German Fernandez and Jordan Hasay are tops in USA:
The boys and girls high school track athletes of the year for 2008 are from the Pacific Association of USA Track & Field.
The All USA Today team, featured on the back page of Wednesday’s (July 23) sports section, heralds records breakers German Fernandez of Riverbank and Jordan Hasay of Mission Prep, San Luis Obispo atop the annual selections.
Included on the All-USA boys team is national pole vault leader Nico Weiler of Los Gatos (17-4 1/2). The girls team has the Purvis sisters, Ashton and Julian of St. Elizabeth (Oakland), in the sprints and hurdles; long and triple jump leader Vashti Thomas of Mt. Pleasant (San Jose); triple jumper Alitta Boyd of Moreau Catholic (Hayward); and distance star Laurynne Chetelat of Davis.
Nine additional athletes from other California regions were honored.
FERNANDEZ SMASHES RECORDS:
Oklahoma State-bound Fernandez set high school records from 3,000 meters through two miles and produced the best ever one-day 1,600-3,200 double at the California state meet.
He capped a phenomenal 22-day span with a two mile victory over the season’s other top runners at the Nike Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro (N.C.) on June 21. His time of 8 minutes, 34.40 seconds, broke a 29-year-old record. En route Fernandez became the first high school athlete to better eight minutes for 3,000 meters, officially clocking 7:59.83.
At the state finals, on May 31, he won the 1,600 meters in 4:00.29 (third fastest in a high school race behind Jim Ryun’s 3:58.3 in 1965 for the slightly longer mile and Alan Webb’s Federation record of 3:59.51 in 2001.). Fernandez completed his historic double in the 3,200 in 8:34.23, taking nearly seven seconds off the National Federation record.
HASAY LEADS GIRLS DISTANCE STARS:
Hasay broke the less than three-week-old 1,500 meter record (of state rival Christine Babcock of Woodbridge) at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore.
Preceding each of Fernandez’ state races at Cerritos College in Norwalk were girls record performances. Babcock, also an All-USA pick, ran the fastest ever girls 1,600 meters in 4:33.81. Hasay set junior class and age 16 records with the No. 2 all-time 3,200 time, 9:52.13, just holding off Chetelat, who ran 9:52.51 for No. 3 all-time.
Hasay only made the top 30 cut for the Olympic Trials 1,500, w ith her previous best of 4:16.98 (a sophomore class record run in 2007), when a couple of elite runners decided not to double in that event. The 1,500 is not run in normal high school competition.
Hasay advanced from the Trials heats (as did Babcock) and then grabbed the spotlight with her all-time record 4:14.45 clocking in the semifinals. She then needed to win an appeal to stay in Eugene long enough to run in the final. Hasay was expected to board a plane for Poland the day after the semis to compete in the World Junior championships. A week before the Trials she had repeated as USA Junior (under age 20) champion.
Given a reprieve, Hasay gained the valuable experience of running in a U.S. Olympic Trials final , where she ran well in a tactical race and finished tenth in 4:17.36. The following week, in Bydgoszcz, Poland, Hasay placed fourth in the World Junior final in 4:19.02, just missing the bronze medal. “On the last lap I tried to move up, but go bumped out of my spot,” she said after the climatic race of her junior high school year. “It’s okay. I just couldn’t get them at the end. I’m happy with everything.”
Also at the World meet, Chetelat -- a graduating senior -- finished sixth in the 3,000 in 9:15.11, No. 6 all-time.
Hasay this season set age 16 and junior class records in the 3,000.
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(Reporter’s note: Although I again served as editor for the All-USA TODAY team, the athlete of the year selections were made by my boys and girls team compilers, who do not reside in the Pacific Association area.)
See: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/preps/track/2008-07-22-2008-all-usa-track-team_N.htm <http://www.usatoday.com/sports/preps/track/2008-07-22-2008-all-usa-track-team_N.htm> # # #
