Indoors, it would seem as if everyone's mind is on the Mile. Much of that can be attributed to the Armory, and more specifically, the Millrose Games. The allure of a spot on the line has drawn in fast times for over a decade, where distance runners may have been more spread out across all the middle-distance events if not for the event. At the State Level, we run the 1600m, just nine meters short than the traditional distance. That's not without controversy, as some believe the Mile is the traditional distance, and the Collegiate and Pro ranks go to the "metric mile," otherwise known as the 1500m.
Upstate New York is one of the powerhouse area's for Cross Country in the United States. They routinely put out National Caliber teams and individuals in the Fall. When it comes to Indoor Track, it's time to drop down in distance, and see who has some speed, too. The 1600m race at the Section 5/6 Borderclash (officially named the Section V vs Section VI Invite) was billed as a battle of the titans. The top five seeds all ran a 180 speed rating or better in the XC season, and have well storied battles between them.
Class A Team State Champion Dan Gahagan (Corning) took the race out hard, with Class B and Merge State Champ Nathan Lawler (Pittsford-Mendon) sitting right on his shoulder for the first two laps. Two more laps in, and Cal Puskar (Orchard Park) and Ian Russ (East Aurora) were right in tow, with Payton Gleason (Churchville-Chili) behind them. Gahagan and Lawler injected some speed with two laps to go, and the field began to string out.
That's when Puskar made his move. Drafting off the front pack, he surged to the front, opening the race up. Russ noticed the move and went with him, pulling Gleason along too. One lap to go, and Russ was leading, but it would be Gleason with the big finishing kick down the final straightaway, outleaning Russ for the win. It may not have been the top ranked times in the State, but the competition was key. Learning to read the race, and adapt, are key factors for vying for a State Title. Now it's just time to sharpen up for the Championship Season.