Three new sub-four milers for our state!

In a flurry of hot activity, Michigan-raised milers are burning up the track. First it was Liam Boylan-Pett from Bath, who is now attending Georgetown University. On Jan. 30, he clocked 3:59.40 on the banked track at Penn State. Then, at last weekend's Meyo Invitational on Notre Dame's big track, Shane Knoll (ex-Warren Mott, now MSU) continued his amazing improvement by leading four others under 4:00. His time? 3:57.36, not bad for someone whose high school best was 4:14.99 over 1600m. Behind Knoll came Justin Switzer in 3:58.89. He graduated from Waterford Kettering and now runs for Michigan.

That brings the total of sub-four minute milers from Michigan high schools to 14. Eleven of them achieved the feat indoors, five outdoors (and obviously, two did both--Paul McMullen and Brian Hyde). The most prolific is McMullen, who dipped under the magic barrier 16 times. No one else comes close: Hyde did it three times, Earl Jones and Steve Sherer twice.

Now, the reason most of our guys do it indoors is simple: it's not a championship distance outdoors. If it were, we'd have at least four more because they ran the equivalent of a 4:00 mile over the shorter (by 109.34m) 1500m: Treg Scott, Tim Pitcher, P.J. Osika, and Todd Williams. In fact, Steve Sherer's 3:36.81 last season would equate to a 3:54.11 for the mile, faster than McMullen's 3:54.94 record.

In the conversion game, McMullen still leads, as his 3:33.89 record translates to 3:50.99 for the mile. I still find myself quite impressed by Tom Duits. Just after he graduated from WMU in 1979, he anchored a 4 x 1500 team in France to an American record. His split was 3:35.8, worth a 3:53.1 mile!

The Michigan mile list (indoors/outdoors combined):

o=oversized track; i=indoors
3:54.94 Paul McMullen (Cadillac-Saucony) 2001
3:55.84-i ----McMullen (Asics) 1998
3:56.00-oi Steve Sherer (Saline-Nike FT) 2008
3:56.41 Brian Hyde (E Kentwood-New Balance) 1997
3:56.60 ----McMullen (Asics) 1998
3:56.68-oi ----McMullen (Asics) 1998
3:56.87 ----McMullen (Asics) 1995
3:57.34-oi ----McMullen (Eastern Michigan) 1995
3:57.36-oi Shane Knoll (Warren Mott-Michigan St) 2009
3:57.46-i ----McMullen (Asics) 1998
3:57.79 ----McMullen (Asics) 1996
3:57.81-i ----Sherer (Nike FT) 2008
3:57.88-i ----McMullen (Saucony) 2000
3:58.60 ----McMullen (Coast Guard) 2004
3:58.21-i ----McMullen (Eastern Michigan) 1995
3:58.61-i ----McMullen (Asics) 1997
3:58.76 Earl Jones (Taylor Center- Santa Monica TC) 1986
3:58.86-oi Justin Switzer (Waterford Kettering-Michigan) 2009
3:58.94-i Mike Michno (Ink Cherry Hill-New Balance) 1991
3:58.98 ----Jones (Santa Monica TC) 1986
3:59.05-i Dan Heikkinen (Adrian-Athletics West) 1982
3:59.07 ----McMullen (Asics) 1998
3:59.16-i ----Hyde (William & Mary) 1995
3:59.1i Greg Meyer (GR W Catholic-New Jersey AA) 1978
3:59.1 Gerard Donakowski (DH Riverside-Nike N) 1991
3:59.2 Tom Duits (Hastings-Western Michigan) 1978
3:59.40-i Liam Boylan-Pett (Bath-Georgetown) 2009
3:59.62-i ----McMullen (Saucony) 2000
3:59.83-oi Jordan Desilets (Lake Orion-Eastern Mich) 2004
3:59.88 ----McMullen (Asics) 1997
3:59.92-i ----Hyde (William & Mary) 1995
3:59.93-i Brian Diemer (GR S Christian-Michigan) 1983
3:59.97 ----McMullen (Saucony) 2000

Meyo mile video