IHSA Boys State Track and Field Championships - Dissecting the 3A 1600 Meter Run Heats

 

By Michael Newman [email protected]

 

Charleston, Ill – The first runners for Friday afternoon’s Class 3A 1600 Meter Run heats came out onto the track from the starters tent not knowing what was ready to hit them. 40 runners had qualified for the state meet in the event. Two athletes did not start rather focusing on the efforts for their team in the 4x800m Relay.

 

24 athletes in this field had run under 4:20 this season. The is the largest number of runners ever that were trying to qualify in a Class 3A prelim for this distance.

 

There was a spit of rain here and there as the runners were waiting to hit the track. There was a little bit of a northerly wind but that did not seem to bother the runners in the three heats. The temperatures were close to 60 degrees with overcast skies. Perfect for a distance runner.

 

These three heats were the most anticipated races over the first two days. This did not feel like a qualifying races. This had the feel of a big time final race where medals were given out. The only thing that would be earned here was personal bests and 12 spots to toe the line for Saturday’s finals.

 

Heat #1

 

Seven runners went to the waterfall start with seasonal bests under 4:20. I was thinking how would the pace go? Would it be slow and tactical? Would these runners let it all loose and go after a fast pace?

 

Thankfully, the pace was honest for the first 400-meters. Owen Forberg of HL Richards was the one who decided to push the pace at the start taking the field through the 400 in 63.6. The rest of the field was right with him not wanting to be the first runner to drop off the pace. That group went through between 64 and 66 seconds.

 

This was a fast paced chess match. It was interesting to see when a runner would make a move to push the pace and yell out Checkmate. The pace stayed honest the second lap as Forberg continued to push the pace with a 64.8 second lap passing in 2:08.5. Declan Tunney of Sandburg stayed close along with Balin Doud of Oswego, Jack Klein of Lane Tech, Ryan Watts and Geordan Patrylak of Edwardsville, and Riley Newport of DeKalb.

 

It seemed that the pace stepped down just a notch as the runners were on the back stretch. Some nudging, some innocent bumping as the group bunched closer. It was usual to big race tactics. As they came off the far turn, who would be the runner that would take the pace to hyper drive?

 

Watts was the first runner to break up the pace moving to the outside and increasing the speed of his stride. He passed 1200-meters as the bell sounded for the final lap in 3:11.4 running the third lap in a quick 61.9 seconds. Patrylak was along side of his teammate as they had planned. Doud also responded along with Tunney. They were just a second back but in good positions. Forberg dropped a little off the pace but still stayed hooked to the pack. Newport and Klein stayed close, but the pace was notched up another level. They had to move back up if they wanted to race another day.

 

Watts’ powerful stride was the difference as he moved off the final curve with the lead. He ran 61.6 for the final lap, the final two laps in 2:03.4 to win the first heat in 4:12.96 to secure a spot in the finals. The first thing he did after the finish line is turn around and look for his teammate. Tunney crossed in second (4:13.73). Forberg moved into third in the final 100 with a huge personal best of 4:14.28. Then came Patrylak (4:14.36) also with a personal best of 4:14.36. Watts was there as the two friends hugged knowing they had run their best at this time.

 

Doud was close behind in 4:14.87. Five runners at this point under 4:15!

 

Newport was sixth in 4:17.46. Would that be enough to make it to Saturday? Camryn Viger of Plainfield South moved up to seventh (4:19.90) to make it seven runners under 4:20 just as previous history had dictated. Klein was at the end of the pack running 4:20.53. In any year, that time would make the finals. This year he would have to wait to see if the time made the cut. The runners that had just finished gathered their gear but did not move from the area behind the finish line wanting to see the next two races. Only Tunney left the stadium. He was secure of his race and did not see what would next. He would just look at the results.

 

Heat #2

 

The runners in this heat stood on the line behind the finish area watching the first race develop. They saw what needed to be done as the final times flashed up on the scoreboard. Now it was their turn to toe the line.

 

Just as the first heat, the second heat also had seven runners that had run under 4:20 this season. The gun went off. Smoke fired out of the gun’s barrel. Let’s see what would happen in this second race.

 

This middle heat would not be Deja-vu. No one wanted to take the lead through the first 200-meters as the entire 12 runner field passed in 33 seconds. There was no spurts in the next 200-meters as Alexander Das of Oswego East seemed to reluctantly take the lead and led the pack through a 67.6 opening lap. This was already four seconds off the pace of the first heat.

 

What was happening? I looked at the third heat runners that were getting set up for the race. They watched what was transpiring with some shaking their head. One of the runners mouthed “too slow.”

 

This was the pace that Micah Wilson of St. Charles East wanted. In last year’s 3200 Meter Run final, Wilson controlled the pace from the start though that pace was a little more honest. He bolted to the lead in the final two laps to run 2:07 for the final 800-meters to claim his first state title. The same thing happened at Detweiller Park in November. Wilson controlled the pace. Wilson kicked to the win.

