Does Hunter deserve to be in the A-heat Wanamaker after today's performance?

Yes, he ran 3:58 and was behind a number of guys and well-beaten by O'Hare, the college or former college indoor mile record holder, but he was in a scrum and on someone else's heels in a race that was fairly slow until the last 200m (3:30 for Hunter) and then too he was sick. It would not be surprising for him to hang at a faster pace the next time out if he is healthy in two weeks. Moreover, it is unlikely that everyone in the race will even run better than 3:58, because it gets crowded on an indoor track, some guys blow up trying to compete with guys who are better than them, and some people inevitably are sick or have a bad day. I would not be surprised to see him run 3:55i if the field pulled him to 809m/with 800m to go in 1:58, with the field then starting to pick it up and with him healthy. Giving up one spot to the national high school record holder is not only a good idea--giving him a chance to run against top flight competition, providing more publicity for the race--but it is also a tradition when there is someone of that caliber.