It was intended to be America’s statement to the world at large – and the East Africans in particular. Three of the fastest and most prolific young distance runners the U.S. had assembled in 30 years together on one team. Individuals who had rewritten the record books and challenged convention; what USA Track and Field wrote as being “a trio of college freshmen that could lead Team USA to a team medal.” For three 18 year olds: German Fernandez, Chris Derrick and Luke Puskedra, being the best on home soil wasn’t enough. They were the future, and they were bringing America back in the world’s toughest footrace.

The World Cross Country Championship was called the “world’s toughest footrace” for good reason: it pitted six of every member nation’s best distance runners against each other in one event. Milers to steeplechasers, 5,000 meter specialists to marathoners – they all toed the line in the same event on the same day. On March 28th 2009, the 37th edition of the World Cross Country Championship was contested in Amman, Jordan. “We will not let the athletics world down,” lead organizer Prince Feisal Al Hussein had promised, “We have proved ourselves capable of hosting major world championships and we will deliver something special and unique.” The 2009 event would not disappoint.

The “world’s toughest footrace” hadn’t always been the toughest to win. For the United States, prior to the arrival of Kenya and Ethiopia at the 1981 event, the junior championship had been almost certain victory: in four of the first five runnings of the mens’ junior championship in the 1970s, the U.S. had the first place individual finisher and finished first as a team. Names like Rich Kimball, Eric Hulst and Thom Hunt gave the United States a perpetual winning expectation. They also managed to earn silver in 1980 and gold in 1981, a somewhat unexpected return to the podium in those two years, but not a surprise to the other nations who saw the caliber of the athletes present.

But from 1982 onward, only two teams were in contention: Kenya and Ethiopia. Between 1982 and 2008, Ethiopia had won the title seven times, and finished second 19 more – while Kenya found itself victorious a total of 20 times in the same period, with four more runner-up finishes in years it did not win. That meant that for an entire generation of athletes the championship was little more than a dual meet between the two East African powerhouses – and for the United States? Their best team finish in that span was fourth, without so much as a podium team medal for the hard efforts of the American youth in the 26 years of African dominance.

While damaging, the record at World Cross left the American youth undaunted. Dathan Ritzenhein, a member of the “big three” who emerged out of the graduating class of 2001 (along with Alan Webb and Ryan Hall), proved that the Americans could come back. His third-place finish overall at the 2001 World Cross junior race solidified this idea. His finish, along with the fifth place finish of fellow American Matt Tegenkamp, was the impetus for the American’s return to form. It was in 2001 that the junior team finished only 47 points away from defeating Kenya, and only three points away from finishing on the podium. Eight years later, it was clear the standards had risen by the time Fernandez, Derrick and Puskedra decided to challenge for the title. Fernandez’s coach Dave Smith had this to say before the 2009 event: “[Skipping NCAAs] was hard for him as a competitor. But he wants to compete against the best in the world. He’s going to see that at juniors, get a look again at the guys he’s going be facing for the next eight to 10 years. I think it’s important for him to see where he is in that field, envision himself wining against that field and having the opportunity to test the waters.” Forgoing a year of NCAA eligibility and potential championship just to compete at World Cross was a big move for a runner touted as being the best collegiate freshman in the nation.

German Fernandez was already a household name by the spring of 2009. To understand the elite status of his performances (and his following) required examining the domination he displayed in his meteoric rise. Fernandez had gained a reputation as being one of the strongest runners in California by the start of his senior year in the fall of 2007. As a student-athlete at Riverbank High School, just 90 minutes east of the Bay Area in California, Fernandez didn’t just set records in cross-country—he destroyed them.

