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DyeStat 2000 Outdoor
5/20/00 at University of North Carolina-Charlotte, Charlotte NC
DyeStat On-Site at the Herbster Classic
There is a reason lofty marks are on a pedestal
Slow first 220 stymies Webb - soph Lockhart coming on strong - the other events
by Pearl Watts
Generally, when there is a an oustanding mark in track and field that has not been accomplished or surpassed for a number of years, there is a good reason. The reason is that usually the mark is a lofty one accessible to very few.
Alan Webb of South Lakes certainly found out about the high school sub four minute mile club which has only three members, none since 1967, this past Saturday at the Herbster Track Classic in Charlotte, North Carolina. Webb, bidding to become the fourth member of the elite group that includes only Jim Ryun, Tim Danielson and Marty Liquori, was denied entrance to the club for the present time although the Seahawks junior did run a personal best ever time of 4 minutes, 3.33 seconds to win the Nike Golden Mile, the showcase event at the Herbster Classic.
The race, which featured nine runners in the fourteen runner field who had already run 4:16 or better for 1,600 meters in their high school careers, heard the starter's pistol at 8:45 p.m. under almost ideal conditions at the U.N.C.(Charlotte) track with very little breeze and temperatures around 70. Webb, who along with North Carolina 4A 1,600 and 3,200 state champion Ricky Brookshire of Boone, NC, had pre-race discussions of working with each other through the early stages of the race to ensure a time of 1:58-1:59 for the first half (880 yards) of the race, saw those plans foiled early when the lead group only went through the first 220 yards in 32 seconds.
Webb said, "I couldn't make up those two seconds. The early pace was too slow. I would have thought somebody in the field would have gone out in 28 or 29 seconds. I wasn't sure how fast I was going in the beginning. I felt really good in warmups and also at the start of the race, but didn't know it was that slow at the beginning until I heard the split called out." After hearing 32 seconds for the 220; Webb moved past three runners on the curve into first place and had a one stride lead over the rest of the field after 440 yards which was covered in 61-62 seconds.
On the second lap, Derrick Wyatt of Liberty, South Carolina moved up into second place just behind Webb and the twosome then rattled off 1:31-1:32 at 660 yards; 2:02.4 at 880 yards and 2:32 at 1100 yards.
The hard pace started to take its toll on Wyatt and with one and a half laps to go it was just Webb against the clock.
The Seahawks junior went through the 1,320 yard mark at 3:03 with the daunting task of a sub 57 second last lap needed to break the magical barrier. Webb was at 3:33-3:34 with a half lap remaining and with a very appreciative crowd on its feet, finished well down the homestretch to win by more than five seconds over the stellar field with his time of 4:03.33 moving him into tenth place on the all time list among high school performers.
Brookshire ran a personal best of 4:08.41 with Handley sophomore Bobby Lockhart of Winchester, Va. third in 4:10.32 and junior John Jefferson of Delray Beach, Florida fourth at 4:10.66 as both Lockhart and Jefferson chopped over five seconds off their previous personal bests. The race saw five others run under a 4:17 equivalent for 1,600 meters with Brian McGovern of Newton, Connecticut fith in 4:14.95; Derrick Wyatt of Liberty, SC sixth in 4:16.09; John Jefferson's twin brother Sean Jefferson seventh (4:16.67) with junior Stephen Haas of Charlotte, NC eighth (4:18.18) and Joe Thorne from Chambelee, Georgia ninth (4:18.23).
Webb said, "after the slow early pace, there were times I tried to make up the difference with some spurts to get back to 4 minute pace but it made the race too uneven. The pre-race plan was to go through the first half of the race in 1:58-1:59 and then see what I had left. You train for it and train for it (sub 4:00) and then aagh. I'm ready to get on the line another day though. I'm a little disappointed with the time but I'm happy I won the race. The records will come if I keep on winning. You can't make all the half court shots with one second to go."
South Lakes coach Scott Raczko said, "I thought Alan looked a little sluggish from the beginning. It wasn't a good day for him but it's not easy to have every day be a good day. It's still a personal best for him. His workouts showed the capabilities of a sub 4:00 but the conditions have to be right. It would have been better if Alan had a ten day regeneration gap instead of the seven day regeneration gap he just had from his most intense training cycle of the season, but you can't train for every race shooting for 3:59."
"It's invigorating to know that Alan did not appear to be at his best and he still ran his fastest time ever in the open mile. He's there physically. There are still some 200 meter ins and outs workouts to come later in the season for speedwork that Alan does well and increases his confidence."
Jim Ryun is still the only high schooler to run under four minutes in a race involving just high school runners with his 3:58.3 at the Kansas state championships on May 15, 1965 and Raczko said, "if Alan is going to go under four in a high school only race then it may be that he can't rely on someone else to push the early pace. He will have to probably be the one to be sure the first 220 yards is definitely under thirty seconds."
Webb, who ran 4:06.94 to set the sophomore class record last year, has knocked more than half his time away towards a sub four with his 4:03.33 and the race also saw third place finisher Bobby Lockhart position himself with a chance for a crack at Webb's 4:06.94 class record with his personal best thus far this year of 4:10.32.
Lockhart said, "my goal coming in was to go with the pack and try and try to run below 4:10 with the first 880 split at 2:03 but the first 220 was too slow and I was only at 2:05 halfway through. I felt really strong and although I've done some speedwork already this season, I need more for later in the year. It was exciting to be in a large field with so much competition; that's what I need."
Other top performances at the meet included on the boys side: The pole vault saw five vaulters clearing at least fourteen feet with Greg Royster of Columbia, SC the winner at 14-7 on fewer misses over Douglas Gross of Raleigh, NC (14-7). James Doaty of Louisville, Kentucky, the defending National Scholastic Outdoor 800 meter run champion, led his specialty from start to finish to win in 1:51.29. Larry Griffen of Greenville, SC won the 100 meter dash in 10.57 with Duan Barrino from Charlotte, NC second in the 100 dash at 10.81 and Barrino then came back to claim the 200 meter dash in 21.52. Also, Matt Mason of Powder River, Georgia won the long jump at 23-6 and was third in the 110 high hurdles at 14.65 with Trai Diggs the winner of the 110 highs in 14.36 and Monterrio Adames from Gastonia, NC took the 400 with a strong move down the homestretch in 48.48.
On the girls side, Rhonda White of Charlotte was the triple jump winner at 40-9.5 with LaTasha Pharr from Spencer, NC the runnerup at 39-4.5 with Pharr also the 100 meter hurdle winner in 14.65. Ayessa Boyd from Spartanburg, SC was a double winner with victories in the 100 dash (12.09) and 200 dash (24.28); Samantha Murillo from Advance, NC won the 800 run in 2:17.36; Carrie Joyce of Summerville, SC was the winner of the mile run (5:00.25) and Adriane Barnette of South Mecklenburg, NC was the high jump victor at 5-4.
