"An Assault On
Sub-Four!" 
Photo courtesy of John Dye
Seen above winning the two-mile at the Nike Outdoor
Nationals two
weeks ago, San Diego's A.J. Acosta aims to halve the distance but
double the glory in his big Sub-Four Mile attempt this weekend.
Left photo courtesy of Dave Casper
A.J. Acosta's coach, Tom Kloos (left) says he
will try
to control as many factors as possible. Alan Webb's coach,
Scott Raczko (right), says everything has to be just right.
By Rich Gonzalez - Editor, DyeStatCal
(DATELINE) -- Alan Webb did it under
the radar. A.J. Acosta aims to do it in the spotlight.
Alan Webb did it as a late and virtually
unknown addition to an already publicly set field. A.J. Acosta aims
to do it as the leading entry, with efforts still being made to fill
the field.
Alan Webb did it with no pressure. A.J.
Acosta aims to do it with all the pressure an 18-year-old can imagine.
And if you know Acosta, you know he'd
prefer to have it no other way.
"It's what A.J. thrives off of,"
said Acosta's coach, Tom Kloos. "The bigger the challenge, the
more A.J. gets up. This is as big as it gets. He wants it badly."
"It", in this case, is a sub-4
minute mile, a feat accomplished by only four other high schoolers before
him, the last being Webb's indoor prep mile record 3:59.86 in New York
five years ago. Acosta, a recently graduated senior from El Camino High
School of Oceanside in San Diego County, will seek to have that coveted
group evolve into the "Fab Five" of prep distance miling lore.
After a few previous setbacks with
securing venues, the bid will be attempted this Saturday (July 1) at
Mt. San Antonio College in Southern California, with the 10-person race
slated for a 9 p.m. start. It is the only race on the schedule, with
attempts to also host a hot girls' mile and a boys' 10k having fallen
by the wayside within the last 10 days.
Kloos, a national-class steeplechaser
who has astutely guided Acosta's rise in recent years, says his protege
is ready to take his best crack at the fathomed barrier.
"I'm 100% sure the fitness
is there," quipped Kloos, "but I also realize it requires
more than that. I don't want to mislead... I know the history behind
it. I'm trying to control as many factors as I can."
Thus far, Kloos has masterfully
brought Acosta along with a limited racing schedule his senior year,
posting big-race oval outdoor wins at the Arcadia Invitational (8:51.30
3200m in early April) and the California state meet (4:04.95 for 1600m
in early June) to go along with triumphs at the Nike Outdoor Nationals
(8:46.32 for two miles) and the USATF Junior Nationals (3:45.95 for
1500m) over the last two weekends. Interspersed with that for the University
of Oregon-bound product was an eye-opening 3:45.73 effort for 1500m
at an Open meet in Eugene in late April.
In each case, heavy
attention was placed on the highly-visible Acosta beforehand, bringing
certain levels of expectation. Often, he has exceeded them. But then
again, those weren't assaults on a Sub-Four Minute Mile.
"It's extremely
tough. A lot of athletes can't handle (the expectation and pressure),"
said Scott Raczko, Webb's coach. "Anytime you set a high competition
goal, the pressure is raised. But if that goal is a time mark, it makes
it doubly tough to compete."
In fact, when Webb
became the first prep to ever run Sub-Four indoors, hardly anyone knew
of the attempt, a secretly planned bid to run fast on the New York City
Armory track at the New Balance Games in January of 2001. Only 4-5 individuals
knew of the bid in the days before that meet, with news leaking that
morning as far as the West Coast, that "something major" was
going to go down at The Armory. Even East Coast-based track historian
Walt Murphy was unaware of the specifics, but was given an 11th-hour
invitation to go there and watch "something possibly very special."
(While announcing at
the Los Angeles Indoor Invitational late that morning, I was given a
small piece of paper by the LAI meet director that morning and asked
to announce the news. It was quite special to open the note and read
to myself the hand-written note: "Alan Webb this morning became
the 4th high school miler to break 4 minutes. Running 3:59.86 at the
New Balance meet in New York City." Once it was announced with
historical background to the Los Angeles crowd, the stunned turnout
crowd briskly applauded.)
"We knew any time
Alan lined up, there'd be attention on him," said Raczko. "At
the New Balance meet, it was completely downplayed. It was in the middle
of the meet and still no one knew about it. With (Acosta's) race, I
don't know if all the hype and pre-race attention is the best idea."
But Acosta has always
revelled in the limelight, often bringing attention to himself, a highly
energetic and extroverted 18-year-old who excels while in a fishbowl.
