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Volume 16, Number 2, Summer 2011

• USA OUTDOORS

• NIKE PRECLASSIC

• adidas Grand Prix

PhotoRun.net

• SUMMER 2011 • atf-athlete.com• SUMMER 2011 • atf-athlete.com

Athletes Only is produced, published and owned by Shooting Star

Media, Inc., PO Box 67, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538-0067; 920.563.5551

phone; 920.563.7298 fax; Christine Johnson, President; Larry Eder, Vice

President. Publisher assumes no liability for matter printed. Publisher

assumes no responsibility or liability for content of paid advertising and

reserves the right to reject paid advertising. Opinions expressed are

those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Publisher. Copy-

right © 2011 by Shooting Star Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No part

of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written per-

mission of the Publisher. Athletes Only is not related to or endorsed

by any other entity or corporation with a similar name and is solely owned

by Shooting Star Media, Inc. Publisher recommends, as with all fitness

and health issues, you consult with your physician before instituting any

changes in your fitness program.

• SUMMER 2011 • atf-athlete.comPublisher’s Comments

We hope that you are enjoying your sum-

mer. By the time you get this, many of you

will be putting in the miles for Fall cross

country and anticipating the World Champs

on TV (check your local listings).

AO is traveling across Europe, having a track vacation.

We were able to visit the AREVA Paris Meeting (July 8) and

the AVIVA Birmingham (July 10), as well as the World Youth

Champs in Lille, France. The U.S. team did very well there,

taking 16 medals!

In the AREVA Paris Meeting, we watched Matt Cen-

trowitz (cover athlete), Andrew Wheating and Leonel Man-

zano all hit the A standards for the World Champs. Amy

Hastings came heart-breakingly close to the US standard

at 5000m. Shalane Flanagan, the US champ at 10,000 me-

ters, came very close three times this summer to the AR for

5000m now held by Molly Huddle.

At the DN. Galan Stockholm meeting, held on July 29,

we walked through history. The stadium hosted the 1912

Olympics. I was able to walk down the same wooden path

that Jim Thorpe did in 1912! The stadium holds 15,000 and

it was sold out.

The highlight of the evening was Vivian Cheruiyot run-

ning the third fastest 5000 meters of all times. Once again,

Shalane Flanagan came oh-so-close to the U.S. record for

5000 meters.

Usain Bolt won the 200 meters, and then spent most

of an hour signing autographs for young Swedish fans. We

said hello to Usain the next morning, as he headed to the

airport, to do his final preparations for the World Champs,

held in Daegu, Korea, Aug. 27–Sept. 5.

Watch for the Fall issue in late September! And enjoy

the rest of the summer. Remember, get your daily track fix

at runblogrun.com (free sub!) and our twitter.com/run

blogrun!

See you this fall at a cross country race!

Publisher, Athletes [email protected]

twitter: @runblogrun

www.atf.athlete.com

608.239.3785

ON THE COVER:

Matt Centrowitz

CONTENTS

6

7 • Darren De Reuck: Summer Training for High School Runners

11 • Darren De Reuck: Value of Cross Country

15 • USA OUTDOORS

28 • adidas Grand Prix

30 • New Balance Outdoors

Photorun.net

Larry Eder

SUMMER

With spring track in the history book andthe summer holidays ahead high school run-ners can do one of three things: a) get lazy andtake the summer off from running, b) work onbuilding a solid base for the upcoming crosscountry season or c) train way too hard andpeak before the state meet rolls around in No-vember. My choice would be b), and I believemany savvy high school runners would choosethat too. This theory would hold true for be-ginners as well as seasoned juniors and seniors.

If you have just finished your track season,then a well deserved mini-break is definitely inthe cards. The time may vary among athletesand how your season went ... by this I meanwhether you made State and extended yourseason or whether after Regionals your seasonwas over, but take at least 7–10 days away fromrunning. If you feel a need to do somethingduring this period, then cross train by eitherswimming or biking. When you start backrunning make sure you ease back into trainingand give your body time to readjust. The sum-mer should be devoted to building a solid“base” and working on your aerobic fitness.

