Coe's the Boys Distance King for Now -
Nichole wins girls 2-mile, not Nicole
Story by Steve Underwood - photos by John Dye and Vic Sailer
Michael Coe  photo by John Dye |
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by Steve Underwood, DyeStat senior editor Boys 2-mile Distance fans my age and older will remember when British legend Seb Coe set his first world record in 1979, a 1:42.33 800 in early July. But it was 12 days later, in the Dream Mile in Oslo, Norway, that he ran 3:48.95 for another world record and truly established himself as the great middle distance runner he was known as. Twenty-six years later, in the world of US prep distance running, another Coe has used two races to similarly establish himself among his peers. Fellow Californian A.J. Acosta won the Foot Locker title last December to put himself on top, but with a US#1 4:07.30 mile at Boston in January and then Sunday’s Nike Indoor Nationals 2-Mile title in a US#1 8:56.87. Lompoc CA (El Cabrillo HS) sr. Michael Coe has become The Man. Amazingly, Coe had never raced a 2-mile in his prep career, but he ran the smart race he said he would and pulled away in the last 3 laps from the almost equally impressive Colts Neck NJ jr. Craig Forys. It was the highlight of a day of solid, if not quite spectacular distance races that featured one big upset and a few awesome come-from-behind finishes, but no other overall US leaders. The boys deuce promised to be a fascinating affair, with Coe, Forys, new Team USA Junior XC member and Greenwood KY sr. Michael Eaton, NTN champ and 8:23 3k runner Kenny Klotz (Central Catholic, OR), just-added 9:06 3200-runner and Saturday relay hero Tommy Gruenewald (Fayetteville NY), 2005 NIN 2-mile runner-up Steve Murdock (Saratoga NY) and a bunch of other 9:10-15 types. Not surprisingly, Eaton and Murdock satisfied their individual penchants for a fast pace by exchange the lead through 400s of 65, 66, 68, and 70. Murdock’s teammate, Greg Kelsey, and Forys stayed close to the lead as the mile passed in 4:29, with Coe closing in with the leaders. During the next two laps, Kelsey and Murdock traded the first position, then Crater OR sr. Issac Stoutenburgh took it through 1.25 miles (5:39). Finally, Forys tired of all the jostling and made a decisive move, picking it back up to 33-34 laps. Coe, figuring this was the move he had to cover, went with him and it quickly become a two-man race through 1.5 (6:47). After passing three laps to go (7:20), Coe took over and that was it. Finally stretching it out, he closed very impressively in 32-30 (62). As sharp as his race looked, it turned out that the path was anything but smooth. With the meet running a bit behind schedule, Coe said he was given an approximate start time that wound up being almost too late. He almost missed the start. And, “I didn’t really feel 100 percent out there,” he said. “I was feeling lethargic, but I never panicked. With three laps to go, I gutted it out. Forys was strong and tried to move, but I had enough left in the tank.” Forys, coming off his second 4:05 DMR anchor of the year Friday night in New York, said he didn’t feel too great himself warming up, but got right into it when the gun went off. He wasn’t crazy, however, about the way the race unfolded at first. “A couple of people went out fast,” he said. “There was a lot of surging and switching around. I got sick of dealing with it.” His move gave him the race he wanted, however. At first, he thought he finished just over 9:00. “I didn’t know I was that close,” he said. But the final clocking was 8:59.98, lowering his 9:07 from NON last June. Lap 14 - Coe took the lead for good.
