Poll: Who is the Top Mid-Distance Runner the Past Decade?


What Is This?

Over the next few weeks MileSplit Minnesota will be rolling out brackets broken down by discipline. Fans can vote for who they think is the top athlete in each discipline. In the end, we will be crowning the top track and field athlete in the state of Minnesota as selected by the fans. This poll is for the best boys mid-distance performer of the past decade.

The Setup

We've selected 16 boys based on their times, performances, and accolades during this past decade and placed them in a bracket of head-to-head matchups where your poll votes on the next page will determine who advances.

Parameters

Athletes included are from the period between 2010 and 2019. Mid-distance is based solely on 400 and 800 times, performances, and accolades. 

How This Works

Athletes are seeded 1 through 16 based on times and ranking. After each round, the athlete with the most votes in their matchup will advance to the next round. Voting will begin at 10 a.m. CT for each round of voting, voting will end at 2 p.m. CT for each round. Be sure to spread the word to advance your favorites into the next round!

Each discipline (Distance, Mid-Distance, Hurdlers, Throwers, Sprints, Jumps) will have a winner from the boys and girls bracket. After we are done with all brackets there will be one final bracket with all 12 boys and girls winners, plus the next two highest vote getters (from all rounds) from the boys and girls. These 16 athletes will then compete on separate sides of a bracket all culminating in a boy vs. girl final to determine the champion of champions. 

VOTING DATES

Round 1: June 10-13

Round 2: June 14-16

Round 3: June 17-18

Final Round: June 19-20

Matchup 1

AJ Green 
Eastview High School
2x class AA State Champion in the 800m, 2019 Brooks PR Invitational 800m Champion, and 5th fastest Minnesota 800m All Time. 2x section 3AA 800m champion. Fastest combined 400m/800m time of the decade (2:39.19). Committed to the University of Kansas. 

PR's: 1:49.83 800m | 49.36 400m 

VS.

Keylan Jackson
Saint Paul Johnson High School
2018 400m class AA State Champion, 3x state qualifier in the 400m, 2x state finalist in the 400m, 2x section 4AA 400m champion. 11th fastest 400m time of the decade in Minnesota.

PR's: 48.31 400m | 2:09.70 800m

Matchup 2

2x class A 800m Champion, class A State Champion 4x400m, 2x class A 800m Runner Up, 
2015 Midwest Distance Classic Champion 800m. Fastest 800m time of the decade in Minnesota. 
PR's: 49.57 400m | 1:49.73 800m

VS.

Julian Wright
School: DeLaSalle High School

Class AA State Champion 400m (2019), class AA state finalist 400m (2018), 2x section 6AA 400m champion, Hamline Elite Meet 400m Champion (2019). 13th fastest 400m of the decade in Minnesota.

PR's: 48.39 400m | No 800m time

Matchup 3

Michael Smith

Wayzata High School

Class AA State Champion 400m (2014), 4x Class AA State Champion 4x400 (2012-14), fastest 400m time of the decade in Minnesota. Second fastest 400m time in state history. 

PR's: 47.40 400m | No 800m time

VS.

Cal Lawton

Eden Prairie High School 

2x Class AA State Champion 4x800m (2013-14), class AA State Runner Up 800m (2014), class AA State Runner Up 4x400m (2014), class AA State 3rd Place 4x800m (2012), class AA State Finalist 800m (2013), class AA State Finalist 4x400m (2012).

PR's: 52.27 400m | 1:52.52 800m

Matchup 4

Lucas Trapp

Elk River High School

2015/2016 USATF Junior National 800m Qualifier, 2015 New Balance Outdoor Nationals 800m Qualifier, 2x class AA State Champion 800m (2015-16), class AA State 3rd Place 800m (2014)class AA state Qualifier 4x800m (2013). 

PR's: 50.76 400m | 1:50.21 800m

VS.

Sam Miner

Winona High School

Class AA State Champion 800m (2010), class AA State 3rd Place 800m (2009), class AA State Finalist 4x800m (2008), 3x class AA State Qualifier 800m (2008-10). 13th Minnesota all time 800m. 

PR's: 49.35 400m | 1:51.69 800m

Matchup 5

Nate Roese

East Ridge High School

2x Class AA State Champion 400m (2012-13), Class AA State Championship Meet 400m Record (2013), Class AA 400m State Runner-up (2011), 3x Section Champion 400m (2011-13).

PR's: 47.56 400m | 2:05.91 800m 

VS.

Austin Salargo

Hopkins High School

Class AA State Champion 400m (2012), Class AA State Runner-up 400m (2012), 2x Section 6AA Champion 400m (2011-12), 800m Hamline Elite Meet Champion (2012). Fourth fastest 400m time of the decade in Minnesota. 

PR's: 47.91 400m | 1:57.00 800m

Matchup 6 

Genuine Matthews

Saint Francis High School

Class AA State 400m Champion (2017), class AA State Finalist 400m (2016), 2x Section 7AA 400m Champion (2016-17), Hamline Elite Meet 400m record holder (47.79). Second fastest 400m time of the decade for Minnesota. 

PR's: 47.42 400m | No 800m time

VS.

Calvin Clark

Saint Paul Humboldt High School

2x Class A State Champion 400m (2010-11)2x Section 4A Champion 400m. 

PR's: 47.78 400m | No 800m time

Matchup 7

Eric Gebeke

White Bear Lake High School

2x Class AA State Champion 800m (2011-12), Class AA State 3rd Place 4x400m (2009), Class AA State Finalist 800m (2010), 2x Section 4AA 800m Champion (2010-11).

PR's: 48.34 400m | 1:52.01 800m 

VS.

Christopher Trotter

Saint Louis Park High School

2016 USATF Junior Nationals 800m 8th Place, 2x Class AA State Runner Up 800m, 2x Section 6AA 800m Champion. 

PR's: 50.29 400m | 1:50.40 800m 

Matchup 8

Jonathan Webb

Minnehaha Academy

2x Class A State Champion 400m (2014-15), Class A State Finalist 4x400m (2013-14), Class A State Finalist 400m (2013), 2x Section 4A Champion 400m. 

PR's: 48.12 400m | No 800m time

VS.

Matt Rosen

Bloomington Jefferson High School

2014 New Balance Outdoor Nationals 800m 24th Place, 2013 New Balance Outdoor Nationals Emerging Elite 800m Champion, 2x Class AA State Champion 800m (2013-14), 3x Class AA State Finalist 800m (2012-14), 4x Class AA State Qualifier 800m (2011-14). 

PR's: 50.93 400m | 1:52.32 800m 

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