and Nikki Hiltz claiming indoor titles in the 800 and 1500 meters, respectively. In the sprints, Alexis Holmes won the 400m in dominant fashion in 50.51 while Celera Barnes (7.11) upset Jacious Sears to win a very tight 60m final by three-thousandths of a second.

Thoughts and analysis on all four women’s track finals below. If you want men’s analysis, we have a separate article here: LRC 2025 USA Indoors Men’s Recap: Josh Hoey Rips 1:43.24 AR to Move to #2 All-Time, Hobbs Kessler Doubles Up

*Results

Nikki Hiltz Cements Position as America’s Best

While Hiltz’ tactics at the Millrose Wanamaker Mile weren’t quite on point, leading to a third-place finish behind domestic rival Heather MacLean, Nikki clearly showed this weekend there is no room for concern. Beating Shelby Houlihan out of their comfort zone at 3,000 is one thing (Hiltz, a biological female, prefers the they/them pronouns). Coming back the next day and beating a fresh and in-form MacLean and 2021 Olympic Trials champ Sinclaire Johnson with the fastest last lap of the field (28.23) is another. Hiltz used textbook indoor tactics in this one by staying up front and out of trouble early on. Hiltz then got to the lead before the bell and ripped the last lap from the front. 

Hiltz won’t be doing World Indoors, which is a shame as they would be a threat in either distance there.

W1500 Results
1. Nikki Hiltz (lululemon) – 4:05.76
2. Sinclaire Johnson (NIKE) – 4:06.05
3. Heather MacLean (New Balance) – 4:06.69
4. Shelby Houlihan (Unattached) – 4:06.82
5. Laurie Barton (Atlanta Track Club) – 4:08.92
6. Gracie Morris (Puma) – 4:09.26
7. Dani Jones (New Balance) – 4:09.37
8. Katelyn Tuohy (adidas) – 4:10.07
9. Anna Camp-Bennett (adidas) – 4:10.11
10. Taryn Rawlings (adidas) – 4:11.05
11. Samantha Bush (Unattached) – 4:11.37
12. Abbe Goldstein (Unattached) – 4:11.60

1500 race video

Nikki Hiltz interview

Sinclaire Johnson’s Bet on Herself Is Working

Sinclaire Johnson moved away from the Union Athletics Club and Pete Julian at the end of last year after a strong but injury-laden run with the group. Now coached by her fiance and pacer extraordinaire Craig Nowak in Portland, she has taken more control of her training, cut her mileage somewhat, and upped her cross-training a la Georgia Bell. The results this indoor season had been encouraging, though at Millrose, like Hiltz, her tactics weren’t pristine. Today she was a game second to Hiltz and turned the tables on MacLean, who’d beaten her in two meetings this season. 

Now, the focus has to be on staying healthy through outdoor as with Houlihan in the mix and MacLean back in top form, the women’s 1500 is a gauntlet to make. But the 26-year-old Johnson, the 2022 US outdoor champion who ran 3:56.75 to finish 4th at the Olympic Trials last year, said after the race that she believes she is in the shape of her life and thinks she could run 3:56 in the right race right now. Sinclaire confirmed in the mixed zone she will be taking her spot at World Indoors, so the team will be her and MacLean given Heather has previously stated her plans to run in Nanjing. 

Once there, they have a real shot at the medals as Bell is the only one from the Paris podium likely to be in the field (Jessica Hull is running the 3,000 and Faith Kipyegon DNF’d a cross country race yesterday). As usual, Ethiopia, led by big names like Gudaf Tsegay, Diribe Welteji, Birke Haylom and/or Freweyni Hailu, will provide major competition. Politics may factor into the strength of their squad, given the cold war between Tsegay, Haylom and their training group with ex-training partner Hailu, who trains with Welteji. Haylom probably should be the odd woman out of both the 1500 and 3000 squads based on merit and her persistent tactical struggles, but that has a funny way of not happening.

Shelby Houlihan’s Race Rust Shows Up in Woman’s 1500

You’d be forgiven if you’d thought Shelby Houlihan hadn’t missed any time after watching last night’s women’s 3000. While she didn’t win, she smoothly led the race from the front and squeezed the pace effectively in, just barely losing to Nikki Hiltz while defeating a very fit Whittni Morgan. Today, though, Shelby looked like she hadn’t run in a crowded, tactical race in some time.

In the early going, she got stuck back in the field and had trouble finding a good spot. Midway through the race she tried to move up by going wide but got nowhere and ended up in the back half once again. When the race ratcheted up with three laps to go, Shelby got tangled in the group and was shuffled back to seventh place after a stumble just ahead of 400 to go led to her having to go on the outside once again to find running room. She recovered to get to fourth at the bell with a 30.55 lap, but the damage was done. The top two, including Sinclaire Johnson, who’d outmaneuvered Houlihan on the inside throughout the race, were gone with a head start and plenty in the tank. Heather MacLean started losing steam in the last 50 and ran a 29.09 last lap to Shelby’s 28.59, but that was just enough to beat her.

