Flagpole, I have to jump in here. I understand what you are trying to get at here - "It's competition. It is you against me. It is ME AGAINST THE WORLD!!!!".
But you just said the one thing that is utterly wrong with high school sports in general. You just said it is the sport of track and field and not the sport of "great character". I beg to differ. These kids aren't getting paid to do what they do. In fact, you point out the opposite - they are the ones paying to participate! High school sports in general, and specifically the coaches, are in place to take in 14 year old boys (girls) and turn them into 18 year old graduating young men (women). This should be the sole focus of every high school coach in any high school sport out there. With this said, competition, doing your best (for the task at hand) every time out, teamwork, friendship, respect, commitment, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc are all lessons that can and should be learned by high school athletes.
I agree with you Flagpole, a coach should never ask an athlete to pace another athlete to a PR. But if I were a head coach with an athlete that volunteered to assist his friend/teammate I would not hold him back. One of the greatest lessons I have learned, about sport and life, came from my high school coach - he told me, a 15 year old smart aleck at the time who thought the world of himself and his abilities, that in order to lead a man must first serve. It took me awhile to finally figure out what he meant. Seems from your prideful arguing that you have still yet to understand.