A few highlights from his senior campaign in the fall of 2007 included: running at the 36th annual Artichoke Invitational in Half Moon Bay, where Fernandez re-set his own course record, running 11:04. His nearest competitor for the course ran 12:08, a respectable time considering that this second-place finisher was none-other than future U.S. junior cross-country champion and NCAA all-region runner Erik Olson. It had been a week prior that Fernandez had set the course record at the prestigious Stanford Invitational, running 14:42 for five kilometers in hot conditions. Notable was the fact that his nearest opponent was the state champion in the division above him, a runner by the name of Mohamed Abdalla who Fernandez beat by over 40 seconds. Abdalla was one of 1,320 runners Fernandez defeated that day. By November, Fernandez ran the 5 kilometer state-meet course at Woodward Park in Fresno in a mind-numbing time of 14:24, unheard of considering his mile average for the course converted to three 4:33 miles back-to-back-to-back. On the day, out of all divisions, Fernandez’s nearest opponent was 49 seconds slower. And yet, as columnist Rich Gonzalez reported, Fernandez wasn’t the only high school runner making headlines. He shared that distinction with Luke Puskedra, a runner of similar ability at Judge Memorial Catholic High School in Utah: “Most statistical comparisons point to (Fernandez and Puskedra) being nearly even at this point, and the gap between them and all others (in the country) growing,” Gonzalez said.

Luke Puskedra was deserving of his status of challenger to Fernandez’s throne. Puskedra’s favorite experiences in running came at young age when he and his father would travel together to various track meets: “In fifth grade I finally convinced my family to let me do summer track. I would finish third or better in every race because it meant I could go to another meet with my dad. Some of my most memorable moments would be those trips with my father.” He recalled that his family never pushed him or set unrealistic expectations. But winning did not always come easy to Puskedra. As a 5-foot-2 freshman at Judge Memorial Catholic High School in Utah, he already had some lofty goals: “He believed he’d run under four minutes in his freshman year,” said Judge coach Dan Quinn. “Every time he went out he tried to do just that. He’s been doing it ever since.” Following a huge growth spurt between his freshman and sophomore years in which he reached his current stature at a towering 6-foot-5, Puskedra struggled to find his stride. Despite winning the Utah State cross-country championship as a junior in 2006, he missed competing in the prestigious national Foot Locker Cross Country Championships and was left wondering whether he’d ever find his running legs again.

As a senior, there was no denying Puskedra’s prowess as a cross-country phenomenon. During the 2007 cross country season, he set a course record in every race he ran in Utah, including the all-time course record on the state course at Sugar House Park. As the snow fell on the state course, Puskedra blew away the field, running 14:54.6 to repeat as 3A boys champion. The previous course record at the Utah State Cross Country Championships, held by Josh Rohatinsky (who had won the NCAA Cross Country Championships), was shattered as Puskedra broke Rohatinsky’s course record by nearly 13 seconds: Puskedra blasted away from the start, easily beating everyone in the field. 5A champion Stephen Clark ran the next fastest time of the day, over 26 seconds slower. The stage was set for the Footlocker West Regional, where Puskedra was eyeing a much-awaited showdown with German Fernandez.

Surprisingly, the talk of the town when the athletes arrived at the Mt. SAC course wasn’t the race for the individual title, but a course change. Due to high amounts of rain that fell the day before the race, course officials decided to use their alternate road “rain” course to avoid mud and potential problems on the normal trail. Despite this change, none of the top athletes let that affect them. Right from the gun the main front runners were all in the lead pack. Luke Puskedra took the early lead, pushing the pace through the first mile in 4:30. The downhill was to blame for creating such fast opening race marks, and between the first and second mile the field really spread out. Puskedra and Fernandez pulled away from the field at the half-way point and kept on rolling. With 600 meters to go Fernandez made a strong move to gap Puskedra. By the finish, Fernandez had pushed hard enough to put Puskedra back 15 seconds as he crossed the line in 14:53. Puskedra finished strong in 15:08 for second – a guarantee he would run Nationals and get his chance at Fernandez again. Afterwards Fernandez talked on how the race felt, saying “My goal was just try and qualify. With 400 meters to go I knew I had to stay focused.”

