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Drew Hunter Hopes to Run Sub-4 Mile at Armory Track InvitationalPublished by
Drew Hunter, of Purcellville, Va., has his sights set on becoming the second high school boy to break the four-minute barrier in the mile indoors, and his first opportunity of year will come at the Armory Track Invitational at the New Balance Track and Field Center at the Armor Feb. 5-6.
Hunter, a senior at Loudoun Valley High School, will compete unattached in an Open field and attempt to join another Virginian, Alan Webb, on an exclusive list. That race will be part of Day 2 Saturday afternoon Feb. 6. Webb broke the four-minute barrier 15 years ago, on Jan 20, 2001, at the New Balance Games at the Armory. Hunter and Webb share a special connection. Marc and Joan Hunter, Andrew’s parents, were Webb’s first coaches at South Lakes High School. “Alan is the first guy I looked up to as a runner,” Hunter said. “To know he was the first one to break four (indoors) -- and I hope to do it this year -- is special.” A limited number of reserved-seat tickets are on sale. Those are $30 for Friday and $40 for Saturday and can be purchased online through ArmoryTrack.com. All general admission tickets must be purchased at the door. Those tickets are $20 a day for adults, $10 a day for students. Hunter will pursue history in a fast race. The field includes the 2012 NCAA champion, Chris O’Hare, the collegiate record holder (3:52.98). Columbia grad Liam Boylan-Pett, who runs for the New Jersey/New York Track Club, Daniel Winn of the B.A.A. High Performance Team, Cristian Soratos of adidas and Austin Mudd of the University of Wisconsin all bring sub-four credentials. The women’s mile also includes a star-studded field. Erin Donohue is making a comeback after several years away from racing. She will be joined by Violah Lagat of Kenya, Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand, and Gabriella Stafford (University of Toronto) and Erin Teschuk (North Dakota State) of Canada. Villanova grad Emily Lipari (B.A.A/adidas) and Princeton graduate Ashley Higginson (NJ/NYTC) also bring strong credentials. In another development, Jordan Hasay of the Nike Oregon Project and the 2014 NCAA 10,000-meter champion Emma Bates have joined the entry list for the women’s 3,000 meters. Boys' and girls' high school miles, qualifiers for the Millrose Games, have been added to the meet schedule after the races were canceled along with much of last weekend’s New Balance Games. The girls will race at 3:04 p.m. on Saturday, the boys at 3:12. Some 75 college teams from around the country will be competing in this year's meet, including Wisconsin, Arizona, South Carolina, Duke, Ohio State, Vanderbilt, Tulane, Mississippi State and Miami. In addition there are elite high school and Juniors races in the 300, 600, 1,000 and relays. Saturday's prime-time window from 1 to 3 p.m. will close with head-to-head International 4x200s for men and women featuring teams from Trinidad, Canada, Guyana, France, Jamaica and the United States. To purchase tickets visit: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-armory-track-invitational-2016-tickets-20518268694?aff=eac2 More news |
