Battle of Century #3
By David M. Burnette
19 November, 2013
In the heart of Orange County, California, separated by less than 15 miles, 3 of the nation's fastest high school distance runners will battle not just to win races but to claim the best in the Century League. Seniors Garrett Corcoran of Villa Park High School (4:10.95 - 1600m), Sydney Gidabuday of El Modena (4:12.43) and Sophomore Austin Tamagno of Brea (4:09.43) will race a minimum of four times this fall. The first of their meetings came on September 21st at the Woodbridge Invitational with Garrett Corcoran claiming 3rd overall covering the flat and fast 3 mile course in 14:07. Gidabuday and Tamagno followed shortly behind in 14:10 and finished 4th and 6th. Eleven days later the three met again in the Century League Preview Cluster. This time around Gidabuday took top honors in 14:20 with Tamagno in 14:21 and Corcoran finishing in third at 14:29.
The three runners are far from strangers, as they have raced many times over the past 13 plus months, thus setting the table for today's Orange County Championships in Irvine Regional Park. Fresh off his Century League win Sidney Gidabuday led a pack of runners through the first mile at 4:56. The pack remained about 8 deep until Gidabuday broke the pack down to himself, Corcoran and Tamagno. Corcoran surged to the lead just before the 2 mile to lead the 3 pack through at 9:52. With less than a half mile to go, it was down to only Corcoran and Tamagno with Gidabuday falling off the lead pack. Garrett Corcoran closed his day in a 4:36 mile to break the meet record set by former ASU Sun Devil and Footlocker Finalist Brandon Bethke with a finishing time of 14:28. Austin Tamagno finished in 14:33 and Sydney Gidabuday finished 3rd at 14:54.
"I tried to drop Austin and Sydney from the beginning of the race at the cluster meet and was unable. Today, I changed my strategy and took the lead when I wanted to," Corcoran replied when asked about the difference between today and 16 days ago when he took third on the same course.
Sydney Gidabuday said of his race, "I was very comfortable through 2 miles even though I felt pressure to lead the pack through today. "
The fourth and final scheduled battle will come the first week in November at the Century League Championships. Reigning Champion Corcoran tied Jamie Martinez (two time Footlocker/Kenny Finalist) meet record last year at 14:29.
"The league title is really important to me. I would like to win it while Garrett and Sydney are both still here. I think we can all go well under the course record," said Austin Tamagno of the upcoming race.
The three will race in different divisions when it comes to the Southern Section Regionals and the California State Meet. Corcoran, who is currently being recruited by Cal Poly SLO and ASU, has already registered for Footlocker West. Gidabuday also expressed that he would be attending Footlocker. Austin Tamagno, whose Brea team should see a spike in their California ranking after winning the Orange County Team Title, said he would attend NTN if the team qualified but would also be at Footlocker if they did not. Corcoran may have won the race today but this war between these three amazing competitors is far from over.