Distance Gala Weekly

February 15 – February 2) 

While many of the states on the east coast shift into their indoor state series, a bit further west indoor seasons are just starting to heat up.  With the UK High School Invitational and the Simplot Games taking place over the weekend, there were plenty of results to get excited about.

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Top Five Countdown

A couple top five veterans made the list this week, while a few other athletes kicked off their seasons with impressive performances.  Here is our weekly Top Five Countdown:

5. Jim Rosa (Jr., WW-PN, NJ) – It isn’t the cross country season any more, but that doesn’t mean the impressive string of performances need to end for Jim Rosa.  Rosa dominated his section of the NJ Group Championships, winning the 3,200m run in a US#1 time of 9:05.26.

It was a big week for the 3,200m event.  Earlier in the week, University of Wisconsin-bound Alex Hatz (Sr., Fayetteville-Manlius H.S.) won a 3,200m event in 9:08.18.  This weekend, John Raneri (Sr., New Fairfield, CT) won the Connecticut Open Championships in 9:10.75, while Jake Hurysz (Sr., Eastern Alamance, NC) won the North Carolina Indoor State Championships by just over 13 seconds in 9:10.96.

4. Nick Kaiser (Jr., Bedford, MI) – Last year, as only a sophomore, Nick Kaiser ran 1:50.47. As the top returnee in the country at 800m, Kaiser will have eyes glued to his performances all season long, but the junior started his big meet season on a high note Saturday, beating a competitive field to win the boys 800m dash at the UK High School Invitational.  Kaiser pulled away from fellow junior Quincy Downing (Jr., Clev. Glenville, OH), crossing the finish line in a new US#1 time of 1:53.17.

3. Pat Schellberg (Sr., Dellbarton School, NJ) – After a disappointing performance at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games two weeks ago, Schellberg found his rhythm once again, this time running a US#1 mark for 1,600m at the New Jersey Group Championships.  Schellberg ran a tremendously even race, besting the competitive field in 4:10.48.

2. Kelsey Brown (Sr., Mountain View, UT) – Every year the Simplot Games produce a few memorable high school distance races.  This year, the most notable of all races came in the girls 800m dash, where Kelsey Brown ran a new US#1 mark of 2:11.05.  Brown simply dominated her competition, winning by over three seconds and nearly breaking her personal best in the process.

1. Colby Alexander (Sr., Strongsville, OH) – Having only raced a couple times this season before Saturday’s big race at the UK High School Invitational, Alexander entered as one of the pre-race favorites in the boys mile, but nothing was certain.  Running strong and steady from start to finish, Alexander kicked home to beat a stellar field in a US#2 time of 4:12.25.  The University of Oregon-bound senior showed why he’ll be a contender for all season long to be the top prep miler in the U.S.  Behind Alexander, Omar Kaddurah (Jr., Grand Blanc, MI) ran the fastest junior time in the mile this season, running 4:13.48.

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UK H.S. Invitational Recap

One of the biggest indoor track and field competitions outside of the east coast took place on Saturday.  Athletes from around the Midwest and the South converged at the University of Kentucky to take part in the UK High School Invitational.  Leading the way were a handful of top-tier distance races, including a stacked boys mile field.

The boys mile hosted some of the top prep milers and did not disappoint with the final results.  Colby Alexander (Sr., Strongsville, OH) used a strong kick to blitz the competition, crossing the finish line in a new US#2 mark of 4:12.25.  The University of Oregon-bound senior beat runner-up Omar Kaddurah (Jr., Grand Blanc, MI) by just over a second, as Kaddurah finished in 4:13.48, which ranks him as the top junior miler in the country.  Michael Atchoo (Sr., Troy, MI) placed third in 4:14.34, while Chris Walden (Jr., Carmel, IN) and Ryan Eaton (Sr., Greenwood, KY) finished 4-5 with times of 4:16.18 and 4:18.47.

The boys 800m produced some big results, as well.  Junior standout Nick Kaiser (Jr., Bedford, MI) ran a US#1 mark of 1:53.17, besting fellow junior Quincy Downing (Jr., Clev. Glenville, OH), who crossed the line in 1:54.64.  Henry Stevens-Carty (Sr., Allatoona, GA) and Andrew Stewart (Jr., North Hardin, KY) finished 3-4 with times of 1:54.70 and 1:54.91.  The top four finishers all rank in the US top ten, currently.

On the girls side, Marie Demedicis (Jr., Mountain Brook, AL) ran a US#4 mark, upsetting pre-race favorite Taneisha Cordell (Jr., New Albany, OH) 2:12.71-2:14.88.  Emma Brink (Jr., Sacred Heart, KY), who won the girls mile in 4:59.56 over runner-up Waverly Neer's (Jr., Culver Academies, IN) 5:01.66, placed third in the 800m event with a 2:16.06.

