Allie Wilson

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Allie Wilson
Wilson at the 2019 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships
Personal information
Nationality United States
Born31 March 1996 (28 years, 28 days old)[1]
Home townWallingford, Pennsylvania
EducationStrath Haven High School
Monmouth University[2]
Height5 ft 6 in (168 cm)[2]
Sport
SportAthletics
Event800 metres
College teamMonmouth Hawks[2]
ClubAtlanta Track Club[3]
Coached byChris Tarello[4]
Amy Yoder Begley[5]
Achievements and titles
National finals
Personal bests
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  United States
NACAC Championships
Silver medal – second place 2022 Freeport 800 m
Updated on 1 January 2024.

Allie Wilson (born 31 March 1996) is an American middle-distance runner specializing in the 800 metres. She was the 2024 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winner in the 800 m.

Her first major breakthrough came in 2018 during her third year at Monmouth University, advancing from 2:11 to a 2:04 best in the 800 m and qualifying for her first NCAA Championships. After a best finish of 5th at the 2019 NCAA finals, Wilson signed as a professional with the Atlanta Track Club coached by Amy Yoder Begley and her husband Andrew. She went on to finish sixth at the Olympic Trials and fourth at the 2022 U.S. championships, just one spot away from making a U.S. global championship team. At the 2022 NACAC Championships, she won the silver medal in the 800 metres.

Early life[edit]

Wilson is from Wallingford, Pennsylvania, where she attended Strath Haven High School.[2] She started running the 800 m in 2005, under the Catholic Youth Organization at St. John Chrysostom Catholic Church.[6]

At Strath Haven, she split her fall seasons between cross country running and soccer while working as a lifeguard. She was the Delaware County Daily Times 2013 Girl's Soccer Player of the Year, and was considered the best defender in Delaware County.[7] Despite getting offers from NCAA Division I schools to run cross country and track, Wilson said that soccer was her "main sport".[7]

In 2014, Wilson's Strath Haven team qualified for the Penn Relays Championship of America in the 4 × 800 metres relay for the fifth year in a row, with the help of Wilson splitting 2:17 on the third leg.[8] The team's best finish in the Championship of America finals was 4th, at the 2011 edition when both Wilson and her sister Val split 2:15 on the first and second legs.[9][10]

Collegiate career[edit]

From fall 2014 to spring 2019, Wilson ran for the Monmouth Hawks track and field program, coached by Chris Tarello.[4][2] She failed to qualify for the NCAA championships her freshman and second years, and during her junior year she experienced a fifth metatarsal fracture on her foot after jumping into a swimming pool.[11][12]

After recovering, she qualified for the 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the 2018 NCAA East regional in Tampa, Florida. Running from the second heat, both Wilson and competitor Laurie Barton split 2:04.58 tying for the final qualifying spot, a difference that was later resolved in Wilson's favor by just 0.001 seconds.[3][1] In Eugene, Wilson finish just 7th in her semi-final and did not make the finals, although her time of 2:05.55 would have advanced if she had been placed in the third heat. During the 2018 season overall, Wilson improved her personal bests from 2:11 and 4:33 in the 800 m and 1500 m to 2:04 and 4:22 respectively.[13]

On 8 February 2019 at the Boston University Valentine Invitational, Wilson ran an 800 m personal best of 2:02.65, the number 2 time in the NCAA that season.[14] Wilson competed in her first senior national championship at the 2019 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships, while still a college senior. Racing the rarely-run 1000 metres event, she qualified for the finals and finished 6th overall in a time of 2:41.76.[15] Later that season at the 2019 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships, Wilson improved upon her placing to finish 4th in the finals. In doing so, she became the first Monmouth Hawk to finish top-8 at an NCAA Division I Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships.[14]

At the 2019 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Wilson again qualified for the finals of the 800 m with the 3rd-fastest overall time in the semi-finals.[1] In the finals, she ran another personal best of 2:02.56 for 5th place. The time was the fastest in Monmouth program history.[16]

Professional career[edit]

2019-2020[edit]