Most of your runs should be easier or as I’drefer to as “conversational pace” with a slightlylonger run over the weekend. Based on yourlevel of fitness I’d suggest the following:

Beginners should work on time on legs asopposed to distance while seasoned runnerscould work with miles run per week. Both “be-ginners” and “seasoned” athletes should workon a four-week cycle:

WEEKLong ... so getting in 5–7 runs with a mid weeklongish run and long run over the weekend

Long ... same as Week 1

T R A I N I N G

1WEEK2

Cross CountryFOR HIGH SCHOOLBy Darren De Reuck RUNNERS

Photorun.net

• SUMMER 2011 • atf-athlete.com• SUMMER 2011 • atf-athlete.com7

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Fast ... keep the runs at 5–7 for theweek, but reducing the mid weeklongish run and long run each by atleast 20–25% and adding a fartlek orhill session during the week

Recovery ... here you would only run3 times with no long runs and crosstrain twice in the week

WEEK3

WEEK 4I am a firm believer in “strides” and been

youthful with plenty of fast twitch fiber, highschoolers can get over-zealous on doing stridesand working too hard here. Twice a week oneasy days incorporate 7 x 30 second lightstrides or pick-ups with 60 sec. easy withinyour run, but only after you’ve warmed up suf-ficiently. Work on turn-over, quick feet under-neath you and efficiency ... stay away fromover-striding and getting up in the shoulders.For me, this a great way to get my athletes towork on their gait and becoming more effi-cient with the foot plant. Just remember thatthese are light, controlled efforts and not full-out sprints.

During the 2 “long” weeks incorporate a“tempo” run where you run at a sustained pacefor a given period of time ... start with 5 min-utes and build through the summer to 20 min-utes ... the effort should be controlled and notmore than 80% of max ... leaving you feelingtired, but able to continue if necessary for a bitlonger.

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Continued on page 10


FIND YOURSTRONG

WE KNOW BECAUSE

WE RUN.

WE KNOW BECAUSEWE KNOW BECAUSEWE KNOW BECAUSE

WE RUN.WE RUN.

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• SUMMER 2011 • atf-athlete.com• SUMMER 2011 • atf-athlete.com

During the third “fast” week incorporate a “fartlek” (playing with fastand slow speed) or hill session. I emphasize that a fartlek should be run hard,but not to the extent that you have to walk during the recovery section.Working on a ladder format is a great way to do a fartlek: go up the ladderand come back down ... 1/2/3/2/1 minutes with the shorter efforts fasterthan the longer ones and taking half the pick-up as recovery. Hill sessionsare great for building leg strength and known as speed work. “disguise.” Ihave five “golden rules” to running hills:

I do not use long hill repeats as one looses form on long hills. Keep it shortand sweet and work on form and driving up with a jog down as recovery.I’d suggest 90 seconds max on the incline and not much more than a 3–4degree gradient. Start with 45 seconds and build to that 90 secondsthrough the summer. Start with 6 times and build it to 8x90 seconds bysummer’s end.

In closing, “mix” it up. By this I mean, run in different areas and makeslight up or down shifts in mileage on a given run. This will help yourtraining from becoming tedious and or boring.

Enjoy the summer holidays and when your cross country season startsin the fall your coach will say, “Who is this strong well-balanced athleteready to roll?”

(i) shorten your stride (quick feet underneath you)

(ii) drive with the arms (quick armswill get the feet turning over)

(iii) drive off the balls of your feet

(iv) focus on looking 5–10 feet in frontof you and not the top of the hill

(v) keep your shoulders relaxed (dropyour arms if you feel like you gettingup in the shoulders)

VALUE

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Continued from page 8

10


VALUECross CountryOFBy Darren De Reuck

Camaraderie, team bonding and spirit, building solid strength and havingfun are just a few things that immediately come to mind when I think ofcross country. Then you have the actual running of cross country over un-dulating muddy terrain, through the woods and out in the country. It

seems for the most part that courses today are flat and fast and driftingaway from the good old "lose your spike in a mud pit" ones. However,every so often high school cross country courses are rugged and challeng-ing and not on your typical grass fields...they require a tremendous

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amount of strength and your fast track runners aresuddenly at a disadvantage. Now that’s crosscountry and with it brings a tremendous amountof physical and mental benefits.

Cross country is a unique sport and one thatwill probably become a life-altering activity should

you choose to join your school’s team. Manysports offer physical activity, but few offer thechance of adopting a lifetime hobby that buildsstrength, confidence, and long-term healthyhabits.

There are no bench-warmers in cross

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Continued on page 14

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country ... everyone gets to lace up and compete irrespective oftheir level. Practice hard and keep training, and you’re likely tomake the team whether it’s Varsity or JV. Cross country runningis hard work and determination.

