PROVO, Utah — Aidan Troutner ran a 3:59.2 mile, cementing a new Smith Fieldhouse record, Saturday afternoon in the final day of Cougar Invitational competition to place him at No. 1 in the nation.
Troutner Clocks First Sub Four-Minute Mile at Smith Fieldhouse
Day two of the Cougar Invitational was highlighted by a 3:59.2 mile (3:54.21 when adjusted for altitude) by junior distance runner Aidan Troutner, marking the first sub-four minute mile at the Smith Fieldhouse.
Troutner’s sub-four minute mile places him at No. 1 in the nation when adjusted for altitude (3:54.51). With the altitude adjustment, Troutner's time is the fastest in school history. It beat his previous career-best time of 4:00.58 that he set nearly two years ago at the Washington-Dempsey Indoor Invitational at sea level in Seattle, Wash. The hometown boy from Provo, UT ran the fastest mile in facility history. The Smith Fieldhouse sits at 4,553 feet of altitude. In addition, Troutner’s finish marks the first indoor sub-four minute mile in the state of Utah.
“I think we expected someone to run sub-four, like we attempted to hit last year," Troutner said. "I think this year, I was in better shape going into it. Hopefully this time gives me a national qualifier. It was really, really special to be able to have my first time running sub-four here at the Smith Fieldhouse. It was awesome.”
The career-best performance earned Troutner the No. 7 spot in the program’s top-10 board, barely nudging out former teammate who turned professional this week Kenneth Rooks who held the spot at 3:59.65. Rooks also paced the first three laps for Troutner.
“It was phenomenal,” said director of track and field Ed Eyestone. “What a way to start the 2024 track season. I’m very excited for him. He worked so hard during cross country, and this is a really exciting way for him to get the indoor season going. I’m pretty confident that, that time will hold up to get him to Boston for the national meet. Banner day for him and the top performance of the week for sure.”
Other Notable Performances
Logan Hubler ran a program top-10 time in the men’s preliminary 60-meter hurdles, crossing the finish line in 7.9 to place at No. 6 on the all-time list. Hubler took first in the final as well. The sprinter also ran a personal-best 6.93 in the 60m.
Senior distance runner Christian Allen returned to action, finishing the 3000m in second place with a time of 8:18.78. Allen joins the team for the indoor season at the same time as preparing for the Team USA Marathon Olympic Trials on Feb. 3.
Up Next
The Cougars will split ends of the east coast in two weeks. The distance groups will travel to Boston, Mass., to race at the John Thomas Terrier Classic, while the position groups will compete in Clemson, South Carolina at the Bob Pollock Invitational. Both competitions will begin on Friday, Jan. 26.