Two distance specialists, La Serna’s Grant Miller and Arcadia’s Charlotte Hopkins, stood out recently in the Arcadia Invitational and Mt. SAC Relays, which are often springboards to the end-of-season meets.

Miller was a double winner in the Del Rio League finals last season, winning the 1,600 meters in 4 minutes, 18.38 seconds and the 3,200 in 9:38.94. Miller only ran the 3,200 at the CIF-SS prelims, finishing 11th in 9:11.42. That’s where his season ended.

Now a senior, Miller has shown remarkable improvement in both events, posting times that could get him all the way to the state finals.

Miller, a Biola commit, finished third in the mile invitational at the Mt. SAC Relays this past weekend, finishing in a personal-best 4:11.42. Earlier in the season, Miller ran a personal best in the 1,600 at JSerra, finishing in 4:08.30, which is the third fastest time in the CIF-SS and fifth fastest mark in the state this season.

“At JSerra he blew that race away,” La Serna coach Joe Orr said. “There wasn’t an athlete within 300 meters of him at the finish line.”

In the 3,200, Miller has been just as good, if not better.

Miller ran in the 3,200 invitational race at Arcadia, finishing third in a personal best 8:59.02, which is the second fastest time in the CIF-SS this season. That is more than 11 seconds faster than the time he ran at the CIF-SS prelims a year ago.

“He has just continued to grow since last year and has fashioned himself into one of the best in the state in both races,” Orr said. “The goal and intention is to get to the state finals in both races.”

Orr said there are levels to being this good and having this type of improvement.

“First, he’s one of the most talented kids I’ve ever had the opportunity to coach,” Orr said. “And though it starts with talent, he’s worked his butt off and put forth the efforts to get here. He’s one of those kids that is mentally and personally grounded to be able to run at this level.”

Orr said it will take more hard work in the weeks to come to accomplish his goals.

“At this point every second is earned with a whole lot of effort,” Orr said. “The plan is to be at his very best at the end of the season, and he will have opportunities to shave times in both events. He’s running with a purpose, that’s all you can ask.”

Hopkins, a junior, has stormed into the spotlight too.

For the past two years, South Pasadena’s Abigail Errington and La Cañada’s Maya DeBrouwer have been the dominant San Gabriel Valley runners in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters, and both have started their senior campaigns well.

Hopkins transferred from La Cañada to Arcadia after her freshman year and was not eligible to run last season. She ran in some unattached competitions as a sophomore, but she is quickly proving to be a force to be reckoned with. Hopkins already has set school records in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200, which is a shocker for Apaches coach Chris Schultz.

Hopkins finished well ahead of Errington and DeBrouwer at the Mt. SAC Invite, winning over a strong field in the mile invitational in 4:49.49. The mile race also calculated her 1,600-meter time to be 4:48.32, which is the second fastest mark in the CIF-SS this season and fifth best in the state.

“She ran a 5:13 in the (1,600) as a freshman, and I knew coming into the season she was well under five minutes,” Schultz said. “What she did at Mt. SAC was impressive. Her training is really going well.”

Schultz said Hopkins’ performance in the 3,200 invitational a week earlier at Arcadia is when he shook his head. It was an impressive field with runners from all over the country. Errington finished ninth in 10:05.97 while Hopkins was 11th in 10:07.97. It was another personal best for Hopkins, and the fourth fastest time in the CIF-SS this season.

“That’s when I thought she is way off the charts,” Schultz said of Hopkins’ 3,200 performance, “She broke our school record by 20 seconds, and the person she beat, Catrina McAlister, was a state finalist.”

Hopkins will likely focus on the 1,600 and 3,200 as the season winds down, but she also has the San Gabriel Valley’s top mark in the 800. She ran a personal best 2:11.84 at Mt. SAC.

“It will be up to her to decide which races she wants when we get to league,” Hopkins said. “But her 800 time is as impressive as all of them.”