Patriots' Merrill Clocks Nation No. 6 For 600m!

Portsmouth Elizabeth Sullivan, left, was third in the mile at the Boston Holiday Challenge.

Looks like we have another talented underclassman to keep an eye on this winter.

Nikki Merrill, a sophomore from Portsmouth High, captured the 600-meter run at Wednesday's Boston Holiday Challenge. Merrill cruised three laps on the banked oval of the Reggie Lewis Center in a time of 1 minute,  35.85 seconds. That clocking was a nearly five-second personal best. More importantly, it was the nation's sixth fastest time this season.

Merrill's previous best for 600m was 1:40.61, which she did last year at the Boston meet. As a freshman, she was fourth at the 2015 indoor state meet.

The Patriots also came out on top in the 4x800m relay with a combined time of 9:42.91.

Portsmouth sophomore Elizabeth Sullivan, a first-team cross-country all-stater, was third in the mile. She was timed in a PB of 5:09.67. The race was won by New York's Kelsey Chmiel of Saratoga Springs, who clocked a nation best of 4:51.36. 

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Portsmouth was first in the 4x800m relay with a solid time of 9:42.91.