Runners/Races of Legend

[nwrunner]

I know everybody remembers the great races IL has had in the past decade, give or take, but who/what are the runners/races that your coaches and local legends remeber and talk about. My coach has many that he will talk about, seems like he knows everything about IL track/cross.

[Michael Hildner]

I dont really know much history (like anything more than 6 yeras ago)

But last years 4x8 between LT and Prospect was the best HS race I personally have ever seen. The stadium was crazy.

[nacho]

Last year in track we got to watch a video of the first year the 4 by 8 was ever run in Illinois state (I think). It came down to LT and I beleive Thornton or Thornridge in the last leg. The LT runner (Dave Franson, now the principal of our school) ran about a 1:50, only to get outkicked by the Thornton kid, who ran about a 1:49. The times these two teams ran were one and two in the nation for that year.

[Ace-Tres]

Last year in track we got to watch a video of the first year the 4 by 8 was ever run in Illinois state (I think). It came down to LT and I beleive Thornton or Thornridge in the last leg. The LT runner (Dave Franson, now the principal of our school) ran about a 1:50, only to get outkicked by the Thornton kid, who ran about a 1:49. The times these two teams ran were one and two in the nation for that year.

I'd pay upwards of 20 dollars for a copy of this tape/video.

[phrisbee]

Our coach has a handfull of runners he talks about including Mark Deady and Pat Joyce. Also talks about Ian Cronin a lot.

[Mr. Brightside]

Both races by Sage his senior year of state track. The final lap in the 3200 against Keller, WOW! And for the Palatine guy who was in 3rd the whole way until the last lap, still running a 9:10 or something like that and getting 5th or so. Talk about a stacked race!

[Gump]

I have a video of that state meet cause it was televised. Sage's races were phenomenal. There was also this other guy that year, Nick Bromberek, from Lemont, who won the long jump, 400, and 200. He also got second by .01 in the 100. Scored 38 points all by himself and got second in the TEAM race. That was an amazing state meet to watch.

[Madone5.9]

This will show my age, but my freshman year of high school, I was at the dupage county meet when sage and keller both went sub 9. Sage ran something near a 55-56 last lap to 8:43. It is still the most amazing thing I have seen in person.

Oh, and then I PR'd in the frosh-soph mile, later that evening.

[point-eight-k]

I'd pay upwards of 20 dollars for a copy of this tape/video.

Let's have it if anyone's got it. I'll pay 20.00 too for a copy.

[cgrunner2005]

I always hear about how Zach Fairfield won Central the conference title in 2002. He got second in the 800 running under the old conference meet record, then I think he came back to win the mile (not sure drake is ognna have to help me with this one) and hten he anchored the winning mile relay team, outkicking the best 400 guys in the conference. It wasn't as cool as seeing Sage and Keller both go under 9 or Bomberek taking second in state by himself, but it was still pretty cool.

[point-eight-k]

I always hear about how Zach Fairfield won Central the conference title in 2002. He got second in the 800 running under the old conference meet record, then I think he came back to win the mile (not sure drake is ognna have to help me with this one) and hten he anchored the winning mile relay team, outkicking the best 400 guys in the conference. It wasn't as cool as seeing Sage and Keller both go under 9 or Bomberek taking second in state by himself, but it was still pretty cool.

All I know is that CLC team back in 2001 was amazingly talented.

[Runr Of Cwood]

tho noone cares....

At Charleston Invite all of our senior years the best cross country race I have ever witnessed taken place.
Erik Werden, Eric Tietz, and Rey Alvarez ran the 3 mile race completely together the entire race. Noone gained a 2 step lead the entire race, maybe it was a have to be there type of race but they all finished around 14:50 or so

[runningnerd]

Any response as to that video with that first 4x800 race on it that was mentioned earlier? I am definitely interested in purchasing one...

[nacho]

If I remember correctly, (Maier or Derock help me out here), our coach borrowed the video from another coach, who had one of the only copies or something like that. I'll ask about it this week in practice though.

[runningnerd]

That would be great... Thanks :)

[ehof]

Erik Werden, Eric Tietz, and Rey Alvarez ran the 3 mile race completely together the entire race.Where was Ricky Alvarez?

[runner11]

At the Charleston Invite it actually went 1. Rickey 14:52, 2. Rey 14:54 3. Tietz 14:54 and 4. Werden was 15:32.
Tietz and the Alvarez's broke the old course record. Regionals where held at the same place and Werden outkicked McCann 14:47 to 14:48 to set the new course record. Tietz and Rey were another ten seconds back, and Ricky was another ten.

