Baker, Kuhlman break indoor records at Virginia Showcase
Katie Kuhlman, fresh off her new indoor 1,600-meter record at Ocean Breeze, wasted little time etching her name again into Cape’s indoor record books as she shattered the 3,200-meter time with a performance of 11:34.56 for 16th place at the Virginia Showcase. Kuhlman split 5:40 at the mile and ran 5:54 in the second half. “Coming off of a great cross country season, it gave me the confidence I needed to head into indoor. Knowing that I have worked my entire life to be where I’m at today just shows that I can do anything I put my mind to. Going into the meet after breaking the 1,600-meter record the weekend before proved that I could break the 3,200 record. I got out hard and gave it my all, finishing in 11:34 with tired legs from racing the 1,600 the night before. I wouldn’t be here without a great coach and teammates that push me at practice. Walking through the tunnel every day before practice looking up at the record board and thinking to myself, ‘I’m going get my name up there one day,’ and now that it’s happened, it feels like a dream come true,” said Kuhlman.
Even more impressive was the fact that just 12 hours earlier, she ran 5:18 in the mile. The previous 3,200 record of 11:56.67 was held by Marty Shue, now Marty Shue Broerman, living in Annapolis, Md., set back in 1986. The record was the only one left from the 1980s. The only record set prior to 2000 is the high jump mark of 5-feet-5-inches set by Lindsey Barkauskie in 1998.
Senior Ryan Baker took down a record as well, as he broke the boys’ 3,200 time with a performance of 9:21.78. He also topped the two-mile record with a time of 9:25.06. The Virginia race was the two-mile and the 3,200 record was set on the way. The 45-year-old record was held by one of the best from back in the day, Lance White, who ran 9:26.32 in 1978. White’s record was a 22-lap two-mile converted to the 3,200 meters, just like Baker’s, and was set in the basement of the civic center on a banked mobile wood 180-meter track. Granted, the facilities were not comparable and Virginia Beach is one of the fastest in the country, but take nothing away from Baker, as he is now the best two-miler in Cape Henlopen indoor track & field history. What an honor that title is, and I have a feeling he is not done yet.
The indoor two-mile records, when combined, stood for an amazing 82 years, but as they say, records are made to be broken. There couldn’t be two nicer student-athletes to do it than Katie “KK” Kuhlman and Ryan Baker.
Other highlights
The girls’ 3,200-meter relay team ran to a time of 10:17.82 for 12th place, a new season best. The record of 10:01.03 was set in 2010. I feel Cape has the foursome to challenge that mark this winter. The girls also ran 4:22.88 for 17th in the 1,600-meter relay, which is a season best and only two seconds off the indoor school record of 4:20.16. Addison Bowman jumped 8-feet-6-inches in the pole vault, and the girls’ shuttle hurdle relay was sixth in 44.25. Joey DeGregory was sixth in the open 3,200 in 10:27.38, while Eddie Houck was sixth in the pole vault with a great jump of 12-0. William Cerf was seventh at 5-10 in the high jump, while Maurki James jumped 20-02 for 13th in the long jump and also was 13th in the high jump at 5-8. The Vikings boys were 11th in the 1,600m relay in a season best of 3:34.85. Steven Hart was 14th at 5-8 in the high jump. Full Virginia Showcase results can be found at milesplit.com.