While it’s fun to compete against friends and runners fromother schools, you’ll always be able to run against your most fiercecompetitor ... yourself. Tracking your progress and watching yourimprovement will give you an inner confidence and tremendousfeeling of accomplishment.

Cross country running is an inexpensive sport ... a pair of train-ing and cross country flats are all that’s required, coupled with thegreat outdoors ... no special equipment or gear. With the hardtraining, over time you’ll start to feel the body’s natural endorphinrelease and that “runner’s high.” The feeling of conquering a work-out or race and that mental and physical accomplishment.

Because cross country running is intense and works many mus-cle groups, one needs to enter the season with a solid pre-seasonbase, so as to avoid injury. Working out in the summer and build-ing that foundation will go a long way in getting you ready for agood cross country season. Even if you are the best runner on yourteam, use the benefits of your fellow team mates to make you bet-ter. From the camaraderie that comes with a team, to the hard

workouts your coach has you do, the people that you run with willmotivate you to perform your best by their words and their actions.Forming bonds with your teammates will raise everyone’s perform-ance to a new level. Teams with a positive atmosphere fosterfriendly competition and make runners better.

In closing, yes, cross country running is very much team ori-ented, helps you build strength for the upcoming indoor and out-door track seasons, but all of this is pointless if you are not “havingfun.” Competition gets the adrenaline pumping, winning for theteam is awesome, but don’t get obsessed with this and waste pre-cious energy on worrying instead of relaxing and enjoying yourself.At the end of the day, your loved ones will love you just as muchand your teammates will console you, so go out there and enjoyyourself and have fun doing it.

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Continues on page 18

The USA Outdoor Champs, held in Eugene, Oregon from June

23–26, 2011, was four days of tremendous competitions. It should

not have been a surprise as everything is on the line when one

is trying to make the top three finishers on team USA. The truth is

this, the 2011 team for the World Champs is a mixture of new

faces as well as many veterans. From Ashton Eaton’s brilliant win,

to Kellie Wells in the 100m hurdles, to Brittney Reese’s life time

best in the long jump, there were great performances!

The youngest member of the team is Trevor Barron, the 20

kilometer race-walk winner, who set four U.S. records while win-

ning his race. The Visa Championships Series checks were won

by David Oliver and Carmelita Jeter. The key for this team is,

How well will it perform in Daegu, at the 2011 World Athletics

Championships.

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• SUMMER 2011 • atf-athlete.com• SUMMER 2011 • atf-athlete.com18PhotoRun.net



Both shot puts were tremendously exciting. On June 23, the fans in Eugene

were treated to possibly the best women’s shot put competition in U.S. history.

Jill Camerena-Williams, who had set the U.S. indoor record of 19.87m at

the U.S. Indoor champs, threw 19.85m/65-1 in round 2. Michelle Carter re-

sponded by throwing 19.86m or 65-2 in the same round. Camerena Williams

responded with a huge foul in round three, 19.61m, 19.84m, and 19.79m.

“Michelle has beat me like this before!” noted Jill Camerana Williams. (On July

8, Jill Camerena Williams tied the U.S. outdoor record of 20.12m).


The mens’ shot put was held June 26. The men’s shot put featured Chris-

tian Cantwell, the 2009 World Champ, Reese Hoffa, the 2007 World

Champ and Adam Nelson, the 2005 World champ and Olympic Silver

medalist. Adam Nelson, at 36, found his mojo and hit 22.09m/72-5.75 in

the second round to surprise the field. Christian Cantwell, recovering

from shoulder surgery, continues to improve, taking second in

21.87m/71-9.

Cantwell had a huge throw on his last attempt. 2007 World Champ

Reese Hoffa was third in 21.86m/71-8.75. Adam Nelson noted on his best

competition in years, “The key was that I was able to stay healthy the

entire year. On top of that I was persistent with my workout, which has

helped me get to where I am now.”


The men’s sprints were completely changed when Tyson Gay pulled out of the

U.S. Champs, citing an injury. He had surgery soon after the champs, and will be

back for 2012. Walter Dix took the mantle and won the 100 meters in 9.94 with

Justin Gatlin, the 2004 Olympic Gold medalist and 2005 World Champ, just back

from a drug ban, in 9.95. Mike Rodgers was third in the 100 meters in 9.99.

