Adidas Dream Preview: Boys

Randall's Island, NY - The date many have been waiting for is finally on the horizon.  Fourteen of the best prep milers, and eight of the best short sprinters have been personally invited to compete in the city that never sleeps.  Both boys and girls have been hailed as some of the fastest in prep history, with numerous candidates holding a national record at one point in their prep prestigious careers.  MileSplit will be on-hand Saturday, May 25th, bringing you all the action live via twitter, and bringing the most comprehensive meet coverage around.  You don't want to miss this one.  And here's why,                                   

                                        Dream Mile

Breakdown:  This may be one of the most stacked fields in prep history.  Only five American High Schoolers have ever broke four minutes for the full mile in history, with this same race producing the most recent occurence, as Lukas Verzbickas went 3:59.71 in 2011.  It is unbelievable to have so many candidates who have even an outside shot of dropping below that magic number.  More on why it will be an outside shot later.  Leading the pack is last years champion, Bernie Montoya, who went 4:01.32, despite saying he had more left in the tank.  He has had some several impressive triples this year, including the 800m, 1600m, and 3200m victories at his state meet.  One of the most prominent challengers to Montoya's repeat has to be Florida's Andres Arroyo, who broke 1:48 this year over the half mile.  He also soloed a 4:05 mile earlier in the season, and has stated he is very capable to break four.  The third challenger seems to have been on top of the XC scene for years: Edward Cheserek.  Last year, his race seemed a little deflated, due to which many attributed to over racing.  This season, his schedule has been lighter, and his times more consistent, as he enters the race as the second fastest miler this spring, splitting 4:03.64 at Loucks.  The duo from the Penn Relays Invite Mile, Ben Malone and Sean McGorty, both also have been steadily improving since their matchup in late april.  It also has to be mentioned that Ben Saarel, best known for his killer 3200m at Arcadia, is also in the race, and will be very capable of pulling an "upset".  As I said, this race is huge, and definitely one you don't want to miss.

Now to the big question.  Will someone break four minutes?  Several athletes have been hyping themselves up as of late, and it begs the question, "Do they have realistic expectations?"  Only five have done it in history; it's a mark that has withstood plenty of venerable attacks from athletes who went on to far bigger things.  The perfect race requires the perfect conditions.  Already, the Dream Milers are facing one of the biggest hurdles; rain is forecasted for the race on Saturday.  And then, there is the other killer, which come down to High School race tactics.  The race will be rabbitted by Garrett O'Toole, which provides a luxury most races cannot afford.  However, it will have to take the right kind of athlete to go with O'Toole, who has been set to split 1:58.  Arroyo seems to be the candidate to be most fearless out on the track, but he may have some company with Bernie Montoya.  For this to go Sub-4, it can not be a kickers race.  It is hard not to end the summary with a quote from an upcoming article.  NY State Record Holder Miles Irish, talking of the tactics to racing fast, and why the early 80's brought about such fast times, speaks to what this race will require,"

"Athletes today are so focused on winning, that some of them have forgotten how to run.  We focused on getting the best time we possibly could, finishing position be damned.  We went out fast, and held on as far as we could.  Athletes today are taught to race, to sit and kick to win the race.  But that is the enemy of fast times.  If you are truly the fastest guy in the field, you will win."

                                         Dream 100

Breakdown:   The title has stayed in the family since the inauguration of the event.  Marvin Bracy of FL first won this race in 2011, then cousin LeVonte Whitfield won the dash in 2012.  Bracy, a 2012 graduate, has recently signed a professional sponsorship deal with Adidas, but his cousin Whitfield will be back in the race for one last time.  Will it stay a family affair?  Whitfield has missed some of this season with injury, and in that wake, Trayvon Bromell has been the national leading sprinter this spring.  He comes in as a slight favorite, however, after a month's absence, Whitfield managed to come back with a 21.08, 200m race last week.  The fastest winning time of the event belongs to Whitfield, in 10.43, but Trentavis Friday and Kyle Fulks are both under that mark by a full millisecond, which could be the difference maker in a race of this quality.  It will all come down to who can cope with the cold best.  As all athletes are from the southern section of the country, very few will find the temperatures and humidity to be conducive to fast times.  It is all about the conditions.  It will be anyones race.

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