Top 3 Best High School Distance Runners From Each State

It's interesting how a solid half of them were busts at the next level. If you made it on this list for 1600/3200 then you should probably go on in college to run low 3:40's 1500 or better and 13:40's/28:40's or better.

I definitely shouldn't be on this list (WV) but the other two certainly should belong. Excited to watch Edwards these next few years- kid is amazing.

History12 wrote:

New Hampshire

Elijah Moskowitz - 4:09 1600, 8:44 3200, Ran at NC State

Francis Hernandez - 1:53 800, 4:07 1600, Ran at Auburn

Corey Thorne - 9:00 3200, 15:32 5K, Ran at Louisville

Ohio

Brannon Kidder - 1:51 800, 4:01 1600, Ran at Penn State

Alan Scharsu - 8:40 3200, Ran at Penn State

Dustin Horter - 4:03 1600, 8:48 3200, Runs at IU

Vermont

Tyler Marshall - 4:14 1600, 9:11 3200, Runs at Vermont

Rishabh Prakash - 4:13 1600, 9:05 3200, Runs at Cornell

Daniel Grosvenor - 9:17 3200, 14:58 5K, Ran at Yale

I'm not sure where you'd count Andrew Wheating (I thought he was from Vermont, but it looks like his high school is in New Hampshire), but he ran 3:54 1500 and 14:55 indoor 5000, on hardly any track experience in high school.

And for Ohio, there are probably a lot of different names to consider for your list, but Sam Borchers ran 1:51 800 and 4:03 mile, also winning state XC in the small school division.

You are right, you do not belong anywhere near this list. Steve Taylor (2x top ten at FL Nationals, sub 9 3200), Jeff Adkins (8:49 3200) and even Chris Fox (first WV HS athlete to ever break 9:00 in 3200 and went on to become first West Virginian ever to break 4:00 for the mile) are much better picks. I'd even include any one of them over Edwards too at this point in his career.

Fox and Taylor probably have had the biggest impact post HS too. Long, successful coaching careers and I think Fox has the fastest 10k and 5k for WV native. Not sure what Adkins went on to do but all three you listed could be top three.

former d1 bench player wrote:

History12 wrote:

Rhode Island

DJ Principe - 3:59 1600, 8:44 3200, Runs at Stanford

Andrew Springer - 4:00 1600, 8:29 3k, Ran at Georgetown

Matthew Bouthillette - 8:50 3200, 14:59 5K, Runs at Georgetown

Could put Jack Salisbury at 3 instead of Bouthillette but otherwise good list.

I remember watching Springer when I was in HS, kid was an absolute freak.

For sure. If I'm remembering correctly 4:06 full mile and also under 9 for two mile. Dream Mile and NB Grand Prix mile champ. Bouthillette was only the 3rd best guy on his team while in HS...

Check out Rich Kimball for California. 1974 World Junior XC champion and doubled 4:02/8:46 at the state meet.

Mike Morin Louisiana

Mostlytru wrote:

what about rungum wrote:

Also:

Robby Andrews NJ

Mark Nenow ND

I did not realize that ND had a Mark Nenow also. Quite a coincidence considering that is not a particularly common name. The future AR holder was a wrestler who started competitive running very late in HS and did win a Minnesota State Cross Country title but I think he graduated with maybe a 9:17 or so under his belt, nothing to indicate he'd be the U.S. record holder at 10000m.

My mistake on Nenow, fuzzy memory. I didn’t know about the wrestling, interesting.

For Minnesota, Mike Torchia ran an 8:47 3200 in 2006, same year Heath ran 8:43. That is better than Klecker’s 8:50, but Klecker has the better 1600 by a long shot. Not sure what your metric/criteria are but 8:47 beats 8:50. Torchia also has the all-class state meet record of 8:59.

TC Lumbar ran a 24:17 certified road 8k while a runner for Edina.

Any list from Alaska should include Alaska's first Olympic runner:

Don Clary...

He ran for Oregon... kept Salazar & Chapa on the top of their game...

Look him up...

New York should have John Trautmann, 8:05.8 3000 at Penn Relays and Matt Centrowitz Sr, 3:43.4 1500 and 4:02.7 mile.

OP... looking for the 3 best from each state based solely on HS results? Or 3 who were fast in HS and fast afterwards?

Can anyone read the title? If he said they were the best female runners, would people be inserting males or asking if males count also?

ThreadKiller wrote:

Georgia

Ben Hubers - 4:03 1600, 8:56 3200, Ran at Indiana

Jacob McLeod - 4:09 1600, 8:52 3200, Runs at Belmont

Tyler Anyan - 4:10 1600, 8:52 3200, Ran at Georgetown

Kirubel Erassa - 4:07 1609, 14:19 5000 Ran at OK State

Just my addition as I Ran 4 years in GA here through the Anyan-Erassa days. Erassa >> Anyan.

Anyan had the epic win over Erassa in the 3200 at state but Erassa was top 10 i believe at footlocker, Indoor nationals Champ at 5000m(14:19) and had more state titles than Anyan. Faster miler too. Just my addition

I still watch that 3200 race on YouTube once in a while

Just men?

Predictor wrote:

Like everything posted here, be prepared to receive pages of arguments. But I appreciate all of the work you put into this. The few that I am most familiar with look good.

+1

Great list, at least to start. Perhaps give it a week or two and provide an update. Thanks for taking the "time" to do this.

McVicker CC wrote:

Fox and Taylor probably have had the biggest impact post HS too. Long, successful coaching careers and I think Fox has the fastest 10k and 5k for WV native. Not sure what Adkins went on to do but all three you listed could be top three.

Here's Jeff Adkins Friday/Saturday double from the fall of 1977. On Friday, as a high school junior, he played DB on Woodrow Wilson's (Beckley, WV) football team that defeated Fairmont Senior 6-0 for the State Championship (all classes) title.

On Saturday he came back to win the individual crown in XC.

Beat that!

As a Senior, Adkins ran 8:52.4 (8:49.0 3200) for the 2 mile, defeating John Ziska in the process.