Boys 2 Mile Christian Wagner 8:53.91         Fellow Indiana hoosiers Christian Wagner (blue) and Nef Araia (green) waged a spirited duel and then had a friendly chat on the Mondo later (below).

Highlights

by Pete Cava

In a replay of last weekend’s Indiana state meet, junior Christian
Wagner (Columbus, IN) outran Stanford-bound Nef Araia (Indianapolis).

Galen Rupp (Portland, OR) rushed into the lead at the start and Josh McDougal, a
home-schooled runner from Peru, NY, took over the lead by the 440-yard mark. Three
laps into the race it was McDougal, Rupp and Wagner in the top three spots, with Araia
lurking in the background like a vulture.
Rupp regained the lead on the next lap, with Araia passing Wagner for third.
Rupp took the field through the mile in 4:27. With two laps remaining Wagner and Araia
took over the top two spots. Then Araia took over, still smarting from a pair of losses
(1600, 3200) at Wagner’s hands last weekend.
Wagner was back in the lead with a lap to go as Justin Scheid (Sparta, NJ) moved
up for third place behind Araia. The penultimate lap passed in 66.4.
Wagner began to pull away on the backstretch with Araia in pursuit, turning the
event into a two-man race. Then the smooth-striding Wagner began to leave Araia
behind, covering the final 400 meters in 62.5.
Wagner finished in personal-best 8:53.91, a broad
smile on his face. Araia, Indiana’s reigning cross country champion from Lawrence
North High School, settled for second place at 8:57.58. Scheid was third in 8:58.43.
“It was good to have Nef in front,” said Wagner, who attends Columbus North
High School. “It gave me some familiarity and helped me. I decided to go at 600. And it
hurt!”

 .F.P.I. Timing & Data                 MANAGER  9:42 PM  6/13/2003  Page 1
       adidas Outdoor Track and Field Championships - 6/13/2003 to 6/14/2003
                   North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
                                      Results
  Event 11  Boys 2 Mile Run
  ================================================================
   Fastest section Fri at  9:50pm; all others  Fri at 8:00pm
      National: ! 8:36.3h  5/6/1979    Jeff Nelson, Burbank, CA
        Junior: + 8:44.90  1975        Eric Hulst, Laguna Beach, C
          Meet: @ 8:44.43  6/15/2001   Dathan Ritzenhein, Rockford
      Freshman: # 9:04.4h  1973        Eric Hulst, Laguna Beach, C
     Sophomore: $ 8:50.6h  1974        Eric Hulst, Laguna Beach, C
        Junior: % 8:41.10  2000        Dathan Ritzenhein, Rockford
        Senior: * 8:36.3h  5/6/1979    Jeff Nelson, Burbank, CA
      Name                    Year School                  Finals
  ================================================================
  Section  1
    1 Andy Biladeau             05 Tampa, FL              9:12.13
    2 Ahmed Haji                04 W. Hartford, CT        9:18.86
    3 Scott MacPherson          05 Plano, TX              9:24.55
    4 Christopher Pannone       04 Whitehouse Station,    9:29.25
    5 Jon Anderson              04 Cinnaminson, NJ        9:33.15
    6 Micky Cobrin              03 Buffalo Grove, IL      9:38.00
    7 Dustin Voss               04 Saline, MI             9:39.38
    8 Stephen Pottey            04 Reno, NV               9:39.75
    9 Greg Williams             04 West Chester, VA       9:40.62
   10 Steven Walters            04 Va Beach, NJ           9:51.55
   11 Scott Wall                04 Portland, OR           9:53.28
   -- Ian Gottesfeld            04 West Chester, VA           DNS
   -- Sean Quigley              03 Braintree, CT              DNS
   -- Chase Pizzonia            04 Darian, CT                 DNS
  Section  2
    1 Christian Wagner          04 Columbus, IN           8:53.91#
    2 Neftalem Araia            03 Indianapolis, IN       8:57.58#
    3 Justin Scheid             04 Sparta, NJ             8:58.43#
    4 Stuart Eagon              04 Portland, OR           9:00.98#
    5 Hakon DeVries             04 Hopewell Junction,     9:03.18#
    6 Joshua McDougal           04 Peru, NY               9:03.82#
    7 Galen Rupp                04 Portland, OR           9:04.36#
    8 Brian Dalpiaz             03 Sayville, NY           9:04.89
    9 Brent Vaughn              03 Aurora, CO             9:05.34
   10 Charles Hampton           04 Scottsdale, AZ         9:17.27
   11 Frank Tinney              04 Ann Arbor, MI          9:26.70
   12 Pete Hess                 03 Toms River, NJ         9:29.94
   13 Charles Moran             03 Potomac Falls, NC      9:59.24
   -- Bobby Mack                03 Winston-Salem, NC          DNS
   -- Mark Alizzi               03 Syosset, NY                DNS
  Event 11  Boys 2 Mile Run
  ================================================================
      Name                    Year School                  Finals
  ================================================================
  Finals
    1 Christian Wagner          04 Columbus, IN           8:53.91#
    2 Neftalem Araia            03 Indianapolis, IN       8:57.58#
    3 Justin Scheid             04 Sparta, NJ             8:58.43#
    4 Stuart Eagon              04 Portland, OR           9:00.98#
    5 Hakon DeVries             04 Hopewell Junction,     9:03.18#
    6 Joshua McDougal           04 Peru, NY               9:03.82#
    7 Galen Rupp                04 Portland, OR           9:04.36#
    8 Brian Dalpiaz             03 Sayville, NY           9:04.89
    9 Brent Vaughn              03 Aurora, CO             9:05.34
   10 Andy Biladeau             05 Tampa, FL              9:12.13
   11 Charles Hampton           04 Scottsdale, AZ         9:17.27
   12 Ahmed Haji                04 W. Hartford, CT        9:18.86
   13 Scott MacPherson          05 Plano, TX              9:24.55
   14 Frank Tinney              04 Ann Arbor, MI          9:26.70
   15 Christopher Pannone       04 Whitehouse Station,    9:29.25
   16 Pete Hess                 03 Toms River, NJ         9:29.94
   17 Jon Anderson              04 Cinnaminson, NJ        9:33.15
   18 Micky Cobrin              03 Buffalo Grove, IL      9:38.00
   19 Dustin Voss               04 Saline, MI             9:39.38
   20 Stephen Pottey            04 Reno, NV               9:39.75
   21 Greg Williams             04 West Chester, VA       9:40.62
   22 Steven Walters            04 Va Beach, NJ           9:51.55
   23 Scott Wall                04 Portland, OR           9:53.28
   24 Charles Moran             03 Potomac Falls, NC      9:59.24
   -- Sean Quigley              03 Braintree, CT              DNS
   -- Bobby Mack                03 Winston-Salem, NC          DNS
   -- Chase Pizzonia            04 Darian, CT                 DNS
   -- Ian Gottesfeld            04 West Chester, VA           DNS
   -- Mark Alizzi               03 Syosset, NY                DNS