Kristi Waythomas' state record in the 3,200 meters was already a decade old when Allie Ostrander was born in 1996. It survived, virtually unthreatened, for more than a quarter of a century until Ostrander shattered it on a perfect Friday afternoon at Dimond High.
Asked if she could imagine the new standard -- 10 minutes, 13.87 seconds, more than 23 seconds faster than the old record of 10:37.7 -- lasting nearly three decades and providing a generation or two of runners something to aim for, Ostrander had a ready answer.
"I hope to break it again next year," she said. "The goal is always to improve."
Ostrander, a Kenai Central junior, needed all of two laps to put a huge gap between herself and the rest of the field and won by nearly a minute. She performed like a metronome, running the first lap in 1:16 and the eighth lap in 1:14, with all of the laps in-between in roughly the same range.
Little fanfare accompanied Ostrander's milestone on the first day of the state track and field championships. There was no clock on the track, so unless you had a stopwatch, you had no idea if Ostrander was on record pace or what her final time was. No mention was made beforehand of the long-standing Waythomas record, and upon Ostrander's finish, no announcement heralded the new record -- although when awards were handed out later, it was noted that Ostrander owns the fourth-fastest high school time in the nation this season.
Shortly after the girls race, Kodiak junior Levi Thomet took aim at the boys 3,200 record, a 9:11.27 set in 2008 by Jake Parisien.
Thomet was on record pace through the first four laps, which he completed in 4:36. But by the fifth lap, he was no longer on pace and he pulled back, claiming victory in 9:31.59.
"The last two laps I took it pretty easy," Thomet said. "After the first lap (66.2 seconds), the pace was far below the state record, but I couldn't keep it up.
"Hopefully I saved myself a little bit for the mile."
Thomet and Ostrander will again try to rewrite the record book in Saturday's 1,600 (the girls race at 1:43 p.m. and the boys at 2:03 p.m.). Both have run faster than the existing state records at that distance.
Ostrander's 3,200 victory was all but assured coming into Friday's competition. Many figured the record was a given too.
A pint-sized running machine just like Waythomas, Ostrander has been running faster than the 1986 record since last season.
She took last season's Region III title in 10:25.74 but bypassed a chance to go for the state record because she's also a soccer player, and last year's state track meet conflicted with the region soccer championships. (According to Alaska School Activities Association rules, state records can only be broken at the state meet.)
Ostrander ran a sizzling personal-best time of 10:03 earlier this season at an elite meet in California, ramping up expectations for a record run Friday.
Some of those expectations came from within.
"I feel pressure from myself, because I expect a lot from myself," Ostrander said. "As I've moved forward in high school I've gotten better with dealing with that pressure. I find new ways to handle it."
And so on Thursday, she and some of the other Kenai girls spent the night at their Anchorage hotel drawing funny designs on T-shirts that they gave to the Kenai boys. "It took our minds off (Friday)," Ostrander said.
When Friday dawned -- the air cleared of smoke from nearby wildfires that on Wednesday and Thursday blanketed the city in haze and posed a minor threat to the track championships -- Ostrander was all business.
"This morning was a lot of getting mentally focused," she said. "This is all I was thinking of."
Eagle River's Kaitlyn Maker stayed with Ostrander for nearly two laps. By the third lap, Ostrander had distanced herself from everyone. She spent the final 600 meters lapping other runners.
"She's got a gift," said Kodiak coach Marcus Dunbar, one of Alaska's all-time great runners.
Dunbar said Thomet decided mid-race to abandon his attempt to claim the boys 3,200 record. Thomet opened with laps of 66.1, 69.2 and 69.7 seconds, but his fourth lap was 71.5 and his fifth was 72.3. The consecutive 70s meant it was time to ease up a bit, because the record wasn't going to happen, Dunbar said.
"You have to choose your moments," he said. "With all the events he's running, you've gotta be careful.
"You can't go for a record every time you go on the track or you run out of gas, and we want him to have a full tank (for the 1,600). He hasn't run a fast mile yet."
The state record in the 1,600, set in 1985 by Doug Herron, is 4:13.24. Thomet's PR at that distance is 4:11.63, recorded at an Oregon meet last season. He ran 4:29.62 to win last week's Region III title.
"I took a week off because of shin splints, and that took a chunk out of my training and regions didn't go well," Thomet said. "I'm hoping to redeem myself. I'm hoping for a PR."
The girls 1,600 record is Kris Smith's 4:55.89, set in 2003. Also still in the record book is Betsy Haines' 1977 time of 4:56.3 in the mile, which is nine meters longer than the 1,600.
Ostrander's PR at 1,600 is 4:54.52, recorded at last week's Region III meet.
"I'm excited to chase after that record," Ostrander said. "I'm one second below it, and that's not much wiggle room."
Reach Beth Bragg at bbragg@adn.com or 257-4335.
By BETH BRAGG