This is the same guy who broke the all-class cross-country state record in November. This is the same guy who ran down more than a dozen of the world's best triathlon athletes last summer to win the ITU Junior World Triathlon Champion.
Last month he entered the most prestigious high school two-mile race in the country in Arcadia, California and with one lap to go, laid waste to eight or nine of the best high school distance runners in America to finish second and ran 8:43.4 to break the Missouri state record by ten seconds.If you haven't gotten the message, Austin Hindman is special. Norms do not apply to him. If you want to measure his talent and heart, you're going to need a bigger boat.
"I started thinking about breaking the 3200 record after I ran 9:03 last year at State," said Hindman. "That showed me it was doable."
"We hadn't really talked much about breaking the 3200 record before the race," shrugged O'Connor. "We attacked each race individually and since it was his fourth race, we didn't say much about it until Friday at dinner."
One reason Tegenkamp's record is considered untouchable by some is the fact the 3200-meter race is scheduled for the last open race of the State meet, typically in scorching heat and humidity. The storm's stoppage placed Hindman on the starting line about 8:30 PM, under the lights as the sun dipped in the west.
"I told him the 3200 was the last race of his high-school career," said O'Connor. "It was up to him how he wanted to go out and how he wanted to leave his legacy."
"Part of me wanted to play it safe and get the win in the 3200 to protect the Quad Crown and get the team ten points," explained Hindman. "I knew I would be tired after those first three races and I didn't want to chance blowing up in the second mile."
"The other part of me was thinking this is my last high-school race and I wanted to secure my legacy. Once I got to the starting line I made the decision to go for it. I decided to go hard from the start and not worry about having enough left to finish. I wanted to give people something to remember."
The first lap of the 3200 was typical, Hindman was surrounded by a bevy of other runners as they passed through the first 400. That was the last viable contact they would have with him until it was time for handshakes.
"When I saw he ran his first 200 hard, I knew right then he was going to go for it," said O'Connor.
500 meters into the race Hindman dropped everyone else on the track with a burst that left him 20 meters in front. That gap grew to 30 meters and then 50.
The day before, Blue Springs' outstanding distance runner, Victor Mugeche, who finished second to Hindman in the State cross country championship race last November, chose to run with Hindman the first 800 meters of their 1600-meter race. It nearly broke Mugeche. He hung on for third in the 1600 but he spent an hour in the first aid tent following that race attempting to recover.
Mugeche and the others let Hindman go. They decided to run a separate race for second while enjoying a decent view of Hindman's attempt at history. If Hindman was going to get Tegenkamp's record, he was going to have to do it alone.
By the third lap, no other runners can be seen in the frame as Hindman turned the corner in the east end of the stadium.
Matt Warren, the head track coach at Lafayette, sat with O'Connor, Devin Meyrer, Dylan Quisenberry and Alec Haines as they all watched Hindman's final race.
Warren pestered O'Connor for splits and asked if they should be yelling more info to Hindman as he passed.
O'Connor is not the kind of coach to demand his runners hit exact splits nor is he one to overthink race strategy.
"Let's just try not to screw him up," responded O'Connor. "He seems to be doing pretty well on his own."
Hindman's gait is graceful, surprisingly deer-like for such a large man. Each powerful stride devoured the rouge-colored track as he chased Tegenkamp's record and the clock.
An eerie orange tint bathed the track as the sun's last rays reflected crazily off the storm clouds that remained in place to witness Hindman's challenge to the record. The Licklider Track's stadium lights burned brightly to light the backstretch and homestretch of the track.
As Hindman leaned to glide into the curves in the west-end of the stadium, his tall form slipped into semi-darkness for 50 meters before he emerged again on the backstretch. It was as if he disappeared for a moment. The same illusion occurred at the east-end as he popped back into focus along the homestretch to the delight of the fans crowded into the north grandstand.
Those fans who had left their seats during the Class 3 and Class 4 3200 races were now back in place, sensing history was under attack on this cool evening. The Lafayette track team, most done for the day, lined the fence along the homestretch and screamed each time Hindman came into sight.
The pack of runners who trailed Hindman remained in the distance and tightly bound. They refused to chase the senior Lancers' lethal pace. Hindman continued on his journey alone.