Tanner Baker, a Peasley Middle School eighth grader, topped his last year of indoor track as a Gloucester High School sub-varsity athlete by winning the debut middle school mile run Sunday at the New Balance Indoor Nationals at the New Balance Armory in New York City.

Baker placed first among 30 runners in grades seven and eight in the mile event. His time, 4:41.67, set a personal record for Baker and ranks fifth in the U.S. It will also be the record to beat next year. Baker earned All American and National Champion honors with his win.

Baker is not new to competing at the national level. In cross country he placed 11th in the 2017 FootLocker South Regionals in North Carolina in his 13-14 age group and was seventh in the 1,500 and fifth in the 3,000 meter events in his age group in the 2017 USATF Hershey Youth Indoor Championships in New York. Baker was also seventh in the 1,500 for 14-year-old boys in the 2017 AAU Junior Olympic Games in Michigan.

The GHS track, field and cross co...