Edwards Wins 800 In 2:01.27 After Losing All of 2022 To Illness

By Keenan Gray of DyeStat

Phil Yearian photo

SPOKANE – Kaela Edwards has emerged from some of the lowest points of her career to kick off 2023 with a string of wins and renewed confidence.

Edwards won the women's 800 meters Friday night at the Lilac Grand Prix in Spokane in 2:01.27 for a Podium facility record and perhaps the best performance of the night.

After competing at USATF Golden Games in California in 2021, Edwards was diagnosed with COVID-19 and the illness was severe enough to keep her from training.

LILAC GRAND PRIX INTERVIEWS | RESULTS

But when she continued to have trouble shaking the virus, she found that something else was wrong. Edwards was diagnosed with Graves' disease, an immune disorder that results in the overproduction of thyroid hormones. Her ability to train and race was diminished and she was constantly fatigued.

“I didn’t know I had it for like six months,” Edwards said. “You just thought it was long COVID. It took me out for a year and a half and just wrecked me.”

Almost two years since that race in California, Edwards opened her 2023 indoor campaign with victories in the mile and 1,000 meters in Seattle two weeks ago, and then Friday's performance continued the momentum. The former NCAA indoor mile champion at Oklahoma State ran an 800 indoor personal best.

“I thought I’d never come back again,” she said. “I couldn’t even run 10-minute pace, which is obviously not what I run or anyone at this level.”

Edwards flew away from her competition, leading the pack through a 59-second 400 split and eventually closing out her win by more than two seconds to bring the second Lilac Grand Prix, organized by Tracklandia and the Union Athletics Club, to a close.

“I worked really hard to get back to this,” Edwards said. “A lot of tears, a lot of days where I just wanted to stop, a lot of days where I could not get through training, like emotionally or physically. Sometimes the hard moments I can at least look back at the literal lowest point I’ve had in this sport…it makes me more appreciative of the little wins along the way.”

Along with Edwards’ efforts in the 800, the Spokane crowd was treated to a good night of racing with the return of former Olympians and NCAA Champions to the Podium. 

Coach Pete Julian’s Union Athletics Club came away with four wins to start off the new year, including a pair of wins from the newest members of the group. 

Almost a year after winning a silver at the World Athletics Indoor Championships, 18-year-old Kenyan Noah Kibet blasted through the men’s 800 with the No. 3 time in the world, 1:46.74, to pick up the win over Brooks Beasts veteran Isaiah Harris, who was seventh at World Indoors. 

Former Georgetown Hoya and German Olympian Amos Bartelsmeyer closed his final 200 of his 1,500 race in 27.4 seconds to come out with the win in a time of 3:39.90, besting Canadian Olympian Charles Philibert-Thiboutot, who ran 3:42.81. 

One year after helping her club run a world best in the DMR, Ella Donaghu and Sinclaire Johnson elected to run individual events this time around as Donaghu won the women’s 3,000 in 9:11.87, then followed up with pacing duties in the women’s 1,500 to help Johnson to win in 4:08.34. 

The newly rebranded Oregon Track Club, now coached by Ben Thomas, made its track debut together, highlighted by Cole Hocker winning the men’s 3,000 in a time of 7:51.59. 

In the two high school mile races, Central Catholic OR senior Wes Shipsey outkicked Wilsonville OR senior Carter Cutting to win the boys race, 4:13.03 to 4:14.58 .

Castilleja CA senior Samira Kennedy surged past East Valley WA junior Logan Hofstee over the final 50 meters to win the girls race in 5:04.40.