OFFICIAL MATTHEW MATON SUB-4 THREAD!! HSer runs 3:59.38!!

Unless there has been a drastic change since last fall, I believe he is academically ineligible. His coaches are Jim and Carole McClatchie, Carole an NCAA 10,000m champ, Jim a former Scottish internationalist with a mile victory over Jim Ryun to his credit. They have produced an unbroken string of impressive high school runners. Maton is obviously a fine runner. Let's hope he can get it together academically well enough to take the next step, and run for a team.

Pascal wrote:

just another day wrote:

Yes, because a runner that is 19 years one day old has such a HUGE advantage over the runner that is 18 years 364 days old.

Yes, you can apply the strawman fallacy by incrementally adding one day until 19 years and 20 years are the same. Bravo!

No you cannot. 19 and 20 will never be the same. I'm just pointing out the silly implication that someone that is 19, and still in HS, somehow should be ineligible to compete in athletics. A 19 year old is not necessarily an entire year older than a 18 year old as most posters seem to be basing their logic. The difference can be a small a day. I realize there has to be a cutoff somewhere and I am fine with where it is now.

Maton met the age requirements for being a high schooler.

Maton ran a sub 4 mile.

Maton is now a sub 4 high schooler.

Carol was USA 10,000 champ in 1988.

During the McLatchie's tenure at Summit HS during the past 5 years - they have coached 10 individual State champions on the track and in 2 years with the cross-country team had 4 (2 boys and 2 girls) individual honors along with the winning teams for both boys and girls.

I would have to say that they have a good idea what they are doing in the coaching arena.

Kids will come and go, but they will carry on developing young men and women.

MATTHEW, congratulations! What an incredible feat!!!

michael t. smith wrote:

Let's hope he can get it together academically well enough to take the next step, and run for a team.

So did Maton fail a grade and that is why he is so old? If he needs to "get it together academically" does that mean he really isn't college material yet?

So here's the deal with High School v. college freshman (age 19):

Most college freshman that break four (and I happen to believe him to be in 3:57 shape based on the conditions of his race in Eugene) have either teammate(s) who have already done so, or a coach that has coached a sub-4. Virtually ALL high school kids, and apparently Maton as well, are lacking in this key resource. If he is out there cranking workouts without any sub-4 guys to bring him along, that is truly exceptional by any stretch.

Age Mystery Theatre wrote:

michael t. smith wrote:

Let's hope he can get it together academically well enough to take the next step, and run for a team.

So did Maton fail a grade and that is why he is so old? If he needs to "get it together academically" does that mean he really isn't college material yet?

If he's 19 and going to Oregon that's two strikes in the academic ability column.

Justyn Knight, who has run 3:39 1500, 3:59 mile (indoor) and 13:34 for 5000m this year is actually 113 days younger than Maton.

800 Coach wrote:

Justyn Knight, who has run 3:39 1500, 3:59 mile (indoor) and 13:34 for 5000m this year is actually 113 days younger than Maton.

Eliud Kipchoge ran 12:52 when he was 18.