Best High School Runner From each State All Time

Haz Bin wrote:

XY wrote:

MO: Joe "fighting" Falcon

Over Teg? Falcon has Teg on the track, but his XC times don't compare to Teg's.

Falcon - 1:52.45 (800 m), 4:06.6 (1600 m), 8:53.35 (3200 m), 15:57.5 (5k XC)

Tegenkamp - 4:11.43 (1600m), 8:57.23 (3200m), 15:26.7 (5k XC)

You can't really compare the state XC times. The course in the 80s was more difficult than the one ran in the late 90s. The course now is even easier. Of course Teg's run in '99 is probably the best ever at the MO state XC meet. It was really warm that day and he beat Jason Sandfort by a minute.

Running in Ohio wrote:

If its based on high school only, Chris Nelloms should be considered. He was the HS record holder for the 110H for almost 20 years until Wayne Davis set the current record. Also ran the 200 (20.47) & 400 (45.59) which was in the top 10 until that last few years..

If you want to count non-mid to distance runners Nelloms was for sure the best out of Ohio. However Jesse Owens did set a state long jump record that lasted 47 years.

Bob Kennedy was no way the best high school runner from Ohio. He never ran fast enough to pick him over Alan Scharsu whose 8:44,0 2 mile was third all-time at the time he ran it and ranked in the top 5 for 30 years. And also John Zishka (4:03 mile vs, Kennedy at 4:05) ran 13:55 for 5000 and won the US JR title.

Mississippi is pretty clear

George Kersh

Cory McGee

br0ski wrote:

Massachusetts:

Shalane Flanagan or Lynn Jennings

Alberto Salazar or Andy Powell (or Franklyn Sanchez)

or Jon MF Riley

Ladies First wrote:

Bob Kennedy-Ohio

I am not from Ohio, but I ran against Bob when he was in HS.

There was a guy from Lancaster named John Zishka. He ran 4:03y (for 1st at Golden West - nobody knows what this is), 13:55.65 for 5000m (not sure where - but I think it was against HS only). He won the US Junior Champs at 5000m as a junior (14:20.5) and senior (13:55.65).

He graduated in 1979, so he did not get a chance to run in the Kinneys (precursor to FLCCC).

He ran 8:52.2+, and I think that was a conversion from an 8:49 3200m, but it could be one from 3000m. My friend who graduated in 1980, ran against him at the Mansfield Invitational (one of the early adopters of METRIC and they ran the 3k back then). He said they went out in 62, 2:07 ... and then everyone in the field was cooked except Zishka ... he kept on rolling to an 8:13. This may have been during his junior year, because I was sure he graduated in '80?

OK, I tracked it down. I was wrong about some of it. He graduated in 1980 and that 8:13m was run his junior year, and his 8:52.2y was that converted 3k. He ran that 13:55 at Junior Nationals his senior year.

He may have been able to go to Kinneys, but didn't.

The long-winded point is that he was faster than Bob Kennedy at Mile, 3k and 5000m and even Bob would say that he had a better HS career than Bob did.

br0ski wrote:

Massachusetts:

Shalane Flanagan or Lynn Jennings

Alberto Salazar or Andy Powell (or Franklyn Sanchez)

Salazar's accomplishments were far beyond Powell's or Sanchez's. Some of Salazar's records were still intact indoors and out until 23-yr-old Cheserek broke some of them.

Salazar ran before the internet, so we all know less about him than those other two, but he ran 8:56y and 14:03, 14:05, 14:07 as a senior. He ran more races as a senior than Rupp has in the last 10 years.

Art Dulong likely had a better HS career than those other two.

Some MA old-timer may be able to weigh in on this better than me.

I take that back. Salazar's best 2M was this ...

59 8:53.8 Alberto Salazar Wayland MA '76

Ct- overall I would say Alex Ostberg, 8:43, 14:16 but there have been some other greats. Conards Ahmed Haji was 8th at footlockers as a junior and he kind of paved the way for CT guys. Ran first sub-9 2 mile on CT soil at a small little meet. Donn Cabral also and a few other guys should be considered.

Girls- Meghan Kelly or Hannah Debalsi.

Talking about hs? Taye brothers over all of them except maybe True. Mark McCauley was also better than Will.

the letter why wrote:

Mississippi is pretty clear

George Kersh

Cory McGee

Hmmm I know Kersh was a beast in the 800 but I'd still say Jake Raines was an all around better runner. 9:03 3200/ 15:26 on Choctaw trails in 80 degree+ weather.... Saw him run a 4:18 mile on the old indoor/ wood track in Jackson.

A few options:

Indiana

Ben Veatch

Futsum Z.