It’s worth noting that Houlihan’s closing 200 was just third-best in the field, which shows that she might be correct in asserting that she is ahead at 3,000-5,000 for now at least. Her 3,000m fitness will be put to its toughest test yet against the likes of reigning World Indoor 1500m champ Freweyni Hailu at Worlds in Nanjing.

Heather MacLean’s Strong Season Continues

While the top two had more on the last lap, MacLean’s consistently strong tactics helped her take down Shelby Houlihan and find her way onto the World Indoors team. In Nanjing, she will look to replicate training partner Emily Mackay in snagging another world medal for New Balance Boston. Do not be surprised one bit if MacLean lays down a huge move with a couple laps to go if that race goes out slow. 

You could tell in the last 50 of this one, MacLean had mistimed her last lap a little bit as she was being put under major pressure by Houlihan’s late charge. Indoors, though, positioning can be just as important as gas on the last lap. MacLean was rewarded for getting to the front early in this one, and with it she denied Houlihan a fully successful return to US championship action. 

Women’s 800: Don’t Count Out Nia Akins in a US Championship

Akins’ run of results since last year’s outdoor championships has been rough. There was an abrupt exit at the semifinal stage of the Paris Olympics and a series of underwhelming results to end last outdoor season. An abrupt split with the Brooks Beasts also was going on in the background, though details have been sparse on what actually happened. Now under new coach Derek Thompson and with a new sponsor in HOKA, the Penn grad is back in Philly. Akins finally has a positive result after a similarly trying 2025 indoor season where she admitted she was having mid-race panic attacks. Her most recent one even led her to dropping out of a race at BU with under 200 meters to go a week ago.

Akins said she was able to avoid panic attacks at USAs by using exposure therapy in the buildup to the race, which involved practicing stressful scenarios by viewing panic-inducing personal images on a screen.

Today, Akins ran a savvy race, staying in good position outside early and then finding a way to beat Kaela Edwards to the coveted position on early leader Valery Tobias’ shoulder. Her kick was best in the field at 29.45 for the last 200, and she looked like the fast-finishing Nia Akins we are used to. 

Akins still leaves these races a bit late, which will be a problem if she lets noted frontrunner and defending World Indoor champ Tsige Duguma open a gap with Dugeuma’s kick-from-the-front tactics. Still, considering Jemma Reekie cut her season short, and the dearth of fast times from pros this season (superstars like Keely Hodgkinson, Athing Mu, and Mary Moraa have not raced indoors), Akins is a medal favorite for World Indoors behind Duguma. Olympics fourth-placer Shafiqua Maloney probably has the higher ceiling and won with a 1:59.07 at Millrose, but she surprisingly is in a rut, running slower than 2:04 in two post-Millrose European races.

MB Congratulations Nia Akins

W800 Results

Laps100m Splits
Place Athlete Result 200m 400m 600m 800m Ln/Pos
1 Nia Akins 1:59.31 PB HOKA WCS
2 Valery Tobias 1:59.55 PB
BROOKS Beasts TC WCS
3 Sage Hurta-Klecker 2:00.13 PB On AC WCS
4 Kaela Edwards 2:00.36
5 Sammy Watson 2:01.62
6 Mckenna Keegan 2:02.32

800m Race Video:

Nia Akins Post-Race Intereview

Valery Tobias Rewarded for Bold Frontrunning in the Race of Her Life

After letting Addy Wiley take it out in her heat and timing her kick to perfection, Tobias flipped the script with some aggressive tactics in the final. Her first lap was a spicy 28.25, but Tobias smartly used the second lap to regather. Despite running a pedestrian 31.06, Tobias’ lead over nearly everyone grew as most of the field opted for patience. On the third lap, Tobias picked it up to a 30.01 and the field jockeyed to close the gap and secure positioning behind her. Kaela Edwards was the closest challenger at .44 behind with a lap to go, and Tobias’ tactics played out brilliantly as only former Brooks Beasts teammate Akins got by her, and nobody else frankly got close. 

The 1:59.55 was a PB, indoor and out, for Tobias who came into the season with a 2:00.31 PB from the 2023 outdoor season. A big win for the Beasts and coach Danny Mackey to get an athlete on a US women’s 800m team after losing Akins last year. And from a woman that never finished higher than 4th in an NCAA final while at Texas.

