Andres Arroyo: Florida Prep Runs 1:47.79 for 800 Meters
Stunning Result Comes Just Weeks After 4:04 Solo 1,600 (and 7th to last showing at World XCs in Junior Race)
by LetsRun.com
April 4, 2013
At the Florida Relays today, Colonial (Orlando, FL) senior Andres Arroyo became the sixth fastest prep at 800 meters in US high school history thanks to his 1:47.79 win. Unofficially his splits were 25 mid, 53 low, 1:18 high/1:19low.
Coming into the race, Arroyo, who before today had a pb of 1:51.04 pb set last year at New Balance Nationals, had been generating a significant amount of messageboard buzz thanks to a solo 4:04.45 1600 that he ran a few weeks ago on March 21st in a race where second place was 4:25 (MB: *Andres Arroyo *Andres arroyo 4:04.16 (sic)).
Andres Arroyo at World XC
Just three days after running 4:04, Arroyo competed in Poland (where we were at the time) for Puerto Rico at the 2013 World Cross Country Championships. His finish? 104th in the junior boys race – 7th to last (If only we’d been reading our own messageboards and seen those threads and known he was there, we would have tried to interview him). He shook that disappointment off pretty quickly evidently as he was sensational today.
Coming into the track season, Arroyo, who will run for the University of Florida next year, was no slouch as in addition to the 1:51.04 last year, he also ran a 4:10.70 full mile as well as a 9:10.37 3,200. Then in cross country, he was the Florida state champ (33rd at Foot Locker South) before placing third indoors at the Brooks PR Invitational in the 800 in 1:51.10.
Results, quick takes as well as race videos of both his 4:04 1600 and 1:47 800 appear below.
Quick Take #1: Arroyo joins some elite company on the all-time US list. The two guys just ahead of him on the US HS list? US mile record holder Alan Webb and 2013 NCAA 800 indoor champ Elijah Greer.
Andrew Arroyo Earlier this Year at 2013 New Balance Indoor Nationals
1:46.45 Michael Granville (Bell Gardens, California) 1996
1:46.58 George Kersh (Pearl, Mississippi) 1987
1:47.31 Pete Richardson (Berkeley, California) 1981
1:47.68 Elijah Greer (Lake Oswego, Oregon) 2008
1:47.74 Alan Webb (South Lakes, Reston, Virginia)2001
1:47.79 Andres Arroyo (Colonial, Orlando, FL) 2013
Quick Take #2: With a result like this, the question immediately becomes, “Can Arroyo go sub-4 in the mile?”
And the crazy thing is Arroyo may not be the top prep miler in the US. Bernie Montoya (Cibola, AZ) ran 4:01.32 last year and Jacob Burcham (Cabell Midland, WV) ran 4:02.73 while Henry Wynne (Staples, CT) hasn’t lost a race since last spring and was the winner of NB Indoor Nationals in 4:08.15.
Event 28 Boys 800 Meter Run High School
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Relays: R 1:52.61 2010 Isiah Smith, Lake Weir
Name Year School Finals H#
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Finals
1 Andres Arroyo Colonial High Sc 1:47.79R 1
2 Donnie Lee Tuscalossa County 1:52.40R 1
3 Andres Littig 12 North Gwinnett 1:52.93 1
4 Chris Jackson 12 Dunnellon 1:53.90 1
5 Adel Yoonis Wheeler High School 1:54.90 1
6 Jeramey Hampton 10 North Gwinnett 1:55.00 1
7 Jose Cartagena 12 Estero 1:55.06 1
More: MB: *Andres Arroyo (FL) on Fire the Year – 1:47.79 at Florida Relays after 4:04 1600 two weeks ago!!! *Andres Arroyo *Andres arroyo 4:04.16
*2012: HS standout : Andres Arroyo *Top HS Juniors in the Nation
1600 Video
800 Video
Editor’s Note: We apologize. We can’t count. Initially, we said he was the 7th fastest ever.