Whatever happened to Oregon HS Legend Billy Harper?

OK BIlly,

You weren't a legend. I beat you plenty of times and I was good, but no where near a legend.

You were famous for running some odd distance during the winter like a 2000m or a open 1200m. Then you would stay on the national list all year with that crap. Maybe I should have hosted and ran a 1500m steeple.

A 4:05 mile isn't a legendary time for a single state?

4:05 is a great time, but seeing as how Marcus Bakken led the nation that year with his 4:04 followed by Stempers 4:05, Billy didn't run that time at all. Maybe 4:07 at best. And as far as a legendary from the state that produced Pre, no it's not that good.

Your question doesn't even make sense.

Winning XC state 4 times is not legendary?

Not in his division, does winning the smallest division XC State 4 years for Montana make you legendary...NO

TIMES, TIMES, TIMES,

He was a good...maybe great runner, not legendary.

Here's a test

Q: How many times did he go to Footlocker Nationals?

A: 0

Billy ran 1 1/2 years at Lane CC; won 2 NWAACC XC titles and steeple/10k/5k triple win in track I believe. best 8k of 23:56 or so on Alton Baker Park XC course ('97) trained for a time w/ Dick Brown and then ???

Can anyone recall his races with Davis of Mead?

No, but I was fortunate enough to beat Davis at Footlocker West Regionals. Than again so did like 160 other runners as he was really sick.

Yes. I ran against Billy once in Oregon, went to a running camp once with him, and grew up on Mead XC.

First, Billy is a great guy (can't vouch for him now, however).

Second, there is no comparing Matt Davis to Billy Harper. Matt was out of this world good.

Third, Matt Davis was a beast. I personally watched his 14:08 (3 miles) at the state meet in Pasco. Unbelievable stuff.

Anyone know where Matt Davis is? How about Michah his bro?

I agree

Billy was good, but he wasn't even the best runner from the area. Where was that guy Ishaia Fiesta from??

Billy was good but not the best from the area? Perhaps comparing runners over the years, but for his particular period he was one of the best in Oregon.

If you mean during his high school years there were others who were better please discuss with examples, not some general statement.

dez wrote:

Not in his division, does winning the smallest division XC State 4 years for Montana make you legendary...NO

TIMES, TIMES, TIMES,

He was a good...maybe great runner, not legendary.

Here's a test

Q: How many times did he go to Footlocker Nationals?

A: 0

how many times did shalane flanagan go to footlocker nationals?

I thought I just did above?

Oregon is a great running state, Harper is no legend. He was a great runner, but not a legend.

Exactly my point!

Another great..awesome runner, but not a legend.