[runner11]

The race I will always remember will be the Gene Ward 800 a couple years ago. Kruidenier v. Pifer. Those two had talked about three weeks prior about setting this race up, and it was awesome. This was the "glamour event", and they stopped all of the field events for it. Pifer took the lead from the start, and the two crossed the 400 around 54 flat. With 200 to go Kruidenier flew by Pifer, and left him in the dust. Pifer knew it was over after that, and kind of just jogged the last 100 meters in. Kruidenier 150.9 Pifer 153.7.

[Fast4]

The Sage vs. torres races could also be considered classics just cause look how awesome those guys really were. Sage lost to Torres 14:16 to 14:22 his sophomore year. then lost 14:00-14:16 his junior year after Torres kept throwing in surges during the middle of the race to take the kick out of sage's legs. I would have to say, Torres was good enough to do what Tim Keller wasn't. good enough to run the kick out of sage's legs.

[ssaymssik]

I would like to have seen the indoor race between Pifer and Cobrin where they both hit around 9.

[Runr Of Cwood]

At the Charleston Invite it actually went 1. Rickey 14:52, 2. Rey 14:54 3. Tietz 14:54 and 4. Werden was 15:32.
Tietz and the Alvarez's broke the old course record. Regionals where held at the same place and Werden outkicked McCann 14:47 to 14:48 to set the new course record. Tietz and Rey were another ten seconds back, and Ricky was another ten.

well, apparently I had 2 races mixed together. hell i was running in those races (very far back), but just from wtaching ahead and hearing, I wasnt sure)

[wellabd]

I always hear about how Zach Fairfield won Central the conference title in 2002. He got second in the 800 running under the old conference meet record, then I think he came back to win the mile (not sure drake is ognna have to help me with this one) and hten he anchored the winning mile relay team, outkicking the best 400 guys in the conference. It wasn't as cool as seeing Sage and Keller both go under 9 or Bomberek taking second in state by himself, but it was still pretty cool.

Fairfield ran 1:56ish, 1:54, 4:25, and 50-52 that meet. The only really amazing race was the 800 between Zach and Jake Hack. Both ran 1:54.x

tho noone cares....


Who are you?

[dirtlegged]

i remember looking through the ihsa records about a year and a half ago, and i noticed a lot of the all time best times were from 1976 and i was like wtf?? was it a mistake?? then my coach told me about what he heard about that race. unbeleivable.

heres a local story- pretty unimportant but still one of those races i will never forget. last year the msl conference mile was stacked, included mike murray and jay renaud from prospect, brian robertson from barrington, glenn morris and james macatangay from palatine, rob pykocz from conant, and christian escareno from rolling meadows. slow heat had alex sutphen from hoffman estates. the race went off and the front pack included muray renaud and robertson. then in the last 300 brian mcvey-basically a 428 no-name at the time, took the lead and charged it home with a huge pr of 423. i dunno it was an awsome race and he was pretty much the underdawg. and it was raining like crazy, very inspirational moment.

[JAW]

from 100th Illinois State meet program
Great 2-mile Relay
by Jerry Shnay

"It was the greatest relay race ever held in the Illinois state track meet.

When Donald White of Harvey (Thornton) crossed the finish line of the 1976 two-mile relay - the first year the race was run - he capped a dramatic conclusion to a race that became etched in the minds of all who saw the event.

Not only did White lead his team to victory, but Thorton's time of 7:37.97 was the best in the nation for the event.

White, who later that day would win the open 440 in 48.4, had run a blistering pace in the two laps of a race in which five of the 12 finalists were in first place at one time or another during the eight laps.

That wasn't all.

Lyons of LaGrange came in second in 7:38.3 and that time was the second fastest in the nation that season.

Rockford East was third in the race and third nationally in 7:39.0.

Get the idea?

Chicago Heights Bloom was the pre-race favorite, running the fastest time in the state in the Friday preliminaries, and led for about three laps midway through the event. But even a 1:49.8 split for Jeff Small in the last leg couldn't save the Trojans from a fourth-place time of 7:39.6. And that was also the fourth best time in the nation in 1976.

Evanston was fifth in 7:40.6. South Holland (thornwood) was sixth in 7:41.7 and Champaign Central was seventh in 7:43.6. And that's where the teams placed nationally, five-six-seven!

The relay was the first event of the Saturday finals, and after Farmington (East) won the Class A title, they went off without but with a subconscious warning among track fans about what could take place.

Lyons, Thornwood, Thornton, Bloom and Rockford east alternated leads with almost every pass of the baton. Bloom, which was battling East St. Louis (Sr.) for team honors throughout the day, took the lead midway through the fourth lap but it was never secure and its runners were challenged first by one team and then another.