In the two mile races, Clint McKelvey (Sr., Maryville, TN) and Gabrielle Anzalone (Jr., Grand Blanc, MI) won with distinctly different races.  McKelvey ran away from his competitors, winning by just over seven seconds in a US#6 mark of 9:23.14.  Meanwhile, Anzalone won by less than a second, besting Stephanie Strasser (Sr., Fernandina Beach, FL) 10:57.70 - 10:58.36.  Michelle Thomas (Jr., Glen Este, OH) also dipped under the 11-minute barrier with a 10:59.47 finish, while Elizabeth Anderson (Sr., duPont Manual, KY) finished fourth in 11:01.10.

UK High School Invitational Full Results

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An Interview with Colby Alexander

For the past few years, miler after nationally elite miler has come out of the state of Ohio.  From Jeff See, to Sam Bouchers, to Cory Leslie, to Danny Neff, it was only a matter of time before the next nationally ranked Ohio miler stepped to the forefront.  Well, it seems as though Colby Alexander (Sr., Strongsville, OH) is that runner.

Alexander has had a solid running career up to this point, qualifying for Foot Locker Nationals this past fall, while signing with the University of Oregon two weeks ago.  However, Alexander seems poised to take his talents another step or two before his high school career wraps up.  With a 4:14.30 performance two weeks ago, followed with his 4:12.25 mile win at the UK H.S. Invitational this past weekend, Alexander seems poised to challenge the nation’s best.

Distance Gala Weekly (DGW): Congrats on a great start to your track season, running 4:14.30 for the mile a couple weeks ago.  How's your training going thus far?  What's the rest of your indoor season look like?

Colby Alexander (CA): Thanks!  The training is going great!  With all of the snow we've been getting, it can't help but make you stronger.  We don't have much of an indoor season but I am running a really good meet in Kentucky this weekend.  The mile field is stacked.  It should be a really fun race.  Other than that meet, maybe one low-key meet where I run an open half and then our state meet at the end of March.

(Ed. Note. Alexander won the boys mile in a US#2 mark of 4:12.25)

DGW: How has your training changed compared to last year, helping you take that next step in your performances?

CA: It really hasn't changed much, I'm a year older physically and a year more experienced.  Making Footlocker gave me a lot of confidence going into this track season. 

DGW: You qualified for the Foot Locker National Championships this past fall, however, you didn't have your best race in San Diego.  What did you take away from the event that you feel will help you down the road?

CA: As excited as I was to qualify for the finals, you're right it wasn't my best race by a long shot.  I learned a really important lesson the hard way and that is when you're running against a field as talented as that one was, you need to run aggressively and go out and run with the people you want to beat.  I made the mistake of getting out way too slow.  You can't expect great runners to come back to you.

DGW: You obviously are setting yourself up for a great track season.  What are your goals this season?

CA: My indoor goal is to win my indoor state meet in the mile.  Our school hasn't ever had a distance state champ indoor or outdoor.  A stretch goal would be breaking Bob Kennedy's indoor mile state record of 4:10.59.

Outdoor goals are to win the state mile, break 4:05 in the mile, break 1:50 in the 800, break 50 in the 400 and achieve Nike Outdoor Nationals All American in the mile.

DGW: You recently signed your letter of intent with the University of Oregon.  Why did you choose to take your talents to the Ducks next fall?

CA: I've been dreaming of going to Oregon since 8th grade.  My dad used to tell me all about Steve Prefontaine and all the other great runners from Oregon.  My dad and I went to watch the Olympic Trials in 2008 and seeing Andrew Wheating and Galen Rupp make the Olympic team while still wearing the "O” was so cool!  

Even the current Ducks roster is a "who's who" of college distance running!  After visiting, I realized that at Oregon I would be in the best possible situation to be successful at the NCAA level and beyond.  There is no better place to be a distance runner!  The history and tradition in Eugene is like nowhere else.  

DGW: A lot of people know your high school accomplishments in running, but how did you first get started in competitive distance running?

CA: My whole family ran competitively.  I ran CYO track and XC in 6th grade.  I was really lucky that my coach, Pat Coyne, made it fun.  He got us in good shape without burning us out.  Since 7th grade, my mom has coached me.  She has had amazing success coaching high school distance runners and I don't think there is a better coach than her in all of Ohio.  Over my high school career she's kept my mileage pretty low so there's somewhere to go in college.   

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Articles of Interest

An Interview with Ammar Moussa (MileSplit)

Adam Goucher is Not Done (Run Now)

Bernard Lagat & Anna Pierce Talk Winter Olympics (Universal Sports)

A Brief Chat with Molly Huddle (Runner’s World)

Emily Brown Discusses Dealing with Asthma (FloTrack)

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