Mike Fout

De'sean Turner

Christian Wagner

Nef Aria

Fasil Bizuneh

Rudy Chapa

Indiana

Anna Rohrer

Ashley Erba

Waverly Neer

Morgan Uceny

Amy Yoder-Begley

Illinois

Lukas V.

Chris Derrick

Evan Jager

Don Sage

Craig Virgin

Jake Raines was a good runner for sure... But Kersh actually made it to Kinney nationals (did Raines even run Footlocker south?)

Besides that, Kersh ran 1:46 which I believe was a high school national record? Last time I checked it was still number 2 all time behind Granville, but it might have dropped a spot or two in the last decade.

One is an all time legend, the other is someone no one outside of Mississippi has ever heard of. Seems clear cut to me.

George Atlas wrote:

Running in Ohio wrote:

If its based on high school only, Chris Nelloms should be considered. He was the HS record holder for the 110H for almost 20 years until Wayne Davis set the current record. Also ran the 200 (20.47) & 400 (45.59) which was in the top 10 until that last few years..

If you want to count non-mid to distance runners Nelloms was for sure the best out of Ohio. However Jesse Owens did set a state long jump record that lasted 47 years.

Bob Kennedy was no way the best high school runner from Ohio. He never ran fast enough to pick him over Alan Scharsu whose 8:44,0 2 mile was third all-time at the time he ran it and ranked in the top 5 for 30 years. And also John Zishka (4:03 mile vs, Kennedy at 4:05) ran 13:55 for 5000 and won the US JR title.

Another Ohio runner who rarely gets mentioned is George Nicholas. He never got beat in cross country setting the state meet record his soph year (one second better than the 11:46 Scharsu ran the year before) and again his senior year (11:36 2.5 mile). At the Mansfield Mehock Relays, an early season meet, he ran 3:53 which was 2 seconds faster than Zishka had run the year before. His 3,000 was 8:18 compared to Zishka's 8:13.

Scott Fry would also be right there with Kennedy.

" - 1985 graduate of Sandusky

Perkins High School - Scott won five AA

state championships (two in cross

country, two in the 1600m, and one in

the 3200m). He still holds the all-time

Ohio State Meet record in the 3200m

(8:49) and cross country (14:50) as

well as the Division II State Meet record

in the 1600m (4:08.03). Fry is the

all-time Ohio high school record holder

for the 3000m (8:08.1) and also ran

8:46.7 for the 3200m which was the

fastest time in the nation in 1985. He

also was the 1984 Kinney (now

Footlocker) National Cross Country

Champion as well as the Golden West,

and the Jr. National 5000m."

And then you have Jeff See

Broke Alan Webb's soph record in the mile 4:06

Won 3 Ohio State 1,600 titles and 1 800 title

Ran 4:04 to win Nike outdoor nationals as a senior.

Also won 2 state XC championships

Alaska - Don Clary. Trevor Dunbar was good but Don Clary was better. Placed 5th in World Junior XC as HS senior.

minnesota wrote:

Garry BJORKLAND - MN

Yes, Garry Bjorklund would likely be the top pick.

Others of note: Steve Plasencia, Steve Holman, Mark Nenow, Rob Finnerty, Garrett and Elliot Heath, Hassan Mead, Bob Kempainen, and several from Stillwater, among many others.

Mundus Vult Decipi wrote:

Consider This wrote:

North Carolina:

Jack Bolas

Mary Shea

Not sure if Mary or Wesley Frazier would be my choice. Mary still holds the 10k national record but that event is rarely contested by high school ladies. Wesley won 8 national titles in high school. I would call it a coin toss.

Bolas is, perhaps, the best high school male distance runner although he and Sandy Roberts traded podium places many times throughout their career. There are a number of other high school boys distance kids who are arguably better than them.

But, Trentavius Friday and Wayne Davis are the NATIONAL record holders in the 100m dash and 110h respectiviely. Both had much better high school careers than Bolas.

I know this is a distance board but the question isn't limited to distance runners.

Mary Shea set the HSR (at the time) in the mile and two-mile, simultaneously holding 3 national records, and won the US XC championship in 1979. That puts her above Wesley Frazier for me.

And of course the question is limited to distance runners; that's why they said runners. I think it is fairly clear that those two would be better choices than Bolas if we were considering sprinters (J-Mee Samuels comes to mind as well).

Why is Ryan Hill the best hs runner ever in North Carolina?

He only ran 4:19 and 9:03

Elijah Armstrong

Emily Hamlin

The Overexplainer wrote:

Ladies First wrote:

Bob Kennedy-Ohio

There was a guy from Lancaster named John Zishka. He ran 4:03y (for 1st at Golden West - nobody knows what this is)

The former national meet out in California. A guy from my high school won it back in the mid 80s for 800m!