(Chelsea Update would like to thank coach Eric Swager for the information and courtesy photo in this story.)
Tom Oates won the Midwest Meet of Champions Saturday at Michigan State University and in doing so broke his school record of 4:13.
The track meet that assembles the three top senior athletes in each event from the states of Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana.
The athletes spend a weekend with other top athletes from the Midwest, and hear some great speakers and compete with the best.
“Tom went into the race wanting to run a fast time and break his own school record of 4:13,” said coach Eric Swager. “The first 2 laps were frustratingly slow, with the pack cruising through the half mile in 2:09.:
Swager said, “Tom moved aggressively to the front, hammering the 3rd 400 meters in an amazing 58.9 seconds. This blew the race wide open, and he built a 5+ second lead on the elite field. He continued to push the pace from the front, and although he slowed slightly in the last 200 meters, he won the event by 2 seconds in a new school record of 4:11.69. “
Swager said this time is among the top five performances in the state – any division – this season.
“He has been a pleasure to coach for these last few years,” Swager said. “He works hard year-round, has developed into an intelligent racer, and truly loves the sport and the competition.”
“I wish him nothing but the best as he heads off to his college career at Colorado State,” his coach said.
