Nike Nationals: Inside the Numbers

We've decided the results and the videos were not enough ...

Last weekend's Nike Outdoor Nationals produced so many historic performances for Minnesota high school athletes -- is there any argument that it was the best meet ever for prep boys from the state? -- we felt prompted to dig deeper into the results.

Here, then, are the top performances of the meet for the Gopher Staters, in their historic context. (My thanks to Chris Marshall -- whose latest "Chris Lists" are appended -- and Minnesota Boys Track and Field Annual authors Tim Miles and Bill Miles.)

Note: We don't know of any comprehensive all-time lists for Minnesota girls similar to the Miles and Miles annual. We were impressed with Eden Prairie's 8th place 9:14.66 4 x 800 and 6th place 21:04.05 4 x Mile runs at NON, nonetheless.

Quinn Evans ... 9th @ 400m in 47.31 at NON ... the second fastest Minnesota 400 perfomance all-time, second only to Evans' own 47.18 from the 4AA Section.

Rob Finnerty ... 11th @ Mile in 4:10.49 ... #4 1600/Mile all-time trailing only Garry Bjorklund, Nick Schneider, and Steve Holman ... a 4:08.84 1600m equivalent.

Paul Hilsen ... 13th @ Mile in 4:11.04 ... #7 all-time in Minnesota behind Bjorklund, Schneider, Holman, Finnerty, Garrett Heath, and Ben Blankenship.

Elliott Heath ... 3rd @ 2 Miles in 8:46.12 ... #1 all-time 2 Mile/3200 in the state, dethroning Mike Torchia's 8:50.80 after but one year ... we're trying to verify this, but we think the mark puts Heath in the top-25 for US high schoolers all-time. An 8:42.81 3200m equivalent.

Hassan Mead ... 5th @ 2 Miles in 8:51.23 ... #3 all-time behind Heath and Torchia.

Finnarty ... 13th @ 2 Miles in 8:59.13 ... #5 all-time behind Heath, Torchia, Mead, and Schneider.

Mounds View 4 x 400 ... 4th in 3:14.47 ... a new Minnesota all-time best, eclipsing Stillwater's 1997 3:16:89. The splits, according to coach Ross Fleming, were: Andrew Balzer 49.9, Kevin Bradley 47.8, Mike Shelendich 49.9, and Quinn Evans 46.7.

Willmar 4 x 800 ... 5th in 7:42.24 ... #2 all-time behind Stillwater's 1998 7:41.94.

Mounds View 4 x 800 ... 7th in 7:45.95 ... #3 all-time behind Stillwater and Willmar.

Willmar DMR ... 8th in 10:10.68 ... new all-time best in the seldom-run event, eclipsing Winona's 2004 mark of 10:13.43.

Lakeville South DMR ... 9th in 10:12.67 ... #2 all-time to Willmar.

Willmar 4 x Mile ... 4th in 17:29.09 ... new all-time best in this rare event, smoking Stillwater's 17:44.3 from 2004.

The Chris Lists ... Post-NON Edition ...

800m
Andy Richardson Irondale 1:51.60 AA State (Prelims) *5th All-time Minnesota*
Zach Mellon Buffalo 1:52.66 AA State *14th All-time Minnesota*
Isaac Veldkamp Eden Prairie 1:53.62 AA State *24th All-time Minnesota*
Jordan Carlson Rosemount 1:53.88 AA State (Prelims)
David Pachuta Eastview 1:53.96 AA State (Prelims)
Obai Hussein Rosemount 1:54.04 AA State
Nick Hutton Apple Valley 1:54.09 Section 6AA
Mike Shelendich Mounds View 1:54.37 Section 4AA
Jon Stublaski Henry Sibley 1:54.51 AA State (Prelims)
Ben Blankenship Stillwater 1:54.58 Bob Stewart Invite
(10)
Mike Mueller Hopkins 1:54.99 Section 6AA
Nick Ranberg North Branch 1:55.08 North Suburban Conference
Alex Wrobel Mounds View 1:55.50 Section 4AA
Mustafa Yusuf Willmar 1:55.49 Section 2AA
Robel Kebede Minneapolis South 1:55.68 Section 5AA
Tyler King Lakeville North 1:55.73 AA State (Prelims)
Anthony Held Elk River 1:55.94 AA State (Prelims)
Abdi Mohamed Eden Prairie 1:56.10 Section 6AA
Ben Garbers North 1:56.23 Section 4AA
Tom Hoffman Mahtomedi 1:56.24 Section 4AA
(20)
Kevid Bradley Mounds View 1:56.70 SEC Conference
Kaafi Adeys Willmar 1:56.86 Central Lakes Conference
Rob Finnerty Burnsville 1:57.18 Carleton
John Vaith Hastings 1:57.25 AA State (Prelims)
Doug Debold Hopkins 1:57.42 State TT
Mitch Lorenz Brainerd 1:57.62 AA State (Prelims)
Luke Delaney Brainerd 1:57.64 AA State (Prelims)
Evan Kearney Mlps. South 1:57.87 6AAATT
Harun Abda Fridley 1:57.89 Section 5AA
Tom Burke Edina 1:57.95 EP Booster
(30)
Paul Hilsen Lakeville South 1:57.8* Rosemount Tri
Sam Shidla Mound-Westonka 1:57.9* Mound-Westonka
Dominick Rosario Edina 1:58.54 Section 6AA

