midwaste wrote:
If you look at all that stuff you posted up about Webb, but remove the mile record, then what? Still an impressive resume, but one of the best ever? Nope. His mile cements that for him, just like German's 3200 does for him.
Converted his, 3200 is within a second of Nelson's mark. Hypothetically, if some HS kid nice resume suddenly popped a 3:54 @ his state meet for a full mile (or equivalent time for 1600 or 1500), would you not consider him one of the best HS runners ever?
And yes, the question about 1600 vs. 1500 vs. mile is a serious question.
well much of my argument is based on my assertion that a 3:53 mile is much, much better than an 8:36 2mi (which is, in turn, slightly better than an 8:34 3200m). purdy points and the IAAF tables agree with me, but the longevity of records do not. i, personally, put more stock in the points and tables, but that's a matter of opinion. the mile is a stronger record than any HS T&F record other than the shot put, and it's good enough to qualify someone as one of the top 3 prep runners ever, in my opinion. (although Webb had other accolades, as i listed above)
as for your hypothetical hs runner, yes, if he had a "nice resume" (at least two track nat'l titles and/or a FL title) i would consider a 3:54 kid to be up there with ryun, webb and ritz. that is because i (and purdy points) think that an 8:34 3200m is about equal to a 3:59-4:00 full mile. i don't put 3:59 guy Tim Danielson up there as one of the best HS runners ever and, similarly, i don't yet put Fernandez there, either.
in general, the 1500 is significantly different from the mile (1600 vs 1609m is not), and it is a collegiate, national, and world championship event. as it pertains to this argument, neither the HS 1500m record nor the HS 1600m record holds as much merit than the HS Mile record, though the 1500 is closer (3:38 en route) in quality BY FAR.