8TH GRADER Steve Garrett (Tatnall, DE) 4:23.79 1600 today

Mr. Cat wrote:

What's the 8th grade record? That kid looked easy running 4:23 today at the Delaware State Meet. He placed 5th in Division II, by the way.

Is he a proper 8th grader or he on the Kenyan Calendar, meaning he's likely 17 - 18 at least?

Gotta be a Kenyan. Is his real name Kip Lagat, and was adopted?

He's just a regular Sunbeam bread white guy. Looks a bit Italian, perhaps. He's run 9:40 for 3200 as well.

Here's a pic from his 7th grade year in XC. He won the AAU nats. He's on the right.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www2.tatnall.org/xc/2010_AAU_XC/garrett1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www2.tatnall.org/xc/2010_XC_recap_page.htm&usg=__s5kamKewMba5HhNBEA98aXvRFcs=&h=300&w=773&sz=68&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=NJyBqpOEq7eMBM:&tbnh=75&tbnw=193&ei=0m7YTceHJ-na0QG3iJn8Aw&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dsteve%2Bgarrett%2Btatnall%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D610%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=442&vpy=116&dur=1840&hovh=140&hovw=361&tx=229&ty=68&sqi=2&page=1&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0

Might be another Freddie Adu, the 13 year old (supposely) that made the Nat soccer team.

The state record for an eight grader in Delaware is 4:31, set by Garrett earlier this year at the Henderson Invitational.

http://pa.milesplit.com/meets/84394/results/158412

Before that, I am not sure of the record. At the grade school level, the fastest 8th grade time recorded was 4:55 in 2007.

http://www.cdowcym.org/documents/athletics/CYM_Track_Championships_2010_-_Updated_Records.pdf

As a high school runner in delaware, I have mixed opinions on young Garrett. Could he possibly have learned the secrets of the Kenyans? Sure. Could his father also be pushing him too hard? Maybe. To see this young man develop is one of the great wonders of the common world that has almost never been witnessed before

2nd coming of Deak.

joebobstroz wrote:

The state record for an eight grader in Delaware is 4:31, set by Garrett earlier this year at the Henderson Invitational.

http://pa.milesplit.com/meets/84394/results/158412

Before that, I am not sure of the record. At the grade school level, the fastest 8th grade time recorded was 4:55 in 2007.

http://www.cdowcym.org/documents/athletics/CYM_Track_Championships_2010_-_Updated_Records.pdf

As a high school runner in delaware, I have mixed opinions on young Garrett. Could he possibly have learned the secrets of the Kenyans? Sure. Could his father also be pushing him too hard? Maybe. To see this young man develop is one of the great wonders of the common world that has almost never been witnessed before

Why are you referring to him like you're a 40 year old if you're still a high schooler?

Mr. Cat wrote:

What's the 8th grade record? That kid looked easy running 4:23 today at the Delaware State Meet. He placed 5th in Division II, by the way.

I known connor revord, who runs for PSU and is from Fla, ran 429 in 8th grade

There was a kid...blackmon...from SC that was very very fast in 8th grade a few years back....I think ran in the mid 420's for the 1600.

423 for an 8th grader is simply amazing.

Wondering Wanderer wrote:

Why are you referring to him like you're a 40 year old if you're still a high schooler?

Well, for one I happen to be a big fan of Garrett. I also admit to having sort of a self-proclaimed shrine to him on another message board. On DE Milesplit, I make myself known as a great fan to him. One day after pondering over one of his great running performances, I asked the community a simple question: Where you do think Steve Garrett will go to high school? Follow this link to read the account:

As you can see the public really swallowed it up....

Next, a fellow acquaintance of mine took it a step further and asked the following question:

I found the above two posts quite intellectual but the admin thought otherwise. Without expressed consent the above two polls were stripped from the home page and damned to the eternal oblivion of internet hell. It was only after hours of scouring my computer's memory that the polls finally surfaced. Angered by the admin's action, I took matters into my own hands with the next topic:

Reeling from embarrassment, the admin had no further responses for a while. While I sat the next couple of days basking in my worship of Garrett yet another topic became plastered upon the home page of DE Milesplit. Mr. StevePrefonTroll, a silent individual, a wondering wanderer, had made a climatic post that has never been seen by man kind. The Code of Steve Garrett had been cracked and a smug smile could be seen on my face as I read the humorous entry. But my worst dreams were met as the devil himself, Satan in his truest form, adeyabo once again removed the post. The delicate issue of Steve Garrett was once again taken out of the spotlight. I can only hope that users of LetsRun can finally appreciate the posts made and have some closure dealing with the great Steve Garrett.

He's obviously matured faster than the rest of the 8th graders(?) in that photo. Check out the rest of the them, especially the red headed kid. They'll catch up to him in high school. Even so, 4:23 is pretty damn fast for 8th grade.

I'd take any of the kids in that picture that are only a few meters behind him. He looks extremely mature for being an 8th grader compared to those other kids. Either way though, he probably will go on to have a great high school career.

Coach Pinks wrote:

Might be another Freddie Adu, the 13 year old (supposely) that made the Nat soccer team.

Adu didn't play for the full national team until he was 18. He signed with DC United when he was 14.

Mr. Cat wrote:

What's the 8th grade record? That kid looked easy running 4:23 today at the Delaware State Meet. He placed 5th in Division II, by the way.

Having been to a lot of middle school track meets the last two years (because me daughter was running), and having seen only 6 different boys even break 5:00 (with the fastest being 4:42), I'll say a 4:23 by an 8th grader is pretty damn good, so props to him for that.

On the reality side though, the last time I checked, colleges were interested in how well you did in high school, not 8th grade. Scott Fry ran 5:04 as a freshman in high school and no one cared, but of course he later became the country's best high school distance runner. So, does this 8th grader improve to 3:58 or 4:03 or just 4:19? Time will tell. For now though, that's a stout time for an 8th grader.

Flagpole, are you in the east bay?

Well Steve's dad is a first class jerk who definitely pushes his son too hard. Yes he goes to Tatnall and was recruited there by Pat Castagno who has a soiled history of recruiting runners and handing out supposed scholarships as if he was handing out candy.

Still looking wrote:

Flagpole, are you in the east bay?

Nope. Columbus, OH.

Flagpole wrote:

On the reality side though, the last time I checked, colleges were interested in how well you did in high school, not 8th grade. Scott Fry ran 5:04 as a freshman in high school and no one cared, but of course he later became the country's best high school distance runner. So, does this 8th grader improve to 3:58 or 4:03 or just 4:19? Time will tell. For now though, that's a stout time for an 8th grader.

Jesus christ, what purpose did that serve? Get to name drop Scott Fry, good job Flagpole. Can't see any other reason to write this garbage.

haha YO wrote:

Flagpole wrote:

On the reality side though, the last time I checked, colleges were interested in how well you did in high school, not 8th grade. Scott Fry ran 5:04 as a freshman in high school and no one cared, but of course he later became the country's best high school distance runner. So, does this 8th grader improve to 3:58 or 4:03 or just 4:19? Time will tell. For now though, that's a stout time for an 8th grader.

Jesus christ, what purpose did that serve? Get to name drop Scott Fry, good job Flagpole. Can't see any other reason to write this garbage.

How is that name dropping? Methinks you need to look up that definition. His progress in high school is relevant to the topic at hand...just a so-so runner as a freshman who became the best runner in the country by the time he was a senior.