MB Congrats Valery Tobias on a big breakthrough

Sage Hurta-Klecker’s Championship Struggles Continue

Hurta-Klecker PB’d indoors today and all in all didn’t have anything to be ashamed of. However, she just hasn’t had an A or A+ race at a US Championships since going pro, whether that’s through bad luck like last year’s Trials dustup with Athing Mu’s fall, poor timing on her peak, or maybe just not being quite there like today. In this race, a 31.67 second lap might’ve really cost her as she had a lot of ground and positioning to make up vs. Akins and early leader Tobias. She ran extra distance in a swift 29.88 third lap and couldn’t close nearly enough of the gap to Tobias as Akins had plenty in reserve to win the race.

After the race, Hurta-Klecker was understandably disappointed after another near-miss from a US team, but was positive about the race overall as she knows she is not in her best shape at the moment.

Women’s 60m: Jacious Sears’ Perfect Season Takes a Hit 

After a 7.02 world leader at Millrose, Sears was dreaming big and listed out a 60m world record (the mark is 6.92) and world title in Nanjing as immediate targets. Today was a humbling experience as veteran Celera Barnes beat Sears by three-thousandths of a second with both timing in at 7.11. Sears still snagged her Worlds spot, and still holds the world lead with 2022 World Indoor champ Mujinga Kambundji running 7.03 on Saturday. Like Christian Coleman’s loss to Noah Lyles at USAs last year, this might become a “good loss” for Sears propelling her to her best in Nanjing. Post-race, however, Sears was noncommittal about actually running there, saying her coaches would make the decision.

Place Athlete Result Ln/Pos
1 Celera Barnes 7.11 SB 7.104 4 adidas WCS
2 Jacious Sears 7.11 7.107 5 NIKE WCS
3 Mikiah Brisco 7.18 SB 3adidas
4 Jada Baylark 7.24 SB 1 Unattached
5 Semira Killebrew 7.25 SB 2 Unattached
6 Lauren Jarrett 7.29 PB 8 Wisconsin-La Crosse
7 Kortnei Johnson 7.41 7 Garden State Track Club
8 Zhane Smith 7.60 6 Unattached

Women’s 400: Alexis Holmes Is Going to Be Tough to Beat in Nanjing

Alexis Holmes came into this USA Indoor Championships as the woman to beat in the 400 meters considering Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s reluctance to race indoors. While she arrived with a modest season’s best of 51.21 from a win at Millrose, Holmes completely crushed that time with a 50.51 mark in today’s 400m final. She looked well within herself in beating Rosey Effiong to the break and then eased away in the third 100 with nobody in range. 

Now, World Indoors in Nanjing beckons for Holmes, the reigning World Indoor bronze medalist. Lieke Klaver, who edged her out by .08 in Glasgow last year, is in her way, but the competition is open with Femke Bol sitting out this indoors season individually. Norwegian 21-year-old Henriette Jaeger is the world leader with a massive 50.44 PB that she ran in Torun. Amber Anning has a 50.57 season’s best and won the British Championships today. Holmes looks as good a bet to win as anyone, though, and not having a European Championships to contend with might work to her advantage. 

Also some props to Holmes for looking to do World Indoors and Grand Slam Track, which bucks the trend of many US athletes. As one of the circuit’s most prolific racers, she shows up in the biggest meets stateside and in Europe all season long while consistently running around 50 seconds or faster. Holmes’ reliability has earned her anchor duties on Team USA, which is no small feat.

Place Athlete Result
1 Alexis Holmes 50.51 SB
NIKE WCS
200m: 23.95
300m: 36.63
400m: 50.51

2 Rosey Effiong 51.43 SB
Arkansas
200m: 24.22
300m: 36.99
400m: 51.43

3 Quanera Hayes 51.47 SB
NIKE
200m: 24.90
300m: 37.89
400m: 51.47

4 Bailey Lear 51.55 PB
Unattached
200m: 24.35
300m: 37.31
400m: 51.55

5 Karimah Davis 52.25 SB
Cique Elite T C
200m: 24.95
300m: 38.06
400m: 52.25

6 Maya Singletary 52.34 =PB
Cique Elite T C
200m: 25.30
300m: 38.29
400m: 52.34

Discuss the 2025 USATF Indoor Championships on the LetsRun.com messageboard

• Official 2025 USATF Indoor Championships Day 2 Discussion Thread (+ Live Instant Reaction Show at 3:15 pm ET)
• Can’t we just agree Shelby did her time, and move on?
• Congrats Valery Tobias on a big breakthrough

Want the LetsRun Day 2 recap podcast? Join the LetsRun Supporters Club here and get LetsRun podcasts of all the big track meets. Cancel any time. Money back guarantee. Video of the show free for everyone below. Hoey’s coach Justin Rinaldi joined in the chat.