Greatest high school race ever?

How about this story from the San Angelo (TX) newspaper:

"It was on a late spring night in 1976 when Johnny Jones ran his way into immortality in Texas high school sports. A signee for Darrell Royal's Longhorn football program, he had already won both the 100-yard and 200-yard dashes at the UIL State Meet. Lampasas, with three little guys, and Johnny running the anchor leg, needed to win the Mile Relay to claim the team state AAA championship.

The dampness of the evening was beginning to move from humid to pleasant, and the slight wind stirred the banners in the infield and billowed the flags at the south end of the track inside Memorial Stadium.

Those who were there, and there are legions who swear they were, all have differing opinions of the moment in time. But everybody agrees that when Johnny Jones took the baton from the third runner for Lampasas, he was at least 50, and probably more like 75, yards behind the race's leading runner.

That is when Johnny Jones, in a burst of speed seldom seen in track annals in any high school meet, started to run. He passed the runners between him and the leader, and, like a great horse heading down the back stretch, steadily made up ground. By the last turn, he was within 10 yards of the lead.

Then, as the race's leader saw the tape at the finish line, he slid over to lane two, anticipating a winning conclusion. And Johnny Jones of Lampasas, Texas, gracefully ran by him in lane one, took the lead, broke the tape and sprinted into history.

By the summer, he was on the 1976 United State Olympic team, and his relay team won a gold medal in Montreal."

Some people have called this the greatest single performance in the history of Texas schoolboy running.

I ran 3rd leg for Rockford East. Bloom's Small did not break 1:50, as I was closing the gap on their 3rd runner, who was a very good miler (name escapes me at the moment) and handed off about 5 meters down to Trojnair, our anchor. Mark ran 1:52.6 and passed Small. Mark also led off the mile relay with 49.4. Dale Thomas was our lead off leg and was in dead last at the 600m. Lucky for us, Dale was our 4x400m anchor (48.2) and handed off in 3rd. Paul Osborne was a freshman and ran a 1:55.5 split. I ran 1:55.4, as I waited too long to kick. It was referred to by track and field news as the greatest HS race since Jim Ryun broke 4 min in the mile.

Sadly, we were even better in 1977. However, our school board stole $100,000 from the kitty and tried to pass referendums to cover it up. They failed and sports was cancelled. I can assure you we would have broken 7:28, and we thought with the right conditions maybe even below 7:25, especially against college teams. When sports was cancelled, we all got jobs and trained half-heartedly. I still ran 4:18 mile (indoors) and 1:53 and 3:56 (1500) outdoors, but only had a few meets. I did run the 3rd fastest time in the country for 1000 yards at the oversize at U of Illinois, but just was going through the motions. Trojnair had graduated, but Kurt Kollenback was replacing him (2nd leg as a sophomore in 4x400- 50.8) and ran two 800m in 1977, second one was 1:55 on little training.

I can not describe the excitement of the crowd, except to say the relay basically led off the meet and from the beginning the announcer told the crowd we were under national record pace, repeating that each lap (7 teams broke the old national record). The electricity in the air was amazing.

magness: 59, 60 point, 60 point, 60 point....head down, hammer, turn left, hammer, turn left, hammer, head down, hammer, repeat....led from gun to tape...

I agree with the above poster. Magness racing at that district meet was amazing. You can get a sence of it by right clicking and saving the video to your comp. here:

http://www.runnersrealm.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=6

All three of the magness races on there are pretty amazing with the district one being tops.

Thought I might respond to a couple other comments. As to the Arcadia 2-mile, I was very excited about the quality of the meet. However, having raced in IL in the 1970's, it is not so easy to be impressed. After all, Hammond's Chapa, Pinkowski and Kiel pulled another 3-4 runners under or around 9 minutes INDOORS (of which Bloom's Small was one of them). And it is very exciting to see the HS mile times getting back to where they should be, around 4 min. Which leads to my response to why IL was so great in the middle or long distances in the 70's.

Chicago was the third largest city, but the best layout for cross country and training for middle-long distance in track. Its plentiful wooded areas, fall climate and conveniently laid out (and relatively affluent) suburbs were ideal for cross country. New York, LA, etc., none had this layout; and places that may have some of the amenities did not have the population base to generate intense competition. I remember a runner on our CC team who could not break into the top 7, so he never got to race except in meets where JV was allowed. His family moved to Nebraska his senior year and he placed 4th in the state. IL competition in CC was intense.

Back then football is king in most high schools and soccer did not exist. Baseball was the 2nd sport and BB was an afterthought. Top IL middle-long distance runners were not usually physically suited to excel in any of those sports, with the possible exception of soccer.

