What happens when you put some of the best runners on the line for a one mile race? We’re sure you know the answer. But just in case you don’t, check out the results of the BSR Elite Scholastic Mile the last two years. In 2024, nine runners broke 4 minutes, 12 seconds in the boys’ race and seven dipped under five minutes for the girls. In its initial year of 2023, seven were under 4:11 for boys and five bettered five minutes for girls. The third annual event, which is once again presented by Marathon Sports and HOKA, will be held Friday night at Souhegan (NH) High, the featured two races of the New Hampshire Distance Festival. Trust us, per status quo, these fields are loaded! Just to give you a sampling, the boys’ race features our winner from the Foot Locker Nationals and a 4:04 miler. In all, seven have broken 4:15 in this field.
Below we feature all the entries for boys’ race, which is schedule for 7:25 p.m. The entire meet will be live streamed on our YouTube channel.
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Soheib Dissa, Newtown (CT) – We expect the Nighthawks senior to be among the contenders for the individual title on Friday night. In three meets this past indoor season, Dissa broke 4:07 for the mile. He was first at the MSTCA Boston Holiday Challenge where he ran 4:06.64. He also placed fifth at the New Balance Grand Prix with a time of 4:06.86. Dissa’s best effort came at the Millrose Games in New York where he placed fourth among the elite with a PR of 4:04.80. Of recent, Dissa clocked an all-time best of 8:18.08 for 3,000m at the Arcadia Invitational, an effort that placed him eighth overall among the nation’s best. There’s no doubt he’ll be ready to explode against his northeast rivals.
Tam Gavenas, Andover Phillips Academy (MA) – Gavenas was a runner-up last year at the BSR Elite Scholastic Mile where he ran a then best of 4:09.15. Since that performance, a lot has happened for the APA senior; most notably, one memorable victory in San Diego in early December. On the challenging terrain of Balboa Park, Gavenas added his name to the celebrated list of winners of the Foot Locker Nationals, claiming the crown by nearly four seconds with a 5K time of 15:23.9. During the indoor season, Gavenas improved on his best for the mile by placing sixth at Millrose in 4:09.0. He also won the two mile at the Beantown Winter Classic on Dec. 22 with a PR of 9:04.03 and took first for 3,200m four months later at the St. Carroll Texas Distance Festival with another best of 9:04.80.
Alex Fisher, Loomis Chaffee (CT) – Fisher was third at the BSR Elite Scholastic Mile last year where he ran his current best of 4:09.20. During the indoor season, the gifted junior ran a season best of 4:14.02 at the Last Chance Indoor National Qualifier and won the two mile at the CIRCUIT New York City with a PR of 8:58.23. Most recently, he achieved a best of 1:54.38 for 800m in a league meet on April 23.
Jack Ouellette, Xavier (CT) – As what can often happen in races with fields like this, we’re expecting a big race from Ouelette on Friday night. The Xavier senior ran an all-time best of 4:11.21 for the mile at the New Balance Nationals, an effort that placed him 16th overall and was a best by more than four seconds. He proved his training has been on point for the spring campaign by winning the 5K at the CT Distance Festival in mid April with a PR of 14:56.51. Owner of a 54.54 best for 400m, Ouellette has also proven he has some strong foot speed for the closing lap.
Graham Heinrich, Marshfield (MA) – Heinrich is another runner with a impressive range of speed and endurance. Of all our entries, he might be the quickest of them all, having split sub 52-seconds on his team’s 4x400m relay squad. Heinrich ran a best of 4:12.55 for the mile at the Last Chance Indoor National Qualifier at the TRACK at New Balance on March 2 and has run 4:16 thrice during the winter. In addition he twice went 2:29 for 1,000m. In mid April, Heinrich established a new best in the 2M with a triumphant 9:26.64 in a league meet. If everything works out as planned, the Rams’ standout is certainly capable of breaking 4:10 with the quality of talent he’ll be facing on Friday.
John Bianchi, Natick (MA) – Bianchi is strength runner who certainly doesn’t like to hold back whenever he races. He was our runner-up at both the Div. 1 Championships and the Meet of Champions with times of 4:14.95 and 4:13.08, respectively. He continued that positive momentum by clocking his all-time best of 4:12.63 at the New Balance Nationals. Bianchi hasn’t really raced all-out this season yet. Perhaps it’s by design. Perhaps he’s saving it for one big race this weekend. Guess we’ll find out soon.
Silas Gartner, Falmouth (MA) – Gartner, a Foot Locker finalist, is a gutsy runner that always give it his best effort when the gun is fired. He comes in with a PR of 4:14.71, which he did to place fifth at the Showdown at the Heights on Feb. 7. In one of his final races before Friday’s competition, Silas was a victor at the MSTCA Warrior Classic where he was timed in a season best of 9:23.60 for the two mile at the April 24 meet.
Matt Giardina, Bishop Guertin (NH) – This will be Giardina’s first race of the outdoor season. The Tyngsborough (MA) native is primarily a long distance runner. On the trails, Giardina was the individual winner at the NHIAA X-C Meet of Champions and qualified for both the Nike Cross Nationals and Foot Locker Nationals, placing seventh in the latter. Giardina was the New England indoor two-mile champion as a junior in 2024 and this past winter placed second to Nate Assa of Marblehead (MA) at the regional competition with an all-time best of 9:07.34. For the mile, Giardina broke 4:20 three times during the recent indoor season, including a PR of 4:17.86 at the New Balance Nationals in mid March.
Nate Assa, Marblehead (MA) – Assa is a little more than a month removed from a breakthrough indoor season that included victories in the two mile at the MIAA Meet of Champions and New England Championships where he ran times of 9:05.30 and 9:04.60, respectively. He was also sixth in the 5K at the New Balance Nationals with a best of 14:32.40. Assa has only run the mile a limited number of times, but has shown promise there, too. He has a best of 4:20.09 from the Northeast Conference Championships during indoor and this past weekend was close to his PR by taking runner-up honors to teammate Will Cerrutti at the BSR Mid-Distance Classic with a time of 4:20.16.
Colby Flynn, Bishop Hendricken (RI) – Flynn’s a grinder, who never backs down to a challenge. This is something we’ve witnessed several times this year by the talented tenth-grader. Flynn was third at the state cross-country championships and just a few weeks later placed 12th at the NXR-Northeast Regionals where he led near the midway point of the race. On the indoor surface, the Hawk standout was third in the 3K at the Yale Track Classic with a PR of 8:28.91 and battled fellow rival Marshall Vernon of La Salle right to the last meter in the same event at the State Meet where he was timed in 8:35.04. He has an all-time best of 4:19.66 for the mile from the Armory Hispanic Games in NYC on Jan. 4.
Ethan Sholk, Lincoln Sudbury (MA) – Sholk is a runner with both speed and endurance. The L-S senior, who has a best of 4:18 for the mile, clocked a nearly eight-second best of 9:09.48 for the two mile at the New Balance Nationals this past winter. He’s also a 1:56 half-miler and ran 38.28 for the 300m during a league meet last year as a junior.