1600m
Rob Finnerty Burnsville 4:08.84c (4:10.49) NON *4th All-time Minnesota*
Ben Blankenship Stillwater 4:09.10 AA State *6th All-time Minnesota*
Paul Hilsen Lakeville South 4:09.28c (4:11.04) NON *7th All-time Minnesota*
Elliott Heath Winona 4:10.27 1AAATT *10th All-time Minnesota*
Andy Richardson Irondale 4:10.78 AA State *15th All-time Minnesota*
Jordan Carlson Rosemount 4:13.04 (4:14.72) NON
Ryan Little Eden Prairie 4:13.54 Section 6AA
TC Lumbar Edina 4:13.98 Section 6AA
Hassan Mead Mlps. South 4:14.17 AA State
Tom Burke Edina 4:15.44 7AAATT
(10)
Doug Debold Hopkins 4:16.70 Section 6AA
Matt Yak Northfield 4:16.85 1AAATT
Tyler King Lakeville North 4:17.25 Section 1AA
Jackson Wiley Eden Prairie 4:17.64 Section 6AA
Kaafi Adeys Willmar 4:17.9* STMA
Zach Mellon Buffalo 4:19.05 State TT
Mike Hutton Apple Valley 4:19.41 Lake Conference Relays
Jon Stublaski Henry Sibley 4:20.02 Hamline Elite
Travis Burkstrand Eastview 4:20.37 Lake Conference
Jackson Wiley Eden Prairie 4:21.58 Lake Conference
(20)
Pieter Gagnon Minneapolis Washburn 4:21.76 Section 5AA
Mike Howard North 4:22.00 AA State
Harry Backlund Highland Park 4:22.24
Nick Saucedo Henry Sibley 4:22.25 Section 3AA
Jackson Wiley Eden Prairie 4:22.34 Lake Conf. Relays
TC Lumbar Edina 4:22.52 7AAATT
Mahad Hassan Willmar 4:22.69 Eden Prairie Booster
Mike Schelendich Mounds View 4:22.88 6AAATT
Matt Volz Lakeville South 4:22.99 1AAATT

3200m
Elliott Heath Winona 8:42.81c (8:46.12) NON *Minnesota All-time record*
Hassan Mead Mlps South 8:47.88c (8:51.23) NON *3rd All-time Minnesota*
Rob Finnerty Burnsville 8:55.75c (8:59.15) NON *5th All-time Minnesota*
TC Lumbar Edina 9:06.69 Hamline Elite *15th All-time Minnesota*
Ryan Little Eden Prairie 9:11.19 AA State
Tom Burke Edina 9:11.36 Section 6AA
Jackson Wiley Eden Prairie 9:13.00 Section 6AA
Ben Blankenship Stillwater 9:15.46 Lakeville Invite
Kaafi Adeys Willmar 9:16.92 AA State
Matt Yak Northfield 9:18.90 1AAATT
(10)
Mike Hutton Apple Valley 9:22.05 Section 6AA
Jon Stublaski Henry Sibley 9:23.71 2AAATT
Andrew Quinn BSM 9:26.79 Hamline Elite
Mahad Hassan Willmar 9:29.96 Central Lakes Conference
Pieter Gagnon Minneapolis Washburn 9:30.10 AA State
Travis Burkstrand Eastview 9:32.53 Lake Conference
Danny Docherty Cretin-Derham Hall 9:32.83 AA State
Mohammed Bedel Willmar 9:35.21 Section 2AA
Jon Lambert Wayzata 9:39.26 Hamline Elite
Danny Docherty Cretin-Derham Hall 9:39.41 SEC Conference
(20)
Kaafi Adeys Willmar 9:39.59 EP Booster
Mike Howard North 9:40.91 Section 4AA
Wade Hassel Mounds View 9:41.10 Hamline Elite
Tyler King Lakeville North 9:41.39 Lake Conference

*hand-timed