INDIANAPOLIS — Westview senior Noah Bontrager won the Miracle Mile at the Flashes Showcase on Friday with a time of 4:02.48. The reigning state champion in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters was expected to win the annual competition, but still entered the race with something to prove.
Coach Matt Jones challenged his star runner to break 56 seconds on the final lap. Do so and Bontrager will “go to the next level,” Jones said, and consistently be able to run a mile under four minutes. Bontrager clocked a low 57 and told his coach he could have gone faster.
“Going into that last lap, I was like, man, I really had some gas left, and it hit me with 200 to go, I should push through rather than going lactic the last 300 or 400 than conserving,” Bontrager said. “It’s part of how I learn and how I need to move forward.”
Bontrager’s decision to endure Friday at Franklin Central wasn’t solely out of personal ambition.
Roughly eight of the 23 athletes in Heat 5 gathered for a picture after the race and waited for Bontrager as fans congratulated him. The nine then huddled and prayed. One of the athletes ran over to Bontrager during his conversation with IndyStar and handed him a jersey, which a group of them decided to wear after Bontrager suggested the idea via text Thursday night.
There’s a camaraderie among the competitors, a brotherhood fueled by faith, genuine friendship and a love for track.
“It’s hard to push up front, and it’s something very uncomfortable, but it’s something worth doing,” Bontrager said. “But it’s needed for the sport, and hopefully I push those other guys to fast times too.
“God has given me all the talent and ability that I can be here today with these other guys. God has given me the friends and put me in a position where I can be the head of the race tonight, but those guys are praying us out before and after the meet, so it’s really cool sharing my faith with those guys.”
FW Concordia Lutheran’s Mallory Weller extends Indiana win streak
Entering Friday, Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran senior Mallory Weller had not lost an individual race in Indiana since her fourth-place performance in the 800 at state in 2024. The North Carolina State commit showed why she is the best long-distance runner in the state once again at Flashes Showcase.
Weller clocked a time of 4:42.69, more than seven seconds faster than runner-up Bloomington South’s Ellie Barada (4:49.48).
Weller, who had a 30-meter lead with 200 meters left in the race, joked she’s a “little salty” because she expected to run faster, but is proud of herself for sticking to her plan of starting aggressively and widening the gap as the race progressed.
“I felt really good coming off of not my best indoor season since I was injured for cross country season,” Weller said. “Coming back was a struggle, but I ended indoors on a pretty high note, so I came into my first outdoor race (Flashes Showcase) pretty happy.”
Weller suffered a stress reaction in her tibia in late September. She said she was “miserable through it all,” and has since tried to forget the harder days that came with recovery. However, the senior benefited from the setback.
“It reminded me not to take things for granted,” Weller said. “I got stressed at the end of last outdoor season with just a lot of pressure on me. I was getting out there on the national stage, and it was a lot to hear my name more often. But having to sit on the sidelines for cross country, I was like no I like the pressure and people recognizing me and it sucked not being out there.”
Coach Scott Steffen applauded Weller for not trying to “kill every workout and practice” this season. Weller is approaching practice at a steady pace, building on each day rather than exerting all her energy in one practice session.
“The injury helped her get there,” Steffen said. “There’s always a reason behind things, and sometimes we don’t know what they are, but it allowed her to test herself and showed God’s power to heal not just her leg but her mind, with a chance to grow as a young lady. There were struggles, but it helped her to get to where she is today.”
Weller still isn’t satisfied. The reigning state champion in the 1,600 and 3,200 has her sights set on a repeat.
“There’s a lot more to come in the mile and the 32,” Weller said.
Flashes Showcase mile results
Girls — Mallory Weller, FW Concordia Lutheran, 4:42.69; Ellie Barada, Bloomington South, 4:49.48; Annabel Pollert, Carmel, 4:50.73; Julia Score, Bishop Chatard, 4:51.53; Larkin Taylor, Carmel, 4:52.12; Kenya Leitch, Carmel, 4:52.12
Boys — Noah Bontrager, Westview, 4:02.48; Banner Barnes, Noblesville, 4:08.43; Baylor Miller, Northridge, 4:11.38; Carter Zieren, FJ Reitz, 4:11.63; Camden Raab, Western, 4:13.02; Caleb Winders, Bloomington North, 4:14.05
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Westview’s Noah Bontrager, FW Concordia Lutheran’s Mallory Weller wins Miracle Mile
Reporting by Joshua Heron, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