While in college, Wilson was an intern for the Shore Athletic Club, her first experience with a professional team.[17] On 30 July 2019, Wilson signed with the Atlanta Track Club to be coached under Amy Yoder Begley and her husband Andrew Begley.[5] She was inspired to join by Monmouth teammate and 2015 NCAA runner-up Dylan Capwell, who had signed with the Atlanta TC earlier.[6]

During her first championships as a professional at the 2020 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships, Wilson finished 3rd – her first national medal. Wilson was scheduled to run in nine different meetings before the 2020 United States Olympic trials, but the postponement of the Olympics due to COVID-19 changed her plans.[11]

2021[edit]

Wilson at the Panther Stadium at Blackshear Field in 2021

Wilson broke the 800 m two-minute barrier for the first time on 15 May 2021 at the Sound Running Track Meet in Irvine, California, with a time of 1:59.68 behind only Laura Muir.[18] At the postponed 2021 United States Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon, Wilson placed 2nd in her heat and 3rd in her semi-final, advancing to her first Olympic Trials final.[1][19]

Hot conditions in Eugene led to a delay in the event schedule – it was 109 °F (43 °C) at 4:30 pm local time when the finals were originally set to be held, and a thermometer held to the track surface read 148.1 °F (64.5 °C).[20] Though the temperature dropped to 93 °F (34 °C) by the time of the delayed start, the relative heat and nighttime conditions were still an adjustment for the athletes.[20] Led by Athing Mu, the opening pace was very fast. Wilson was in eighth place after 200 metres, and seventh place at 400 m. After falling back to eighth place at 600 m, Wilson rallied to finish sixth overall in a new personal best of 1:59.02 despite the heat.[20] All five runners ahead of her also set lifetime bests in the race, and as only the top three were selected, Wilson did not qualify for the 2021 U.S. Olympic team.[20]

2022[edit]

At the 2022 Sound Running Track Meet, Wilson ran another personal best of 1:58.18, surpassing the 2022 World Athletics Championships minimum qualifying standard while stumbling and falling at the finish line.[21] At the 2022 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Wilson advanced to the finals and all eight finalists were within four metres of each other with 200 m to go, hitting the 600 m mark in 1:28.58.[22] Wilson ended up finishing fourth in 1:58.35, missing out on qualifying for the U.S. Worlds team by just one spot.[1] As a consolation, Wilson was offered a spot on the 2022 NACAC Championships U.S. squad, where she won the silver medal in a photo finish with gold medalist Ajeé Wilson.[23][24]

2023[edit]

Wilson had a successful early 2023 season, beginning with her appearance at the 2023 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships in the 800 m. After Laurie Barton set the pace through 400 m in 59.09 seconds, Kaela Edwards took over at 600 m. Both Nia Akins and Wilson moved to pass Edwards, but Akins' final lap of 29.71 seconds beat Wilson's of 29.83 seconds, earning Akins the gold and Wilson the silver medal.[25]

During the outdoor season, Wilson won the 2023 Penn Relays Olympic Development 800 m in a time of 2:01.13, under "incessant" rain.[26][27] At the 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Wilson finished 4th in her semi-final behind Ajeé Wilson, and she did not qualify for the U.S. team at the 2023 World Championships.[1]

2024[edit]

Before she started her 2024 season, Wilson and her coach Amy Yoder Begley left the Atlanta Track Club, becoming an unsponsored athlete.[28] The two relocated to Indianapolis, Indiana and started Heartland Track Club coached by Amy's Husband, Andrew Begley.[29] After narrowly losing to Olivia Baker at the Dr. Sander Invite, Wilson won the 2024 Millrose Games 800 m, this time beating Baker by 0.3 seconds.[30]

At the 2024 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships finals, Addy Wiley in her first championships as a professional took the lead, but Wilson passed her in the final 50 metres to win her first national title.[31]

Statistics[edit]

Personal bests[edit]

