High school runner caught cheating again

He's what, 15? 16? He's not a 30 year-old axe-murderer, man.

I'm not excusing his cheating at all, and yeah, he may need professional help, but some people have suggested he cannot be redeemed. I think that's wrong to give up on a teen like that. We have teenagers who have done far worse and our legal and educational system still makes provisions for them to work towards a return to useful, honest, society.

It just bothers me that people are saying a child has mental disorders and is beyond hope, especially when pretty sure these same folks are not doctors who have examined the child in question.

This kid Terry jumped in the Manhattan race right in front of me and my teammate. We just looked at each other but we assumed his shoe got untied or something. I knew something was fishy because he left as soon as the race was over.

I may have missed it but I don't think anyone has brought up Brian Lawlor. Is this his kid?

I am not excusing what he did—cheating—at all.

What I am saying is, per his actual running prior to his ducking out and cheating, I would be curious how he'd do as a sprinter. Also, in sprints it's nearly impossible to cheat as he has. I feel he should forfeit his prior race times—all of them—and probably do community/school service or something before being allowed back on a team or to return to racing. And if he needs counseling, obviously that as well but I'm not a shrink so I'm not the person to determine that aspect. However, I do not think we should consign a teen to never having a future running ever again, let's not just write him off totally.

He needs whatever help and also disciplinary action that is appropriate. Then when he returns to competition, put him in events where he cannot cheat.

notquitesure wrote:

the kid deserves another chance, just a handful of runners know about it, Rojo/Wejo should take the thread down, we know what happened, everyone makes mistakes, theres no need to insult him or anything. Plenty of kids i know cheat on tests and brag about their grades and people over exaggerate. he's just a kid, this isnt mike rossi.

Interesting analogy. It makes you think of the rampant cheating academically and how proud kids feel about their GPA. It's fake, but to them it's an earned accomplishment.

Major disconnect.

The problem is that sociopaths are sociopaths as children. They reveal themselves as children. This kids behavior is far beyond the norm. His cheating is brazen and he's unapologetic. Good normal kids don't act this way. He's not going to change. While he's not nearly as bad as todd kohlhepp, todd was only 15 when his personality became very clear. Should he have been given more chances because of his age?

Results from one of his races where he claimed to run 14:12 and one of his other post sub 13 in Canada when this race is held in Portland.

Keep the stuff about Rutherford Stephens out of this thread. And don't try to justify what sociopath Terry has done. http://deadspin.com/the-strange-case-of-the-manhattan-bandit-serial-high-s-1789452246http://www.flotrack.org/article/48809-even-the-teens-are-getting-into-cheating-at-races-these-days

Did Milesplit really invite this cheater instead of a honest runner? Wow.

Any video of these races? And yeah, this is a disgrace. He should be banned for life from our sport.

19217 Ruthford Stephens M3539 151 9/305 129/2496 23:36 7:36

Some professional runner!

tzxc wrote:

19217 Ruthford Stephens M3539 151 9/305 129/2496 23:36 7:36

Some professional runner!

Who is that?

I am amazed at this little New Jersey pr!ck ***skipping a lap*** of an indoor 800. Falls of the pace, STOPS RUNNING, waits for the pack to come around again and runs the finishing straight WITH THE LEADERS. He even dips for the finish in coming like 4th out of 17. What an absolute piece of sh!t.

I'm glad to see that at least one of the LR "experts" has an idea of what they are talking about.

To the rest... this kid is a high schooler. He has cheated in multiple races, but that is pretty obvious to anyone who knows anything about running without checking video evidence and "sleuthing" to find out how he did it. No one runs as inconsistently as his results show. A bad race for a 16:30 guy is not 19+ minutes (that would be an easy run or a bad tempo). No 19+ minute guy can run 4:30 - sub 5 would be a stretch, especially indoors and in New Jersey. It's possible his 55s 400 is legit.

Beyond the initial shock of "wow that's crazy", why does it matter that this kid is cheating races? Clearly those in his local community are aware of how he operates and he has already been kicked off of 2 teams. For those saying he needs to be disciplined, his coaches have already taken care of that. The last thing he needs is people trolling/hazing/bullying him on the internet, I am sure they are already doing it at his school.

If you are worried he is going to steal a scholarship or something, obviously that won't happen. Any college coach is going to want to talk to his high school coaches before making an offer.

He very well may be a pathological liar, but that isn't really our problem now is it? You meet people like that all the time in life, when they tell you "fish stories" you just nod and smile and everyone in the room knows what's going on. It feels as though you are all saying "pathological liars shouldn't be allowed to run", but fortunately, the LR community doesn't get to decide who is allowed to run and who is not.

I don't remember people in Iowa being so freakin' self-righteous.

check out @skeeterstephens on instagram

Hopefully, the boy will get the counseling

help he needs and learn from his mistakes.

As far as his getting pummeled on the Internet, that is the age in which he lives.

Gaining some sort of Internet noteriety may have actually been his intent.

The subconscious is a powerful thing.

1. The kid is between 18 and 22.

2. Wrong is wrong and right is right

3. What we do when no one is looking matters

4. What we do when we see wrong in others actions matters

5. We can love our fellow man and even forgive him without loving or condoning his actions

6. A coach can care

7. This 18 year old man has a major problem that will manifest itself in other ways besides running - brazen deceit is dangerous behavior - jail, unemployment, and broken relationships in his future likely - needs major therapy

8. Guy has sprint form not sprint speed - you guys are not really coaches if you cannot see that

tzxc wrote:

check out @skeeterstephens on instagram

this guy is awesome

and delusional

i like that he says he ran a 14:12 (really as 23:36)

the winner of that race ran a 15:44. wtf.

can we start a web shaming of this guy please....

This just pisses me off. I don't have a lot of talent, so to think that I have worked my butt off over the last 4 years to get to around a 16:30 5k, and then this jerk thinks he can just hop in and have the same PR. What a waste of a human.

You mean he is mentally deficient? Like Sloth from the Goonies?

Flo track or somebody needs to interview the Manhattan bandit. I bet he would eat it up.