Other than Owen Powell, is there ANY high schooler who has better range from 800m-3200m?

Aaron Sahlman had a great range

Webb finished 2nd at Foot Locker. Powell finished 46th at NXN.

Webb is the right answer. 47 split in a 4x400, 1:47 800m. 8:45 2-mile and runner up at footlocker.

Jim ryun also had the potential for this title even tho his HS results don't indicate it. Remember he ran 1:44 880y and 8:25 2mile as a college freshman

Still has?

And that was behind one of the greatest, maybe the greatest HS XC runner of all time!

and feating a future marathon american record holder

Hobbs Kessler ran a 1:47 800 split and a 8:39 2 mile (with a similar kick to Powell iirc), while have a much better 1500 conversion.

Cain would be better if you count her as high school runner.

That being said I think everyone wonders what Powell would do in a 3:52 race or an 8:25 2 mile (granted he might not be as aerobically strong as he was at Acadia if he has focusing more on the 800 the past month). But we could say the same about Webb and Kessler.

People who downvote this don't really understand Hobbs track season his senior year. Other than a couple of big meets for the 1500m/mile he mostly just raced locally at his league/state races. He wasn't chasing fast 800m or 3200m times. They just happened organically. He would've crushed Arcadia easily any year. 1:46 mid would be the only real question mark in my mind, but I think he could've broken the HS record if that had been his goal. Instead he solely for the mile.

Remember

3:34.36 1500m = 1184pts =

8:14 2 mile

1:44.67 800m

Webb for the boys and Cain for the girls is still the answer. Webb ran 47.xx in a 4x4, 1:47, 3:53, 8:45 indoors, and was 2nd at FL to Ritz. Cain ran 53.xx in a 4x4, 1:59, 4:04, 8:58 in a tactical race (also 9:38 indoors), and was 2nd at NXN to Sarah Baxter. It is a very rare athlete that is simultaneously elite at 400 and cross country, and obviously those athletes will achieve a very high level in middle distance. Should probably be noted that while Webb's 3:53 was indeed a very fast race even for him, Cain was competing at a level that rarely saw the pace pushed - she ran 4:05 in her prelim in Moscow with ~60 for the last lap to qualify for the final. 4:00-4:02 was likely in her wheelhouse that season.

Honorable mention goes to current Villanova runner Dan Watcke. While not quite as impressive in cross country as the above two, he did run 14:58 for XC 5k and finished 28th at NXN, then ran an OPEN 400m PB of 47.50, with some splits in the 46.xx range. There have been lots of good splits in 4x4s, but an open 400m time of 47.50 is quite impressive. Dan has since run 1:46 and 2:17 indoors at Villanova...one to watch.

Quentin Nauman is only a junior. He took down nearly all of the top guys in the country last week closing in 54. He split 1:47 at Drake. He hasn't lost a race this year. He is capable of 1:47-3:55-8:40 right now as only a junior. The guy merely runs to win.

A 3:53 miler that was good at XC and later in his career ran 27:34, could have easily broken 8:30. 8:30 would have been 22 seconds slower than his mile pace compared to the typical 15 second decrease by strength runners.

This thread sort of illustrates why I think “range” is usually overrated or over-discussed here. The candidates offered (with the exception of Dan Watcke, I guess) are just a collection of the very fastest 1500/mile guys, so it’s no surprise that they are/were capable of very fast 800 and 2-mile/5k times as well. Take any young miler who can run 3:52-3:56 and put them in a fast 800 and a fast 2-mile and yeah, they should be capable of about 1:47 and 8:30-something.

Splitting 47 is a very loose definition of elite. But very respectable for a miler.

Latrell Hughes. 100 10.8 200 22.1 400 48.0 800 1:51 xc 15:13

Hedengren is the GOAT at 4:23(mostly solo)/9:17(solo in mediocre conditions)/14:57

No one else is close.

Mary Cain is still close or arguably even better accounting for shoes, bicarb

Paige Sheppard.

Only a sophomore too! Not overage either!

Rodney Giles:

400: 47.8

4x800 relay split: 1:46.7 relay split

Mile: 4:17.8

XC 2x Maryland XC state champ

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Aden Bandukwala:

FAT 4x400 split: 46.4

800: 1:51.1 with splits of 57.0/54.1

1600: 4:06.6

3200: 9:07

XC: 2x Illinois XC champion + 14:13 3-miles