Boys A 1600

[hox13]

Just wondering who people are liking for the mile this year in A. Obviously you have people like Parker Thompson coming back, and some new young guys who could be pushing up there, but I'm just curious if anyone has any names to add to the mix

[millertime1600]

i know that parker is the favorite but i'm adding a few names to the mix

Feldhake
Mickow
Callahan
Lukens
Peterson

and then there is a kid that i think could get into the top five if he lives up to his potential this year..........Lucas Loots of Staunton. He narrowly missed the finals last year as a sophomore and had a very good cross season this year finishing 22nd so he's my darkhorse to do very well in the 1600 this year.

I still think that Thompson is gonna win it again this year

[ochocinco]

Tom Pacey from PBL will be up there, he ran a 4:36 as a freshman so he could be in the top 5. he may be overlooked cuz at state he ran terrible as a freshman after running the 4 by 8 earlier in the day. Depending on if he does basketball or not he could be a huge threat.

[dbandre]

What's wrong with basketball for Pacey? He's a sophomore and doesn't need to decide about basketball until next year when he's a junior or maybe even as senior or never. He should do as many sports as he can now, then decide later in his career to cut the sports he wishes if he feels they are interfering in his development as an athlete.

I understand the kid swims during the summer instead of running a lot of miles. Seems he's done fine with that type of program so far, because he's active all year round. He'll decide what's important in life for himself athletically. He doesn't need a bunch of yahoo's telling he needs to run more! How many of you ran a 4:36 as a freshman? I didn't and I know of very few that did.

[illini1]

Colin Mickow definitely has to be one to watch after he ran 14:50 in AA cross-country. He certainly would have challenged Parker for the title at Detweiler. His brother Hunter's 15:17 wasn't too shabby either.

With the cutoff for track being 724 students, you get back several good teams that weren't in Class A for cross-country:

Bloomington Central Catholic
Princeton
Rochester
Kankakee Bishop McNamara
Herrin (just barely under the cutoff at 723)

Should be a pretty loaded mile and 2-mile field at state.

[newpackman]

Just a couple of other names two throw out.

Brent Rhodes Monticello-He's coming off his best season yet.

Logan Block Knoxville-Comming off a injury, he might not win but he will push the pace.

Kyle Harvey Sullivan-He didn't run well at all last year at state, but look for him to rebound.

Also agreeing with every other name been said.

[ochocinco]

I wasn't trying to bash him, Im just saying that if he doesn't do basketball he may be higher up. Plus I could use another training partner in the winter. I am his teammate so I'm definitely not trying to bash him.

[dbandre]

ochocinco said:

I wasn't trying to bash him, Im just saying that if he doesn't do basketball he may be higher up. Plus I could use another training partner in the winter. I am his teammate so I'm definitely not trying to bash him.

I didn't say you were, I just don't think giving up basketball is a good idea unless he doesn't enjoy it. Actually, running now more will make not him better altogether. Basketball, Wrestling, and Swimming are great winter season sports for track athletes to compete in. They provide a good enough aerobic base to work from. If his times continue to improve in track and I suspect they will he has no need to stop basketball. If he makes it down to 4:22 he can think of playing basketall again as a junior. If he stagnates around 4:27 he has to think about rebuilding his base instead of basketball if track and XC are his sports.

[benmanion]

I am pretty sure that Jason Zieren ran 4:30 as a freshman. Probably not the only A runner to run that fast as a freshman, but I thought it might be worth mentioning.

[youknow]

I'm pretty sure that Earl Ali from Burlington Central ran 4:29 as a freshman in 1999 (Class A back then).

[cyron10k]

I think Earl Ali actually ran 4:27 and then he came back to run a 50 or 51 split on his all stat 4x4 about 20 min later. He may have ran that 4:27 in prelims though..... but that was our school record at the time.