"I really haven't
felt a lot of pressure," said Acosta, the reigning FootLocker cross-country
and Nike Outdoor 2-mile champion. "Whenever I read something, I
don't overly internalize it. I read it in the third person. I know that
sounds Gabe Jennings-esque, but that's how I view it.
"I read it. ...
but I don't dwell on it. I look at it on the DyeStat boards and on LetsRun
and laugh. A lot of negative stuff and some positive stuff. All the
negative stuff feeds my motivation and just wants me to shove it to
them."
Acosta's biggest nemesis
this weekend (like all those attempting the big "Sub-4" before
him) will be history. Acosta's 3:45.73 ranks 15th on the all-time prep
1500m list, which includes three of the previous sub-4 milers (the fourth,
Tim Danielson, hardly ever ran the distance). Twelve ahead of him, however,
never broke four minutes as high schoolers (including Ryan Hall, Don
Sage, Galen Rupp, Steve Magness, Victor Gras and Jonathan Riley in recent
years). Acosta's 4:04.95 for 1600m doesn't rank on the all-time prep
Top 40 list, so dozens faster than him never broke four either.
While Acosta's speed might
come into question from skeptics (history has shown his personal best
mid-1:51 800m relay split is hardly swift enough for a four-minute mile),
his core and leg strength rivals that of Wisconsin's Chris Solinsky
as a prep and at least approaches Webb's as a high schooler as well.
"He's a monster",
said Kloos, who recently announced he will leave El Camino HS to become
as assistant coach at Iona University in New York. "He has speed,
strength, heart, passion... you name it."
Like a few before him, Acosta
indeed has the physical tools, but the straight-A student is intelligent
enough to know more will be needed. He loves rattling off his strengths,
and summing up his outlook:
"My coaching. My training.
My competitiveness. If I say I am going to do something, I pretty much
do it. We wouldn't have put together this race if we didn't feel I could
go Sub-Four. I really think I can give Sub-Four a scare.
"It's tough to
say what the chances are. I think if all goes well, I have 75% shot
at Sub-Four. My fitness is there, my head is in it, I'm healthy and
people are behind me. A lot of tanglibles (strength, fitness, etc.)
put me at Sub-Four, but a lot of intangibles (adrenaline management,
poise, race 'environment', etc.) could prevent a Sub-Four. I need to
cover as much of the intangibles as I can."
Here's an update on the event's background coming into this weekend.
THE LOCALE
Word of the Sub-Four attempt
first came to our attention the first weekend in June, with a co-organizer
of the event (not Kloos) citing a vast and non-intimate East Los Angeles
College stadium setting as the locale. However, proper channels were
not followed and it was only recently learned that a scheduling conflict
arose on the campus. Hence, ELAC was no longer an option (probably a
blessing in disguise, as the cavernous seating layout probably would
have been less-than-ideal setting for an expected small turnout).
Kloos then took the reins
on finding a new venue, in mid-June, preferring to find an intimate
high school venue. It was learned that ELAC was out as an option
during Nike Outdoor Nationals week, with Kloos seeking South Orange
County's Trabuco Hills HS as a possible venue, but administrative approval
became problematic. At that same time, Kloos was a presenting clinician
at a coaching seminar at Mt. San Antonio College, where coaches at the
junior college came forth to offer up their facility.
"It was a big relief
as a solution," said Kloos. "We wanted somewhere in L.A. (rather
than San Diego) because we felt we'd get a better turnout."
Admission is free to
the USATF-sanctioned race, which will have an official and (of course)
fully automatic timing). Fans will be allowed on the infield to encourage
Acosta and the others.
THE FIELD
Eight runners
Ten runners have been secured as of the
Thursday before race, including five post-preps. "It's not
as deep a field as I would have liked," said Kloos, "but we
do have some very good ones up front."
Leading the field is 31-year-old
Jacques Sallberg, who grew up in the Southland (Muir HS, and Cal State
L.A.) and his evolved into a national-class standout in recent years,
punctuated by a stunning 8:28.18 lifetime best clocking for fourth place
in the 3000m steeplechase at last weekend's USATF Senior Nationals in
Indianapolis.
Josephat Keino, a San
Diego based standout said to be in outstanding shape is another leading
entry. Acosta said it may very well be Keino who could be the key.
"From what Tom
said, he is going to try and bring me across at 3:00 to 3:01, but then
he is going to take off," Acosta shared. "If he can 'take
off', he must be in awesome shape."
Ben Bruce, who
set the Big West Conference steeplechase record (8:33.70) while at Cal
Poly San Luis Obispo, is another steepler entered. Bruce endured setback
at last weekend's USATF Senior Nationals to finish at the back of the
pack but is considered another big key to proper pacing this weekend.
