Sunday, April 12, 2020

High schooler makes a run at a four-minute mile in spite of coronavirus obstacles

By Sacramento Bee writer Joe Davidson.
https://www.sacbee.com/sports/high-school/joe-davidson/article241925021.html?fbclid=IwAR212A5oEjSoTusZtet2jI1XUgSBQmnY3OYyjGPDCAq-ndXFFpBaGYKL4rg

The following was posted by Harold Kuphaldt on his Facebook page.
Thank you, Joe Davidson. Well written as always. How can we not respect what Matt Strangio has done and is doing? His drive and determination and grit is an inspiration to me and many others. I feel horrible for Matt and Chase and all the other Senior athletes who worked so hard and had their seasons end amid the Covid-19 pandemic. It is easy to dismiss the lost track season as trivial in light of 10,000 plus Americans who have already lost their lives to this pandemic. However, for those of us that know what it is like to push our bodies to the point of breaking in the effort to achieve a goal, we can appreciate the profound and life-long impact of losing a chance to achieve our goals by something that is beyond our control. I think of some of my running hero’s who lost a chance to compete in the 1980 Olympics because of the boycott. The scars of that experience and decision affect many of them still today ... 40 years later. To those that are offended by Matt’s attempt at history in this time trial, I say try to think of it from his perspective. Respect the effort and dedication and morn for the loss of this season and the impact it will have on so many athletes. For the rest of these senior athletes' lives many will be saying “I think I could have run..., but we will never know because the track season was cancelled due to Clovis-19.” I am a man of faith, and I do believe God can take bad things and turn them into good. Easter is a good time to remember a time when God changed the world forever through what looked at the time as a very Bad thing on Friday ... Jesus was tortured and killed. Then came Sunday! I look forward to seeing Matt Strangio’s Sunday. He is destined for greatness. Thanks for writing this article, Joe. I thank you for the shoutout in the article too.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

This was extremely poor judgement. I don’t buy that coaches weren’t unaware. So this was hand timed?

Albert Caruana said...

It was timed with an app.

Anonymous said...

With all do respect, this is a bad take by the former legend. We all have athletes who wanted to run fast just as much as this young man. Who’s to say, not more? Many who will never have another chance run meaningful races. This young man undoubtedly will. What about the kid who rehabbed all year long, or isn’t the 2 time reigning champ, and might not have a D1 spot locked down. Or any college at all.
I still have the keys to my track and facility, but find it unlikely I’d keep them if I was setting up FAT for time trials right now. I also don’t think it’s safe or in the best interest of our athletes or their families to be giving our runners directives for training or racing right now, and stuff like this doesn’t help. If this didn’t happen at Jesuit, it’s completely different, but don’t tell me this happened on school grounds without plenty of knowledge.

Albert Caruana said...

My personal take is that you have a high school student in the best shape of his life and he wanted to see what he could run. He is certainly not the only HS student to have done this in a safe manner. I think they did the best they could to follow the CDC guidelines. Matt and those involved have taken plenty of flack for what happened and I don't think there is any more reasons to pile on. If people don't agree with was done, then they don't agree. You have been heard.

Anonymous said...

I have no knowledge of the situation but if a kid and his buddies he saw EVERY DAY at school do a run together and otherwise stay home they are no different than family members. When this was run were groups of 10 still allowed? If 2-3 kids go run, stay away from people and wash their hands there’s no issue here. Remember “flattening the curve” is not eliminating this number of infections, it is elongating the time do hospitals are not overrun.

If he went from home to track to home, came in contact with no one, doesn’t live with an elderly family member with health conditions who cares??!

Anonymous said...

no offense to Matt or his team but this was not a very smart idea. The state rules are not meant to be taken lightly, regardless of what potential running talent might of not been displayed at the state meet. Many runners are in the same boat and diligently training on their own with no disregard for social distancing.

Albert Caruana said...

I have people come closer to me at Supermarkets than what Matt had during his time trial. Just saying.

Anonymous said...

One of our top runners was trying to do a workout by herself but was kicked off the track.  No coaches, no entourage.  Probably true for lots of kids all around.  Tracks are closed because of a government shutdown of school campuses and facilities due to a health pandemic that needs everyone to comply.  There are hundreds of kids in the best shape of their lives who work just as hard or harder, and yet have come to the painful realization that now is not the time for pr's and personal goals.  If a runner quietly tries to hit a mark, maybe. But this was more than that, it was meant to be a spectacle, being that there were cameras and media.  Poor judgement by the Bee and adults involved who made this happen.

Albert Caruana said...

You are entitled to your opinion.

Anonymous said...

You are aware that other athletes are doing this all over the country....right? Look on MileSplit and you will see time trials that were just run by Arizona's Leo Daschbach - 4:03.7 for the mile and Minnesota's Tierney Wolfgram - 4:54.9 for the 1600. MileSplit is also doing a virtual meet with athletes sending in marks. I think perseverance and hope are a good thing right now as precautions are being taken.

Anonymous said...

Schools are shut down & I understand why. Kids spread germs like crazy between each other and then they take it home. My kids are more healthy now than ever because they are out of school. So I get it.

But let’s not be as crazy to think that a few people getting together who otherwise are sheltering in place will have any effect on the curve whatsoever. I see tons of people out walking & going shopping for food. They have a way bigger chance of spreading it than kids running. You think HS kids aren’t hanging out at a friends house now and then (not talking party, just two kids) you’re crazy.

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