At the Columbia Challenge in New York last month, Oregon redshirt sophomore Mick Stanovsek clenched his hands up in fists as the finish line tape broke apart around him.
It was a reaction of utter elation from a feeling that only comes from running a sub-four-minute mile for the first time.
Stanovsek’s first place time of three minutes, 57.90 seconds was a personal best and made him the 20th Duck ever to break the four-minute indoor-mile barrier. The mark also places him ninth on Oregon’s all-time indoor mile list.
“On the really cold wet mornings, when you’re out in the morning running on Pre’s trail and it’s muddy and you don’t want to be there,” Stanovsek told reporters after the meet. “The only thing I was thinking about was moments like those … I just kind of thought to myself, this is exactly how I pictured it. This is exactly how I thought it would go.”
Freshmen Cooper Teare and Reed Brown also joined the sub-four club at the Columbia Challenge.
In Oregon men’s program history, only 23 Ducks have ever run such an accomplishment in the indoor mile — six of them currently on this season’s roster.
This season alone, the men ran eight sub-four miles. Three of those times were fast enough to earn spots in Oregon’s top-ten indoor-mile all-time list. Redshirt senior Sam Prakel ranks third on the list with his time of 3:56.89 and right behind him sits Brown at fourth with a time of 3:57.23.
Being at opposite ends of their collegiate careers, Prakel has used his experience in the mile to help propel Brown to a successful first indoor season.
A member on both Oregon’s track and cross country teams, Prakel has raced countless miles, each one being just as hard as the last.
“You’re doubled-over after the race and it’s always the hardest effort of the year,” Prakel said. “But I think having that experience and that mental strength that you develop over the years, you get used to running at that pace.”
During Prakel’s freshman season, he came in sixth at the MPSF Championships with a time of 4:05.8. Over the course of his five years at Oregon, he has cut down his time by seven seconds.
“The way you feel in the race is something to look back on,” Prakel said. “I just remember how I felt running 4:06 and that race felt incredibly hard. I was just thinking to myself, there was no way I could break four.”
Prakel joined Oregon’s sub-four mile club at the Husky Classic on Feb. 13, 2015, coming in third with a time of 3:37.95.
Three years later at the same meet, Prakel took home the first-place title with his record time of 3:56.89. Right behind him in second place was Brown.
Brown’s mile time of 3:57.23 is not only his personal record, Oregon’s fourth-best mark and the second fastest freshman time this season, but it also ranks him 11th in the nation.
“Just with all the great athletes that have come through here, it’s just kind of unbelievable that like I’m already running some of those times,” Brown said of his spot on Oregon’s all-time list. “Being up on a list with some of those names is very breathtaking.”
Brown will join Prakel and Stanovsek competing in the mile at the NCAA Indoor Championships next weekend, March 9 and 10 at College Station, Texas.
And with his last NCAA Indoor Championship opportunity, Prakel will lead the Ducks with the ninth-best time in the nation, yet he hopes to run even faster.
“It’s hard to ever settle as a runner,” Prakel said. “You run a time and you think, ‘I could go faster.’ So, I think it’s always going to be a challenge, and I think I am always going to challenge myself to run it faster. It’s never going to be easy, but as long as I keep it fun, I think I’ll keep doing it.”
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