Walter Dix noted, “I was able to get through my cramp and I just let it rip. I

had to adjust because I’m from Florida, but my body adjusted well.” Dix would

come back to win the 200 meters, as well.

Justin Gatlin, who had spent 4 years out of the sport due to a positive drug

test, commented: “I had a lot of pent up frustration, sadness and anger at the

end of the race today. I just let out a roar.”

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Carmelita Jeter told AO that “when I listen to coach John Smith, I run well, when

I don’t, well....” Jeter listened to her coach, and won the 100 meters in 10.74, the

second fastest time of the year (Jeter had run 10.70 in Eugene in early June at the

Nike Pre.) Marshevet Myers took second in 10.86 and Mike Barber took third in

10.99. Carmelita told the media after the race, “I love it here in Eugene. The fans

truly appreciate what we do out there and that is what this is all about.”

The women’s 200 meters was a huge win for Shalonda Solomon, with her per-

sonal best of 22.15. Carmelita Jeter took second in 22.23. Texas A&M’s, running

from lane 8, ran the best race of her life, in 22.28, to take third!


PhotoRun.net

Galen Rupp took his third straight title, using a 1:52 last 800 meters to take the

win and go to Daegu with his 28:38.17. Osaka fourth placer in the 5000 meters,

Matt Tegenkamp, took second in 28:39.97 and Scott Bauhs took the third in

28:40. Rupp, Tegenkamp have A standards and Bauhs has the B standard for

the 10,000m. Bobby Curtis the fastest U.S. runner at 10,000m, finished fourth.

Rupp wore his allergy mask (there is actually a Facebook page on Galen

Rupp’s face mask) for 17 laps. The pace was pretty tepid as Jason Hartmann,

Abdi Abdirahman lead with Bobby Curtis, Rupp, Patrick Smyth, and Matt

Tegenkamp lurking.

After the race, Galen Rupp noted: “This race was very tactical, every race

is, even at this level, so my technique is what helped me finish strong ... After

hearing that bell, all that triggered in my mind was to drive it home to the finish

line. I am happy with the race and I look forward to taking it to Worlds.”

Matt Tegenkamp, who told me after the race, “ I was not ready to run


that fast to finish yet.” The finish was a preview of what will happen in the Daegu final.

Matt continued, “I didn’t notice where Galen was until probably the last 700 meters

and I didn’t feel him coming up on me until the last 200. He ran a smart race. I think I’m

just coming into my stride after missing last year.”

The women’s 10,000m was the Shalane Flanagan show. Shalane took off and did

not look back, running her fourth sub 31 minute 10,000m, with a fine 30:59.7. Her last

lap, just under 61 seconds, showed that Shalane is looking strong for Daegu. Kara

Goucher was second and Jenn Rhines was third , with Desi Davila in fourth and Magda

Levy in fifth, running her personal best!

Shalane Flanagan described her race afterward: “I wanted to run aggressively

tonight, I wanted to come out and run my own race. I was excited to make the team.

I hit a nice rhythm and I felt really good.Training has been going great for me in

Flagstaff. I didn’t know how fit I was, but the altitude has apparently done me well. I’m

excited that I’m feeling sharper and I’m getting my legs back under me. I think my best

times will come in August and September.”


PhotoRun.net

The women’s 5000 meters showed why

Molly Huddle is the U.S. record holder. Show-

ing the confidence of a record holder, Molly

Huddle dropped a 72.1 with 1200 meters to

go and finished the race in 63.9, winning in

15:10.00 to take the title. Angela Bizzari was

close to Huddle much of the race, but Amy

Hastings, also running a brave race, moved

into second, running 15:14.31 and Angela in

15:16. Desi Davila and Jenn Rhines doubled

back from the 10,000 meters the night be-

fore, running quite well.

Molly Huddle had some good observa-

tions after her race: “I wanted to run my

best regardless of who was or wasn’t going

to be in the race. “It was a long time com-

ing. I knew that I had a really good chance

to win. The final mile is the most important to

my race.”

PhotoRun.net


The men’s 5000 meters took off with seven laps to go.

At that time, Chris Solinsky, Matt Tegenkamp and Andrew

Bumbalough ran back to back laps in 61 seconds! Lagat,

Rupp followed, and then, with four laps to go, Solinsky

went to the front, running a 4-minute mile and separating

the field from Solinsky, Rupp and Lagat. Matt Tegenkamp

fell off with three laps to go.

