AIDEN MONISTERE CROSSES THE LINE IN THE 3200m IN 9:16.54 SATURDAY NIGHT!
During the first part of the 2024 Louisiana high school indoor season, Parkview Baptist distance runner Aiden Monistere was looking for someone to push him to run a fast time. Saturday, at the LSU Last Chance Qualifier, he found what he was looking for, but it was not something...not somebody.
It was the clock at the Carl Maddox Fieldhouse.
Two weeks prior, when Monistere was interviewed after the LSU High School Qualifier, he announced his plan of breaking Rhen Langley's 1-year-old composite fieldhouse 3200m record of 9:16.10
Even as he said it, Monistere seemed unsure if the goal was truly attainable.
Monistere proved at the LSU Last Chance Qualifier that it was--in fact-- an attainable goal as he won the 3200m with a time of 9:16.64, a half of a second slower than Langley's historic time. While Monistere just missed on the record, it was a 16 second PR which puts him at No. 2 all-time indoors in Louisiana. It is also No. 5 in the nation among fellow juniors.
Langley, who is in his first year at LSU, was at the Carl Maddox Fieldhouse to witness the attempt. In fact, Langley and his LSU teammates had a workout running across the LSU campus on Saturday morning before the meet which included a cool down with former Ruston Bearcat Dyllon Nimmers inside the Carl Maddox Fieldhouse.
Monistere's father, Jacob, who is an LSU track and field official, talked to Langley after his workout and Langley gave his son some advice. Forget about the other runners in the race. Race the clock.
Specifically, running 35 seconds...or faster on the 200m indoor track. 16 times in a row.
"I got out quick, which I wanted to do," Monistere said. "I knew I had a chance of going for it. I had no clue I would actually come that close. I thought I would be five seconds off. I like how I raced it."
Monistere talked about running Louisiana's No. 2 time with a year of eligibility left.
"It feels great," Monistere said. "I talked to Rhen after the race and he congratulated me. I'm right behind him. Hopefully, I can break it next year."
"It was hard," Monistere said. "It hurt a lot. I think I blanked out some during some of the end of it, so I didn't feel as much. Those last two laps...those hurt."
The last two athletes in the building on Saturday night were not one of the hundreds who had competed in the all-day meet, they were LSU freshmen Langley and former Jesuit standout Robert Buisson. Being fans of the sport, the two were still talking about it.
"I wanted him to break it," Langley said. "But I thought it would hold up longer than one year. I think he is going to get it next year."
Only time--and the clock at the Carl Maddox Fieldhouse...will tell.
READ MORE: HURT SO GOOD! Zachary's Rhen Langley Takes Down 3200m Record!