Idaho’s Michael Slagowski Becomes the 9th US High Schooler and 4th In Last Year to Go Sub-4 in the Mile

by LetsRun.com
April 29, 2016

Michael Slagowski of Rocky Mountain High School in Meridian, Idaho (Boise metro area) ran 3:59.53 at the Nike Jesuit Relays in Portland, Ore., tonight become the ninth high schooler in the United States to go sub-four in the mile, and the fourth in the last year.

Via @pwerhane Via @pwerhane

Slagowski’s race went off in 53-degree weather on a wet track, as the earlier rain had softened to a drizzle according to the Runnerspace broadcast. Slagowski’s teammate Anthony Ghiorso rabbited him for the first 750 meters as the sub-4 attempt was on from the gun.

Ghiorso and Slagowski got out on pace, running the first 409m in 60.42 (roughly 59.0 for 400m), but Ghiorso slowed on the second lap and Slagowski went wide on the homestretch to pass Ghiorso before hitting 809 meters in 2:03.01 (62.6 2nd 400). Slagowski more than kept his composure on the third lap as he got back on pace, hitting 1209 in 3:00.23 after running his fastest 400m of the race (57.2).

If Slagowski could muster 59.7 or better the final lap, he would join the sub-4 club. On the final lap, the spectators on the infield were cheering him on in raucous anticipation and he dipped under the four-minute barrier with nearly half a second to spare, clocking 3:59.53.

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He was soon hugged by pacer and teammate Ghiorso.

Video of race:

Results below with commentary.

1	Slagowski, Michael	SR	Rocky Mountain	3:59.53	10
2	Yearian, Jack	SR	Bellarmine Prep	4:06.33	8
3	Janke, Justin	SR	North Central	4:07.28	6
4	Ollar, Roman	SR	West Linn	4:11.00	5
5	Mestler, Jackson	SR	Sheldon	4:11.18	4
6	Ollar, Grayson	SR	West Linn	4:11.52	3
7	Beamer, Nathan	SR	Arlington	4:12.24	2
8	Buck, Owen	SR	Ballard	4:12.91	1
9	Vail, Walter	SR	Crater	4:12.98	 
10	Slenning, Alex	SO	Wilson	4:14.73	 
11	Nyamu, Murimi	SR	Forest Grove	4:15.28	 
12	Monroe, Andy	SO	Crater	4:16.56	 
13	Carroll, Cameron	SR	Central Kitsap	4:17.48	 
14	Muhumed, Ahmed	JR	West Salem	4:18.46	 
15	Martin, Michael	SR	South Eugene	4:18.87	 
16	Proctor, Tibs	JR	The Northwest School	4:23.65	 
17	Knight, Hank	JR	North Central	4:29.04	 
18	Wyman, Cameron	JR	Bellarmine Prep	4:30.20	 
 	Ghiorso, Anthony	JR	Rocky Mountain	DNF	 
 	Cardenas, Fabian	SR	Umatilla	DNS

QT #1: Slagowski is the Real Deal

Slagowski, a Penn State signee, has tremendous speed and endurance. We had already praised him for running a solo 1:48.70 this year, which makes him as fast as Idaho’s most famous runner, two-time Olympian Nick Symmonds, was as a junior in college. Now he’s a member of the sub-4 club. Dyestat had a nice pre-race profile on Slagowski and Slagowski’s coach Bob Hayes saw this one coming saying, “I don’t make predictions, I won’t do that, but I just think there’s a fast mile coming.”

Slagowski has his own Twitter account if you want to follow him.

QT #2: Sub-4 is Suddenly Becoming Much More Common in the High School Ranks

Jim Ryun was the first high schooler to go sub-four, doing it 52 years ago in 1964. Tim Danielson went sub-4 in 1966, and Marty Liquori the year after than and then there was a 34-year drought until Alan Webb in 2001. Another decade passed until Lukas Verzbicas (not a U.S. citizen at the time ) got the ball rolling again in 2011, and then we only had to wait four years until two guys went sub-4 last year (Matthew Maton and Grant Fisher). Now two more have done it this year (Drew Hunter and Slagowski). We’d be surprised from here on out if wasn’t broken almost every year. If Ryun could do it 52 years ago when very little was understood about training, the more recent performances should become the norm.

The high school sub-4 list via Idaho Statesman.
Alan Webb, 3:53.43 (2001)
Jim Ryun, 3:55.3 (1965)
Drew Hunter, 3:57.81 (2016)
Matthew Maton, 3:59.38 (2015)
Grant Fisher, 3:59.38 (2015)
Tim Danielson, 3:59.4 (1966)
Michael Slagowski, 3:59.53 (2016)
Lukas Verzbicas, 3:59.71 (2011)
Marty Liquori, 3:59.8 (1967)

QT #3: Jim Ryun Has the Only Sub-4 Mile Without a Rabbit in High School Competition

Message boarder poster Smile noted that Jim Ryun still is the only high schooler to run sub-4 without a rabbit. You can watch Ryun’s run below.

Discuss: HSER MICHAEL SLAGOWSKI JUST RAN A 3:59 FULL MF MILE!!!!!

Screenshots from Runnerspace+ broadcast (subscription required to watch)

The Start The Start
Slagowski Behind the Rabbit Slagowski Behind the Rabbit

Screenshot (305) Screenshot (306) Screenshot (307) Screenshot (308)

Screenshot (309) Digging Deep
The Finish The Finish
Teammate Hug Teammate Hug

Screenshot (312)

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