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Running down a dream Despite missing mark, Ritzenhein allowed into nationals
On April 27 at the Penn Relays, high school senior Dathan Ritzenhein of Rockford, Mich., finished second in the Olympic Development 5,000-meter run, a terrific performance for an 18-year-old against college and open-class runners much older than he. Yet the performance was also heartbreaking, because Ritzenhein's time of 13 minutes, 51.69 seconds missed qualifying for the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships by just .19 seconds. The implications of this arithmetic were immediately apparent to every track nut in America: Would USA Track & Field be wise enough to allow Ritzenhein to run at nationals, despite his narrowly missing the qualifying time? After all, the national championships will be held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., where Steve Prefontaine competed and where track distance running -- in particular, the 5,000 meters (Pre's specialty) -- is cherished like nowhere else in this country. Plus, Ritzenhein's performance in Philadelphia was compromised by a slow first mile (4:32) that left him desperately chasing the standard for more than eight physical laps inside Franklin Field. It is obvious that 13:51.50 is well within his range. Would USATF do the right thing? The answer, it seems, is yes. John Chaplin, the former Washington State head coach, 2000 men's Olympic team coach and current chairman of the USATF track and field committee told me Thursday that if Ritzenhein enters the meet, he'll be accepted. "A high school runner who breaks 14 minutes and comes so close to the standard, I'll be glad to take him," said Chaplin. In order to secure a spot in the race, Ritzenhein needs only enter the meet, then file an appeal to be accepted despite narrowly missing the time standard. "If I get the appeal, I'll take it," said Chaplin. Ritzenhein and his coach, Brad Prins, told me earlier in the week that they would love to run nationals, but that Ritzenhein would not enter another 5K in pursuit of the standard, given the lack of time between now and the competition. Friday night in Dayton, Ohio, Ritzenhein will attempt to break Jeff Nelson's 22-year-old high school two-mile record of 8:36.3. His only realistic shot at a fast 5,000 before nationals would have been at Stanford on June 9, just six days before Ritzenhein defends his national scholastic two-mile title and just 12 days before the start of nationals. "That would be just too much,'' said Prins. Chaplin's decision comes as a blessed reprieve and a gift for the sport of track and field. It will also create controversy among the small-minded and petty. Track is a numbers sport, and, technically, Ritzenhein missed the number, although by only a couple of feet. However, some middle-distance runners were excluded from last year's Olympic trials for missing standards by similar margins. There will be some noise. This isn't about numbers, however. This is about a sport that remains constantly in need of fresh faces and new stars. Ritzenhein is one reason track fans feel good about America's future in distance running, a young talent who has already beaten some of the best African juniors at the World Cross Country Championships. He shouldn't simply be allowed to run in Eugene; he should be sent an engraved invitation. Sports Illustrated senior writer Tim Layden covers track and field for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com. Click here to send him a question or comment.
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