Jesse Fassler does not shy away from competition. Just the opposite.
The senior middle-distance runner from Centaurus wants to race the best the state has to offer every time on the track. His reason? Well, it’s like a lesson for life.
“You can’t get better unless you’re chasing someone or someone is pushing you,” Fassler said. “It doesn’t help to win races against slower runners. You learn by losing and figuring out what your weaknesses are.”
Fassler, who recently signed to run for Portland State University, looked smooth and strong in winning the 800 meters Saturday at Mullen’s Runners Roost track and field invitational at Brother Bernard Kinneavy de La Salle Stadium.
He set a meet record with a time of 1 minute, 54.60 seconds, but he might not have without Mullen sophomore Andrew Berberick pushing the pace. Berberick, however, took a tumble in the final 50 meters trying to reel in Fassler.
“That’s always a bum deal when good competition falls like that,” Fassler said.
Following Fassler’s line of thought, Cherry Creek junior Charles White made Fassler and everyone else running the 1,600 better when White set a meet standard with a winning time of 4:15.05.
“I was hurting in the last 100 meters in both races,” Fassler said. “I’ll throw up later.”
The 10th annual invitational drew 54 schools and nearly 1,000 athletes. Team scores were not kept, but nine meet records were broken.
In a race featuring three of the top high school distance runners in the nation, Kristen McGlynn of Platte Canyon held off an elite field for a victory in the 3,200, finishing ahead of Fairview’s Sarah Cocco and Ralston Valley’s Kaitie Vanatta.
McGlynn also ran to victory in the 1,600, and the Baylor-bound senior was awarded the Marcus Jackson Award as the most valuable female performer.
Jeremy Rankin, a sophomore sprinter from Overland with speed to burn, earned the male MVP award after destroying the fields and setting meet records in the 100 (10.33) and 200 (21.05). Rankin also led the Trailblazers’ 400 relay team to a victory and meet record.
This is normally where Rankin, one of the fastest sophomore sprinters in the country, would talk about his performances. But Overland boys coach Bill Edwards barred his team from talking to the media until after the season.
“You know how business goes,” Rankin said.
Longmont’s Elizabeth Stover was all business in the pole vault as she broke the meet record of 11 feet, 8 inches with a vault of 11-10. Then she broke that record, as well as her personal best, by clearing 12-2 on her third and final attempt.
“It’s nerve-wracking to clear it on your third attempt, but it’s better than not clearing it at all,” said Stover, who came close to breaking the state record of 12-6 3/4.