Sallberg and Bruce were hand-timed in 3:55 and 3:59 at the Santa Barbara
Steet Mile earlier this Spring, but it is a downhill street mile, thus
deeming those times as clearly skewed.
Acosta
will be joined by fellow preps and friends Diego and Daniel Mercado,
the stamina-based standout twins from nearby West Covina HS. Although
neither has run faster than 4:14 and are not believed to have run sub-2:00
for an open 800, they are added here as an emotional boost.
"They're
good friends and great runners, so I think it's awesome that they'll
be in the race and offering support," said Acosta, who skipped
Wednesday's scheduled workout in favor of rest after feeling a bit fatigued
from the season and hard recent races. On Tuesday, Acosta did
5x200m workout on a dirt track in 26.8-27.1-26.5-26.2-25.2.
Middle-distance
ace and Cal alum Bolota Asmerom, also with rumored fine fitness at this
time and a 3:59 mile to his credit, is a quality profiel entry is expected
to provide a strong racing challenge in the latter laps.
Kloos, himself
a standout steepler as previously mentioned, is unavailable to compete.
"I would
have liked nothing more than to bring A.J. across on pace at 1000 meters
to help him along," said Kloos, who has been plagued by an IT band
issue for months. "It breaks my heart not to be able to be out
there running on the track with him, but he's already shown what he
can do this year without my help during a race."
Update:
California state 800m champion (1:50.53) Cory Primm
has been added to the field 48 hours before the race, being the eighth
runner in the field. His task, according to Primm, is to set the pace
for the first two laps. Adds on Friday (the day before the race) also
now include Jeremy Brown, a 3:56 1500m runner, and Ahmed Osman, a recent
graduate of San Diego High graduate who ran 4:20.49 for 1600m this Spring.
THE PLAN
According
to Kloos, final specifics will be ironed out by today.
"A.J.'s
a racer, not a time trialer, so he'll have to balance the two here,"
gleaned his coach.
At midweek, Acosta
said the goal would likely be to have a pace set that brings him across
at 59 seconds for the first 440, then a 60-point for the next quarter,
and a 60-point for the subsequent quarter, clipping the 3/4-mile mark
at a three-minute clip or low 3:01.
"Ben's the
best guy for pacing in the field," assured Kloos. "He's a
spot-on guy when it comes to pace.
"Jacques,
like A.J., is a great competitor. I'm hoping to see him close and battling
with A.J. to the finish on the final straightaway. My only concern is
the rabbits being fully recovered from their race last week at USATF.
They will definitely run the first few laps, but we'll see if they feel
good enough to stay in the race all through the last lap."
Raczko says they'll
likely only stay in if they feel good: "No one at that level wants
to lose to any high schooler. If thy stay in, they'll want to beat him."
A succussful
bid or not, the outcome will be thoroughly dissected by the running
community afterward.
"You have
to have the right pacing and you have to be able to perfectly adapt
to anything that happens from there," said Raczko, who saw Webb
run his first Sub-Four with 1/4-mile splits of 59.9-59.6-60.4-60.0.
"It has to be all right.
"Look at
(Coach Alberto) Salazar with Rupp a few years ago. They tried to get
the right pacing and it didn't work out. And they HAD the resources
to set up a field. Twice even.
"It is a
tough thing to do to get the pacing right."
If anything "appears"
to go wrong, it will be up to Acosta to control the developments. When
Magness attempted Sub-Four at the Prefontaine meet in 2003, he rode
the fast pace of the race to strong splits, but eyewitnesses said he
never looked truly relaxed. "Mags" then unraveled over the
final lap, starting his best surge a tad too aggressively and running
out of gas down the home straightaway.
"Discipline
in everyday preparation of training and racing means everything when
the chips are down," Raczko concluded. "Alan was prepared
to race a big race in the way he was asked to run every day, so that
type of approach gave him extremely good poise."
No better
example of that came at the 2001 Prefontaine meet, when Webb ran his
historic 3:53.43 high school mile record. World leader Hicham El Guerrouj
led a Who's Who field through a breakneck pace in the opening laps,
while a savvy Webb was near the back -- but perfectly on his own pre-determined
pace, showing poise beyond his years.
Pacing and poise
-- the real tangible/intangible keys to any legitimate Sub-Four attempt.
DyeStatCal will provide live updates on
California
forum of the message
board hourly beginning at 7:45 p.m., then uninterrupted coverage beginning
at
8:55 p.m. We will then post a race video and a recap story, with
quotes.
Sub-Four
Lore
Photo courtesy of Doug Speck
From left, Jim Ryun, Tim Danielson, Marty
Liquori and Alan Webb have been the
only athletes to beat the enormous odds in running a Sub-Four Mile in
high school.
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