NH's first Sub-4? Sean O'Brien

Are you serious?

This is probably true. Andy Downin (3:56.25) lived in New Hampshire after college ,and I believe was a N.H. citizen when he won the USATF 1500 meters, but given that he went to Duxbury High before matriclating at G-town, he's really a Massachusetts guy (unless he would rather be a Granite Stater for some off reason).

Russell Brown will be next.

WEEPS!

I thought his family moved somewhere north of Boston and out of NH?

I believe when John Mortimer and the Downins first organized the Millennium Mile in 1999, it was advertised as an opportunity to get the first dub-4 in NH history. I am not familiar with any other NH runner that has sub-4'd on the track (if the original poster is correct in saying Mort did not).

Andy is a Mass HS product, while his brother is a graduate of Pinkerton Academy in Derry NH. O'Brien is a graduate of Winnesquam Regional in Tilton.

Russell Brown certainly looked close in the spring with his 1500 performance.

WEEEEEEEEPSY

Based on where they went to high school, he broke Matt Downin's NH record:

New Hampshire: Matt Downin - 4:00.52 - 1999

Randy Hall Hudson NH/Alvirne HS and UNH came close. He ran 4:02.73 indoors while at UNH.

I think he ran around 4:01 after graduating from UNH????

who is this Randy Hall person? What year was that, I live in Hudson and went to Alvirne. I never knew we had someone that fast go there. Dont remember seeing him in the record books.

hall was a 2:01, 4:36, 9:50 high school runner. as a senior he was overshadowed by a team mate, chris basha, a freshman who eventually ran 4:14 in high school. norm kennedy of stevens high was the best runner in NH during hall's quiet high school career. kennedy was a kinney/footlocker competitor who ran 1:53 in the spring of his senior year. stormin' norman ran for vin lannana at dartmouth kicking hall's butt until the 2 were seniors when RH had an outstanding senior year becoming an indoor all american in the mile.

hall did his post college running and studies at u cal irvine. he trained at times with steve scott.

hall, now a ph.d, is a professor at emory university. he continues to follow the sport and runs the peachtree road race each 4th of july.

I know it's off-topic, but Matt Downin is the shit. Just wanted to add that.

Although congrats to O'Brien if it really is NH's first sub-4. Hell, congrats anyway- sub-4 is pretty hard, I hear ;)

I guess it is in fact true, at least Sean and Russell think so. They're both in Palo Alto and train on the same track. They know each other and often kid each other about chasing a record that only the two of them are aware of. So... congratulations Sean O'Brien.

WEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPSSSSSS!!!!!

Weeps brought rain in UW this weekend, now it's time to come home to DC where you're needed and loved.

Good call on identifying the achievement.

To UNH Guy, wasn't Basha a Concord High kid that ran with Kevin Beck? Thanks for the times/insights on Kennedy.

Basha was a Concord guy if I remember right. He went to Concord HS and ran for ULowell and Keene???

The only other home grown runner from NH I can think of who flirted with the 4:00 minute barrier from NH could of been Todd Swenson(Londonderry NH and William and Mary).

Jim Crawford lived in NH for a while during the 70's broke 4:00 in the mile.

Does anyone know how close Jason Vanderhoof (Timberlane Regional Plaistow NH)got when he ran for Wisconsin?

you are thinking of chris beyer. he ended up at keene. basha, beyer and beck were team mates one year (but i am not certain of that).

basha transfered from alvirne h.s. in hudson (hall's h.s.) to concord high. he spent a year at UNH and left school. lost contact with him at that point.

Chris Beyer is now coaching at Laconia High. He and Phil Greenwood from Nashua had great duals.

Not sure what his fastest mile was, but Vanderhoof ran a 3:45.00 1500m at a Northeastern Twilight meet maybe 1999 or 2000. After that he mostly ran the 5000m and Steeple.

Killer Dude wrote:

Does anyone know how close Jason Vanderhoof (Timberlane Regional Plaistow NH)got when he ran for Wisconsin?