Solinsky continued to push the pace, leading with a

lap to go. Bernard Lagat went by on the last stretch, tak-

ing the race in 13:23.06, with Solinsky in second in 13:23.65

and Galen Rupp, coming back from the 10,000m win the

night before, in third, in 13:25.52. This was Bernard Lagat’s

fifth win over 5000 meters!

Bernard commented: “Galen really took control of

the race early, it wasn’t easy. I followed him really close

and I was working hard.

“I feel awesome. I have nothing to lose now, I made

the team and that is the most important thing. I’m really

excited that I won the race today. Tomorrow, I’m going to

be in there to run serious again and look for another win.”

(Lagat would go on to take 2nd in the 1500 meters to Matt

Centrowitz. On July 22, Bernard Lagat would break the AR

for 5000 meters once again, running 12:53.60 from

12:54.12.)

You have the power to outrun light. The all-new California is reflective from heel to toe. Run brighter and fearless. You my friend, are gonzo.

GO IN THE DARK

kswiss.com/running

The author Charles Dickens opens A Tale of Two Cities likethis: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”That line could have described the challenges Mother Naturethrew at the 23,543 finishers of the Honda LA Marathon, pre-sented by K-SWISS. While the race started under threateningclouds, those clouds did open, but the nearly 25,000 startersbraved, at times, torrential rains, tough winds and a chal-lenging course throughout the city of Los Angeles, for the du-ration of the race. Yet, with all of those challenges, nearly97% of the starters finished the 2011 Honda LA Marathon.

Rod Dixon, 1983 winner of the NYC Marathon, four-time Olympian and Olympic medalist, is director of coaching& training for the Honda LA Marathon. Dixon noted, “What aday, what a weekend. Certainly one for the record books!”

Rod was rightly proud of the high finishing rate of histraining club, the LA Road Runners (sponsored by the race’sofficial footwear and apparel sponsor, K-SWISS). The LA RoadRunners were a microcosm of what happened in the 2011Honda LA Marathon. There were many, many success sto-ries. Rod noted, for his club, “We had eight runners under 3hours. Fourteen runners qualified for Boston (the previousbest was two), and it looks like 96–98% finished and 58%set personal bests!

Why did so many marathoners not only finish (97%),but 58% ran personal bests? Part of the story is the successof training groups, and the fact that the more one preparesfor a situation, the better one’s chance of success.

Many of the marathoners were running for causes. Formany marathoners, this makes the actual running of the racean even bigger thing, as they are running for someone orsomething else.

Rod Dixon says it best: “The LA Roadrunners trainedand prepared for the LA Marathon, with a great team of paceleader-coaches. For whatever race day presented, we pre-pared the best that we could. Based on that confidence, theRoadrunners accepted the weather and adjusted their goalsand tackled the adverse conditions like true champions.”

23,543 stories at the 2011 Honda LA Marathon, wherethe weather, the course and the runners’ focus and trainingall overcame their personal challenges. Markus Geneti, anelite Ethiopian runner known for his racing over 1500 metersand 3000 meters, debuted at LA. Geneti took charge before10 miles, and just did not stop, running a 4:26 mile en routeto his 2:06:35 marathon finish. Geneti faced the rain, includ-

ing a flooded street in Brentwood, like the other 23,542 fin-ishers. He just ran away from everyone, including defendingchampion Wesley Korir, who finished 3rd.

Just how amazing was Markus Geneti? He went by theelite women, around 1 hour, 34 minutes into the race, evenwith the elite women’s 17 minute, 3 second lead. This is partof the $100k LA Marathon race challenge, which is given tothe male or female elite runner who actually crosses the fin-ish line first. Each year, the handicap for the elite women isa bit different. Just before 20 miles, Genuti flew by thewomen. His countrywoman, Buzunesh Deba, charged pastAmy Hastings into the lead. Hasting followed her, andcharged back into the lead, just as she had for the previous20 miles.

Deba, Mara Dibaba and Hastings did battle over 26.2miles. Hastings, training with Terrance Mahon and the Mam-moth TC, hit the halfway point in 1:14 and duked it out withDeba, who, in her ninth marathon, ran her personal best of2:26:34. Deba finally broke away from Hastings just before23 miles. Hastings did not give up. She held on to run 2:27:03and become a real possible challenger for the U.S. OlympicTrials in 11 months.

