Best American high school miler of all time

It is without a doubt Jim Ryun. 3:55 on a cinder track is about the same as a 3:53 on todays Hayward Field.

Ryun came through at 3:01 point something. He closed in 53.9

He also beat Olympic champion Peter Snell

The thing in my mind that does it is that Ryun had both the fast times and the racing smarts. Not only did he run 3:55, but he WON, and he won many other big races.

Webb in my opinion has never stepped up at a big race with the exception of the pre classic. FLXC99 he was a favorite and he got 11. In 2000 he was thought to challenge ritz but he got steamrolled. He was thought to challenge for the USATF 1500 win, seeing as his mile converted was faster than anyone elses 1500 times that year, but he got 5th. He looked to be a top 5 candidate in NCAA cross and got 11th. Again in the 1500 at NCAA's he was seen as a favorite and ran the most moronic race i have ever seen and got 4th. Now, these were all decent races, but he did not show the consistency or the ability to step up when it counts like Ryun did.

I think people should also consider the fact that running in general has improved. I think Ryun was a bad ass, but could he compete with the top competitors of today? Let's face it running has changed since the mid 60's. Give Webb credit were credit is due. Even most of Prefontaine's times couldn't compete with today's but look at the impact he had on running. Either way, Jim was #1 and a legend in his time. But Webb has Ryun's record

Webb has Ryun's record and more power to him. I hope he lives up to his expectations and wish him nothing but well. But Ryun, as a high school senior, was a world class miler who was capable of winning any 1500/mile race run anywhere in the world. Webb was a tremendous high school runner but no threat to win an international race. So I'd rate HS milers 1. Ryun, 2. Liquori 3. Webb 4. Hunt 5. Danielson.

Ryun's 3:55.3 was on the new rubberized track at Balboa stadium in San Diego. Not on a cinder track.

His teammate Mike Peterson and a 4:09 miler (don't remember his name) from Wichita North followed Ryun for the first 3 laps. I think Ryun's last lap was an even split 56.4.

There was an amazing picture in the paper that showed him finishing into the center of an an immense V of people lined up all around him.

clarification - they followed him in the high school mile, not the one in San Diego.

I am positive that Ryuns last lap of his 3:55 was exactly 53.9. He was at 3:01 at the 1200. Saying that Webb is more impresive than Ryun because he ran a faster time is like saying Adam Goucher is a better runner than Steve Prefontaine because he has a faster 5000 PR. You have to look at more than times, and in all other areas, such as consistency, place, etc. Ryun beats Webb

Jim Ryun was the best "High School" miler to date. At the time, he was concidered one of the best if not the best milers in the world!

Jim Ryun Hands Down!!

I agree with top three ranking on this list. Not sure who the #4 man Hunt is. If not mistaken, #5 is Tim Danielsen, who ran an unofficial sub 4 in high school? Another awesome HS miler was Matt Centrowitz of New York back in the 70's. Ran within a couple hairs of 4 flat but never broke it. He'd probably make the top 10 list.

Syd wrote:

I am positive that Ryuns last lap of his 3:55 was exactly 53.9.

Right. I was referring to the last lap in the high school race.

Both Thom Hunt and Danielson are from the San Diego (my hometown) area. Perhaps others can help here. There is nothing 'unofficial' about Danielson's sub-4.

Truthfully, I'll only fight for my top three picks on the list. Thom Hunt ran 4:02 something at an indoor meet in 1976(I think I've got the year right). Tim Danielson's one sub 4:00 came in the summer after his senior year of HS, as did Liquori's. I don't know of anything about it that would make it "unofficial." I put Hunt ahead of Danielson because I seem to remember that he had a few more good results as a high schooler than Danielson did, but I'm ready to stand corrected on that memory by anyone willing to take the time to write.

Ryun first broke 4:00 as a junior. He's still the only high-school guy to do it in an all-high-school race (i.e. without some world class runner to chase). He won that race by about 150 yards.

When he was healthy, there was nobody who could stay with him in the final quarter.