It's Official - 9:00 Is What 9:15 Was 20 Years Ago - 16 Boys Break 9:00 At Arcadia

Rick wrote:

Actually '91, '92, 1993 nobody ran under 9:00 for 3200/2 mile run.

David Gurry (Bishop Blanchet) 8:56.18 3,200 in '91.

Angel Martinez (San Gabriel) 8:56.34 3,200 in '92.

Both convert to sub-9:00 2 miles. But barely.

In 2003 11 guys broke 9. That was 9 years ago and not too bad.

http://www.flotrack.org/video/57600-Boys-3200m-Invitational-2003-Arcadia-Invitational

Check out some of these names:

1 Solinsky, Chris 12 Stevens Point High 8:43.24 (2003 Nat’l Leader)

2 Vaughn, Brent 12 Smoky Hill,Auror 8:45.60 (#2 Time US 2003)

3 Moe, Carl 12 Auburn River 8:48.04 (#3 Time US 2003 - Fastest 3rd ever HS)

4 Curtis, Bobby 12 St Xavier,KY 8:48.39 (#4 Time US 2003 - Fastest 4th ever US)

5 Debole, Matt 12 Mount Tabor 8:50.16 (#5 Time US 2003 - Fastest 5th Ever US)

6 Hassen, Steven 12 Vanguard HS 8:52.75 (#6 Time US 2003 - Fastest 6th Ever)

7 Ruiz, Manuel 12 Monroe High 8:55.80 (#7 Time US 2003 - Fastest 7th Ever)

8 Trafeh, Mohamed 11 Duarte High 8:55.87 (#8 Time US 2003 - Fastest 8th Ever)

9 Kollar, Christopher 12 Strongsville (Oh) 8:56.35 (#9 Time US 2003 - Fastest 9th)

10 Nelson, Tim 12 Liberty Christian 8:58.89 (#11 Time US 2003 - Fastest 10th Ever)

11 Alizzi, Mark 12 Syosset High 8:59.63 (#12 Time US 2003 - Fastest 11th Ever)

12 Dalpiaz, Brian 12 Sayville High,NY 9:01.20 (#13 Time US 2003)

13 Romero, Alex 12 Albuquerque Academy, NM 9:02.77 (#14 Time US 2003)

14 Hampton, Charles 11 Brophy College Prep 9:04.62 (#17 time US 2003)

15 Burrell, Ian 12 Air Academy HS 9:04.78 (#18 Time US 2003)

16 Ramos, Austin 12 Jesuit HS 9:07.17

17 DeVries, Hakon 11 John Jay (Ny) 9:10.44

J.R. wrote:

I think Futsam ran 4:31.x - 4:15.x - 8:47.75

Montoya ran 4:36? - 4:12??? - 8:48.25

I timed Futsum's laps (obviously not exact) and came out with 4:14 mid for his last 1600. The leader was 4:31 high at the 1600 and Futsum was 1-2 sec back, which would be about 4:33.0, making his last 1600 at 4:14.x. I'm going with 4:14 mid, but it could have been 4:14 high. 4:14-4:15 either way it was fast.

Indiana1600 wrote:

I timed Futsum's laps (obviously not exact) and came out with 4:14 mid for his last 1600. The leader was 4:31 high at the 1600 and Futsum was 1-2 sec back, which would be about 4:33.0, making his last 1600 at 4:14.x. I'm going with 4:14 mid, but it could have been 4:14 high. 4:14-4:15 either way it was fast.

So Montoya ran 4:37 + 4:11?

J.R. wrote:

Indiana1600 wrote:

Futsum's second 1600 was 4:14 and Montoya's was faster than that. It looked like Nowak's last lap was 56.x.

I think Futsam ran 4:31.x - 4:15.x - 8:47.75

Montoya ran 4:36? - 4:12??? - 8:48.25

Bernie Montoya ran a similar race in the 1600 at Chandler a few weeks earlier - his splits were something like 62 67 62 57. He raced a very similar strategy, staying way back in the pack until maybe 600 to go, when he made a move toward the front, then ran all out the final lap. I wasn't sure he would have the endurance to do it in the 3200, as he had not raced a 3200 sub 9:20 prior to this. But clearly he has had a major breakthrough this year in training.

Bernie did play football freshman year, but has actually run track since freshman year. He set the AZ 1600 record for sophomore class last year with 4:12 at the state meet, and did it after losing his shoe early in the 3rd lap. He finished with a totally blistered and torn up foot, but never slowed down. He is tough, and is a very nice kid on top of all that.

