Barco's Fast Close Gets The Best Of Cameron Todd, Will Conway

Story and Photos by David Woods for DyeStat

INDIANAPOLIS – Evidence of a renaissance in Indiana running was underscored Friday night in the boys Miracle Mile of the Flashes Showcase.

Consider that in the previous 13 months, young Hoosiers Cole Hocker (indoor 1,500 meters) and Kole Mathison (World U-20 cross country) ran to World Championships medals. Hocker and Mathison are both former champions at Flashes Showcase, held since 2007 at Franklin Central High.

This time the field featured three boys who have recently been runners-up in national meets at three distances: Cameron Todd at Nike Cross Nationals, Portland, Ore., 5,000 meters; Martin Barco at New Balance Nationals Indoor, Boston, mile;  Will Conway at Nike Indoor Nationals, New York, two-mile. All are headed to top programs: Todd (Notre Dame), Barco (Washington), Conway (Tennessee).

“I mean, it’s such a great event,” Todd said. “The trophy is over there, and it’s this big, if people didn’t see it. And we all want to go out and chase it.”

Barco found himself chasing, and beating, Todd.

Barco, of Martinsville, became this event's first two-time champion. He ran the closing 400 meters in 59 seconds to finish in 4:11.53.

The time was slower than the meet record of 4:08.94 set by Barco last year, and slower than the state indoor record of 4:05.62 he set March 10. Yet it is rarely about time for Barco, the defending state champion at 1,600 meters.

So it was uncharacteristic for him to say what he hopes comes next – becoming the first Indiana prep to run a sub-4-minute mile. He is aiming for a May 3 race, Trials of Miles, at Randalls Island in New York City.

“I think I’m going to do it. I know I’m going to do it,” Barco said. “That’s the place.”

Austin Mudd, of Center Grove, has held Indiana's state record of 4:01.83 since 2011.

On this night, with temperature at 56 and winds blowing at 14 mph, the times did not reflect quality of the field.

Beyond the aforementioned three, Roman Sierpina of Louisville Collegiate School is reigning state champion in Kentucky, and Bloomington North sophomore Caleb Winders is a 1:50 runner who was state runner-up at 800 meters.

Todd, of Brebeuf Jesuit, finished second in 4:13.01 and Sierpina third in 4:14.44. Bloomington North’s Jack Holden and Winders were fourth and sixth, sandwiching Conway in fifth.

The meet features introductions of milers, some wearing basketball jerseys, entering the track through a tunnel of runners. The races always deliver, irrespective of weather.

“The state meet is a big deal, of course,” Todd said. “But a lot of us feel that way, this is almost the true state meet, just from the way that everyone comes to compete and the way we all look at this race. Weather doesn’t matter, man. It’s a good day.”

Todd pressed the pace after about 500 meters, explaining he wanted to apply pressure on Barco, known for his big kick.

“But I don’t think the move was strong enough to create enough separation,” Todd said.

Conway, of Floyd Central, and Todd were racing six days after an  historic 3,200 meters at Arcadia, Calif. Conway was 13th in a state record of 8:41.18 and Todd 19th in 8:46.55. Both were under the 8:47.75 by North Central’s Futsum Zienasellassie, who in 2011 broke Rudy Chapa’s 37-year-old outdoor state record.

The two runners acknowledged they felt the effects of the race, the travel and the changing time zones. Conway said Arcadia was “the hardest I ever pushed,” running the last 400  in 61.85.

“The race just caught up to me,” he said of Flashes Showcase. “And that’s OK. It’s April. Stuff like that can happen. I lost, fair and square.”

Girls champion Nikki Southerland of Delta didn’t know she would race until Delta’s scheduled Thursday meet was canceled. This was her first Flashes Showcase, just as last month’s Hoosier State Relays was her first.

She came out of the two meets 2-0.

“It was a good race, and I had good competition to run with,” said Southerland, also a Notre Dame signee.

Southerland’ s time was 4:50.80 off an evenly paced 2:25/2:25. Florida recruit Reagan Gilmore of Assumption (Louisville, Ky.) was second in 4:52.00 and Josefina Rastrelli of Warsaw third in 4:56.17.

Indian Creek soph Libby Dowty, who overtook Southerland to win state in cross country, was fifth in 5:00.31.

Contact David Woods at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.

Flashes Showcase mile results

Boys – 1, Martin Barco, Martinsville, 4:11.53; 2, Cameron Todd, Brebeuf Jesuit, 4:13.01; 3, Roman Sierpina, Louisville (Ky.) Collegiate, 4:14.44; 4, Jack Holden, Bloomington North, 4:15.59; 5, Will Conway, Floyd Central, 4:16.33; 6, Caleb Winders, Bloomington North, 4:16.54; 7, Ian Baker, Brownsburg, 4:17.70; 8, Joey Ashman, Franklin Central, 4:17.84.

Girls – 1, Nicki Southerland, Delta, 4:50.80; 2, Reagan Gilmore, Assumption, Louisville, Ky., 4:52.00; 3, Josefina Rastrelli, Warsaw, 4:56.17; 4, Mallory Weller, Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran, 4:56.60; 5, Libby Dowty, Indian Creek, 5:00.31; 6, Jessica Hegedus, Avon, 5:02.67; 7, Savana Miller, Franklin Central, 5:04.53; 8, Kaitlyn Stewart, Floyd Central, 5:05.37.