 

He took the lead just before 600-meters into the race but did not pick it up. He had a 3200 Meter Run title to defend on Saturday. Just win baby and you’re running this race on Saturday.

 

How could this field let this happen? They were content to let Wilson do the work. No movement throughout the runners in the pack. The pace slowed to 68.3 as Wilson led in 2:15.9. This race was now seven seconds back. Colby Revord of Hinsdale Central, Tim Neumann of Downers Grove South, Nick Falk of New Trier, and Zach Balzer of Minooka were right with Wilson either not knowing what the pace was or had enough confidence to overtake Wilson.

 

This was liar’s poker. Wilson had all the aces, and he just threw them on the table.

 

Wilson started his kick moving onto the back stretch with 700-meters left in the race. He passed 1200-meters in 3:17.6 with a 61.8 lap. Revord was right with Wilson along with Neumann, Falk, and Balzer.

 

Wilson did what he needed to do to win, advance, and get a little speed work in the end closing in 60.4/2:02.1. he crossed the finish line with a smile. On to Saturday.

 

The rest of the pack? Well, they would have to wait to see what happened in the final race. Revord held his spot finishing second (4:19.05) with Balzer closing in 60 seconds to grab third (4:19.63). Neumann (4:20.15) and Falk (4:20.34) finished fourth and fifth with their meet basically over in this event.

 

Heat #3

 

This field was loaded. 10 of the 13 runners in this field had run under 4:20 this season. Would we see the first heat pace or the second heat pace as the runners approached the starting line?

 

A fellow reporter who was beside of me asked who is going to push this pace in this heat. They can’t just let that (second heat) happen again.

 

My quick reply was: Lewellyn.

 

Roy Lewellyn of Downers Grove North was a runner that I have watched develop over the past two years. He runs from the front, and he runs with confidence. Try and take the lead from him, you will have a fight on your hands.

 

This pace did not mirror the previous heat. Lewellyn led the pack through the first 400-meters in 63.1 with Marcellus Mines of Joliet West, Luke Wiley of Warren Township, Ethan Summer of York, Aidan Simon of Loyola, and Hunter Whitney of Lane Tech were among that pack of leaders. There was no real strategy. Run a fast pace. finish with a fast time. Earn a trip to the finals. These facts were not lost on this heat.

 

Mines took over the lead passing 800-meters in 2:07.0. This was faster than the first heat. Eight seconds faster than the third heat. Lewellyn was right on Mines side as were Wiley, Summer, George Cahill of New Trier, and now Joey Furlong of Barrington.

 

The runner approached the final lap and things were developing quickly. Mines had the lead at the bell at 3:11.8. Wiley, Summer, and Lewellyn were reacting not thinking about the pace as they were less than a second back. Luke Noren of Naperville Central was now in fifth but more than a second behind the first four that were pulling away.

 

Mines looked like he had the heat won in the final 100-meters. Lewellyn was not done yet as he passed Mines. This was great theater that you would see on Broadway. Wiley made a move to take the lead that brought the crowd to their feet.

 

Just before the line, Lewellyn made one final lunge that gave him the win (4:13.89) and a place in the finals. Wiley was there in second with his 4:14.02 time. Mines, who had just come back to race at the end of the year due to an injury, produced a personal best of 4:14.74 to finish third. Summer ran a smart race to finish fourth (4:15.30) with another personal best. Whitney (4:16.41) and Furlong (4:17.01) finished fifth and sixth and had to wait to see if they would race another day.

 

Noren finished seventh (4:19.29). His weekend in this event appeared to be over.

 

Outcome

 

Runners gathered after the finishing making small talk some looking at their phones waiting for the results to be published. “I said wow after seeing the first heat finish,” Lewellyn said afterwards. “We saw what happened before us and we knew what we had to do,”

 

Five runners advanced from the first heat: Watts, Tunney, Forberg, Patrylak, and Doud.

 

Wilson was the only runner to advance from the second heat overloaded with tactics.

 

Lewellyn, Wiley, Mines, Summer, Whitney, and Furlong al made it from the final heat. Furlong’s 12 seed time was 4:17.01. Absolutely amazing times that fast made it to the finals. 10 of the 12 runners that ran in the three races that advanced ran personal bests. Only two other runners in this event of 38 finishers ran personal bests.

 

Heartbreak hit Riley Newport again. He found out a couple of hours before in the 4x800m Relay was that his DeKalb team was the 13th team in the event missing qualifying by two tenths of a second. In this race, he finished sixth in the first heat but missed qualifying for the finals by almost half a second again as the 13th place finisher. He will be back next year with fire in his eyes.

 

Can the finals Saturday afternoon match what we will saw on a cloudy Friday afternoon? We will see. We could see times under 4:10 in what could be an epic final. That is the hope from a distance running nerd.