Patrick Koon, the junior from Leon High School in Tallahassee, traveled out to California this past weekend to compete at the Arcadia Invitational with the intent to chase after the 8:47 state record in the 3200 meter run set two years ago by Rheinhardt Harrison of Nease.
After breaking 9 minutes twice already this season in virtually solo efforts leading from the start at the Bolles Bulldog Classic and most recently in a FL #5 all-time performance of 8:52 at the FSU Relays, Koon was not going to have to worry finding competition at the Arcadia Invitational's fast section of the 3200 meter with Koon being seeded as the 10th fastest entrant coming in.
Koon especially got a wakeup call in the first few laps of the races when he struggled getting a good position and instead found himself boxed in and near the back end of the invitational boys 3200 meter run field on Saturday night in Southern California. Koon was in 26th place thru the first 400 meters with a 1:06.65 split and he did not move up much on lap two either in 24th place at 800 meters with a 1:05.95 split and 2:12.63 total time.
Despite having to navigate through traffic and not run as rhythmic of a race for the first half of it, Koon was still on goal pace to run under the state record after splitting 4:23.41 thru 1600 meters. Koon managed to move up and position himself in the third 800 meter segment of the race amongst the top 10 for a final push and surge over the last few laps.
Closing in 63 seconds for his final lap, Koon netted two more spots to cross the finish line seventh overall breaking the former high school record for Florida by three seconds with a 8:44.95 clocking for seventh place. Koon becomes only the third Florida high school runner to break 9 minutes for 3200 meters including the likes of Rheinhardt Harrison from Nease and Charles Hicks from Bolles. Might also consider Koon the fourth Floridian to go under 8:50 as Brett Hoffman of St. Petersburg High ran 8:53 for a full two miles back in 1977.
Koon now owns the overall state record for the 3200 as well as the 5000 meter run from his 14:11 performance indoors at New Balance Nationals in the 5K last month in Boston. He also has shown his progression at ever grade level with ownership now of the freshmen, sophomore, and junior class state records in the 3200. The senior class record will actually be easier to get than the junior record was it was held by Rheinhardt Harrison from the prior established state record of 8:47.
Also competing from Florida in the 3200 meter races at Arcadia Invitational included 4A state cross country champion Matt Ryan of Nease and FSU Relays girls 3200 runner-up Brooke Hooper of Pine Crest. Hooper with her 10:35 personal best performance at FSU Relays qualified to be fast enough to be included in the invitational top section at Arcadia, which she ran just two seconds off her time two weeks ago in Tallahassee with a 10:37 effort to finish in 20th place.
Meanwhile, Ryan ran in the third fastest heat for the boys 3200 at Arcadia called the Rated division and posted a time of 9:09.53 to finish 13th in his heat and just two seconds off personal best 9:07 fourth place finish in the FSU Relays two weekends ago.
Patrick Koon, the junior from Leon High School in Tallahassee, traveled out to California this past weekend to compete at the Arcadia Invitational with the intent to chase after the 8:47 state record in the 3200 meter run set two years ago by Rheinhardt Harrison of Nease.
After breaking 9 minutes twice already this season in virtually solo efforts leading from the start at the Bolles Bulldog Classic and most recently in a FL #5 all-time performance of 8:52 at the FSU Relays, Koon was not going to have to worry finding competition at the Arcadia Invitational's fast section of the 3200 meter with Koon being seeded as the 10th fastest entrant coming in.
