Robby Andrews gets ready for Nike

Andrews gets fast mile he sought Manalapan H.S. senior runs 4:03.49; second fastest time in N.J. history BY TIM MORRIS Staff Writer Robby Andrews stuck to his guns. When the pace picked up on the third lap of the Portland Track Festival Invitation Mile on the night of June 13, Andrews, a Manalapan High School senior, was not going to let anyone get away from him.

It is the third lap that can make or break a fast time and the high school runners who had been invited to run in Oregon were there for one reason: to run fast.

Meet promoters assembled a field of the fastest high school runners from across the country and Canada in an attempt to give them a shot at the magic sub-4:00 mile — a time achieved by only four high school runners.

Any field of the country's fastest runners would naturally include Andrews, the indoor national champion and record holder (1:49.21) at 800 meters.

The promoters did not get the sub-4:00 mile, but what they got was the fastest high school-only mile since 1997 as Mac Fleet from University City, Calif., cranked out a 4:02.90 in out-kicking Andrews (4:03.49) to the line.

Andrews had the nice consolation of not only setting a personal best mark for the event, but running the second fastest mile in New Jersey history.

Pace setters were brought in to try and set up a sub-4:00 attempt, but instead of taking the field through the first half-mile in 1:59, the pace was 2:05. It was setting up as a tactical race when Fleet, who won the Reebok Mile indoors and had run a 4:05.33 for 1,600 meters in winning the California state meet, took off.

Was anyone going to follow?

"When Fleet started to push it, I stayed committed for the third lap," Andrews said. "I relaxed and covered all his moves."

Fleet dropped the pace down to 60 seconds for the third lap, leaving only himself and Andrews in the hunt for the victory as they hit the bell lap at 3:05.

At this point, the edge seemed to be with Fleet.

"I knew he had good speed," said Andrews. "He's been under 3:05 for 1,200 before. It's one thing to think you can go through at that pace and another to do it."

Andrews had never gone through three laps in 3:05 before. In running a 4:06.2 1,600 meters in April at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Andrews was at 3:09. But Andrews had toughened himself during workouts for the discomfort that lay ahead. and his outdoor 1:48.66 800 meters at the New Jersey Meet of Champions on June 4 proved he was ready.

Fleet kept surging and Andrews remained on his heels. With 220 yards to go, both runners were in full flight. Coming off the final turn it was anyone's race to win.

"I got up next to him and he had an extra burst," said Andrews. "He started to pull away in the last 50 yards."

Both runners covered the last half-mile in the 1:57 range, putting down their personal best.

Andrews had been looking to run a fast mile all during the outdoor season and when the opportunity presented itself, he showed that he is more than a fast 800-meter runner. He was satisfied that he had gotten under the 4:05 goal he had set for himself and with a lot of respect for the sub-4:00 mile.

Andrews' time is second only to the great Marty Liquori, the only schoolboy in New Jersey history to run under 4:00 for the mile. While he was a senior at Essex Catholic, Liquori set his still standing record of 3:59.8 in 1967.

"I'm still disappointed I didn't win," Andrews said. "It's nice to have your name up there with the other great runners. I think I'll appreciate it more in the coming years."

Andrews was clocked at 3:47.38 at 1,500 meters. If that time is confirmed he will have set the state record for the metric mile. The current mark is 3:48 set by Paramus Catholic's Kevin Byrne in 1977.

The setting at Lewis and Clark College in Portland was runner-friendly.

"It was like a mini-Hayward Field (the University of Oregon track stadium)," Andrews said. "The fans were very appreciative."

To help prepare himself for a race that was scheduled to begin no earlier than 11 p.m. East Coast time, Andrews shot baskets in the back yard of his home to get his body accustomed to being active that late at night. This is one time basketball helped his running.

There is still one race ahead potentially for Andrews, the 800 meters at the Nike Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro, N.C., June 18-20. He would like to add the outdoor national title to his indoor crown.

Andrews said he will see how his body responds and recovers from his mile effort to see if he can go to the well one more time.

"I think I can manage another one," he said.