White, one of the best middle-distance runners in Thornton history, had suffered an injury midway through his junior year and couldn't do better than fifth in the state 440 the year before.

Bloom's Mark Lemke had run the third leg in a personal best 1:53, but Thornton's Bill Moran caught up to Lemke just before that final baton pass.

When White took the stick from Moran, he was in sixth place in the tightly-bunched field but surged into the lead midway through the last two laps.

Margins from first to fifth were paper-thin through those two laps as the anchor lap runners exchanged places almost on a yard-to-yard basis. No one faltered and the packed house now sensed there was something special going on and rose to its feet as the runners challenged each other through the stretch and into the first turn of the bell lap.

Coaches called it a breathtaking event, and Steve Miller, former coach of the Bloom Trojans, said it was one of the greatest races in the history of high school track."

==============================================

Reply from Jerry Schnay (posted on Letsrun.com)

"It's been 29 years since I wrote that story. For the time and place, it is still an awesome memory. Bloom was supposed to win that event. It didn't and it cost them the state title. Last I heard (a few years ago), Bloom Coach Steve Miller was one of the big spikes at Nike. But one post asked the question why Illinois had all those great middle distance and long distance runners in the 1970s. I think there was one big factor. Suburban Chicago coaches needed to find ways to counter the points that sprint speed gave Chicago schools. The raw talent was there. It needed to be developed. Tom Graves (my favorite Illinois distance runner) began his high school career on the swim team! Success seemed to build upon success and for a number of years the longer events were the most glamourous to cover. So what happened? Coaches moved up or moved out and in the early 1980s the emphasis in high schools shifted to a 12-month a year dedication to basketball. I saw it take hold in the laste 1970s and by the time I left the sports department in 1988, high school track lost a lot of its appeal."

================================================== =======

[run2win]

last year's 4x8. LT ran the 4th best time in the country and lost. I remember sitting right on the finish line w/ our 4x8 that didn't make finals and as soon as garde & topol got the batons even w/ each other, i knew the finish was going to be classic and it did not disappoint.

[black n gold]

one of my favorite races was last years indoor conference for the west suburban silver. it came down to the mile relay and we had to take 1st and hinsdale had to go fourth. hinsdale led the first two legs but we pulled out the vitory in the end with billhardt crossing the line just ahead of downers and oprf. unfortunately, oprf spiked the baton so hinsdale took third and we lost.

[ditka3001]

from 100th Illinois State meet program
Great 2-mile Relay
by Jerry Shnay

"It was the greatest relay race ever held in the Illinois state track meet.

When Donald White of Harvey (Thornton) crossed the finish line of the 1976 two-mile relay - the first year the race was run - he capped a dramatic conclusion to a race that became etched in the minds of all who saw the event.

Not only did White lead his team to victory, but Thorton's time of 7:37.97 was the best in the nation for the event.

White, who later that day would win the open 440 in 48.4, had run a blistering pace in the two laps of a race in which five of the 12 finalists were in first place at one time or another during the eight laps.

That wasn't all.

Lyons of LaGrange came in second in 7:38.3 and that time was the second fastest in the nation that season.

Rockford East was third in the race and third nationally in 7:39.0.

Get the idea?

Chicago Heights Bloom was the pre-race favorite, running the fastest time in the state in the Friday preliminaries, and led for about three laps midway through the event. But even a 1:49.8 split for Jeff Small in the last leg couldn't save the Trojans from a fourth-place time of 7:39.6. And that was also the fourth best time in the nation in 1976.

Evanston was fifth in 7:40.6. South Holland (thornwood) was sixth in 7:41.7 and Champaign Central was seventh in 7:43.6. And that's where the teams placed nationally, five-six-seven!

The relay was the first event of the Saturday finals, and after Farmington (East) won the Class A title, they went off without but with a subconscious warning among track fans about what could take place.

Lyons, Thornwood, Thornton, Bloom and Rockford east alternated leads with almost every pass of the baton. Bloom, which was battling East St. Louis (Sr.) for team honors throughout the day, took the lead midway through the fourth lap but it was never secure and its runners were challenged first by one team and then another.

White, one of the best middle-distance runners in Thornton history, had suffered an injury midway through his junior year and couldn't do better than fifth in the state 440 the year before.

Bloom's Mark Lemke had run the third leg in a personal best 1:53, but Thornton's Bill Moran caught up to Lemke just before that final baton pass.

When White took the stick from Moran, he was in sixth place in the tightly-bunched field but surged into the lead midway through the last two laps.

Margins from first to fifth were paper-thin through those two laps as the anchor lap runners exchanged places almost on a yard-to-yard basis. No one faltered and the packed house now sensed there was something special going on and rose to its feet as the runners challenged each other through the stretch and into the first turn of the bell lap.

