It’s not clear exactly when a high school sophomore named Katelyn Tuohy became the next great phenom in American distance running.
Her coach at North Rockland High School, in Thiells, N.Y., about 30 miles northwest of New York City, said he knew Tuohy would eventually inspire the highest of hopes when she was in seventh grade. At the sound of the gun in her first race, a 1,500-meter competition for freshmen and sophomores, she sprinted to the lead, sparking snickers about how she needed to learn pacing. She finished in 4 minutes 54 seconds and won by 26 seconds.