Millrose 83 Boys HS Mile

I saw Mike Stahr run in h.s. at local invitationals where I was competing myself. There was nobody like him. He simply would not lose. I also remember Smitty, Mike Collins, and the other excellent XCers. 1981-1982 was a hugely competitve period for XCers in NY State and Mike Stahr was always up there with them along with being the best boys HS middle distance runner in NY State and probably the country at that time. He was very versatile. One of the guys (Collins) was an import from Ireland -- I think Eamonn Coghlan brought him over.

Mike also had no attitude and was a gracious person.

As I recall Stahr was a little bit older/more mature than some of the other HS miler guys of his time -- I think he had a 1964 birthday vs. 1965 (for Class of 83) and graduated high school at 19 1/2. That is almost the norm these days, but in the 1980s it was a less common.

'82 Fifth Avenue Mile wrote:

All the hype began after Carlotti took Stahr by surprise in winning the '82 Fifth Avenue Mile--both at 4:05. That same year I belive it was Sydney Maree who had run a 3:49/50 there and on the track that summer, so the times were taken seriously and the HS sub-4 predictions began. It was in fact Sports Illustrated that interviewed and ran an article on Carlotti and Stahr that fall.

Sydney Maree 3:47.52 at the 1981 Fifth Avenue mile.

I was also there wrote:

As I recall Stahr was a little bit older/more mature than some of the other HS miler guys of his time -- I think he had a 1964 birthday vs. 1965 (for Class of 83) and graduated high school at 19 1/2. That is almost the norm these days, but in the 1980s it was a less common.

Ritz was the same age when he graduated. Big deal.

Can't read wrote:

There's a big problem with your argument, Stahr never predicted he would break 4:00 at Millrose or any other race.

The announcer said Stahr predicted a sub 4 race. Try listening to the race.

Thank you all. It was wonderful to run back then against great runners. The thing about Collins and Smith was that we had to race each other in duel meets too! I think we all had respect for each other and got along very well off the track or XC course.

I actually graduated at 18 1/2 - born December, 64.

malmo,

"So what you were calling 'Halls' was actually running a measured loop through the school hallways?"

-Yes, that's right. Coach measured the halls with his wheel.

Also, "What about Jan 3, Jan 11, Jan 24? You call those 'road'. Exactly what surface did you run on?"

-Well, coach measured out a "track" around the parking lot of the HS where we did work when we couldn't run the track. When you enter a workout in running2win there is a default of "road" and I might have forgot to change it. My guess is these workouts were in the halls too.

MS, was quite the animal in his day!!!!

Does it matter if you were? wrote:

I was also there wrote:

As I recall Stahr was a little bit older/more mature than some of the other HS miler guys of his time -- I think he had a 1964 birthday vs. 1965 (for Class of 83) and graduated high school at 19 1/2. That is almost the norm these days, but in the 1980s it was a less common.

Ritz was the same age when he graduated. Big deal.

I don't know about Mike Stahr, or care, but Ritz was 18 years and 5 months and about 10 days when he graduated Rockford.

His Bday is 12/30/82.

Mike, thanks for providing the video. Great race. The poster who claimed Mike Stahr didn't run well after HS is clueless; a DMR record at GTown is an example. Can you confirm the story of being fired as a Nike Running Camp Counselor by Benson for an alarm clock scheme?

m. stahr wrote:

Also, "What about Jan 3, Jan 11, Jan 24? You call those 'road'. Exactly what surface did you run on?"

-Well, coach measured out a "track" around the parking lot of the HS where we did work when we couldn't run the track. When you enter a workout in running2win there is a default of "road" and I might have forgot to change it. My guess is these workouts were in the halls too.

That explains why most of the workouts seemed very tame, even by high school standards.

Then there were those workouts that were clearly run on an outdoor track, which, by the way, had you chosen to drive to Rye, NY, you could have easily hung with the winner of the open mile at Millrose.

22.4 47.6 in high school. You had some serious wheels!

Did you ever add mornings to your schedule after you got to college, or did you stay with pretty much the same routine?

Dr. Blackjack wrote: The poster who claimed Mike Stahr didn't run well after HS is clueless; a DMR record at GTown is an example.

So are 146/337/357 for prs. There is no doubt he ran well after HS.

Dr. Blackjack wrote:

Mike, thanks for providing the video. Great race. The poster who claimed Mike Stahr didn't run well after HS is clueless; a DMR record at GTown is an example. Can you confirm the story of being fired as a Nike Running Camp Counselor by Benson for an alarm clock scheme?

Wow... A GMRC story... Well, the real story behind the alarm clock gag is this: I was known for playing practical jokes at GMRC. The last time I was there I asked if I should back off the jokes but John Holland (director at the time of the camp) said "NO! The kids love them" So, during the week I had fun by playing the classic "Stahr" joke where a few of us counselors went and painted all the guy's finger nails with bright red nail polish while they were sleeping. You should have seen them all trying to get the nail polish off in the morning before the girls saw them. I even had one pulled on my that John and Roy helped with by giving the master key to 2 other counselors where they proceeded to cover my clothes, tennis racket, bed, etc. with honey (I thought a kid did it and I was pretty mad.) Anyway, the alarm clock part. Well, the last night of the camp I was going to my room for something and saw my friend (totally out of character for him) with something like 10 alarm clocks on one of the bed of John or Roy's setting them. I asked him "what the heck are you doing?" He told me of the gag he was setting up for John and Roy - set each clock 30 minutes apart and place them around the room where they would be hidden (even one outside the window). I wasn't sure that was such a good idea but laughed about it and let him do his thing. What I didn't do - which I know I should have - is talk him out of it... So, in the morning poor John and Roy looked so tired. Of course I knew what happed and tried to make light of it by making a joke about how they looked but by doing so they thought I did it. I wasn't fired (because it was the last night of camp) but did get a FAX asking me not to return to the camp until I "grew up"... Well, I wrote back a nice letter to Roy telling him I totally understood the reason behind their decision and that I was sorry for the problems my joking caused. There really wasn't any reason to share the full story with them because that week there were a number of things that happened that were simply out of control. There were counselors hooking up with HS girls, a camp group that was doing a skit (skit night) where parents were attending that ended in a mooning to the audience, etc.) and they felt that it was just too much.

In any case, it was a shame that things ended that way because I did, and still do, like John and Roy and think GMRC is just an outstanding experience for any runner.

So I couldn't resist - you would have thought I coached her :)

Go Shola!

What ever happened to Shola Lynch?

BTW Mike Stahr rocked. Even little invitationals at Mahopac High School were memorable because he was there. You knew you were watching something special.

Anyone know where Smitty is? I heard Collins is a famous writer.

Mike: I second the question of what became of Shola. That girl had a beautiful, relaxed running style, and if you coached her, then she got the message loud and clear about controlling the race :)

You're right:

Oh, no I didn't coach her but it was interesting to watch her not let anyone pass her. I don't know what she did later on. I do know she won Millrose two years later - I think 1 second faster or 1 second slower.

By the way, that picture of Mike Collins looks just about the same as when I knew him in HS.

Collins DOES look the same as he did in '83.

So how about a photo of Mike Stahr 2007?

BTW did you lift a lot of weights in HS? You looked like you did.

Also, I am not surprised M. Collins became a writer. On the bus up to states in high school XC, he sat alone for 7 hours quietly reading a literary novel.