Has a high schooler ever won an XC and a 400 meter state championship?

Flagpole wrote:

I get that you can only run against who you run against, but some divisions in some states are so bad that it's just not impressive. They win it and run 15:12, then ok, but anything over 17:00 that qualifies as a state champion? Meh. I can't say that's impressive. Good for them for improving, but other than that, I can't give them a pat on the back.

So, by your standards, unless Ethiopian or Kenyan, the rest of the world is "Meh, non impressive."

Back in the late 90's there was a girl in Kansas who was in one of the middle classes who won the 400,800,1600,3200, and Cross Country all 4 years of high school. I wish I could tell you her name, but I can't remember for the life of me what it was. I think she ended up running at Kansas State. Even though it wasn't a super competitive class, for nothing to go wrong ever, and to stay healthy is a pretty incredible feat.

Elle Purrier of UNH (currently #1 Steeple in NCAA, #1 in the mile during indoors), won basically every race she entered in HS. From what I can tell, the only race she ever lost was in 2012 when she got 17th at footlocker nationals. She did compete in a division where most high schools had graduating classes of 50-75 at best.

In 2009-10 Elinor won the Division III Track State Championship in 1500 meters, 800 meters, and 3000 meters ... In 2010-11 she was Gatorade Runner of the year, Track Div. III State Champion in 1500 meter, 800 meters, 400 meters, 3000 meters Cross Country Div. III State Champion ... In 2011-12 she was Cross Country Div III State Champion, Track Div. III State Champion in 1500 meters, 800 meters, 3000 meters, Cross Country New England Champion, Northeast Regional Champion, Gatorade Runner of the Year, New England Runner Up in the 1600 meters ... In 2012-13 Cross Country Div III state Champion, NEw England Cross Country Champion, NOrtheast Regional Champion, Placed 17th in the National Cross Country Race (All American), Track Div IV state Champion in 1500 meters, 800 meters, 400 meters, girls 4x800 meter relay, Gatorade Runner of the Year, VSADA Award Winner

opinionated guy wrote:

Flagpole wrote:

I get that you can only run against who you run against, but some divisions in some states are so bad that it's just not impressive. They win it and run 15:12, then ok, but anything over 17:00 that qualifies as a state champion? Meh. I can't say that's impressive. Good for them for improving, but other than that, I can't give them a pat on the back.

So, by your standards, unless Ethiopian or Kenyan, the rest of the world is "Meh, non impressive."

No...by the standard of running against elite high school competition. If you are a high school boy and you win a state championship in over 17 minutes (and there are LOTS of them out there...go find them...I'm not about to call attention to any one specific person), then you are not even close to what the best high school boys run, and a few high school girls will beat you. Sorry, but that's not impressive.

Amy Mortimer from Riley County I believe is who you are thinking of.

Russ Brown won the New England 600 in 1:19 and was also NH state XC champ. Was also good enough to win high school dual meets in the indoor 50. Later as a pro ran 3:51.

Kansas Kid wrote:

Back in the late 90's there was a girl in Kansas who was in one of the middle classes who won the 400,800,1600,3200, and Cross Country all 4 years of high school. I wish I could tell you her name, but I can't remember for the life of me what it was. I think she ended up running at Kansas State. Even though it wasn't a super competitive class, for nothing to go wrong ever, and to stay healthy is a pretty incredible feat.

I think it was the early 2000s and it was Trisa Nickoley or something like that.

As other posters have said, the OPs questioned accomplishment has been done many, many times.

In Ireland , David McCarthy (spent some time at Providence), won national schools titles on the track from 400 to 1500, and also won XC titles.

Great talent...

Claudia Saunders of Princeton High School in Cincinnati Ohio:

2010 State Track and Field Championships

100h Champion -- 14.49

2011 State Cross Country Championships

Champion --18:04

That's some pretty impressive range!