So, I do not believe its BB that killed off running. Instead, the amount of work that goes into being that good is so intense and draining, it requires a big payoff. In other words, where is all the recognition, sense of accomplishment and OPPORTUNITY TO WIN. My first race in college was against the reigning world cup gold medalist in 800 meters. He was 26 years old and blew me off the track. When he was 18, I could have beaten him, but...

It was worse for my teammates who ran a 5000 meters in a

triangular meet in March against Stanford and Washington State. Henry Rono lapped them as he set a world record, one of 4 in the next few days. This was all caused by a loophole in the NCAA rules that allowed military to compete past "acceptable" ages, so as to not unfairly penalize our troops (it was a mandatory draft then). Ted Banks, who should not be in the Track Hall of Fame, was an unsuccessful coach at UTEP. Then he started recruiting some of the elite runners in the world whose countries subsided them by putting them in the army, although all they did was run. Now Ted no longer had to coach, just manage (one thinks of Arkansas now). Imagine if Galen Rupp had to race 7-8 athletes who were all running 26:60-27:30. How would that effect him, especially if it was his whole college career? You try to do your best, but inside you can not find that extra edge needed to train that must harder, because your just training to get 5th, or 9th, etc. I hate to say it, but there is something special about winning, or the realistic chance to be the best.

Once the NCAA repealed the loophole, I thought the US miler (there used to be stories about what happened to the US miler) would return in 10-15 years, and that is precisely what has happened.

Well, this has been great chatting. It was especially fun to see all the responses from participants from that race in 1976. Oh...there was only 1 sub 1:50 split and that was Don White, the 440 champ (who ran almost even splits to win that race, very unusual). So...why do I think IL will not return to those glory days? I wouldn't run now, I would play soccer. Also, as a guy I know who closely followed professional boxing for 60 years told me: today's fighters would get destroyed by the old time greats because the old time greats were animals in training. Most of us know about Ryun's or Liquouri's or Lindgren's or Chapa's or Virgin's or Prefontaine's training. Didn't mean to leave out Hulst (what ever happen to Jeff Nelson?), Craig Young, etc.

great post. Not sure about Jeff Small going under 9 indoors, or Tim Keough, for that matter.

We had a 4:40 miler/10:08 two miler on our team who ran track for four years and improved every year. He never made our top 7 in cross-country nor won a single race in four years.

Thanks for correcting Keough's spelling. It would be a bit embarrassing, especially since I typed in in caps, if it was an outdoor meet, but I remember it as indoors.

In deference to a teammate, I should have mentioned the Gilchrist-Craker rivaly. On a muddy, rainy course they battled for 3 miles, with Craker pulling away the last 50 yards. Times were slow due to the weather- 14:10 to 14:13. That year in track everyone was really excited about the pending 2-mile dual. However, Gilchrist contracted mono, and even in April could only manage 9:40. Somehow in the District he had dropped down to 9:08 and everyone knew he would not let go until exhaustion in the state meet. However, Graves (who liked to step on the heels or tap the elbows of runners) tripped Craker and then went on to win the meet as a sophomore. Too bad, as Craker ran 8:59 in the district and Illinois Track Times reported the last lap was 55 seconds.

I graduated from Thornridge in 1976 and was fortunate to have witnessed some of those great races in 1976 by the distance runners of Bloom, Thornton, Thornwood, Homewood Flossmoor, my alma mater Thornridge, and Hammond High (from NW Indiana). I was a 4:45 miler and 10:16 2 miler at the time so I was relegated to spectator at the big invitationals. My love of distance running was nurtured by watching athletes like Craig Virgin, Rudy Chapa, Carey Pinkowski, as well as the athletes that participated in the 1976 Illinois HIgh School 2 mile relay championship.

I continued to pursue distance running at Eastern Illinois and eventually developed into a fairly successful distance runner. Ironically I wound up being a training partner with Carey Pinkowski after college for a few years.

Jeff Small of Chgo Hghts Bloom ran his best 2-mile indoors with a time of 9:11 at the 1976 Bloom Invitational.

The only time Chapa/Pinkowski/Keogh ran against Bloom was outdoors at the 1975 Thornton/Thornwood Invitational and they were handily beaten in both the 2 mile and mile, and Leo Lenting was the only Bloom runner close to 9 minutes (Leo ran 9:05) with Chapa and Keogh running 8:52. Pinkowski won the 880 and mile that day.

Thornridge (coached by Skip Stolley) wound up winning the 1978 2 mile with John Sullivan, Jeff Heath, Ken Lee, Dave Everts.

