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Drew Hunter runs 3:58.25 in the mile at 2016 Armory Track Invitational

Published by
DyeStat.com   Feb 6th 2016, 11:13pm
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Hunter makes history again with 3:58.25 mile

 

By Ka'Deem Wynn for DyeStat


 

Loudoun Valley High School senior Drew Hunter has made history for the second straight week, this time running 3:58.25 for the indoor mile at the Armory Track Invitational on Saturday in New York City. 

 

That time shattered fellow Virginian Alan Webb's national record (3:59.86), which was also set in The Armory at the 2001 New Balance Games. 

 

The Purcellville, Va. native is the eighth prep to join an exclusive club of sub-four milers. The University of Oregon signee is the second to do it indoors.

 

"I felt terrible out there," said a thrilled Hunter, who had a chest cold this week and admmitted he had two hours of sleep Friday night. "The whole race I just tried to hang on as long as possible."

 

Hunter said he pushed the second-to-last 200 meters due to the fact that it was his slowest split during last week's record-breaking 3,000 meters at the Camel City Elite Races, in which he ran 7:59.33. That performance broke the record of his future college teammate, Edward Cheserek, who was timed in 8:05.46 en route of a two-mile in 2011. 

 

Coach Tom Schwartz, who watched the race from his home in Idaho, said that he "wasn't optimistic enough"  about Hunter's chances. However, Schwartz knew it was possible. 

 

"I told his mom yesterday that Drew could run 3:58.5 seconds today, despite overcoming a chest cold," Schwartz said. 

 

Hunter is the third high school runner to break four minutes for the mile in the past 12 months. In 2015, Matthew Maton (Bend, Ore.) and Grant Fisher (Grand Blanc, Mich.) accomplished the feat outdoors to become the sixth and seventh high school runners to do it. Both ran 3:59.38 in races against older, professional runners.  

 

Hunter ran against a pro field as well, maintaining contact with the lead runners and coming in seventh. British star Chris O'Hare ran a winning time of 3:54.59. Hunter ran 3:01 for the first three-quarters and closed in 57 seconds.

 

"It's pretty cool and really special," Hunter said. 

 

Schwartz says that if Hunter gets in the right race, he could very well qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 1,500 meters  

 

"I believe he can hit that qualifying time right this moment," Schwartz said. "It's a matter of finding a race and that's not easy on the East Coast." 

 

Whatever the next step entails, Schwartz cautions that it's important to savor these experiences and enjoy the journey.

 

"To me, the journey is not just about the times that he achieves," Schwartz said. "It is about the fine people he meets and experiences that teach him important life lessons."

 

The buzz created by Hunter's race lasted for hours after the race and runners in the building -- from Robby Andrews to Mikey Brannigan to Sammy Watson -- all said they were inspired by the performance.

 



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