Ok, so I was looking back through the history books (as I tend to do) and I decided to try and list out all the PA high school grads I know of that went on to break 4 minutes in the mile. I pulled the list from this link right here: https://www.trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/archivemenu/13-lists/1476-tafn-us-sub-400-milers.
Please let me know if there is a PA alumn that I missed from our list! Always looking to update. Keep in mind the times listed below are not PRs as this is a list of only each runner's first sub 4.
The * Indicates that they never ran faster than their first sub 4, the others all have faster PRs than what is listed here for their first sub 4.
Jerry Richey, Pitt 3:58.6* (1968), North Allegheny Class of 1967 (4:10.6 HS Best)
John Baker, Sports International 3:59.8* (1971), Penncrest Class of 1967 (4:09.8 HS Best)
Larry Mangan, Penn State 3:58.4 (1980), South Hills Class of 1977? (4:12.7? HS Best)
Paul Vandegrift, William & Mary 3:59.60 (1992), Archbishop Kennedy Class of 1987 (4:03.22m HS Best)
Craig Miller, Wisconsin 3:59.09 (2009), Manheim Township Class of 2006 (4:06.76 HS Best)
Sam Bair II, Unattached 3:59.72* (2010), Shaler Area Class of 2003 (4:09.61m HS Best)
Dan Lowry, Michigan 3:59.30 (2013), LaSalle Class of 2008 (4:13.49 HS Best)
Nate McClafferty, Duke 3:59.95* (2015), Conrad Wesier Class of 2011 (4:11.37m HS Best)
Thomas Coyle, Stanford 3:59.32* (2015), LaSalle Class of 2013 (4:11.97m HS Best)
Ned Willig, Michigan 3:58.09* (2016), Great Valley Class of 2012 (4:11.99m HS Best)
I was wondering if Vandergrift ever broke 4:00 and I was thinking how Willig just did it so that had me wondering who else from PA did. So I was actually going to post asking about this. I'm really starting to think etrain can read minds.
ReplyDeleteSam Bair Jr., Sam Bair II's father, ran 3:58.7 in 1967. I believe he may have been the first PA guy ever to do it. He was the 24th man in the world to break 4:00 and he did it in the race where Jim Ryun set the world record of 3:51. I believe Bair Jr. went on to run 3:56.7.
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