Marathons are about preparation. Marathons are aboutfocus. The Honda LA Marathon, as presented by K-SWISS,has elevated the game: a more runner-friendly course andamazing digital communication with the runners as they pre-pared. Constant positive affirmation, like a digital coach, wasgiven to the marathoners as they prepared for the race.

Even with all that Mother Nature could throw at it, thefield persevered, because, as all 23,543 finishers understood,the pursuit of the marathon, the goal of finishing the2011 Honda LA marathon is bigger than any oneof the individual runners. When all those fieryspirits come together, there is strength andpower in numbers!

See you at the 2012 Honda LA Marathon, presented by K-SWISS!

—By Larry Eder

2011 Honda LA Marathon Race Report:

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• SUMMER 2011 • atf-athlete.com• SUMMER 2011 • atf-athlete.com28 • SUMMER 2011 • atf-athlete.com• SUMMER 2011 • atf-athlete.com28

adidas Grand Prix Dream RacesBy Chris LotsbomJunior Editor, Race Results Weekly

The adidas Grand Prix stop of the Samsung Diamond League here in New Yorkfeatured four high school Dream events between 100m and the mile. One dreamcame true, as Lukas Verzbicas joined the sub four-minute mile club by running3:59.71 in the Jim Ryun Dream Mile, with Ryun, the first high schooler ever to rununder 4, in attendance.

The 18-year-old senior from Orland Park, Illinois became just the fifth highschool athlete ever to break 4 minutes in the mile. Verzbicas cracked the barrierthanks to a little bit of luck and a whole lot of grit.

With a light mist falling and temperatures perfect at 64ºF (1ºC), 15 boys toedthe line in Icahn Stadium with dreams of going sub 4. This would beVerzbicas’ final high school race, and all eyes were on him, the fa-vorite coming in. He had made it clear that his goal was to add along Lithuanian name to the short but distinguished list of Amer-ican prep sub 4-minute milers. Would he go down in history nextto Webb, Liquori, Danielson, and of course, the host Ryun? “I think it’s definitely possible,” he said the day before the race,confident as usual. “We are all going to go after it, and it shouldwork out. I don’t see why it shouldn’t happen.”

Twenty-four hours later, while on the starting line,he looked poised, bouncing up and down, shaking out hislanky legs.

After pace maker Connor Manley took the first quar-ter mile in 57.68, California’s Jantzen Oshier and Verzbicastrailed by a decent margin. Over the next lap, the chancesof a sub 4 time seemed to diminish as the group hit 800m in2:01.97 with the cool, calm, and collected Oshier doing theleading duties. He would be a key factor in Verzbicas’ race,breaking the wind in the middle laps. But if Verzbicaswanted 4 minutes, then he had to clock a 1:58.03 final 800m,a rediculous negative split.

With 650m remaining, Verzbicas took a look at theclock and knew he had to move.

“By then, with around 600m to go, I thought I’m notgoing for time, I’m just going for the win now because theguys were right on my back.”

Leading into the turn and taking the bell with Oshierat 3:01.38, Verzbicas had to run sub 59 to get his goal. Hewanted to do something special.

“I was really hurting that last lap. The wind was in myface, but I just put my head down, said ’this is my last high schoolrace,’ and I did it.”

1500m came and went, clocked at 3:43, unofficially.You could tell by his facial expression that he had enough inthe tank. “With 100m to go, I thought he had it,” said Ryun, who wasoverjoyed by Verzbicas’ effort. Verzbicas wasn’t completely sureuntil a few seconds later.“I did not know until the last 50 meters when I saw the clock,

because I was really doubting myself,” he said.

PhotoRun.net



Crossing the line in 3:59.71, Verzbicas closed a historic chapterof his athletics career in just the way he imagined. Ever since lastyear he had been working toward this moment, and it was finallyhere.

“It’s goal setting and goals coming true,” said a smiling Verzbi-cas, recounting the time at this meet last year when he told a smallgroup of media members that he guaranteed he would break 4 min-utes before his high school career came to an end.

Even his fellow competitors recognized the accomplishment. “Lukas is a great guy, great runner,” said Oshier, who will be at-

tending the University of California next year. “Lukas broke 4, I amhappy to be part of that. He is very talented. As of right now, Lukasis the best.”

