The most exclusive club in Tucson sports has nothing to do with the Ring of Honor at McKale Center, the 46 Tucsonans who have played in the major leagues or those who have Steve Kerr’s autograph.
On Saturday night in Seattle, when almost no one was paying attention, University of Arizona sophomore Carlos Villarreal and Salpointe Catholic grad Andy Trouard broke the four-minute mile.
The chances of that happening are, what, a zillion to nothing?
It wasn’t long ago that running a sub-four-minute mile was considered the equivalent of hitting four home runs in a big-league game, or maybe scoring 50 points in an NBA game.
“It’s still a very big deal,” said UA Hall of Fame distance-running coach Dave Murray. “But to have two athletes from Southern Arizona do it — and do it on the same day — is pretty special.”
In the history of American distance running, Trouard, a senior at NAU, became the 488th to break the four-minute mile. He did so last summer at the Music City Distance Carnival in Nashville. On Saturday, in the Washington Invitational, Trouard did it again, lowering his best time from 3:59.13 to 3:58.01.
About 10 minutes earlier at the Dempsey Indoor arena, Villarreal, who was the state’s top distance runner while at Rio Rico High School, ran the race of his life, charging from about 40 yards behind to finish in 3:59.65.
“I had to run a crazy last lap,” Villarreal said. “I had fallen off a little between 800 and 1,200 meters.”
Villarreal just missed becoming the 500th American to break the four-minute mile. He will forever be listed at No. 502 in the record books.
“This is probably just the beginning of some very big races for Carlos and Andy,” said Murray, who coached seven UA distance runners to sub-four-minute miles. “I saw both of them run as high school kids, and I thought — if they stuck with it — no question they’d be among the best distance runners in the country someday.”
Villarreal’s performance on Saturday expanded Tucson’s sub-four-minute mile club to a Dandy Dozen.
UA All-American and Olympic medalist George Young was the first, in 1972. He was No. 48 on the American list. Then came, in order, All-Americans Ed Arriola, Thom Hunt, John Quade, Matt Giusto, Aaron Ramirez, Marc Davis, Martin Keino and Lawi Lalang.
Add long-time Tucsonan and Olympic medalist Bernard Lagat, who was the 265th to break four minutes, and you’ve got a dozen.
The new generation is similarly impressive.
“I personally believe Carlos is one of the best young, up-and-coming milers in the country, and one of the greatest young men you will ever meet,” said UA track coach Fred Harvey.
The thing about breaking the four-minute mile barrier is that is has essentially been replaced by the 1,500 meters. The Pac-12 and the NCAA no longer stage the mile run outdoors. But both Villarreal and Trouard, who has been a key part of two NAU cross-country NCAA championship teams, seem likely to meet in the NCAA Indoor mile championships March 10 at Texas A&M.
Could it be a Trouard vs. Villarreal showdown for the national title?
Five years ago, after Trouard won a remarkable nine state championships at Salpointe Catholic, Murray arranged to have him train with four-time Olympian Abdi Abdiraham over Christmas break.
Murray has been Abdirahman’s coach for 20 years and recognizes distance-running talent when he sees it.
“Abdi felt the same way I did: that Andy was special,” said Murray. “At NAU, training at altitude — as Abdi does for much of the year — Andy has become one of the top kids in the country, without question.”
Similarly, Murray watched Villarreal run at the Willie Williams Classic at Drachman Stadium four years ago.
“I thought, ‘Wow, this guy can be really good,’” said Murray. “He’s got a great kick; in the last 300 meters he’s got the ability to do special things.”
Of the 12 local runners to break the four-minute mile, none have done so in Tucson.
Young did so against the great Jim Ryun at the Los Angeles Coliseum in March 1972. Arriola did so at the NCAA championships in Eugene, Oregon, in 1977. Davis, an Olympic steeplechaser, ran 3:54.30 in France in 1998.
Lalang, who has the best time of the Dandy Dozen, 3:52.88, did so in New York City in December of 2011.
Why not Tucson?
Murray hoped to stage a special mile event at the new Drachman Stadium in the early 1980s, but as race day approached, construction of the track surface was delayed.
Murray hoped Thom Hunt could break four minutes in a dual meet against Washington State’s then-talented distance runners.
Unfortunately, the meet was moved to Arizona Stadium, where Hunt ran on a cinder/dirt track and finished in 4:02. No one has since challenged the four-minute barrier in Tucson because the mile is so infrequently run outdoors.
“Had our new track been finished, I’m confident Thom would’ve broken the four-minute barrier here,” Murray said. “Now I doubt you’ll ever see it in Tucson. It’s a shame, because the tradition of distance running here is so strong.”
Instead, on March 10 in College Station, Texas, 996 miles from Tucson, Carlos Villarreal and Andy Trouard could be standing next to each other at the starting line, running for the national championship.
First one to break four minutes wins. Wouldn’t that be a good story?