Who is the announcer? It is the same guy that does NXN etc.. I really like the excitement, but I've watched several races he has announced where he constantly is telling the crowd to get excited. It takes away from the actual excitement of the race. You can't creat excitement by telling people to cheer and be excited. Announce the race in a way that is exciting and the crowd should take care of itself if the race is a good one. It is a fine line between helping people understand what is going on and interrupting what is going on. To me, he hasn't mastered that line and disrupts the natural flow and energy of the race.

that estrada 9:05 makes me wonder which of these guys will improve the most. haney at 8:54 as a soph and that freshman elijah at 9:04?? maybe montoya or one of the others?

canspo wrote:

Who is the announcer? It is the same guy that does NXN etc.. I really like the excitement, but I've watched several races he has announced where he constantly is telling the crowd to get excited. It takes away from the actual excitement of the race. You can't creat excitement by telling people to cheer and be excited. Announce the race in a way that is exciting and the crowd should take care of itself if the race is a good one. It is a fine line between helping people understand what is going on and interrupting what is going on. To me, he hasn't mastered that line and disrupts the natural flow and energy of the race.

+1

Reality Bath wrote:

canspo wrote:

Who is the announcer? It is the same guy that does NXN etc.. I really like the excitement, but I've watched several races he has announced where he constantly is telling the crowd to get excited. It takes away from the actual excitement of the race. You can't creat excitement by telling people to cheer and be excited. Announce the race in a way that is exciting and the crowd should take care of itself if the race is a good one. It is a fine line between helping people understand what is going on and interrupting what is going on. To me, he hasn't mastered that line and disrupts the natural flow and energy of the race.

+1

If he'd turn down his mic, the other people could be heard.

Fastnbulbous wrote:

Also encouraging is that for every few runners like Chris Schwartz and Rob Finnerty who do not fulfill their potential after h.s., there's ones like Ryan Hill and Diego Estrada who improve a lot. Estrada only ran 9:05, but now he's got a 7:44 indoor 3000 PR, which is about an 8:18 2 mile. Hill wasn't at Arcadia, and got just 12th in 9:07 at Nike Outdoors, and is now the collegiate record holder in the indoor 3000 in 7:43!

Or perhaps Chris Schwartz and Rob Finnerty DID fulfill their potential quite early, and it was Diego Estrada who wasn't running to his potential in HS.

State wrote:

With several of these sub-9 boys coming from the same states (Cali, Illinois and I think even NC), what do you think the winning state championship time is going to look like? Will they be able to dip under 9 minutes again, or will it be much slower? Or, will they slightly improve and go a little faster?

There will be plenty of guys under 9 at CA state meet.

The number of guys under 9:00 at CA state over the last 3 years have been: 8,8,13

Sadly, we all deep down know that the Arcadia track is really only 394 meters long. That is why they are so insistent that coaches are not allowed to wheel the track. Has anyone ever wondered why kids go down to Arcadia, run out of their minds in early April when you know that most of them are peaking for state meets in late May (so you know they aren't peaked yet), and then they do not run any faster for the rest of the year. That is because at Arcadia they ran 3152 meters instead of 3200. If you check the math, a lot of these guys still ran PRs even if you convert their times from 3152 to 3200, but they are the 2 to 5 second type PRs that make sense for this time of year and that strength of field, not the 10 to 15 second PRs that Arcadia makes its money selling to people. Great meet, good competition, but it is early April. Lets wait to see how many kids actually do better when they are peaked before we crap our panties. What we really have is a rather tactical race that was won by one of the strongest runners in the country in a time that he should be capable of running at this time of year in a tactical race. We really have more like 4 guys under 9 minutes and 20 guys sub 9:10. That is still impressive and more realistic.

Further evidence that EVERYONE KNOWS that the track is short : On several of the questionnaires that I have received from schools it says in the sections for listing your PRs "excluding Arcadia." Think about it.

This is just patently false.

It's nice to see other states besides California rep'd

This is no knock on the current Calif. HS'ers, but the Calif. kids from the seventies were simply incredible....and so much depth....and on high school dirt tracks.

Remember, California HS'ers won 4 consecutive World Junior X-C champs (1974-1977).

Look it up, do the math, think logically before you say it is false. The only thing I said that has been proven false so far is that everyone knows the track is short. Obviously you don't know that, so I amend that statement to ANY LOGICAL person knows that the track is short. 394. If you don't believe me, wheel the track. Although you have to do it in secret because you will not be granted permission. 95% of the field running huge PRs is what sells the meet.

Your stupidity is showing.7:38.59 Alistair Cragg’ (Arkansas) 02/14/04Plus, Hill ran 7:43 on an illegal track, so would not count for a CR.

Fastnbulbous wrote:

Hill wasn't at Arcadia, and got just 12th in 9:07 at Nike Outdoors, and is now the collegiate record holder in the indoor 3000 in 7:43!

Is this true? Where is the dude that measures tracks when we need him? Perhaps he can weigh in? Links/articles/proof? I'm skeptical re: your claim, but it may help explain my 4:18 DMR anchor split as a soph.

Don't think you have much with the "too fast for April" argument. Many athletes run very, very well early in the season (at other venues)and then have trouble recapturing that PR throughout the Spring.

Running at night in front of a big crowd and adrenaline are the primary reasons for the PRs, but you seem serious about it so post some legit proof, not just arguments and conclusions.

measured it with google earth and it was 400.7 meters. Also did a few other tracks give or take 2 meters on all of them.