Verzbicas’ next goal is a gold medal at the World JuniorTriathlon Championships this September, where he will be compet-ing in honor of his close friend and teammate Kevin McDowell, whowas a medal favorite and diagnosed with cancer this year. Then itwill be off to the University of Oregon. When asked if he would liketo be the next Steve Prefontaine or Galen Rupp, two men who dom-inated collegiately in Eugene, Verzbicas replied confidently, “MaybeI just want to have my own tradition.”

The girl’s Dream Mile was won by Cami Chapus of Harvard-Westlake in California. Coming off of a California State 1600m titlethe week before, Chapus made the cross-country trip to New Yorkand just wanted to contend for the win.

After the pack of 13 went out in 69.5 seconds, then passed thehalf mile in 2:25, the race looked to be playing out as a sit and kickaffair. Five wide into the third lane, no one wanted to take the initia-tive and make the race honest.

After the bell, it was a battle between the two Californians, Cha-pus and Alli Billmeyer, as the two opened up a small gap in front ofthe large chase pack.

Down the homestretch, a hard-charging Eleanor Fulton seem-ingly came out of nowhere, but Chapus was able to hold her off,4:42.71 to 4:42.91. Billmeyer rounded out the top three in 4:42.90.Spots 1 through 5 were determined by less than 1 second.

“I think we all helped each other come through in a fast time.Once it got down to the last part of the race, I knew I just had to keepgoing and leave it all on the track," said Chapus, who will be com-peting in two relays and racing 1500m of the mile at the New BalanceOutdoor Nationals, hoping to earn a qualifying time for the IAAFWorld Youth Championships.

“The main thing going into the race was to have fun with it. It’sbeen a great experience.”

The adidas Dream 100m was held for the first time here, bring-ing the nation’s fastest sprinters to Randall’s Island. Running downthe same stretch in which Usain Bolt set his first world record of 9.72in 2008, the prep sprinters took center stage hours before their idols,Olympians and national record holders, were to race down the samelanes.

After setting themselves in the blocks, the boy’s field, all cladin bright gold adidas speed suits, had to raise once, only adding tothe tension in the air. Running into a stiff headwind of 3.0 m/s, recordtimes seemed to be out the window.

Out of the blocks, reigning New Balance Outdoor Nationalschampion Sean McLean and national leader in the 100m MarvinBracy began to separate from the rest of the eight-man field. With alane separating each other, the two battled the whole way down thehomestretch. Leaning at the line, it was Bracy by .01 of a second,10.47 to 10.48.

“The weather conditions didn’t affect us, we just came out hereand did what we had to do on the track,” said Bracy. “It felt great tocome out here and win, with that crowd, everybody roaring, andthese flowers are nice.”

McLean viewed the weather differently, as he slipped comingout of the blocks.

“The first fifty meters I struggled because of the weather, butafter that it was all fine.”

The girl’s Dream 100m went to favorite Octavious Freeman ofFlorida, who has been undefeated since her sophomore year. Thecountry’s best sprinter in both the 100m and 200m, Freeman camein hoping to take a shot at Angela Williams’s national record of 11.11.But the slippery conditions, plus the harsh wind, made chances ofattaining the record extremely thin.

Despite a poor start, Freeman, a 10 time Florida Section 2 cham-pion, ran away from the rest of the field, finishing in 11.78. Secondwent to Myasia Jacobs (11.90), and third to Tynia Gaither (11.92).

“I feel like I came out here to run a much faster time,” said adissapointed Freeman. “That’s like a prac-

tice time for me. With the conditionsand all, I think I still should haveran a little bit better.”

Freeman will be heading tothe University of CentralFlorida in the fall.

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GREENSBORO, N.C. (18-Jun) – For the secondstraight day, records fell in bunches here at theNew Balance Outdoor Nationals competition inGreensboro, North Carolina. Two national andtwo meet records were broken, creating a day thatmany will remember for years to to come.

Aisling Cuffe bettered current Americanrecord holder Molly Huddle’s national highschool mark in the 2-mile, running 9:54.22 infront of a large crowd late in the evening. Then inthe final event of the night, the boys’ 4x800mrelay, another national record fell with Long BeachPoly TC of California coming from behind to

earn their mark of 7:28.75. Meet records of8:49.85 in the girl’s 4x800m and 4.17m in thepole vault also fell, with Bronxville TC (NY) andMorgann LeLeux (GA) claiming those marks, re-spectively.

