3/28/26
Josie Hill jumped onto the track scene like pretty much nothing we have ever seen before.
Hill transferred from Technology to Sonoma Academy this school year which made her ineligible to compete until now.
She competed today for the first time at the Prospector Gold Rush at Piner High and ran the greatest 800 ever for the Redwood Empire.
Her 2:06.38 is the fastest in the NATION when she finished but moved to number 2 a few hours later.
That runner was pushed by an 2:07.82 2nd placer.
Just how fast will Hill go this year?
2026 USA Bests Braelyn Combe 2:04.52 CA 12 Santiago (Corona) Mar 28 TEN HS Invitational Josie Hill 2:06.38 CA 11 Sonoma Academy Mar 28 Prospector Gold Rush Kjirsten Ludeman 2:06.64 WA 10 Sehome Mar 27 Twilight in the 'Ham Ciana Johnson 2:07.43 WA 10 Ballard Mar 28 Issaquah Icebreaker Invite Nicole Samson 2:07.82 CA 12 Santiago (Corona) Mar 28 TEN HS Invitational
And she did it all by herself.
In the race Piner’s Kamila Olvera lowered the NBL Redwood best this year by over 12 seconds at 2:20.66 yet still placed 14.28 seconds behind Hill.
All-Time 800 Performances
2:06.38 Josie Hill, Sonoma Academy 3/28/26 Prospector Gold Rush
2:09.04 Hanne Thomsen, Montgomery 4/19/25 Viking Classic, Current Empire record
2:09.12 Josie Hill, Technology 4/12/25 Arcadia, Former Empire record
2:09.78 Josie Hill, Technology 5/30/25 State trials
2:10.16 Josie Hill, Technology 5/24/25 NCS MOCf
Not to surprising is when you put Empire marks into the scoring tables all of our 1000 plus point marks come from distance events.
Event scoring tables
1135 1500 4:16.76 Hanne Thomsen, Montgomery 2025 Hoka, enroute
1113 3000 9:17.81 Hanne Thomsen, Montgomery 2025 enroute
1106 3000 9:19.63 Julia Stamps, Santa Rosa 1996
1081 1500 4:23.94+ Julia Stamps, Santa Rosa 1996
1069 3000 9:30.29 Sara Bei, Montgomery 2001
1034 1500 4:30.24+ Sara Bei, Montgomery 1999
1033 5000 16:31.2 Julia Stamps, Santa Rosa 1995
1032 1500 4:30.56 Rylee Bowen, Sonoma Academy 2015
1028 5000 16:33.51 Hanne Thomsen, Montgomery 2023
1024 3000 9:43.38 Gabriel Peterson, Healdsburg 2019
1018 800 2:06.38 Josie Hill, Sonoma Academy 2026 Prospector Gold Rush
1003 3000 9:49.61 Rylee Bowen, Sonoma Academy 2015
1002 1500 4:34.70 Ashlin Mallon, Cardinal Newman 2025, enroute 4/12 Arcadia 4:53.83y
Other leaders
995 100 11.78 +2.5 Kirsten Carter, Santa Rosa 6/2/17 State trials
994 200 23.86 +2.6 Kirsten Carter, Santa Rosa 6/2/17 State trials
987 PV 13-2½ Lily Mulligan, Maria Carrillo 5/14/22 NCS Redwood
978 HJ 5-11 Mindi Wiley, Sonoma Valley 5/28/05 MOC
956 3k Steeple 10:49.63 Jenny Aldridge, Maria Carrillo 2002, Former National Record
954 400 54.07 Kirsten Carter, Santa Rosa 6/2/18 State finals
909 3k Steeple 11:07.28 Rylee Bowen, Sonoma Academy 2016
906 100HH 14.52 +1.3 Habibah Sanusi, Maria Carrillo 6/1/18 State trials
Normally Empire records are broken by very small amounts.
Hill’s 2.42 second record is an amazing jump.
Here are some other times an Empire athlete broke the Empire record by a huge amount.
400
55.12 Rose Criss, Analy 5/31/97 MOC finals
54.24 Kirsten Carter, Santa Rosa 5/30/15 MOC finals
880 yds
2:33.9 Jody Garrard, Ukiah 1975
2:24.4 Cindy Peterson, Montgomery 1976
mile
5:31.3 Dana Flint, Ukiah 1978
5:09.3 Lori Shanoff, Petaluma 1979
5:06.6 Lori Shanoff, Petaluma 1980, = to 5:05.06 1600m
1600m
4:54.27 Laurie Hollingworth, Piner 1981
Mile
4:46.73i Julia Stamps, Santa Rosa 2/11/95
3200
10:04.12i Hanne Thomsen, Montgomery 3/10/23 10:03.54*, 10:07.06iy Indoor Nationals
9:55.31 Hanne Thomsen, Montgomery 4/8/23 Arcadia
9:48.98 Hanne Thomsen, Montgomery 5/31/25 State
LJ
18-2¼ Denise Adiego, Petaluma 1982
18-11¼ Wendi Simmons, Santa Rosa 4/20/85 Logan Top 8
TJ
36-6 Tammy Wessendorf, Piner 4/4/84 vs El Molino at Piner
38-10w Wendi Simmons, Santa Rosa 3/28/87 Stanford, also 38-4
DT
119-8 Dawn Bettinelli, Casa Grande 1979
132-8 Lee Plevney Lower Lake 4/29/81 at Kelseyville
Boys
880
1:52.3 Dan Aldridge, Petaluma 5/17/75 NBL finals
1:49.7 Dan Aldridge, Petaluma 5/24/75 NCS 3A finals = to 1:49.31 800 meters
3200
9:09.48 Sterling Lockert, Petaluma 5/30/09 MOC
9:01.32 Sterling Lockert, Petaluma 6/6/09 State
PV
13-9½ Steve Lawry, Montgomery 1974 NBL finals
14-9¾ Tim McDonald, St.Helena 1976 NCS MOC
LJ
22-4 Elmer Boyden, Vallejo 1921, National Champion
23-10 Frank Freeman, Sonoma Valley 5/27/39 State