photos by wingedfootfotos.com & Tim Fulton
Effortless. That’s how it looked.
It looked like he could run as fast as he wanted -- whenever he was good and ready.
Sherwood’s Solomon Haile looked that smooth, that powerful when he broke a 25-year old national record while winning the 5,000 meters at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships in 14.22.88. His time bettered the old mark of 14:29.28 by Brad Hudson of South Eugene, Ore. in 1984.
“That’s my plan every time,” Haile said. “First break the record if you can. Then try to win the race even if you don’t break the record. Third is if you can’t win the race to just do as best you can.”
Haile checked all three objectives Saturday but before the day was out, his record vanished and his time became the second-fastest ever. Freshman Lukas Verzbicasof New Lenox, Illinois, reset the national record by winning the 5,000 at the Nike Indoor Nationals in 14:18.42. Both runners dominated their event. Verzbicas won by 43 seconds and Haile won by about 30.
Haile said that he and Zach Ornelas (Cedar Park, Tx.) agreed before the race to work the first two miles together, hoping to go through the first mile in 4:40 and the second around 9:20. Both were dead on through the mile mark but Haile started to break away midway through the second kilometer. Amazing enough that Haile cranked through a record run mostly alone for the second portion of the race but he admitted that he needed to remind himself to trust his ability regardless of all his accomplishments.
“I never lose races so sometimes there’s a little bit of pressure,” he said. “But you have to have confidence in your talent and respect for your abilities.”
Haile, who is still undecided on college but has visited Texas, Northern Arizona, Auburn and Oklahoma State, will also run the 2-mile Sunday. The national record 8:40.0 set by Gerry Lindgren in 1964. Haile didn’t say whether he would take aim at the record but knows he’ll be a heavy favorite for double-gold at the national meet.
“I think I’ll be OK,” he said. “I’m kind of tired but I think sometimes you don’t know what you have left until you’re out there. I’m not going to go running around New York City.”
Tynita Butts (Alexandria, Va.) did leave the meet with two gold medals Friday. Funny thing is she said she knew something special would happen as soon as she woke up that morning.
“I’m not trying to be cocky or conceited,” said the T.C. Williams senior, who will compete at East Carolina. “But I knew I was going to win. Sometimes you just know. You feel it. I was just full of adrenaline.”
It didn’t look promising at first when Butt fouled her first two attempts in the long jump. She went into the finals trailing Brittany Porter (Decatur, Ga.) but on her first attempt in the final round she took the lead with a 19-11.75 jump. Then capped her win a 20-1.50 mark on her last jump. Not bad for someone who has no facility to practice long jump at her school.
“I’m extremely happy,” Butts said. “I almost gave my coach a heart attack (after the fouls). But afterward I was so emotional. People were telling me to go to the podium and go get my ring but I was just crying. Happy tears.”
Butts’ friends and teammates questioned whether she should even attend the meet. She’s been experiencing back spasms and has a hyper-extended muscle in her left shoulder though none of that stopped her from clearing 5-10.50 to win the high jump as well.
“I came here to have fun and I did that,” she said.
No one had more fun than Tomarris Bell of McQuaid Jesuit (Rochester, NY). Bell, who was competing in his first track meet of the season, won the high jump in a personal best 6-11.50. In fact, he hasn’t even practice the high jump this season since he played on the basketball team this winter.
“I was just hoping I’d get all-American,” Bell said.
Bell drew some attention for his distinct technique. He nearly curls into a tight ball at the height of his jump then unfurls to curl himself over the bar. It’s a weird hitch in what is normally a fluid motion but it works nevertheless.
“No one’s ever had a problem with it,” Bell said. “My coaches said if it feels comfortable then I could do it.”
The senior, who committed to the University of Buffalo, was beside himself after the win and couldn’t wait to grab his cell phone.
“I was so happy,” he said. “I’m about to go call everybody.”
Reach Christopher Hunt at chunt@armorytrack.com.