Coaches called it a breathtaking event, and Steve Miller, former coach of the Bloom Trojans, said it was one of the greatest races in the history of high school track."

==============================================

Reply from Jerry Schnay (posted on Letsrun.com)

"It's been 29 years since I wrote that story. For the time and place, it is still an awesome memory. Bloom was supposed to win that event. It didn't and it cost them the state title. Last I heard (a few years ago), Bloom Coach Steve Miller was one of the big spikes at Nike. But one post asked the question why Illinois had all those great middle distance and long distance runners in the 1970s. I think there was one big factor. Suburban Chicago coaches needed to find ways to counter the points that sprint speed gave Chicago schools. The raw talent was there. It needed to be developed. Tom Graves (my favorite Illinois distance runner) began his high school career on the swim team! Success seemed to build upon success and for a number of years the longer events were the most glamourous to cover. So what happened? Coaches moved up or moved out and in the early 1980s the emphasis in high schools shifted to a 12-month a year dedication to basketball. I saw it take hold in the laste 1970s and by the time I left the sports department in 1988, high school track lost a lot of its appeal."

================================================== =======

Isn't there supposedly a video of this race?

[Ace-Tres]

Isn't there supposedly a video of this race?

Yes, and I still have a 20 dollar bill set aside for whoever provides me with a copy of it.

[2milerelay]

I'll see what i can do as far as copying, but if i remember correctly, the full race was not on the tape, i thought it more showed clips of each of the runners, i think we were given the tape from thornton

[mjwhite]

I got a copy of the Thornton relay on home video, or 8mm video or whatever they used n the 70's. But my dad had it transfered to VHS. My dads brother is Don White the 1:49 anchorleg for Thornton. My pops and my grandpa were at the meet recording the relay. Good stuff, when I am done with school i will see if i can make copies of it or whatever... by the way on the tape it also has some other meets that my uncle ran in with people like Alberto Salazar racing in high school, its pretty sweet. Also alot of people don't know that thronton ran that relay w/o it's #1 relay leg... i think he was sick or injured the day of and they had a soph. run in his place. pretty amazing.

[PreLikedBeer]

I want that video. So you are willing to make copies? And thats amazing that thorton still ran that fast w/o their best leg....AND it was a sophomore!?! Running sub 150? wow.

[mjwhite]

the soph. didnt run the 1:49... he was just the replacement. but ya i will probably be able to make copies but not til later when i get back from school. ill have to go back and check if its the whole race too, it might be just the last 2 relay legs.

[PreLikedBeer]

the soph. didnt run the 1:49... he was just the replacement. but ya i will probably be able to make copies but not til later when i get back from school. ill have to go back and check if its the whole race too, it might be just the last 2 relay legs.
oh whoops, i was thinking #1 best instead of #1 leg. Still, im sure he was close to it.

[JAW]

I forwarded this from Bill Moran >>>> Jeff Wagner

=====================================

I was the second man for Harvey Thornton's 1976 2-mile relay. The most remarkable thing to me was that this lineup was not our best team. In fact, our best half-miler in 1975 was Junior Mitch Johnston. Mitch was in great shape after X-C in 1975, and was probably on his way to being at least a 1:50.0 performer, when he was felled by a fairly substantial injury during the 1976 indoor season. As a Sophomore with no speed, I ran 1:58.0 for a P.R. at the State Meet, after setting my first P.R. of 55.0 at the quarter. Imagine if that 1:58.0 had been replaced by a 1:50.0! While Thornton would not have run 7:30.0* in that State Meet race because of the enormous lead we would have had, the potential was still there. Not many universities have that amount of potential on their present day rosters. I also think our anchor leg, Don White, Charlie's younger brother, could have run faster than 1:49.6, after opening with a first quarter of 51.6, but that is another story. Good luck to all the boys and girls running in their State Meets this weekend.

Billy Moran

* Now equivalent to a 4 X 800m of 7:27.2!

[point-eight-k]

I got a copy of the Thornton relay on home video, or 8mm video or whatever they used n the 70's. But my dad had it transfered to VHS. My dads brother is Don White the 1:49 anchorleg for Thornton. My pops and my grandpa were at the meet recording the relay. Good stuff, when I am done with school i will see if i can make copies of it or whatever... by the way on the tape it also has some other meets that my uncle ran in with people like Alberto Salazar racing in high school, its pretty sweet. Also alot of people don't know that thronton ran that relay w/o it's #1 relay leg... i think he was sick or injured the day of and they had a soph. run in his place. pretty amazing.

Try the digital converter (VHS to Digital Video) That way you wont risk damaging it's quality. Those things work wonders.