Nike Running Camps

Day 7 - Sunday 7/31 

Quick race report from Mark and his coach, Lalo Diaz!

By Rich Gonzalez, Editor, DyeStatCal
WINDSOR, Canada -- "Oh my God, it was the greatest fun to watch!"
       That's how Loyola HS distance coach Lalo Diaz described his on-the-rail-at-the-finish-line view of the Junior Men's 1500-meter final on Sunday afternoon's closing day of action at the PanAm Juniors Championships in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
       Diaz watched breathlessly as recently-graduated Loyola senior Mark Matusak moved up from last place after the opening lap to systematially weave his way up through the 11-runner field before kicking in with a 60-second last lap en route to the bronze medal, finishing close behind a thrilling 1-2 finish by a pair of Canadians that left the stadium in bedlam!
       "The Canadians were going crazy in the stands, watching their own athletes go 1-2," said Diaz by telephone, "but for Mark to get onto the podium... that was the goal for him here. He's very, very happy."
       Matusak switched to base training for the coming collegiate cross-country season several weeks ago, and it became very clear on the final lap that the usual sting which he relied on to come from behind to win at the Nike Outdoor Nationals and the USATF Junior Nationals wasn't quite there. "He didn't close as strongly as he has been, and we knew that was going to happen without any speedwork," Diaz added. "We've only done two speed workouts in the last 6 weeks."
        Matusak conceded the kick wasn't there when he went for it, but was still able to muster the energy for one successful pass and then was able to keep position.
"The first lap, I felt alright... the second lap was just okay... by the third lap i started feeling it," said the UC Berkeley-bound star. "With 200 meters to go, the Canadians made the switch (to a faster gear) and I couldn't go, but I was still able to hold off Galen (Rupp) to get third."
        According to Diaz, fellow American Rupp controlled the race for the first three laps, with Canadians Mike Woods and Braden Novakowski giving chase, and Matusak right there as well. Then the real race began. The gaps began closing, the distance to the finish began shrinking, and the excitement began escalating...
        "With 200 meters to go, it was still Rupp, Woods, (Novakowski) and Mark," Diaz recalled. "Then EVERYONE made a move. It was crazy! ... Mark did very well to pass one Canadian and then went after the other, but then he started looking over his shoulder, so I knew the lack of speedwork has coming into play. I was just hoping he'd hold on to third. He did!"
       Diaz said Matusak bolted toward the stands, where someone offered him an American flag, which he hoisted over his head and then began taking a celebratory lap around the track in Lane 8.
        "You should have seen it," said Diaz. "It was a dream moment. It was great seeing him with that flag, representing the U.S."
        Mark agreed, although he conceded the moment really belonged to the Canadians.
        "It was pretty cool," said Matusak of his own one-lap journey as several Americans hollered their approval and support from the stands. "It was neat, but it was kind of overshadowed because the place was going crazy for the Canadians. Still, that was pretty neat to get onto the podium. It was great!"

XIII PanAmerican Jr Athletics Champs - Single Meet License
Pan American Junior Athletics Championships - 7/29/2005 to 7/31/2005
Windsor, Canada

Event 10 Men 1500 Meter
=======================================================================
Meet Record: * 3:45.80 9/2/1995 Marcor. da Silva - BRA, Santiago.
Pan Am Jr: # 3:36.1h 7/17/1966 Jim Ryun - USA, Berkeley, Californ
World Jr: ^ 3:30.24 7/19/2002 Cornelius Chirchir - KEN, Monaco
Name Year Team Finals Points
=======================================================================
Finals
1 Woods, Mike 86 Canada 3:45.72*
2 Novakowski, Braden 86 Canada 3:48.92
3 Matusak, Mark 86 United States 3:49.81
4 Rupp, Galen 86 United States 3:50.96
5 Barbonza, Gilder Venezuela 3:57.41
6 Vélez, Denides 86 Puerto Rico 3:58.56
7 Barbosa, Luis Felipe Lei 87 Brazil 4:01.13
8 Rodriguez, Adrian 88 Puerto Rico 4:01.47
9 Nero, Garvin 90 Trinidad and Tobago 4:03.12
10 Drummond, Andre 86 Jamaica 4:04.77
-- Da Silva, Fernando Lina 86 Brazil DNF

Mark's Day 6 Diary  Mark's Day 5 Diary

Mark's Day 4 Diary   Mark's Day 3 Diary   Mark's Day 2 Diary     Mark's Day 1 Diary