I seriously doubt that Tom Graves possibly getting his legs tangled with Ron Craker was the reason Craker lost the 2 mile his senior year? Distance running can be physical, and legs and arms do get tangled. Tom Graves was known for his great talent and fierce competitive ability, and he usually defeated his rivals with aggressive mid race surges, not shoulder taps or tripping other athletes. Tom Graves showing up at the starting line and competing possibly had a lot to do with him winning 6 state title (2 in XC and 4 in track).

Is there anyone posting who witnessed Dathan Ritzenhein running a really fast indoor 3200 against relay teams? If I recall correctly he did this a few years ago while a senior at Rockford. I would like to read a first hand account of that race.

I am not thinking that is the greatest HS race ever, but I would like to read more about it.

Another good Ritz race story is how he won his first HS race in the 3200 at the Michigan State Meet as a soph., beating his teammate Jason Hartmann and went on to win National HS 3200 that same season. Jason had a pretty good lead going into the last lap and Dathan ripped what was probably a 59.5 to beat his teammate. That XC season and Track season, Jason and Dathan were racing a lot together, but Jason was consistently getting the better of Dathan.

Anyone with details on the indoor race, please post.

I stand corrected concerning the 2-mile race. I should know better than to think my memory was so good after all these years concerning the details. I regret the comments concerning Graves. Although I received the details over 25 years ago from someone I considered to be a reliable source, (a) the person could be wrong, (b) more importantly, it was inappropriate to bring up? Additionally, I never claimed Graves was not one of the most talented national athletes.

best wishes

I still say Boys v Jackson '66 4x880 is first then White Plains HS 4x220 from the same meet.

I now add the third..39 years later I'm in the

stands at Icahn for the last event Boys HS Invite 4x800 metre Reebok Grand Prix 11 June 2005.Shaker HS NY v Colts Neck HS NJ (the players as it turns out)Shaker HS 7:38.97/Colts Neck 7:39.60 all eight runners go sub 1:56 with the fastest at 1:53.6,breathing down each others necks,eleventeen lead changes every kid running balls out as fast as they can for as long as they can. I think it was the third kid on Colts Neck I swear you could see the cramps in his thighs as he finishes, doesn't even have the ability to take another step just leans over and by balancing his hands on his knees is just barely able to stand. The pain on his face....but a little smile lurks under all that hurt.... he got the stick around and handed off just about tied for the lead.

The group of 20something year old Chinese kids next to me came to see Liu run and were about to leave. I told them stay for the race. Well by the first exchange they were hootin' and hollerin' and when it was over each one shook my hand to say thanks for telling them to stay.

I wonder how many people saw both the Jackson/Boys race in '66 and this one?

I'd like to point to two races that haven't been mentioned--unfortunately, fogged by an aging memory. It must have been the winter of 1966, in the Armory in New York. 300 yard dash, Julio Meade, the sleek runner from Andrew Jackson and Otis Hill, the muscular footballer from White Plains. Hill takes the advantage and elbows Meade around the first turn. But just off the last turn, Meade somehow bursts ahead, barely edging Hill at the finish, running some unimaginable time. What was most amazing was Hill's response after the race. He just leaned on a hurdle, unable to move. What adds to this of course is the smell of the Armory (if you've been there you know) and the sound of people banging on the metal rafters.

Second incredible race, must of been about 1970. Evander Childs has a fabulous 880 relay team, anchored by a guy named Phipps, who ran 9.3 for the hundred. EC is giving a big whupping to Andrew Jackson and the "High" (Boys High--in the rafters they used to sing out "High's on a heat wave, swoop, swoop" and "Boys High mambo, ole, ole). The third guy is coming in with about ten yards on the field ready to give the stick to Phipps. It's all over. Phipps takes off and sticks his hand back for the blind pass. But the third runner slips, his elbow hits the floor (and receives at least twenty splinters) and the baton is propelled forward and incredibly lands in Phipps' hand. Phipps has no idea what happens. He thinks they've won. The crowd went beserk, just totally beserk.

Incidentally, Marc Bloom was a sprinter in high school, and a very poor one at that. It was only after he graduated that some of the young distance runners at Sheepshead Bay got him interested in long distance running.

yep

this thread is almost as old as me, so I admit I probably have quite a bit of recency bias here. But if I could contribute some of my own favorites:

-Nico Young running down Cole Sprout to win Arcadia in 2019, both juniors

-Newbury Park going 1-2-3-6 with the two fastest running families in US history at RLXC2

-the Sahlman brothers duking it out to the line at California Meet of Champions, becoming to first(?) US high school teammates, and brothers to both go under 1:49

-Aaron Sahlman pulling a comeback from 1st-15th-4th-3rd-2nd-1st to win one of the most exciting NXNs in recent memory