Gorze Runs 29-Second PR To Move Past McChesney, Rupp And Lindgren On All-Time Prep 10,000 Meters List 

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Kim Spir PHOTOS

RESULTS

GRESHAM -- Tyrone Gorze ran the fastest high school 10,000 meters in 47 years on Saturday night at the Portland Track Festival, and if it weren't for a mid-race heaving spell, it would have gone even faster. 

Gorze, who has taken on the challenging 10,000 meters two years in a row at the Portland Track Festival, overcame a bad patch to finish strong in ninth place in 29 minutes, 0.17 seconds. 

And he did it wearing a singlet that probably belongs in a museum. 

When meet director Michael Bergmann was perusing the entries and spotted Gorze's name in the 10,000, he called the national high school record holder, Rudy Chapa, a Portland resident, to see if he'd like to come and watch. 

Chapa replied that he would be out of town, but offered Gorze his 1976 Hammond High (Ind.) jersey that he had set the legendary record in: 28:32.7. He also offered his best wishes, saying nothing would make him happier than to see an Oregon prep take down his record. 

It was unclear whether Gorze would wear the purple singlet with "HHS" on the front in the race, but when it came time to go to the starting line, there it was. Photographers eagerly moved in for shots of one of America's top high school distance runners wearing the ultimate in race "drip."

"At first I was like, I don't want to wear it. This is Rudy Chapa's," Gorze said. "But then I was like, 'I've got to wear it. It's a 10K. It's for fun, going after his record."

Unlike Chapa in 1976, Gorze had the latest in Nike Dragonfly spikes and wavelights showing him the pace necessary to run 28:30. 

To his credit, Gorze got through the 5,000 right on schedule, but a couple of laps later he suffered through an 82-second lap due to a sudden problem that nearly brought him to a stop. The pacing lights took off ahead of him. 

"I started coughing and a little bit and that led to me kind of coughing up and feeling in my stomach, like not quite throwing up but kind of gagging a little bit," he said. "I don't know what that's about. It's never happened to me before."

Gorze stuck it out and kept going and eventually worked himself out of the problem. He clicked off the laps and closed in 64 seconds. 

His finish time moved him ahead of Gerry Lindgren (29:17.6 from 1964), Galen Rupp (29:09.56 in 2004) and Bill McChesney Jr (29:06.8 in 1976). 

The only runners ahead of Gorze on the all-time prep list are Chapa and Eric Hulst, who ran 28:55.0, also in 1976. 

"It goes to show how great Rudy Chapa was," he said. "That record's going to stay around for a long time. Some kid might come up and take it some day, but I tried for it tonight and it was tough."

Few high school runners attempt the daunting 10,000, but Gorze got his first taste of it last year in the Portland Track Festival when he ran 29:29.92 in a rainstorm. 

Gorze has already had a senior season to remember, with a state meet record 8:04.58 last weekend in the 3,000 meters at the Oregon state meet (No. 4 all-time) and 13:45.81 for No. 6 all-time in the 5,000 meters. 

Next up, Gorze will race in the 2-mile at the Brooks PR Invitational and then race again at Nike Outdoor Nationals. 

Athanas Kioko of On Running sped to a meet record of 27:29.82 to secure a USATF qualifying time. 

In the elite steeplechase races on Saturday, Colleen Quigley of lululemon ran to a U.S. qualifying spot with a victory in 9:32.48. It was her first steeplechase race in nearly a year. 

In the fastest men's race, Bernie Keter of the U.S. Army won it in 8:22.97 to earn a U.S. qualifying time. Daniel Michalski of Air Force WCAP also got the qualifier with 8:28.05.