MICHAEL COE, pictured here running at the head of the pack in last Spring's Cal-Stanford Big Meet, thinks the four-minute mile is within reach. Not just for others, but for HIM.
In an interview Friday now airing on Lompoc Locker Room-- the TV Show, the Cal miler predicted he would run a 4-minute mile in 2008.
"We don’t run too many miles. This year I did a 4:04. I think I can drop four seconds from there."
He said his first goal however is to make the Olympic trials. "If I can drop three seconds from my 1500 time I can qualify for the trials. I don’t know about making the Olympic team. That’s probably not that realistic." Coe ran 3:46 this year in the 1500. That converts to about a 4:03 mile.
"I also hope to place better in the Pac-10—at least in the top five in the Pac-10 and top five in the regionals."
The high point of Coe’s 2007 season was doing so well in the Pac-10 that he qualified for the NCAA Regional at Oregon and then made the finals there. "It’s a pretty stacked region in the 1500 so making the final heat and running in front of a full crowd at Hayward Field against some of the best runners in the country was definitely a highlight." Coe finished in tenth place, the second freshman. "Next year I hope to be more competitive, maybe be in the top three. The top five qualify for nationals," he said.
Coe added he found the Pac-10 competition far stiffer than in high school on the Central Coast. "I don’t run away with races anymore," he explained. "In high school I could make a move mid-race and it would be over. But in college 1500 races come down to the final kick, the last 200-300 yards. So it’s a whole new level. My kick is good but not as good as some of the top guys. Once I develop my kick I’ll be doing more damage. Some guys have gears I didn’t even know existed."
Coe said the classroom at Cal was as big a challenge as the track. "I had to change my study habits to where I spent a lot of hours reading, studying and cramming for finals. We have good academic support in the athletic programs. There’s academic advisors for each sport. They helped me out a lot." Coe notched a 3.2 grade point average in the fall, 3.5 in the spring.
Coe also commented on his onetime Cabrillo teammate DUANE SOLOMON, the nation’s third best 800 runner. "I don’t know what Duane is capable of," Coe said. "He just keeps surprising people. I’ve known him since my freshman year in high school. For him the sky’s the limit. I think he’s looking at the Olympics next year as a real possibility if he keeps improving. I don’t see what’s stopping him. He’s an amazing talent." Air times for Lompoc Locker Room-- the TV Show are seen on the left.
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