From Walt Murphy. Shared with permission. Walt produces an info-rich daily ”This Day in T&F” newsletter. Contact him at waltmurphy44@gmail.com if you’d like to join his distribution list.
Oh how I wish there were national high school invitationals back in my day!
This weekend Nike (Eugene, OR), Adidas (Greensboro, NC), and New Balance (Philadelphia, PA) are hosting the best high schoolers in the nation.
Need any proof that these competitions showcase the future stars of our sport? Let’s take a moment to step back in time to 2007.
Matthew Centrowitz (8:41.55 / Broadneck, MD) beat one of the deepest prep fields ever in the 2-Mile at the 2007 Nike Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro, NC. Among his many subsequent accomplishments, of course, is winning the gold medal in the 1500 meters at the 2016 Olympics.
11 boys broke 9-minutes and many went on to have success at the college level and beyond.
In second, Craig Forys (8:44.53 / Colts Neck, NJ). Craig would go on to finish 2nd in the Steeplechase at the 2012 NCAA Championships at Michigan, in addition to being a 5-time finalist at the U.S. Championships, including a 6th place finish at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials.
In third was Elliott Heath (8:46.12 / Winona, MN). Elliot is the 2011 NCAA Indoor Champion for 3000 meters while at Stanford). If the last name is familiar to you, the answer is yes, Elliott’s brother is the versatile cross country and road mile champion Garrett Heath.
In fourth, Evan Jager (8:47.59 / Jacobs, IL). Jager’s exploits in the steeplechase are well-known, including posting an American Record in the event of 8:00.45. He is also a 7-time U.S. Champion, 2016 Olympic silver medalist, and bronze medalist at the 2017 World Championships.
In fifth came Hassan Mead (8:51.23 / Minneapolis South, MN). Mead is the 2017 U.S. Champion for 10,000 meters, and was a member of 4 U.S. teams: 2015 World Championships (10,000, finishing 15th), 2016 Olympic Games (5000, finishing 11th), 2017 World Championships (10,000, finishing 15th), and the 2019 World Championships, (5000, finishing 11th).
Coming in 13th was Luke Puskedra (9:00.25 / Judge, UT). Luke would go on to be a 3-time All-American at Oregon, once in the 5000 (2009 indoors), and twice in the 10,000 (2011 and 2012). He would also finish fourth at the 2016 Olympic Trials Marathon.
Watch this video. This was vintage Centro. Smooth, next level.
