Boys Mile - Carlos Villarreal stuns field with blazing final 100m for US #2 4:05.25
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Photo by Kirby Lee/Image of Sport
The loss of Matthew Maton to injury meant that Hayward Field would likely not see another high school sub-four minute mile on Friday. But it also meant the race was wide open to a field full of All-Americans.
Marist, Ore. junior Jordan Pifer served as the pacer, leading the field through 59.5 for the first 400m with Mikey Brannigan of Northport, N.Y. trailing closely on the inside and Dajour Braxton of Centennial, Nev. on outside. The pack ran very closely - Sam Ritz, running in fourth, slightly tripped up on Braxton around the 600m mark, though both recovered. Pifer ran the second lap in about 63, then stepped off the track as his pacing duties were over.
Brannigan took over pacing duties then, but at 1000m, it was Thomas Ratcliffe of Concord Carlisle, Mass. who made a decisive move to the front. Brannigan and Ratcliffe passed through 1200m in 3:05.22 with Adam Barnard of Boone, Tenn. to create a three-man pack as the field strings out in the bell lap. It's a 3 man race on the backstretch with Ritz in fourth; Jack salisbury of La Salle, R.I. and Carlos Villarreal of Rio Rico, Az. start to move past the Germantown Academy, Pa. senior.
Brannigan makes his move with 250 to go. In the final straight, Salisbury and Villarreal pick off Ritz and Barnard. The leaders look too far away until somehow, Villarreal turns on a sixth gear and flies by Brannigan with upraised arms to pick up his first national level win. The final winning time is US #2 4:05.25 Villarreal to Brannigan's US #3 4:05.78.
Carlos Villarreal of Rio Rico, Az. talks about dedicating his race to fellow Arizona distance runner Marcus Wheeler, who took his own life on May 12.
Mikey Brannigan talks about running a four-second PR of 4:05 and placing second at the Pre Classic.
Quick Takes:
- What a difference one year can make. In 2014, Carlos Villarreal placed 19th at New Balance Nationals in 4:18.44 and was 26th at NXN. He set the Arizona state record for 1600m at 4:03.97 a few weeks ago, but this is his first big-time national performance.
- Can we get some splits on Carlos Villarreal's last lap? He was 10 meters off Brannigan heading into the final straight. Jack Salisbury must have been cruising as well to sneak into third
- Yet another narrow runner-up finish for Mikey Brannigan, but he does come away with a nice four-second PR
- First sub-4:10 performance for Adam Barnard, who held on for fourth
RECAPS:
Boys 200m - Boys Mile - Girls 200m - Girls Mile