[benmanion]

Here are a couple of "fast freshman" in the past 10 years:

2002 (finals) - 5 Dane Zeiler (Fr.), Metropolis (Massac County) 4:24.63

1999 (finals) - 6 Matt Field (Fr.), West Chicago (Wheaton Academy) 4:26.59

2003 (finals) - 6 Michael Grieve (Fr.), Manlius (Bureau Valley) 4:26.63

1998 (finals) - 2 Earl Ali (Fr.), Burlington (Central) 4:27.71

[dbandre]

Gentlemen,

my point was there are very few freshmen that run that fast for the 1600m. Pacey's 4:36 is pretty darn good as a freshman, so why alter what has made him successful up to this point. He'll improve just because he matured one more year and probably got a little bit stronger just because he's still young.

[kcor]

1 Thompson
2 Mickow
3 Callahan(?)
4 Feldhake
5 Loots
6 Nied(?)
7 Block
8 Peterson
9 Pacey

and to be fair, Pacey wasn't even the fastest frosh in class a last year

[stmrunner2009]

is it true that pacey also got injured during the basketball season last year because i remember hearing that that severly messed up his training

[benmanion]

dbandre - No question, 4:36 as a fresman is pretty darn good. There aren't a ton of guys running that fast as a freshman. It is amazing to me that some of the guys like Zeiler, et al. really didn't run much faster over the next 4 years. 4:24 is blazing as a freshman, but he improved maby 5 seconds over the next 3 years. It just doesn't make a lot of sense.

I guess at the end of the day it isn't how you start, but how you finish that matters! Any thoughts?

[circuit]

I believe that Chris Nied of Rockford Christian Life had the fastest freshman time last year in 4:32. Pacey pulled a hamstring in mid March, the week after running 4:50 indoors, and lost about 3 weeks training

[westrunner1]

Watch out for Matt Paarlberg in the 800, 1600, and maybe even the 3200. This kid has tons of speed. Wouldnt be suprised if he challenges for top three in the 800 or 1600. 1:57 as a sophmore and just ran a 15:08 for XC.

[newpackman]

Paarlberg runs the 800? At 1:57? Man that kid is wicked. If he runs the 800 then he and Zebe can give PT a good run for his money. Also what is his best 1600 time?

[westrunner1]

No exactly sure about his 1600 time, but I know that he has a lot of speed! 1:57 as a sophmore is d**n good! I still believe parker is the one to beat in both the 8 and 16, but he can and most likely will be challenged.

[lnghrnstud6]

How about a Jr. from Wilmington... Trevor Howard. His sectional is wide open. His sophmore time for the 1600 was a 4:49 but he also ran the 3200. Rumor is he has decided to stick with just the 1600. Plus he sees good runners throughout the year like Peterson, Pearlberg, Miroux (Hall), and the Mac runners. Might not have anything for Thompson but could make finals with the compitition...

[circuit]

don't know trevor howard, but a 4:49 isn't going to make many waves in the greater Kankakee area

[newpackman]

Never heard of him, but that should put him in the hunt for finals. This thing should get really interseting. PT should have the top lined up (nobody in the state combines that kind of indurence and footspeed) but you never know who will get all-state.

[born2run]

You might keep an eye out for Morris from Lawrenceville, he ran 4:38 last year with very little training. His school doesnt even have a track.

[newpackman]

Didn't know Morris was going to try the 1600. I figured he'd do the 3200. He's deff one to watch.

[xc393]

Will a 4:42 make it down state in any sectionals? What times usually make it?....might be stupid questions, but im a freshman.....

[illini1]

Obviously it depends on the sectional, but last year there were 7 guys 4:42 or slower who made it to state. Another thing though is that some guys won't run as hard as long as they know they can make the top 2 in the sectional and qualify automatically. A good example would be Garrett Lukens of Herrin who only ran 4:41 at his sectional but still medaled last year at state.

To make a long answer short, you should just aim for a 4:37.0 which is the automatic qualifying standard for Class A.

[huttorunner4life]

i've never heard of Peter Callahan and he is in the lead for the 1600. anybody heard of him?

[newpackman]

Not Robinson. You wanna talk about a tough distance sectional...man Robinson, Cumberland, Shelbyville, Jeremy Reel, and Matt Feldhake. Should be nice and crazy in the 1600.

[killer1600]

parker tompson and logan block run in the same sectional this year should push eachother well there is a monmouth. jr who is good and could get out but has to deside between the 3200 or the 1600 instead of doubleing at his sectional or he wont get down to state in eather if he dosent choose one.