Brooks PR Event-By-Event Preview

 Boys 1 Mile

The Favorite

This is the event of the meet! How many boys will write their names in the record books and become sub-4 milers? It could end up to being the most legendary high school race of all time. With three boys who have run 4-flat in the mile this year, its hard to pick a standout favorite. Cooper Teare has seemed invincible this track season with wins in the Texas Distance Festival 5K in 14:13, the Arcadia 3200m in 8:41 and the Brooks Mt. SAC Relays mile in 4:00. But Teare had a set back when he took third in the 3200m at state. He's hungry for revenge, as he wants to end his high school career back on top. Another high schooler who knows how to turn on the jets in DJ Principe.  

He was the first boy to spark fire in the mile over the winter when he ran a 4:04 in his first indoor meet of the season. Since then, Principe has run 4-flat not once but twice -- over the indoor and outdoor season. Look for Principe to go out strong and push the pace in the final lap. Last but certainly not least, watch out for the Sam "The Man" Worley.  Earlier this season, he became the seventh boy in high school history to go sub-9 in the 3200m and sub-1:50 in the 800m.  Worley also went HAM at the Texas Relays as he took down Olympic Silver Medalist Leo Manzano in the full mile, where he closed in 55 seconds for his last 400m. It gave him a time of 4:00.61 for the win. With arguably the most talented field to ever toe the line, look out for this to be the best mile in high school history.

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The Contenders

Everybody, and I mean everybody, is sleeping on Casey Clinger of American Fork in Utah. This is one of the most dangerous runners in the country, as he is the only boy to ever win back-to-back NXN championships. Clinger, who trains at altitude, has posted some respectable times this year. When he has come down from altitude, he has been deadly. He ran 8:44 in the 3200m and split 4:02 in the 4x1600m at Arcadia. Watch for Clinger to mix things up with the 4-flat boys and make a go at a Brooks PR national championship victory. But saying that, he may not even be the fastest runner from his team. His teammate, Patrick Parker, is coming off a huge win in the adidas Boston Boost Games mile in 4:03.99 and becomes another possible sub-4 runner in this race. 

The Prediction 

This race is wide open and with a rabbit helping the race go out, I honestly think this will be one for the record books. With no favorite, I think the boys in this race are more concerned with going sub-four than winning. These boys are here to run fast, so watch for them to work together through 1200m and then battle it out in the last 400m in what should be a remarkably intense last lap.  Beware of Worley's closing end speed.

The Field