Running: H.S. Senior Track (The beginning)

(The running saga continues with part 14. Here are parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13.)

I raced 19 individual events during my final high school track season, winning 18 of them. Yet, reading my journals from that period, one would think nothing went right.

I developed a terrible cold the first week of practice, which caused me to take three days off from training. I noted various symptoms in my journal for several weeks. (More on that next time.)

Our first meet was cancelled because of poor weather, so we didn't race until April 4 at Paola. I opened with a 4:31 mile, a 2:03 (meet record) 800 and a 55-second split on the mile relay. The day's journal entry: "Didn't really run very well. Tight during 1600 and not up for 800."

We headed to Bishop Miege the next week, where I anchored our 3200 relay and won slow 1600 and 3200 races. That 1600 was the first sign of how frustrating the season would be. When the gun went off, the pack bunched up behind me as we jogged a 71 second first lap. On the homestretch of the second lap, I veered into lane four, turned around and motioned, as if to ask if anyone else cared to lead (or run hard.) No one did. We hit the half in 2:22. I ran the last 800 in 2:12 for the win.

The same scene played out at most of our meets, with two exceptions.

The KU Relays arrived the week after Miege. A stacked two-mile field included Emporia's Kevin Newkirk (the 6A cross country champ), Tulsa's Eric Richard (an Oklahoma state champ), Wichita's Tony Greene and a host of other studs from around the region. I knew I'd have great competition to accompany the chip on my shoulder from not qualifying for KU the previous year.

After a quick first 440 (67 seconds), we slowed to laps of 71, 73, 75 and 78. The pedestrian pace was a Godsend for me, because I felt sluggish. If the first mile had been 4:40 or faster, instead of 4:46, I'm not sure what would have happened. As it was, I clung to the back of the lead pack with two laps to go.

About 100 yards from launching my traditional 600-to-go kick, I sensed someone moving to pass on the outside. Not wanting to risk being boxed, I decided it was time to go all in. I sprinted to the lead and ran scared for 600 yards. It wasn't until I entered the final stretch that I heard the announcer say, "Let's bring in our first boys champion of the day…" I relaxed a bit, not hearing the end of the sentence: "…not yet decided." Little did I know Ray Gorze of Greeley, CO was bearing down on me. I crossed the finish line less than a second ahead of him. The final 880 yards was covered in 2:11, giving me a new two-mile PR of 9:27.



It was one of two highlights that season. The second came three weeks later, when I had a last chance for a fast 1600, as well as a final race with my favorite rival. It would all happen on the track where I'd been disqualified the previous year. In Michael Corleone terms, it was time to settle all family business.