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Boys 2-mile - Michael Eaton, Steve Murdock, and Greg Kelsey set the pace for the first 9 laps. Lap 10 - Isaac Stoutenburgh took the lead. Lap 11 - Craig Forys took the lead and Coe went with him. |
Girls 2-mile: A Nichole won the girls 2-mile, but it wasn’t the Nicole that came in with the top seed. Royal CA sr. Nicole Blood looked pretty darn good for the first six laps, passing three-quarters in 3:46. But she knew on the inside what no one else did. “It was one of those races where you start and you know in the first 400 that it’s not going to happen,” she said. “The second half of the race I wasn’t myself.” Blood will have a wonderful experience to look forward to on Team USA in Japan next month for the World Cross Meet, but Sunday’s wonderful experience went to the other Nichole, the amazingly versatile Miss Jones from Houston TX. With range from 2:10s 800s to 1:21 half-marathons, the Westfield junior seems to love a challenge. At NIN she likes to run a morning heat of the 800, then attack the deuce in the afternoon. When Blood’s splits started slowing toward the 40-second mark (she still led at 5:06), Jones moved closer, then passed Blood before 9 laps. “I was thinking (Blood) was going to go with me if I passed her,” said Jones. “Then when she didn’t, there was a point when I started to slow, because I was afraid of her kick. But then I thought, I’m feeling good, what the heck.” From there, she ran 81-82 pace before closing in 78 for a winning 10:29.09. Meanwhile, Northside VA jr. Catherine White and Spring Valley SC sr. Kate Niehaus (defending champ) waged a great battle for the runner-up spot after passing Blood. White finally prevailed in a big PR 10:32.27, pulling away on the last lap from Niehaus (10:37.05). |
Nicole Blood went right to the lead and held it for 9 laps
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Blood built a 30-meter lead through 6 laps, but then the lead began to shrink as Nichole Jones reeled her in.
 photo by Vic Sailer/PhotoRun Jones wins |
Jones got the lead on Lap 10  |
Boys 2 Mile Run
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SECTIONS 1 + 2 AT 7:30am SUNDAY
SECTION 3 AT 2:32pm SUNDAY
National: N 8:40.00 2/15/1964 Gerry Lindgren, Rogers, Spokane, WA
Meet: M 8:45.19 3/2001 Alan Webb, South Lakes, Reston, VA
Freshman: ( 9:16.65 3/4/2005 Sintayehu Taye, Portland, ME
Sophomore: R 8:55.80 1974 Rudy Chapa, Hammond, IN
Junior: J 8:52.94 2000 Dathan Ritzenhein, Rockford, MI
Senior: $ 8:40.00 2/15/1964 Gerry Lindgren, Rogers, Spokane, WA
Name Year School Finals
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Section 1
1 Biddle-Snead, Simon 07 Clarke County HS,Be 9:33.64
2 Weigel, Philip 06 Mount Pleasant H,Wi 9:34.80
3 Parker, Dwight 07 World Express AC,Ba 9:36.62
4 DuBois, Seth 06 Guilderland HS,Alta 9:37.63
5 Wolpert, Kyle 06 NC School of Sci,Du 9:41.46
6 Edwards, Zac 06 Northside HS,Roanok 9:44.93
7 Kaye, Adam 06 Brookline HS,Brookl 9:51.68
8 Goldsmith, Kyle 07 Cinco Ranch TC,Katy 9:52.61
9 Mayes, Clay 06 Jenks America TC,Cl 9:56.44
10 Carothers, Tanner 07 Northland Prep,Flag 10:07.87
11 Koubek, Rick 07 Deep Six Racing,Por 10:12.39
