Two weeks ago, Kodiak's Trevor Dunbar ran 20 seconds faster than the existing state 3,200-meter run record. But he's not sure what to expect today at the state track and field championships in Fairbanks after being sidelined much of this week with strep throat.
"I think I can still win pretty easily, but I don't know how (many) records I'll be able to get. We'll see," Dunbar said.
In his final race in Kodiak on May 8, the senior blitzed eight laps around the track in 8 minutes, 51.5 seconds, a mark that is two-tenths of a second shy of the nation's best among high schoolers this season.
While it doesn't count as a state record, which can only be set at the state meet, the performance seemed to indicate he would shatter Jake Parisien's record of 9:11.27 set last year in a stirring win over Dunbar. Like many, Dunbar considers Don Clary's 1975 two-mile time of 9:04.4 -- which converts to 9:01 for 3,200 meters -- to be the true state record.
Dunbar said he felt "just awful" when he woke up on Saturday with a sore throat and headache. Then he proceeded to race the 1,600, 800 and a leg of the 3,200 relay at the Region III championships.
"Running three races that hard probably hurt my health even worse," Dunbar said. "I could barely sleep that night."
Dunbar graduated from Kodiak High the next day, then was diagnosed with strep throat and began taking antibiotics. The only training he managed was some jogging Wednesday and Thursday.
"I'm not feeling too good but each day I've gotten a little bit better," Dunbar said in a soft voice.
Dunbar has the fastest time in the state in the 800 this season at a sizzling 1:54.94. He also ran the 1,600 in 4:10.78, which is faster than Doug Herron's state record of 4:13.0 set in 1985.
Alaska Track and Field State Bests
Boys
100 -- 1) Wah'fe Granger, Bartlett, 11.09; 2) Austen DeWolf, South, 11.29; 3) AJ Allen, Lathrop, 11.30.
200 -- 1) Wah'fe Grander, Bartlett, 22.33; 2) Ethan Hewitt, Chugiak, 22.62; 3) Raymond Reid, Bartlett, 22.95.
400 -- 1) Ethan Hewitt, Chugiak, 49.35; 2) Raymond Reid, Bartlett, 50.03; 3) Travis Price, Seward, 50.36.
800 -- 1) Trevor Dunbar, Kodiak, 1:54.94; 2) Travis Price, Seward, 1:58.10; 3) Jani Lane, Service, 1:59.19.
1,600 -- 1) Trevor Dunbar, Kodiak, 4:10.78; 2) Aaron Fletcher, South, 4:26.11; 3) Jani Lane, Service, 4:26.93.
3,200 -- 1) Trevor Dunbar, Kodiak, 8:51.5; 2) Aaron Fletcher, South, 9:30.69; 2) Jani Lane, Service, 9:34.83.
110 hurdles -- 1) Elliott Bauer, South, 15.23; 2) Cameron Rollins, Bartlett, 15.57; 3) Ben Gallegos, North Pole, 15.62.
300 hurdles -- 1) Elliott Bauer, South, 39.15; 2) Dylan Beck, Seward, 41.33; 3) Kevin Campbell, Dimond, 41.72.
400 relay -- 1) Bartlett (Chenault, Garrett-Queen, Granger, Mendez), 43.70; 2) East 44.48; 3) South 44.52.
800 relay -- 1) Bartlett (Garrett-Queen, Granger, Hale, Chenault), 1:31.25; 2) East 1:33.52; 3) South 1:34.17.
1,600 relay -- 1) Bartlett (Janssen, Rollins, Hale, Reid), 3:31.69; 2) East 3:35.50; 3) Dimond 3:35.54.
3,200 relay -- 1) Service (Walgren, Talbot, Lane, Phelps), 8:12.85; 2) Kodiak 8:19.43; 3) West 8:26.14.
Shot put -- 1) John Knowles, Wasilla, 50-612; 2) Raymond Reid 49-4; 3) Christopher Lafe, Wasilla, 49-1.
Discus -- 1) John Knowles, Wasilla, 165-0; 2) Mitchell Swensen, Dimond, 154-10; 3) Gabe Holland, South, 152-1.
High jump -- 1) Ben Jackson, Service, 6-10; 2) tied, Leif Karlberg, Grace Christian, and Dylan Beck, Seward, 6-4.
Long jump -- 1) Chris Plooy, Dimond, 21-5; 2) Ben Jackson, Service, 21-012; 3) Ben Larson, East, 20-714.
Triple jump -- 1) Michael Russell, West, 45-2; 2) Chris Plooy, Dimond, 45-1; 3) Ben Larson, East, 20-714.
Girls
100 -- 1) Gabby Todd, Bartlett, 12.58; 2) Shaai Ferguson, Service, 12.74; 3) Brandy Jayne, Eagle River, 12.81.
200 -- 1) Gabby Todd, Bartlett, 25.58; 2) Lierin Flanagan, Kenai, 26.12; 3) Shaai Ferguson, Service, 26.73.
400 -- 1) Lierin Flanagan, Kenai, 57.63; 2) Gabby Todd, Bartlett, 57.87; 3) Symphony Bagsby, Dimond, 59.18.
800 -- 1) Kayla Teslow, West Valley, 2:22.14; 2) Stacy Wheeler, West, 2:22.38; 3) Ivy O'Guinn, Skyview, 2:22.96.
1,600 -- 1) Leah Francis, Juneau, 5:14.85; 2) Ivy O'Guinn, Skyview, 5:15.42; 3) Kayla Teslow, West Valley, 5:17.67.
3,200 -- 1) Leah Francis, Juneau, 11:14.97; 2) Ivy O'Guinn, Skyview, 11:21.11; 3) Kailey Wilson, Kenny Lake, 11:35.72.
100 hurdles -- 1) Anna Simmers, ACS, 15.63; 2) Brandy Jayne, Eagle River, 15.71; 3) Keiahnna Engel, Dimond, 15.94.
300 hurdles -- 1) Keiahnna Engel, Dimond, 46.81; 2) Rosie Smith, Bartlett, 47.42; 3) Brandy Jayne, Eagle River, 48.13.
400 relay -- 1) Bartlett (Henderson, Todd, May, Tillmon), 50.56; 2) Service 51.86; 3) Dimond 51.91.
800 relay -- 1) Dimond 1:48.33; 2) Service 1:49.18; 3) East 1:50.19.
1,600 relay -- 1) Kenai (Louthan, DeVito, Beeson, Flanagan), 4:09.88; 2) Dimond 4:10.95; 3) Wasilla 4:16.67.
3,200 relay -- 1) Service (Zanders, Quilliam, Nees, Allen), 9:58.64; 2) South 9:58.94; 3) West 10:03.03.
Shot put -- 1) Cierra Mickens, Eagle River, 38-912; 2) Crystal Tui, West, 37-834; 3) Adriana Taylor, Kenai, 36-912.
Discus -- 1) Crystal Tui, West, 119-6; 2) Fran Daly, Haines, 108-10; 3) Cierra Mickens, Eagle River, 107-0.
High jump -- 1) Caroline Cole, South, 5-0; 2) Daisy Morgan, Tok, 4-11; 3) Multiple tied at 4-10.
Long jump -- 1) Jessica Todd, Dimond, 16-312; 2) Keiahnna Engel, Dimond, 15-634; 3) Janae Anderson, Lathrop, 15-6.
Triple jump -- 1) Anna Simmers, ACS, 34-5; 2) Ambrosia Wilkerson, Chugiak, 34-212; 3) Tonya Parish, Dimond, 34-012.
By MATIAS SAARI
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner