With the 2004 flrunners.com Invitational 5 just in front of us, promsing the greatest showdown of Florida high school cross country talent ever gathered together, let's take some time to remember what still remains the greatest race in our meet's history.
In 2002, the meet was in its third year and had just started to boom. Polk Community College in Winter Haven played host to our first race dubbed the "race of champions," and it lived up to its name. The top finishers in the boys race are a who's who of Florida's top runners of this millenia: Steven Hassen, Ryan Deak, Ryder Leary, and Sam Vazquez.
The leaders were packed up tightly for the first mile, then Ryder Leary of Bishop Kenny broke off with a surge and held a sizeable lead. Steven Hassen of Ocala Vanguard gave chase, with then sophomore Ryan Deak of Maclay hanging on. The race looked like it was all Leary at the two mile mark.
The end of the race consisted of a straitaway about 400 meters long. Coming around the corner first, Leary. A couple seconds later Steven Hassen came into view. Finally, seemingly unsurmountably far back was Ryan Deak. Leary came charging home looking determined and maintaining a growing lead over second place Steven Hassen who was trying to hold on. At 300 meters to go Deak was coming hard and the crowd anticipated an exciting race for second place. Thirty meters separated Leary from Deak, which (we all know) can not be made up in 300 meters especially since Leary had not lost a step.
But something was different. The small-framed Deak (especially when running past the football-like physique of Hassen) was coming hard like some supercharged car with a nitro pack. The gap was closing! Zooming past Hassen and closing on Ryder Leary! We had never seen a kick like this before from the sophomore Marauder!
Everyone was on their feet, watching, screaming. 100 meters to go and Deak was just 10 meters back. Leary's pace was unrelenting, but neither was Deak as he made up more and more ground. Coming down to the last 15 meters they were nearly even. They both pulled themselves toward the finish. Leary reached. Deak stretched. Had the finish line been placed 5 meters sooner, Leary would have been crowned champion. But it was Deak, the amazing phenom who pulled out the truly amazing victory. Leary was nipped at the line.
First we all cheered and jumped up and down at the amazing race we had just witnessed. The next reaction was disbelief in what we had just seen. Did he really make up that much ground in so little time? How did Deak find a gear so fast, so late in the race? None of us could believe it. What a race! None of us who witnessed it will ever forget that battle!
Winning time: Deak 15:23.34. Leary 15:23.78. Hassen 15:31.74. Vazquez 15:47.42. Jeff Masterson 15:59.83.
Vazquez and Masterson will participate in this year's flrunners.com Invitational. Vazquez in the college/open division (unattached). Masterson in his senior effort in the Race of Champions.
Picture Sequence by Mike Leary
Packed up at near the mile mark.
Deak seeing zooming past Hassen and toward Leary.
Leary trying to maintain his lead.
Deak, Leary stretch toward the finish.
Deak muscles past Leary and into first, just before the line.