As the day turned to night here, the clockticked closer to the most anticipated race of theevening: the girl’s 2-mile. The race would pit afield full of credentials up against one another.Cuffe, the Indoor Nationals 2-mile champion,would have to face indoor 5000m record holderWaverly Neer, as well as Thursday’s outdoor5000m champion Wesley Frazier. Also on the line

OUTDOOR NATIONALSNEW BALANCE

By Chris LotsbomJunior Editor, Race Results Weekly

National Records Set at Day Two of New Balance Outdoor Nationals

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would be Kayla Beattie, the Illinois state champion in the 1600m and 3200m.Cuffe would take the race out hard from the gun, immediately setting the tone that she was out

to get Huddle’s 9-year-old record. But by 800m, the field had strung out to single file, and had asurprise leader: Kayla Beattie. Passing the mile in 4:58.8, Cuffe was a few steps back, inching closerand closer to the leader, with Neer and Frazier slipping farther back.

Coming down the homestretch, fans began a slow clap similar to one heard frequently atHayward Field in Eugene. Would there be magic at Aggie Stadium tonight? Cuffe answered withan emphatic yes, surging and breaking away from Beattie.

“I knew I had to go then, even though I was sacrificing my leg speed,” explained Cuffe post-race.

Crossing the tape minutes later in 9:54.22, Cuffe had earned a national record,something she narrowly missed doing indoors.

“It’s my last individual high school race, and I guess I am happy it ended that way,”she said. “It hasn’t really sunken in yet.” Cuffe will compete one last time in the distancemedley relay on Saturday.

Less than an hour after Cuffe’s record setting run, another national mark wasready to fall. That was in the boy’s 4x800m. Long Beach Poly TC of Californiafinished just under the national record of 7:30.67, set by Albemarle, Virginia in2009. Christopher Hall, Myles Andrews, Aaron Harris and Christian Penn com-bined to run 7:28.75, the fastest time ever run in U.S. high school history. Theteam, comprised of four seniors, used their momentum to jump into the leadaround the final turn, passing No Speed Limit TC in the process. Both teamswound up under Albemarle’s previous mark. Still out of breath, the teamposed in front of the finish clock with their time proudly displayed.

“We just came out with one mindset—to get the record,” said theanchor Andrews, who split an incredible 1:47.71.

In the girl’s 4x800m, Bronxville TC of New York came to the linefollowing a day of dramatic ups and downs. Three members of theteam had their plane delayed for three hours Friday afternoon, causingall to stress that they would miss their relay heat. Arriving at the trackonly an hour and a half before the gun, with tears still drying in theireyes, the team began to settle down, focusing on the task at hand.

The quartet comprised of Mary Cain, Meredith Rizzo, Courtney Camp-bell and Emilie Hoffer ran cool, calm and collected, passing the batonsmoothly. Once Cain, only 15-years-old, got the stick, she flew, clocking asplit of 2:03.74. The final time of 8:49.85 was more than 6 seconds faster thanthe previous meet mark.

“We are all so young,” said an excited Cain, who couldn’t believe the team hadwon. “We will all be back for the next two years.”

A meet record was also set by Louisiana senior LeLeux in the pole vault. The Uni-versity of Georgia–bound defending champion jumped 4.17m (13-8 ft) feet to defendher title. LeLeux credited her gymnastics background, as well as her male training part-ners, for helping her achieve success in the vault.

“My dad built an indoor and outdoor pit, and ever since sixth grade, I have beencompeting with the boys. That’s how I keep my motivation.”

With over 10 championship events being contested, there were dozens of high-lights worthy of headlines. Below are a few snapshots of what happened in other events.

- For the third year in a row, Alex Collatz of California won the girls’ discus. De-spite competing with an injury, her final throw earned a mark of 46.70m.

- Kendell Williams ran the 800m as hard as she could, trying to break the sopho-more record of 5142 in the heptathlon. She did just that, capping off the 7 event com-petition with a 2:28.65. Her point total was 5169; now Williams has both the freshmanand sophomore national records. Bus she wasn’t done for the day: Williams placed 2ndin the 100m hurdles later in the evening.

- Ammar Moussa broke away from Jim and Joe Rosa with 400m remaining in theboy’s 2-mile, finishing in 8:51.80. The win gave Moussa his second national title of theschool year; he won a team title in cross country last fall.


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