8th grader in Fort Wayne Indiana just ran 4:35 for a 1600m. His name is James Martin.
I asked a friend of mine if he was a "true" 8th grader and apparently he is 14 years old which seems about right. This seems like a very good time for a 14 year old. Any insights as to how good it is?
Pretty good, not amazing, but pretty good.
He's definately going to get burnt out by his senior year. There's no way he can keep that up.
Craig Forys ran about that in 8th grade and just turned a 8:48 for the full 2mi. as a senior. I wouldn't put the poor 14 YEAR OLD on the burnt out list just yet.
Ccdudeww wrote:
He's definately going to get burnt out by his senior year. There's no way he can keep that up.
So none of the current elite athletes ran a 4:35 when they were in 8th grade?
If i recall Deena Kastor won national titles when she was 11 or 12. She did pretty well for her self.
of course you could say that for all girls who were fast as 11 year olds too right?
Didnt kevin sullivan run like a 1:53 when he was like 15? You could be good that young and stay good. Just depend on what the coach gives him for training
Kevin Sullivan ran 1:53 for 800m when he was 14. I don't remember his 1500m times from back then, but I think he was around 4-flat. I was slightly older than him--and a lot slower--and I remember that all of the jealous, slower runners said that he would burn out. How wrong we were.
Ccdudeww wrote:
He's definately going to get burnt out by his senior year. There's no way he can keep that up.
Y'know, gang, I think that just possibly Ccdudeww was being funny here.
It's pretty good. Best guy in my league went 4:40 in 8th grade. He ended up being a multiple time state champion and getting a college scholarship.
brahsuf wrote:
of course you could say that for all girls who were fast as 11 year olds too right?
Not really. The ones that did survive seemed to do very well (Mary Decker, Deena) but there were alot more who did not. Seems more boys can not make the jump from pre-hs star to post-collegiate star.
Mr. Obvious wrote:
It's pretty good. Best guy in my league went 4:40 in 8th grade. He ended up being a multiple time state champion and getting a college scholarship.
Name???
a friend of mine used to run against jason balkman when they were in 8th grade (fyi, balkman was part of stanford's championship teams, and ran like 28 low for 10k, and 13:30something for 5k). he said he balkman ran 4:25 in junior high. damn! well, he went on to do pretty well for himself as a runner.
present wrote:
Ccdudeww wrote:He's definately going to get burnt out by his senior year. There's no way he can keep that up.
Y'know, gang, I think that just possibly Ccdudeww was being funny here.
Ccdudeww might have been making a joke, but I don't think he "was being funny."
At my championship meet in 8th grade my friend went 4:34 in the 1600. He had poor freshman -junior years only running 4:26 as a pr, but he busted out a 4:14 his senior year to take 4th in state
Theres a 7th grader running in the high 4:20s right now too. Mark Blackmon, from the Carolinas, I believe. His sister was a FL finalist too.
torres ran close to that in jr high. dont know the exact times but i actually think they were faster and i know they were sub 10 for 3200.
Joaquim Cruz ran 4'02 for 1500m at age 14, extrapolates to 4'20 for 1600.
Olympic gold at age 21.
not really wrote:
Not really. The ones that did survive seemed to do very well (Mary Decker, Deena) but there were alot more who did not. Seems more boys can not make the jump from pre-hs star to post-collegiate star.
That's because of something called puberty.
didnt mark blackmon skip the state track meet this year to watch basketball or something?