Closest - Best Wasted / Abandon Talent stories

Brian Rhodes-Devey

Tarzan Brown

Rodney Giles

obea moore

A kid in my high school ran the 600 yards for the presidential physical fitness test in 1:12. In basketball shoes. No training. I cajoled him into coming out for track, thought he'd be great at the 400/800. First meet, he runs 51.1 then refused to run the 800. Next meet he runs the 800 in 1:57.4, then was caught by the coach smoking a cigarette under the bleachers with his friends in the burnout crowd, the dudes with "MOTORHEAD" and anarchy symbols scribbled all over their ripped-up jean jackets. The coach said he was suspending him for a meet and the kid told him to suck it and quit on the spot. I think he could have run 15:xx in cross country too but he never played another sport and also dropped acid in school and barely graduated and may no longer be alive. Dad was a a minister. Kid could have been the best in state history, maybe.

My cousin tagged along for a 10 mile run with me when I was in 9:0x (steeple)/14:30 shape. He did it barefoot. About halfway in I started going pretty quick to see how he would respond and he stayed with me the whole way. I convinced him to join the track team at his school (he was a sophomore in high school at the time I think) and after a few weeks of training maybe four days a week he ran 4:42 in the mile. Then he decided running wasn't really his thing. I sometimes wonder what he could have run had he stuck with it.

Henry Thomas ran a 400 split in 44 low in high school...then went to jail

Hawthorne High School in CA, a bunch of recruiting cheaters, but man that kid flew that day

There was this kid in HS who ran 3:59 for the mile and 8:29 for two miles. Went to college and lasted only a couple months. I wonder what ever happened to that guy.

Thomas has a wikipedia entry - some more interesting facts:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Thomas_

(athlete)

Henry Thomas (born July 10, 1967) is a former American sprinter known for running at the high school and collegiate levels. He demonstrated extremely rare versatility, successful at 100 metres through 400 metres, holding the World Youth best for 100 metres (for over 10 years),[1] set in a race 7 days after he set the world Youth best in the 400 metres. He is the only athlete to simultaneously appear in both the 100m and 400m top lists.

Thomas led the powerhouse team at Hawthorne High School, in Hawthorne, California of the 1980s to win the CIF California State Meet in both 1983 and 1984. Individually, he won the 200 metres in both 1983 and 1984—setting the state record that lasted 14 years, the 100 metres in 1984 after finishing second as a sophomore the previous year—setting the state record that lasted 5 years, and anchored his team to 4 × 400 metres relay victories in both years. The 1983 relay was a "come from behind" race passing Danny Harris on the final straightaway.[2] Harris won a silver medal at the Olympics the following year. The time of that 1984 victory is still ranked #3, and 1983 is ranked #4 on the all time list. Hawthorne won that relay 6 years in a row. His 100 metres record was beaten by Hawthorne's Curtis Conway who played in the NFL, and the 200 metres record was beaten by Kareem Kelly who also played in the NFL.[3]

Early in the 1985 season, the Hawthorne team, anchored by Thomas' 44.5 split, won the Texas Relays in what is still the National High School record 3:07.40. Joining Thomas on that team, as the "slow" newcomer was future Olympic gold medalist Mike Marsh.[4] Shortly after the record, Thomas suffered from appendicitis, requiring surgery. He was unable to compete in the championship meet his senior year,[5][6] Marsh won the state meet 200 metres in his place.

In 2010, Marsh, Thomas, Michael Graham and Sean Kelly joined together to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the record.[7]

His best attempt to make an Olympic team came at age 21, when he finished 7th in 1988 Olympic Trials at 200m representing Santa Monica Track Club.[8]

He went to UCLA where he is ranked #2 all time in the 200 metres, #3 in the 100 metres and #7 in the 400 metres. Every person ranked ahead of him, except newcomer Craig Everhart, is an Olympic medalist or world record holder.[9] He helped UCLA win the NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championships twice, 1987 and 1988 and anchored its NCAA record setting 4x400 metre relay team (that also included 1988 Olympic Gold medalists Danny Everett and Steve Lewis, plus 1992 Olympic Gold Medalist/World Record Holder Kevin Young).[10] Later in 1988, after failing to make the Olympics himself, he tried out for the UCLA football team. At the time he said (in third person) "I'm getting older now and making my own decisions, and this is something Henry wants to do."[11]

Thomas was arrested and later was convicted following a June 29, 1991 robbery and assault at a Los Angeles fast food restaurant. He did not get to compete at the 1992 Olympic Trials. He served 10 years in prison.[7][12][13]

Ted Corbitt. Massive natural talent, but he didn't train much and quit early.

Ummm, no. Thomas ran the anchor leg for the first NCAA 4x400 relay team that broke 3 minutes. The other members of that relay team were three future Olympic Gold medalists: Steve Lewis, Danny Everett, and Kevin Young.

agip wrote:

Henry Thomas ran a 400 split in 44 low in high school...then went to jail

Hawthorne High School in CA, a bunch of recruiting cheaters, but man that kid flew that day[/quote]

Obea Moore suffered a major injury. It affected him physically and, more importantly, mentally. Moore is not the only great runner to end up done after HS.

I knew someone who ran 1:54 and 4:16 off halfass training in high school(5 days a week only half of the year). Never did anything after that.

Obea Moore ran a 45.14 as a 16 year old. That is Ryun level talent. The stuff that shows up every 50 years or so.

Nopers... wrote:

Obea Moore suffered a major injury. It affected him physically and, more importantly, mentally. Moore is not the only great runner to end up done after HS.

Obea Moore also ran 1:49.16 for 800m as a Sophomore.

Moore was also a great 200m runner. He was a good 100m (didn't run it that much, except for the 4x100m). Rumors are he also ran some good 1600m runs (early season training) as base for his 400m and 800m.

webfoot wrote:

There was this kid in HS who ran 3:59 for the mile and 8:29 for two miles. Went to college and lasted only a couple months. I wonder what ever happened to that guy.

Training for the Olympics in multiple sports.

it was on the front page wrote:

webfoot wrote:

There was this kid in HS who ran 3:59 for the mile and 8:29 for two miles. Went to college and lasted only a couple months. I wonder what ever happened to that guy.

Training for the Olympics in multiple sports.

Recovering from an accident that almost killed him. What a waste, right?

wonderful friend who was 2x NCAA champ who quit running before even finishing college.

Basically this whole list:

http://www.footlockercc.com/history/finals.php?inc=alltimechamps.inc&gen=girls&order=alltimegirls.year

This list faired a bit better:

http://www.footlockercc.com/history/finals.php?inc=alltimechamps.inc&gen=boys&order=alltimeboys.year