Two of the nation's top tier female high school distance runners out of the Northeast in Westhill senior Claire Howlett and Staples sophomore Hannah Debalsi just happen to also be found within the same 15 team conference of schools (FCIAC) in the state of Connecticut. The two incredibly accomplished elite runners did not shy away from one another on Wednesday evening in their conference championship meet at the New Haven Track & Field Center facing off twice in a short span of time at both 1600 meters and 3200 meters.
Howlett is the US leader in the 3K after defeating Foot Locker South region champion Caroline Alcorta at the Yale Track Classic two weeks ago in a 9:43 performance. Meanwhile, this past fall's Foot Locker National runner-up Debalsi had clocked a US leading time in the 3200 on Saturday in her divisional meet with a 10:26.76 performance. Two runners with plenty of confidence leading into indoor championship season.
In their first battle of the night, both runners achieved new indoor personal bests with Howlett claiming the conference title in a US #4 time of 4:54.15, while Debalsi turned in a US #6 runner-up effort of 4:55.63. Later in the 3200 meter run, Howlett would once again have the slightly better closing speed to pull out a second victory in a US #2 performance of 10:28.56 to defeat the US leader in the event Debalsi who finished with a fine double herself at 10:30 for second place.
It was the first head-to-head matchups to go in Howlett's favor against Debalsi since the Connecticut State Open Championship last spring when she finished just a second ahead of Debalsi in both the 1600 (4:53/4:54) and 3200 (10:20/10:21) for wins. Their great rivalry should continue to deliver close races producing national caliber times onto the next levels and rounds of championship season within their state and as well as beyond to the New Balance Indoor Nationals in March and outdoor season.
- FCIAC Indoor Championships Meet Page w/ Complete Results
- Claire Howlett's Athlete Profile
- Hannah Debalsi's Athlete Profile
- MileSplit US Girls 1600m Run National Rankings
- MileSplit US Girls 3200m Run National Rankings
Hannah Debalsi vs. Claire Howlett
| General Information | ||
| Fact | Hannah Debalsi | Claire Howlett |
|---|---|---|
| Photo |
|
|
| School | Staples High School | Westhill High School |
| HS Class | 2016 | 2014 |
| College | -- | -- |
| Residence | Westport, CT | Stamford, CT |
| Personal Bests | ||
| Event | Hannah Debalsi | Claire Howlett |
| 1,600 Meter Run (In) | 4:55.63 | 4:54.15 |
| 3,200 Meter Run (In) | 10:26.76 | 10:28.56 |
| 1,000 Meter Run (In) | 3:00.03 | 2:59.32 |
| 5,000 Meter Run (XC) | 17:15.80 | 17:39.50 |
| 4000 Meter Run (XC) | 13:29.00 | 13:41.00 |
| Two Mile Run | 10:16.20 | -- |
| 3,200 Meter Run | 10:10.26 | 10:20.03 |
| 1,600 Meter Run | 4:54.55 | 4:53.97 |
| Two Mile Run (In) | 10:39.43 | 10:48.16 |
| One Mile Run (In) | 5:11.48 | 5:02.65 |
| 3,000 Meter Run (In) | -- | 9:43.37 |
| 300 Meter Dash (In) | -- | 51.74 |
| 5,000 Meter Run | -- | 16:45.56 |
| 5,000 Meter Run (In) | -- | 17:22.10 |
| Head-to-Head | ||
| Meet | Hannah Debalsi | Claire Howlett |
| FCIAC Indoor Championship 2014 | 4:55.63 | 4:54.15 |
| FCIAC Indoor Championship 2014 | 10:30.79 | 10:28.56 |
| FCIAC West Division Championships - Staples 2014 | 10:26.76 | 11:02.18 |
| New England XC Championship 2013 | 17:15.80 | 17:39.50 |
| CIAC Open Championships 2013 | 17:44.00 | 18:11.00 |
| CIAC Divisional Championships 2013 | 17:41.00 | 18:03.00 |
| FCIAC Championships 2013 | 13:29.00 | 13:41.00 |
| State Open Championship 2013 | 10:21.86 | 10:20.03 |
| State Open Championship 2013 | 4:54.55 | 4:53.97 |
| CIAC Class LL championships 2013 | 11:01.04 | 10:55.68 |
| CIAC Class LL championships 2013 | 4:55.64 | 4:56.25 |
| FCIAC Championships 2013 | 4:54.59 | 4:57.55 |
| FCIAC Championships 2013 | 10:25.18 | 10:31.57 |
| FCIAC Indoor Championships 2013 | 5:07.27 | 5:06.35 |
| FCIAC Indoor Championships 2013 | 10:50.41 | 10:48.08 |
| New England XC Championship 2012 | 19:32.37 | 20:03.31 |
| CIAC Open Championships 2012 | 19:49.00 | 19:43.00 |
| CIAC Divisional Championships 2012 | 19:17.00 | 19:42.00 |