Locust Valley Middle School eighth grader Lillian Thompson ran at the 2025 Nike Indoor Nationals on March 13, capping off an incredible first season of competitive running.
Thompson competed in the mile run among the best high school runners the country has to offer after excelling in the cross-country state championships in the fall and spring county championships with a personal best five minute and 23 second mile run. Throughout the season, Thompson has motivated herself by trying to beat the school record in the mile run of five minutes and eight seconds, and her coach Joe Migliano is confident she will get there.
“I’ve had terrific athletes over the years who have been state champions and Olympians, but there is a level of maturity that Lilly has that you don’t see in your average eighth grader or even high school student,” Migliano said. “She is the cornerstone of that distance program, and we haven’t even tapped into her full potential.”
Migliano and Thompson realized the exciting possibilities for her after a strong cross-country season in the fall. Migliano told her to run comfortable for the first 1,500 meters and see where it went from there. Not only did she set a then-personal record, but Migliano noticed that she wasn’t out of breath, evening calmly conversing with her teammates and competitors after the race. In her next race, Thompson beat that time by 20 seconds.
Along with the obvious talent, Migliano touted her exceptional work ethic as something that will help her continue on this impressive path. Thompson can be seen running with her teammates every day, but she also runs with her mother, herself a former track athlete, during school breaks.
“Since I was really little I did a lot of running until I did it for real in seventh grade,” Thompson said. “When I’m towards the end of a race, I just tell myself I’m almost there, and in a few more sprints I can be done.”