-- Fahey, Matt 07 Unat-PA-Conestog,Be DNF
Section 2
1 Centrowitz, Matthew 07 Broadneck HS,Arnold 9:20.38
2 Osborne, James 06 Jesuit HS,Lutz, FL 9:23.21
3 Bateman, Noel 06 Aquinas,Rochester, 9:24.81
4 Divinnie, Tom 06 Harpeth Valley H,Br 9:27.31
5 Birdsong, Anthony 06 Monterey Senior,Lub 9:31.83
6 Duncan, Ron 06 Fleming County,Hill 9:33.21
7 Sauvageau, Joe 06 Cinco Ranch TC,katy 9:37.48
8 Moldovan, Robert 07 Northrop HS,Fort Wa 9:40.50
9 Moujoodi, Jeremy 06 Hoover HS,Hoover, A 9:41.00
10 Keithan, Chas 06 Cinco Ranch TC,katy 9:56.01
11 Parks, Joe 06 Deer Park HS,Deer P 9:58.06
12 Chandler, Matt 06 Gonzaga HS,Alexandr 10:03.70
-- Webb, Tom 06 Bishop Hendricke,Ba DNF
-- Spooner, Mike 07 West Springfield,Sp DNF
Section 3
1 Coe, Michael 06 Cabrillo HS,Lompoc, 8:56.87(
2 Forys, Craig 07 Colts Neck HS,Howel 8:59.98(
3 Tebo, Matthew 07 Eldorado HS,Albuque 9:10.02(
4 Balyo, Chad 06 Springboro HS,Sprin 9:10.12(
5 Eaton, Michael 06 Greenwood HS,Bowlin 9:10.50(
6 Jackson, Dan 07 Dexter HS,Ann Arbor 9:15.66(
7 Heineking, Emil 07 Chardon HS,Chardon, 9:17.32
8 Gruenewald, Thomas 07 Fayetteville Tra,Ma 9:18.10
9 Stoutenburgh, Isaac 06 Crater HS,Central P 9:18.12
10 Kelsey, Greg 06 Kinetic RC,Saratoga 9:20.06
11 Massam, Ben 06 Chatham HS,Chatham, 9:27.40
12 Murdock, J. Stephen 07 Kinetic RC,Saratoga 9:32.73
13 Klotz, Kenny 06 Stark Street AC,Por 9:34.13
Girls 2 Mile Run
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SECTIONS 1 and 2 AT 7:30am SUNDAY
SECTION 3 at 2:12pm SUNDAY
National: N 9:55.92 3/10/1991 Melody Fairchild, Boulder, CO
Meet: M 10:23.63 3/2000 Carol Henry, Sarnia, Ontario, Canada
Freshman: ( 10:23.46 1998 Michelle Dela Vina, Andrean, Merillville
Sophomore: R 10:25.07 1999 Sara Bei, MontgomerySantaRosa, CA
Junior: J 10:13.16 1982 Laura Craven, Beechcroft,Columbus, OH
Senior: $ 9:55.92 3/10/1991 Melody Fairchild, Boulder, CO
Name Year School Finals
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Section 1
1 Campbell, Ashley 06 Kinetic RC,Saratoga 11:24.89
2 O'Sullivan, Kaitlin 07 Kinetic RC,Saratoga 11:26.68
3 Lonzi, Sarah 08 Bradford Area TC,Br 11:27.85
4 Abid, Anastasia 07 Lafayette HS,Willia 11:28.70
5 Solly, Amanda 08 West Seneca E HS,We 11:39.29
6 MacMillan, Laurel 08 Blacksburg HS,Black 11:45.20
7 Andrews, Hilary 07 The Woodlands HS,Th 11:50.11
8 LaFave, Erin 08 Sunset Striders,Tro 12:00.44
9 Bellon, Brianne 10 Kinetic RC,Greenfie 12:01.27
10 Stehle, Erin 08 Midlothian Tc-Va,Mi 12:25.69
Section 2
1 Amaro, Emilie 08 Cypress Bay HS,Coop 10:47.55
2 Pancoast, Stephanie 06 Westford TC,Westfor 11:15.81
3 Griebel, Alasia 07 Bristol Central,Bri 11:19.37
4 Armstrong, Jessica 07 Wayland Union HS,Do 11:20.45
5 Johnston, Mary Carleton 08 St. Paul's Episc,Mo 11:31.80
-- Slekis, Stefanie 06 Forest Park TC,Mont DNF
Section 3
1 Jones, Nichole 07 Track Houston-Gi,Ho 10:29.09
2 White, Catherine 07 Northside HS,Roanok 10:32.27
3 Niehaus, Kate 06 Spring Valley HS,Co 10:37.05
4 Parrish, Kelly 06 Vanguard HS,Ocala, 10:50.83
5 Blood, Nicole 06 Fastlane,Gansevoort 10:55.36
6 Saylor, Lauren 07 Buchanan HS,Clovis, 11:04.90
7 Smeltzer, Rebekah 07 Lake Erie Stride,Mo 11:05.28
8 Molen, Elisabeth 07 The Altamont Sch,Bi 11:15.42
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