FEATURE Athletes, Coaches Weigh Options with New 4x800 Relay

Shakespeare started all this foolishness with "To be, or not to be? That is the question."

Only for track and field coaches, it's whether or not to load up in the brand new 4x800-meter relay or to stick with the more traditional method of going for awards and points in the 800, 3200 and 4x400 relay.

Really, quite a dilemma.

What makes it so is that the first nine places in the 4x800 relay will be scored like every other event. If you have the overall boys and girls' team title in your sights, do you try to add to your score with a strong showing in the 4x800 which comes between the 200s and 3200s toward the end of the event schedule on Day 2 of the CIF-State Championships?

Or will doing so cost you points in the 800, 3200 and 4x400 relay which are too close timewise for athletes to attempt to double up?

Some schools, like the Buchanan (CS) girls and the Long Beach Poly (SS) boys, are so deep with quality distance runners, that the decision may not be made until the teams are warming up for the 4x800.

Below is a sampling of thoughts from some of the coaches who are weighing strategy of how to approach the new event that seemingly every distance-running coach wanted added to the State Meet schedule.

"Adding the 4x800 goes back 15 years ago," said Buchanan's Brian Weaver, who will also have the added duties as meet director since the State Championships, as usual, will be held in Veterans Memorial Stadium at Buchanan High in Clovis.

"A lot of coaches felt it was time but then COVID hit and last year we just wanted to get back to normal (after a two-year layoff). The coaches said if we're going to do it, we wanted to do it right. That meant making it a full-fledged event with scoring instead of making it an exhibition. 

"It was really a long process and I wouldn't say I pushed it, but after the idea came up 15 years ago, it kind of disappeared. Adding that event helps balance the program a little that many felt was too sprint-oriented with the 100, 200, 400, hurdles and jumps. Adding the 4x800 gives the distance runners another event and a lot of states (40) already have it."

*-per gender

You would think quality cross country programs like Buchanan -- which has both boys and girls state leaders in the 4x8 -- The Menlo School (CC), JSerra (SS), and Del Norte (SD) would jump at the chance but the schedule makes that problematic.

If you have really, really good 3200-meter runners, that event is too close to the 4x800 to make running both possible.

If you have great 400-meter runners who can also run 800s in the low 1:50s for the boys or below 2:10 for the girls, you better have a lot of them because there is just one event between the 4x800 and the 4x400 relays.

You're dealing with tradition, too.

"Having eight quality 800 or 400 meter runners is a big ask," said Chase Frazier the coach at JSerra (SS), whose girls ran 8:52.68 last year and lost just one of the four runners. "I think we'll find out at our section championships.

"We had hope and now we have opportunity. The key will be survive, survive, survive.

"You look at the race on paper and you don't see how you can lose but especially in the 800, not everyone will run their best times."

With the added interest, Frazier says every practice is like a track meet with the boys and girls now looking to at least running a relay at State.

Then there is strategy within the race.

At Arcadia, Del Norte (SD) ran 2:06 half-miler Hannah Riggins third, surprising everyone, including Frazier and JSerra, which was heavily favored. Del Norte ran 9:00.77 to win.

"They won't surprise us or anyone else again," said Frazier with a chuckle. "Who knows who will run what?"

CA 4x800m Relay Rankings Leaders

BOYS | GIRLS

A team like Del Norte from the San Diego Section or The Menlo School from the Central Coast Section does not have the depth of a Buchanan or Long Beach Poly, so those schools will have to decide where their top runners have the best opportunities.

Does a team with a great 800 runner have that individual who will try the 800-1600 double and still hope they can run close to their best time a couple of hours later in the 4x800?

For some the answer is easy. 

"Some teams will focus on the individual events, as they have in the past," said Del Norte's Chris Jacobs, "others will go for the 4x800 relay.

"There's not a whole lot of rest between the 800 and the 4x800, especially if the 800 turns into a close race. But those relay runners who haven't had to race before -- well, I wouldn't be surprised if they ran two to three seconds faster because they'll be fresh.

"Then there's this factor -- you are establishing tradition. Whoever wins this year will be the first one and that can never be duplicated.

"All of us have a situation where a runner could place in the 3200 or the 4x800 but not both. But with only two 4x800 relay teams coming out of the section meet, you can't take a chance of not qualifying."

Menlo coach Jorge Chen could hardly wait for them to add the 4x800, and he has two members of the boys relay team that conceivably both make the boys 800 finals. And a quality cross country program that might advance runners in the 3200 who could also be strong members of the 4x800.

"I'm so glad they added that event, FINALLY!" said Chen. "But a runner like (senior) Justin Pretre, who could be under 9-minutes in the 3200 by then, couldn't run both.

"A team like Long Beach Poly -- you know (junior) Xai Ricks will run the 800 because he's No. 2 in the state (1:49.19). In fact, both Long Beach teams (Poly and Wilson) could be in a battle for a team title and that might enter in because if you run the 4x800, how fast can those guys come back for the 4x400?

"One thing I have noticed, and I'm sure the others have, too, is the interest in the 800, because the 3200 relay, has really increased."

Weaver backed that 100 percent.

"It used to be, among your distance running group, for most of them the section finals were the end of the season," said Weaver. "Now those runners have a reason to keep going into May and on to summer workouts.

"Before, a girl like (senior) Grace Hutchison never gave the 4x800 relay a thought, we never discussed it, because there was no 4x800. Now we have some decisions to make and the section championships will tell us a lot. We all study those results and we'll see who goes where and how it affects all of us.

"I think there will be a lot of teams that sit down after the prelims Friday and make some decisions. There are no 4x800 prelims but if you have a really good runner who fails to qualify in an individual event, you'd have to consider that person running the 4x800. They'd be fresh.

"That's what makes it fun this year."

CIF-STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS SATURDAY FINALS TRACK SCHEDULE

 Steve Brand is a freelance writer and a regular contributor to MileSplit

Photos by Jeffrey Parenti and Raymond Tran