1 4:04.76+(4:06.38-1mile) Michael Stember Sacramento -->Stanford CA

2 4:06.23+(3:50.84-1500m) *Gabe Jennings (Madison, WI) WI

3 4:06.29+(3:50.90-1500m) Jason Vanderhoof (Sandown, NH) -->Wisconsin NH

4 4:08.34+(3:52.82c1.5k) *Dan McKay Hatboro-Horsham Horsham, Pa

5 4:08.48+(4:10.13-1mile) Robert Frichtel (Hemet, CA) CA

6 4:09.24+(4:10.89-1mile) *Jonathon Riley Brookline, MA

7 4:09.2? Marius Bakken Illinois exch. Student- Norway IL

8 4:09.82 Micheil Jones Livermore CA

9 4:10.10 Matt Pearson, O'Dea WA

10 4:10.49+(3:54.84c1.5k) Darren Dinneen Phill.A. Andover, -->Harvard MA

11 4:10.81+ *Sharif Karie w-Springfield VA

12 4:11.2? Matt Twiest Albuquerque -->Bates NM

13 4:11.50 Larry Henderson, Mira Mesa (12) (3.00 GPA) CA

14 4:11.73+(3:56.0c1.5k) Billy Harper Junction City OR

15 4:11.80+(3:56.06c1.5k) *Grant Robison, McMinnville, OR

16 4:12.10+Dan Sikiric - Leland, CA

17 4:12.51 Kell Giffin, Bainbridge WA

18 4:12.88+(4:14.56-1mile) Aaron Gillen (Yreka, CA) CA

19 4:12.8? Abdul Alzindani - Dearborn Fordson -->NC St. MI

20 4:12.92+(3:57.11c1.5k) Shawn Downey, Silverton, OR

21 4:13.07 Andy Tate, Stillwater Area MN

22 4:13.13 Jeremy Polson, Duluth Denfield Minnesota MN

23 4:13.1? *Brad Hansen San Fr. CA

24 4:13.25 *Isaac Hawkins, Ferris WA

25 4:13.25 *Jason Fayant, Mead WA

26 4:13.33+(3:57.5c1.5k) Andy Carmen, Elmira, OR

Ok, he had the best time in Oregon that year, but legend??? 4:11 is fast....BUT LEGEND!

I'm only a few spots behind him on that list, plus I see plenty of guys from Oregon right with him.

You keep bringing up Billy as a legend. I don't think anyone is calling him a legend.

For his year he was the best in the state and look at the company he had nationally that year. Legendary status? No. Cream of the crop in the state status? Yep, but only because he was tops in Oregon that year.

Okay. First off Billy only won state so many times in HS because he was NOT in the toughest division. I was in the toughest division for three of the 4 years he was in HS and can tell you the results based upon pr's and head to head races.

Billy's Freshmen year...

Jason Mashmier KILLED Billy Harper as well as Dan Brown. Both those dudes OWNED this guys ass like no tomorrow.

Billy's Sophmore yeara...

I think his name was something Hunt from Springville OWNED Billy Harpers ass. There was no comparison.

Billy's Junior year...

I owned Billy's ass and I didn't even win state!!! Also Todd Humpke, Ray Raynolds (a guy in his own leage), Grant Robison, etc. Billy took something like 77th at Foot Locker West Regionals.

Billy's Senior year...

Tough competition from the likes of Ray Raynolds and Grant Robison killed him. Also Dave Davis in the 1,500.

You guys are funny... the Mead guys made Billy Harper look like a middle school girl on the track and so did most of the top class 4a runners within the state of Oregon. Billy did run well in Junior Olympics over the summer and during the non existant Winter Indoor season. But when it counted in the Spring and Fall... he really did not do anything time wise 5 other guys in the state could have done. His results look good because he raced in 3a which is a lesser competitive division and historically 20 seconds slower in the 3k and 10 seconds slower in the 1.5k than the class 4a.

Plus he was wildly inconsistent... I think his 3k pr as a frosh was something like 8:40... mine was 9:12 and I beat him head to head that summer. I was shocked.

Oh another note... he was 2 years older than his counterparts. He was 20 when he graduated HS. How fast were you when you were a sophmore in college? Think you could have whooped up on some 18 year old hs seniors??? Hell yes.

I can't believe we are talking about this guy. I'm out.

Boy Wonder wrote:

You keep bringing up Billy as a legend. I don't think anyone is calling him a legend.

For his year he was the best in the state and look at the company he had nationally that year. Legendary status? No. Cream of the crop in the state status? Yep, but only because he was tops in Oregon that year.

Uh...look at the title of the thread: "Whatever happened to Oregon HS LEGEND Billy Harper?" Someone called him a legend.

Hey dude... the headline from the OP states "RE: Whatever happened to Oregon HS Legend Billy Harper?" Does it NOT say Legend in there????? I think it does.

I can't stress enough that this guy was TWO YEARS OLDER than anyone he was competing against in HS. Plus he competed in a weaker 3a leage. Look at pr's not race results. He was good I will give you that, but it would be a stretch to call him great, and a joke to call him a legend.

I barely consider myself "good" and beat him all but one meeting he and I ever raced head to head in HS (6 total). I also held pr's faster than his in the 400, 800, 1,500 and 5k cross country in two straight seasons (his sophmore and junior years, my junior and senior years). Oh and did I mention that even though I was 1 grade higher than he, he was one year OLDER than me???