At the bell, three athletes sprinted around the curve, spurred on by the cheering of the Hayward faithful. The runners were competing as part of the men’s mile, the final event of the Oregon Twilight that was hosted by Oregon track and field on Friday night.
The aim of every athlete running in the event is to break that barrier (four-minute mile), perhaps the most significant time goal in American track and field. Its been done by just 42 Ducks in the history of the program and only five athletes have ever accomplished the goal in high school.
High school senior and Oregon recruit Matthew Maton was hoping to add his name to that exclusive list at the Twilight.
“Once I scheduled this on my meet I marked it, and said if it’s going to happen, its going to happen here,” Maton said.
Maton was running as part of a loaded field featuring many talented entries. He was joined by elite current and former Ducks.
Five athletes represented Oregon: senior Eric Jenkins, senior Will Geoghegan, senior Trent Warren, junior Chris Brewer and senior Cole Watson. Both Jenkins and Geoghegan have been good this year, combining with sophomore Edward Cheserek to form one of the most threatening distance crews in the country.
In an attempt to help keep the pace of the race high, Mac Fleet (Nike OTC Elite) and Matt Miner (Hoka One One) returned to their college home to run as rabbits (pace-setters) during the race. Fleet is a recognizable name for fans. He was the 2013 and 2014 1500-meter NCAA Champion, holds two school records and was a seven-time All-American.
Maton took on the challenge of breaking four minutes as an unattached runner after deciding to part ways with Summit High School following a dispute with coaches. At the Oregon Relays he broke Galen Rupp’s 2004 state high school record in the 1500, finishing in 3:42.54.
“It was kind of rough going to school every day,” Maton said. “This week I couldn’t sleep, I kept thinking about four minutes. I know you aren’t supposed to think about it, but I couldn’t stop.”
Fleet and Minor flew out to start the race, keeping things going early. Jenkins and Geoghegan were able to keep up, though Maton seemed to fall behind, running in fourth. The first lap was run in under a minute, keeping the athletes on pace.
As the race continued, Maton kept dropping back, looking like he wouldn’t be able to hit the mark. At the final lap, both Fleet and Minor dropped off, leaving the race for the competitors. Jenkins and Geoghegan were flying, crossing at about 2:59.
“I was like ‘oh crap, I’m way behind,’” Maton said.
He dug in and put together a huge kick on the backstretch, closing the gap with the leaders, fighting back into the race.
Rounding the Bowerman Curve, Maton had about 22 seconds to reach the finish in time, and with the cries of the crowd echoing around him he pushed for the line. As the athletes and crowd waited for the results, Maton held his hands together in a silent prayer. Jenkins had won (3:57.09) and Geoghegan took second (3:57.53) — both adding their names to that elite group of Ducks.
“Its good to shake off the rust and do a different distance for me,” Jenkins said. “I’m really happy with how it turned out.”
When Maton’s time hit the board, the crowd went wild as he fell to the track in joy — 3:59.38. The rest of the competitors gathered around to congratulate him, with Fleet giving him a big bear hug.
“I was just really nervous it was going to pop up and be a 4:00,” Maton said. “I mean that’s fast, but you don’t get anything for it, don’t get put on the list.”
Maton was humble in his accomplishment, emotional as he took a victory lap alongside Jenkins and Geoghegan. It was much slower than the others, as he kept getting pulled aside to shake the hands of admirers.
“We recruited him since his junior year and wanted him to come here because we thought he was going to be something special,” Oregon head coach Robert Johnson said. “He is certainly turning into that and then some.”
Follow Christopher Keizur on Twitter @chriskeizur