Event Mark Place Competition Venue Date Ref
600 metres 1:26.40 sh 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Millrose Games New York City 11 February 2023 [1]
800 metres 1:58.09 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Athletissima Lausanne, Switzerland 26 August 2022 [1]
1000 metres 2:36.31 sh 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Terrier Classic Boston, Massachusetts 28 January 2023 [1]
1500 metres 4:04.02 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Ed Murphey Classic Memphis, Tennessee 29 July 2022 [1]
Mile run 4:26.04 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Occidental College Sunset Tour Eagle Rock, California 9 July 2022 [1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Allie Wilson at Tilastopaja (registration required)
  2. ^ a b c d e "Allie Wilson – Women's Track and Field". Monmouth University Athletics. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Atlanta Track Club Elite – Allie Wilson". Atlanta Track Club.
  4. ^ a b Bjorkgren, David (3 May 2023). "Strath Haven's Allie Wilson Works as a Pro but has Olympic Dreams". DELCO.Today. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Middle Distance Standout Allie Wilson Signs with Atlanta Track Club". Atlanta Track Club.
  6. ^ a b "Aug 15 Allie Wilson on the Fast Track in Atlanta". Swarthmorean Archives.
  7. ^ a b de George, Matthew. "Girls Soccer Player of the Year: No slowing down for Haven's Allie Wilson". Delaware County Daily Times. Archived from the original on 6 December 2013.
  8. ^ Toohey, Terry. "Track: Strath Haven relay does what it takes to keep Penn Relays streak alive". Delco HS Sports.
  9. ^ "2011 High School Girls' 4x800 Championship of America". Penn Relays.
  10. ^ "Penn Relays: Strath Haven grad Allie Wilson still developing Olympic potential". Delaware County Times.
  11. ^ a b "Strath Haven's Allie Wilson takes Olympic postponement in stride". Delaware County Daily Times.
  12. ^ "Strath Haven grad Allie Wilson returns to Franklin Field as a pro at Penn Relays while chasing the Olympic dream". Philadelphia Inquirer.
  13. ^ "WILSON FINISHES 11TH AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS". Monmouth Hawks.
  14. ^ a b Lambert, Jim. "Monmouth University's Wilson Makes History at NCAA D1 Meet". MileSplit.
  15. ^ "WHAT A HUGE WEEKEND". Shore AC.
  16. ^ "Monmouth's Wilson Finishes Fifth at 2019 NCAA Track & Field National Championships". Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
  17. ^ "Shore AC athletes and alumni do big things at USA Indoor Nationals at Albuquerque". Shore AC.
  18. ^ "Olympic Champs and Breakout Stars Shine at the Sound Running Track Meet". Runner's World.
  19. ^ "Track & Field: Allie Wilson runs into Olympic Trials final in 800 meters". Delaware County Daily Times.
  20. ^ a b c d "Hot and fast Olympic Trials pace 'learning experience' for Strath Haven grad Allie Wilson". Delaware County Times.
  21. ^ "Lessons on Finding Joy in Running with Allie Wilson". Citius Mag.
  22. ^ "The world's greatest national championships". Athletics Weekly.
  23. ^ "11-gold day runs Team USATF medal count to 39 at NACAC Open Championship". USATF.
  24. ^ "Miller-Uibo produces first victory for host Bahamas with 400 meet record, Jamaican star Jackson adds 100-meter title to 200 gold medal in 2018; Burks and Wilson become two-time NACAC champions for U.S., with Bruce, Crittenden III, Thompson and Winkler all achieving championship records". RunnerSpace.
  25. ^ "Hobbs' American Record* Highlights Final Day at USATF Indoor Championships". USATF.
  26. ^ "Penn Relays: Strath Haven grad Allie Wilson still developing Olympic potential". Delaware County Times.
  27. ^ "Strath Haven's Allie Wilson Works as a Pro but has Olympic Dreams". delco.today.
  28. ^ Allie Wilson Explains Why She Left Atlanta Track Club And Stayed With Coach Amy Yoder Begley, retrieved 18 February 2024
  29. ^ Wade, Alison (26 February 2024). "The Heartland TC will be more than a pro running team". Fast Women. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  30. ^ "Allie Wilson 1st Place Women's 800m - Millrose Games 2024". RunnerSpace.
  31. ^ Shakeel, Maleehah (18 February 2024). "USATF Indoor Championships: 27-Year-Old American in Tears After Grabbing First Ever National Title". EssentiallySports. Retrieved 18 February 2024.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Allie_Wilson&oldid=1220120868"