Between 2005 and 2009, Minnesota enjoyed a veritable Golden Age in high school boys' middle and long-distance running. In those years, the Minnesota high school all-time lists were rewritten in wholesale fashion and new all-time records were established at 800-, 1600-, and 3200-meters.
In those halcyon days, names like Finnerty, Heath, Mead, Blankenship, Mellon, and Abda graced the top of State Meet and high school national championship results.
Golden Boys from a Golden Age.
The "Golden Boys" are men now, racing in uniforms that represent track and field powers like Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Stanford. On the over-sized indoor track at the University of Washington this weekend, the group, and a handful of other North Star state natives, made a striking impression on the 2011 collegiate scene.
In all, four Minnesotans notched NCAA automatic qualifying times and raced with distinction at the Flotrack Husky Classic, the largest gathering of Division I distance talent short of the NCAA Championships themselves.
Kicking off the golden weekend on Friday was Winona native Elliott Heath of Stanford. The two-time MSHSL Class AA 3200m champ and the fastest Minnesota high school 3200m runner of all time used a furious kick to win the 5000m event and clock a PR 13:37.77.
The performance, puts Heath #2 on the NCAA entry list for 5000m, behind Liberty University's superstar Kenyan Sam Chelanga.
You can watch Heath's race HERE and view a post-race interview HERE,
On Saturday, Buffalo High School alumnus Zach Mellon, who runs for the Wisconsin Badgers, notched an auto-qualifier at 800m with a 1:47.87 4th-place finish. You can watch his race HERE.
Mellon is currently ranked #7 in D1.
Saturday's 3000m was loaded with Minnesota stars. Professional runner Garrett Heath finished runner-up in the race in 7:50.28. The Winona native (and older brother of Elliott Heath) was followed closely the Gopher's Ben Blankenship, 8th in an auto-qualifying 7:52.52, and Brainerd native Justin Tyner, 11th with his own auto-qualifier in 7:53.91.
Blankenship, a two-time MSHSL Class AA champ at Stillwater, broke the University of Minnesota record with his time.
Tyner, whose top State Meet finishes as a prep were a pair of modest 13th-place runs in the Class AA 1600 and 3200m as a junior, continues his striking ascent as a runner while a cadet at the Air Force Academy.
Blankenship is ranked #9 in the 3000m in D1, Tyner ranks #15. Elliott Heath's 7:52.27 from earlier in the season ranks him #7.
You can watch the fast section of the 3000m HERE.
Also Notable ... Other notable performances from Seattle include Hassan Mead's return to the Gopher line-up after a 15-month lay-off due to Achilles tendon and then collapsed lung issues with a 8:07.47 3000m.
Burnsville alumnus Rob Finnerty ran 8:11.96 for Wisconsin in the 3000m.
The Gophers' Nick Hutton ran 1:49.02 for 800m, teammate Harun Abda ran 1:49.85.
Find complete Husky Classic results HERE.
Find the NCAA D1 performance lists HERE.
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