The American Family Insurance ALL-USA Preseason Boys Track and Field team was selected by Fred Baer, the founder of Track and Field Writers of America, and Jack Shepard, the high school editor for Track & Field News.
RELATED: ALL-USA Preseason Boys: Sprints
RELATED: ALL-USA Preseason Boys: Hurdles
RELATED: ALL-USA Preseason Boys: Throws
RELATED: ALL-USA Preseason Boys: Jumps
Here are the three athletes selected in middle and long distance (800, 1,500, mile, 3,000, 3,200, 2 mile). Returning ALL-USA selections are denoted with asterisks.
DREW HUNTER*
School: Loudoun Valley (Purcellville, Va.)
Year: Senior
Events, times: 1,500 meters, 3:41.93 (i) (2016); Mile, 3:57.81 (i) (2016); 3,000 meters, 7:59.33 (i) (2016); 2 mile, 8:42.51.
Drew Hunter (Photo: Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
THOMAS RATCLIFFE
School: Concord-Carlisle (Concord, Mass.)
Year: Senior
Events, times: Mile, 4:06.20; 2 mile, 8:57.47 (i)
AUSTIN TAMAGNO
School: Brea-Olinda (Brea, Calif.)
Year: Senior
Events, times: Mile, 4:04.83 (2016); 3,200, 8:54.13
NEED TO KNOW
After setting national high school indoor records at one and two miles and 1,500 meters already this season, Hunter is a serious threat to the outdoor records at those distances. Only two high school boys have run faster miles than Hunter’s 3:57.81 indoor record. Both were outdoors: 3:53.43 by Alan Webb, South Lakes (Reston, Va.) in 2001, and 3:55.3 by eventual world record breaker Jim Ryun of East (Wichita, Kan.) in 1965.