As Puskedra and Fernandez battled in Southern California, Chris Derrick was busy setting records of his own in Southern Illinois. As a senior at Neuqua Valley, columnist Scott Bush had this to say of Derrick’s 2007 cross-country season: “Over the past year, Chris Derrick’s transformation from very good runner to great runner has sparked conversation implying Chris could be this year’s Foot Locker National Champion. Always a big meet performer, Chris ran 8:54 last year in an amazing 3200m state championship race, where he nearly beat one of the nation’s best in Evan Jager. For some, this signified his entry into national elite status. This fall, Chris has stepped up one more level, breaking numerous course records, leading his U.S. ranked squad to an undefeated season, and showing he is perhaps the best harrier in the land.” For Derrick however, the goal was simply to have his team win the Illinois state meet. As the race approached, however, he found he might have a chance to set a course record there as well: for the team title, Neuqua Valley scored 86 points to York’s 105, denying York coach Joe Newton a 27th state title. Meanwhile, Derrick won the boys individual title, falling just two seconds short of Craig Virgin’s course record, running 13 minutes, 51.8 seconds (to Virgin’s 13:50.6). However, Derrick also became the first runner since Sandburg’s Tom Graves in 1977 to break 14 minutes (13:56.6): “I wanted to kick as hard as I could to get that record,” Derrick said. After a national individual and team championship at Nike Cross Nationals, and a relatively easy Footlocker qualifier in 15:04, Derrick was also joining the Footlocker National Championship title conversation.

Any thoughts that the boys would start conservatively were quickly thrown out the window when Luke Puskedra took out the first 800 meters of the Footlocker National Championship in 2:10. He hit the mile in 4:28. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the pace was way too fast. Coaching guru John Kellogg summed it up best by saying, “If he wins the thing, I’d be shocked.” At the mile, Puskedra was closely followed by South champ Colby Lowe, Midwest sixth placer Kevin Williams, Northeast champ Donn Cabral, and pre-race favorite German Fernandez. Midwest starlet Chris Derrick was nowhere to be found, however: “They went out really fast, at about my mile (personal-record) pace,” Derrick said. “When I saw at 800 they were at 2:10, I was getting a little bit worried.”

Derrick stuck to his guns. The pace slowed dramatically during the 2nd hilly mile. 1.5 miles was hit in roughly 7 flat and two miles was hit in 9:28. By two miles, Midwest regional champ Mike Fout, who had stayed just off the pace at the crazy start, had joined the 3 other regional champs and Puskedra to form a 5 man lead pack. Early in the third mile, Fout made a move for glory and quickly gapped everyone else in the lead back. The other four had no response.

Just when it appeared to be over, Chris Derrick came up hard from the back. Derrick quickly caught up and dispatched the tiring foursome of Fernandez, Lowe, Cabral and Puskedra – and he was gaining on Fout. Just when it looked like Derrick might do it, there was only 400 meters left and Derrick had run out of real-estate. Derrick was second in 14:57, Fernandez third in 15:09. Puskedra, paying for his “suicidal” early pace, crossed in fifth six seconds after Fernandez. Fout, who had the race of his life, never made the same impact again. For Fernandez, Puskedra, and Derrick however, their legacy was just beginning.

To be continued…

Sources:

USATF Press Release about Junior Team’s Medal chances:

http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/fernandez-the-ace-in-the-usas-junior-pack-for

IAAF World Cross Country Course Preview:

http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/destination-amman-1

Coach Dave Smith quote on “Skipping NCAAs” for Fernandez:

http://www.letsrun.com/2009/german2009.php

German Fernandez High School Achievements:

http://www.crosscountryexpress.com/2007/10/artichoke-invitational-returns-for-36th.html

http://www.modbee.com/latest-news/article3093840.html

Luke Puskedra High School Achievements:

http://www.icatholic.org/article/runner-leads-the-nation-breaks-his-own-record-9782708

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/post.php?board=1&reply=3797410

http://www.milesplit.com/articles/15419

Chris Derrick High School Achievements:

http://www.milesplit.com/articles/15269/chris-derricks-milesplit-journal

http://www.runnersworld.com/rt-web-exclusive/throwback-thursday-chris-derrick

Foot Locker West Regional:

http://www.milesplit.com/articles/16142/best-of-the-west-hasay-3-peats-fernandez-shows-strength

Foot Locker National Championship:

http://www.letsrun.com/2007/flboys1208.php http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2007-12-09/sports/0712080506_1_foot-locker-national-cross-country-nike-team-nationals-mile