By Christopher Hunt
photos by Mary Blaich
www.wingedfotos.com
It’s in the quiet moments that the truth emerges. It’s after the people had patted his back and shook his hands and told him what a great thing he had done. It was when he squatted down and closed his eyes; when he was finally alone despite the crowd, that’s when he could accept his own feat.
“I did it,” he told himself. “I did it.”
It seemed only right that Manalapan senior Robby Andrews assured himself that the national record he recorded was reality, because his performance proved just short of unbelievable. Andrews won the junior boys 1,000 meters at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational in 2:22.28, besting a time set by Alan Webb as a senior at South Lakes (Va.) of 2:23.68 in 2001. Andrews, who committed to the University of Virginia Thursday night, won the mile at the Millrose Games last week.
“This one is better,” he said. “It’s a national record. It’s an Alan Webb record.”
After two laps in the race, no one could have imagined what Andrews accomplished. He sat on Sadiki White’s shoulder until just before the 400-meter make when the two went through just under a pedestrian 60 seconds. Andrews had enough and took off. White followed. But with every step it seemed Andrews built momentum. He dropped a 26-second third lap, which effectively snatched the kick from White. Then he cranked up the speed more.
“I was dead the last two laps,” Andrews said. “I just gave it all I had.”
It certainly never looked like fatigue was an option. When the bell sounded Andrews miraculously switched gears yet again and cemented himself in history. He said between him and his father, they had reviewed every possible scenario for the race and the national record was always in sight. He still seemed shocked.
“This has been the greatest week of my life,” he said after the race.
And although the fanfare had subsided and the building began to empty, New Bern (N.C.) proved that they didn’t need much of an audience to prove themselves as one of the greatest scholastic relays ever assembled. Well, at least they are the fastest. Anthony Hendrix (47.6), Fuquawn Greene (48.7), Miles Sparks (49.0) and Andrew Hendrix (47.5) set their own national record by winning the junior boys 4x400 in 3:13.06, eclipsing Muir High’s 1996 record of 3:13.34.
“Bottom line, since they were 12 years-old, the Hendrix twins, this is something they’ve been anticipating,” New Bern coach Dave Simpson said. “Everyone did what they had to do.”
Once Anthony Hendrix blew open the race on the leadoff leg, New Bern only needed to race the clock. For them, breaking the record wasn’t a question, it was just when.
“It’s just a great feeling to get this out of the way,” said Anthony Hendrix, who will have a chance at the 600-meter national record Saturday in the junior race. “Now when can go on and work on breaking something else.”
The junior races stole the show at the college meet. Jillian Smith, the sensational senior from Southern Regional (N.J) crushed the field in the junior girls 1,000 in 2:46.09, the fourth-fastest time in United States history, the best time in the country this season and a New Jersey state record. Much like the boys race, the pace started much too slow to threaten the national record (2:43.40 by Sarah Bowman of Virginia in 2005) but once Smith realized the tempo lagging she took over.
Cardozo sophomore Claudia Francis finished second in the race in 2:50.43, the fastest-time in the state, and Smith’s teammate Chelsea Cox finished third in 2:50.69. Smith couldn’t run the mile at the Boston Indoor Games because it conflicted with her sectional championships, the Collegiate Invitational offered her an opportunity to run fast against top competition and a mid-range distance.
“I was kind of rolling the dice to see if anybody would run out there for her,” Smith’s coach Brian Zatorski said. “That didn’t happen but you have to run you’re race and she ran great.”
Maryland’s Eleanor Roosevelt also notched the national leader in the junior girls 4x400. Jenea McCammon (55.7), Aurieyall Scott (54.9), Doris Anyanwu (55.5) and Afia Charles (55.5) finished in 3:41.75, proving even with a new coach – Greg Johnson – and a new group of athletes, Roosevelt still houses some of the best relay teams in the country.
“We’re just trying to do different things,” Anyanwu said. “It’s different faces on the team. It’s different coaches. We just want to be different. We just want to be better.”
Roosevelt dominated what was probably one of the best 4x400 fields the country could assemble and Anyanwu summed up the team’s performance with similar words.
“Tradition never dies.”
Cardozo finished second in the race in 3:45.36 with a team of Latiesha Philson, Chamique Francis, Tessa West and Ahytana Johnson for the fourth-fastest time in New York State history.
"With the four girls we had out this time of year we're pretty satisfied," coach Gail Emmaunel said. "That team (Roosevelt) ran a hell of a race. They have a lot of depth just like we do. I'm just hoping we can race them again. We want to go where ever the competition is."
Reach Christopher Hunt at chunt@armorytrack.com