Marcus Wheeler sprints towards the finish line on the last lap of the 1600m at the Husky Invite. Arizona Milesplit Photo.
Marcus Wheeler has been selected as the athlete of the week for running away with the 1600m and 3200m races at the Husky Invite.
Leading during a race can be hard, especially when there is wind. Many athletes, even professional athletes prefer to tuck in and let someone else lead. It is certainly the easier path to take. Marcus Wheeler does not take that path though. Despite winds that were pretty strong during the boys 1600m at the Husky Invitational he pushed the pace. For the first three laps a different runner tried to draft off of him. Each lap a different runner fell off as Marcus ratcheted it up a notch at a time. During the final lap Marcus did not leave any doubt who was the best runner in the field though.
During the fourth lap of the 1600m Marcus blew the doors off of the rest of the field. His kick probably would have made even Bernard Lagat smile. Marcus credits this habit to his former teammates Nate Rodriguez. “Nate taught me to always leave something for the last 300 of the race," he explained, “I was just going for position not for time." Even if he wasn't going for time, a 4:28 performance considering the conditions is pretty solid for this time of year.
Despite also having a 4x800m relay split on his legs Marcus turned in another dominating performance in the 3200m. While I am not sure wearing a speed suit for 8 laps is comfortable when you finish 10 seconds ahead of the field, and are ahead by at least that for the majority of the race, no one questions you.
This season Marcus is focused on doing well as a team and looking forward to being competitive in races. Hoping to replicate his gold medal performance from cross country, he describes his rivals as “anyone in a Desert Vista jersey." Look for him not only to compete in the state of Arizona but also for a spot on the Filipino national team for world juniors after the high school season is over.