Flagpole wrote:

No...by the standard of running against elite high school competition. If you are a high school boy and you win a state championship in over 17 minutes (and there are LOTS of them out there...go find them...I'm not about to call attention to any one specific person), then you are not even close to what the best high school boys run, and a few high school girls will beat you. Sorry, but that's not impressive.

VERY hypocritical. Inferring your quote above to the world, "If a man wins the U.S. championship in 13:20, terrible by Kenyan standards, then you are not even close to what the best in the world run, sorry but that's not impressive."

The point of a competition is to win. Times are statistics, just like yards gained in football or assists in basketball. It is silly to say the Broncos were not impressive by winning the Super Bowl because they only had 65 rushing yards. They won the highest level put before them. Just as every state champion across the U.S.

In kansas in 2001 I was top 5 in XC and the fastest 400 runner in the state. My coach did not run me at the state meet even though I ran 48.96 for the 400.

Russell Brown was NH State xc champion senior year and at his state track championships won the 400, 800, 1600, and 3200 in about an hour and a half.

There have been several small state XC champs who ran a 4x4 splits at the Penn Relays which suggest they could possibly have won their state's 400m title. This would be next to impossible at a large state and I would imagine it has not happened too often even in small states simply because in a traditional t&f schedule, the 400 prelim usually start around the same time as the 2-mile.

Macy Heinz currently a junior at Ipswich (SD) HS has won state titles from 100-3200 meters.

http://www.argusleader.com/story/sports/high-school/2016/05/27/macy-heinz-goes-for-gold/85048576/

Ryan was great but could not have won the 400meters. Not even close.

Flagpole wrote:

opinionated guy wrote:

So, by your standards, unless Ethiopian or Kenyan, the rest of the world is "Meh, non impressive."

No...by the standard of running against elite high school competition. If you are a high school boy and you win a state championship in over 17 minutes (and there are LOTS of them out there...go find them...I'm not about to call attention to any one specific person), then you are not even close to what the best high school boys run, and a few high school girls will beat you. Sorry, but that's not impressive.

USUALLY if you see a state championship won over 17 minutes it's because the course was VERY difficult (this is true of Hawaii and most northeastern states). The fastest courses in New England are probably still slower than the hilliest ones in Ohio.

Only one person has brought up A WEBB? I thought for sure he won all 4... Maybe it was at a regional meet. I seem to recall some Sports Illustrated article about him and Ritz that I tore out of the mag at my high school to keep which listed Webb winning the 400 in like 47.xx in addition to the 8 and 16.. Anyone?

Flagpole wrote:

Hooray wrote:

Have never agreed with anything Flagpole has ever said and the streak continues.

Of course winning a state championship is impressive

Why are you impressed with that? There are state champions in cross country in some states and divisions that would not make the varsity team on tons of decent teams in a tough state. So, a boy who runs over 17:00 to become a state champion is impressive? Sorry, it isn't.

Can you actually cite a boy who won his 5k state championship by running over 17 minutes (absent a hurricane or blizzard or 90 degrees plus heat)? Or do you think just making up stuff somehow wins the argument?

Sorry Flag. Winning a state championship in cross country or any running event is quite an accomplishment.

Flagpole wrote:

I get that you can only run against who you run against, but some divisions in some states are so bad that it's just not impressive. They win it and run 15:12, then ok, but anything over 17:00 that qualifies as a state champion? Meh. I can't say that's impressive. Good for them for improving, but other than that, I can't give them a pat on the back.

So 16:59.9 is when impressive begins? How do weather and course difficulty factor into your impressiveness calculation? Does this logic apply to Olympic and WC races, too? Is an Olympic gold medal unimpressive if it's the slowest winning time ever? I'd love to hear more about Flagpole's standards for giving a pat on the back.

I placed seventh in a big state in the largest division. The winner of the next largest division was slower than me by three seconds. In my opinion, winning the smaller division was significantly more impressive because that guy WON HIS RACE. It's a championship...the point is to win.