Quick Hits: Hauger-Thackery on Olympic Team; No Mile for Young Indoors; Rachel Smith in Road 15K

Some quick-hit news on a Wednesday morning:

• Calli Hauger-Thackery, who has been living and training both in her native Britain and Flagstaff, was named this morning to the British Olympic Marathon team. Hauger-Thackery, married to Hoka NAZ Elite marathoer Nick Hauger, ran a stunning debut (2:22:17) late last year at the McKirdy Micro Marathon in New York. It was teh third fastest debut by aEuropean athlete, behind only Sifan Hassan and Paula Radcliffe.

On her Instagram account (@Callirianne), Hauger-Thackery wrote: “Thank you @britishathletics for the opportunity; there’s nothing more fulfilling than representing our country and this one means the world…. But just thank you to everyone who believed in me, even on the days where I didn’t believe in myself.”

A shout-out to Flagstaff coach/race director James McKirdy, who took a chance organizing the race specifically for Olympic Trials hopefuls. The race didn’t produce a U.S. qualifier, but Thackery’s breakthrough is a major accomplishment.

• NAU’s Nico Young has opted not to run Mile in next week’s NCAA Indoor Track and Field Chamionships, declaring for the 3,000 and 5,000 meters. Colin Sahlman, however, is running in the Mile. Other Lumberjack men include Aaron Las Heras and Theo Quax in both the 3,000 and 5,000. (NAU’s Distance Medlay Relay team is confirmed, as well.) Maggi Congdon represents the NAU women’s distance contingent. Congdon has declared for the 800 meters and the Mile.

Look for more on the NCAA Indoors next week.

• The USATF 15K Road Chamnpionships at Saturday in Jacksonville, Fla., and the entries were released Tuesday night. Rachel Smith, Emily Durgin and Angie Nickerson are the Flagstaff-based women running; among the Flagstaff-based men running are Abbabiya Simbassa, Diego Estrada, Willy Fink and Jacob Thomson.

• Turns out Flagstaff High School did open its outdoor track season last weekend, competing at the Richard Thompson South Mountain Classic in Phoenix. Distance highlights: Taylor Biggambler finished third in the 3,200 in 11:56; Alex Bland sixth in the boys 1,600 in 4:31.88; and Olivia Baker 10th in the girls 1,600 in 5:41.20. Full results here.