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Kyle Merber Leads Four Athletes in Historic Sub-4 Mile Run in Santa Barbara

Published by
DyeStat.com   Apr 14th 2018, 12:26pm
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Mexico’s Estrada achieves feat for first time, joining Americans Merber, Avila and Crawford in memorable HOKA ONE ONE Santa Barbara Elite Mile race; Brown, Mansy take top two spots in women’s competition that produces five fastest times in the world

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Kyle Merber is tied into so much history in the mile, it almost seemed fitting the HOKA ONE ONE New Jersey/New York Track Club standout was the one leading his peers Friday in writing another chapter in the event’s illustrious history.

Merber was the first athlete in Santa Barbara County history to break 4 minutes in the mile on the track, running a world-leading 3:57.74 to lead a group of four individuals in achieving the goal at the HOKA ONE ONE Santa Barbara Elite Miles and 50K at Santa Barbara City College’s La Playa Stadium.

INTERVIEWS

Former Southern Oregon star Eric Avila, a four-time NAIA national champion, finished second in 3:57.91 and Graham Crawford  – another HOKA ONE ONE New Jersey/New York Track Club member  – placed fourth in 3:59.92, all three Americans having already contributed to the group of 514 U.S. runners who have produced sub-4 efforts indoors or outdoors in their careers.

Mexico’s Daniel Estrada, who finished third in 3:57.92, eclipsed the 4-minute barrier for the first time in his career, becoming the first male athlete since March 22 to achieve the feat. Estrada increased the all-time world list to 1,501 athletes who have run sub-4 on the track since Sir Roger Bannister was the first May 6, 1954.

In the history of the State Street Mile, held annually in June in Santa Barbara, 56 individuals have run sub-4 miles, but the course features downhill stretches and is not eligible for official mile records.

Merber became the first individual Sept. 13 to run sub-4 on an outdoor track in Alaska, clocking 3:59.36 in Anchorage.

He was also part of the New Jersey/New York Track Club 4xMile quartet Feb. 17, 2017 that broke the indoor world record by clocking 16:21.81 at the Artie O’Connor College Invitational at The Armory in New York.

And in addition to winning both the Sir Walter Miler and the Aetna Falmouth Mile in his career, the Columbia University graduate is also the co-founder of the HOKA ONE ONE Long Island Mile, making Merber the ideal candidate to lead the historical pursuit Friday.

HOKA ONE ONE New Jersey/New York Track Club teammates Ce’Aira Brown and Megan Mansy took the top two spots in the women’s race, but missed their opportunity to join the group of 74 American women to run a sub-4:30 mile on the track.

Brown clocked 4:36.94 and Mansy, formerly Megan Moye, ran 4:37.59 to lead a group that produced the top five outdoor mile times in the world this year.

Ayla Granados of Strava Track Club, who competed at Santa Barbara City College seven years ago, took third in 4:38.49 and former UC Davis standout Raquel Lambdin finished fourth in 4:38.78.

UC Santa Barbara senior Jenna Hinkle posted the fastest outdoor mile this season by a collegiate female athlete to place fifth in a program-record 4:38.81. Only 10 collegiate women ran faster this year in the indoor mile than Hinkle, including American leader Elinor Purrier of New Hampshire (4:26.55).

 



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