Armstrong posts strong mile in Kodiak

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Elijah Armstrong traveled to the land of the midnight sun to take a final attempt at a coveted Dream Mile slot and ran 4:07.15 at the Brian Young Invitational. 

Running on Levi Thomet's home track in Kodiak, Alaska, Armstrong reclaimed the Idaho all-time state best for the mile with his performance. Jake Hurysz, a recent Colorado graduate, passed Armstrong with 200 to go and finished a second in front of him (4:06.15).

Armstrong beat Oregon fifth-year senior Parker Stinson and Thomet was fourth in 4:09.64.

Billed as Alaska's "Dream Mile," the field was also supposed to include Kodiak native Trevor Dunbar, but he was unable to compete.

"(Hurysz) went at 200 to go and I didn't react fast enough," Armstrong said. 

The race was set up to have 4-minute pacing for a couple of laps and Armstrong said he wanted to hang on to that for as long as he could.

"I felt like I could run (my time) down to 4:03 or 4:02," he said.