By Alex Frazier
Brad Miles thought he could improve on last year’s seventh place finish at the PIAA Cross Country Championships.He did that and more.
The North Penn senior not only won the meet but shattered the course record by 22 seconds, finishing in a time of 15:47.
His time last year was 16:31.
“I was really focused on this meet all season,” he said. “I was pretty confident going in. You have to really focus. Running is a tough sport, and you can easily have a bad day.”
Teammate Sam Bernitt, who usually finished second to Miles all year, had an off day but still finished with a medal in 21st place.
“He said he died,” said Miles. “As a runner, that’s something you have to live with because it’s a sport where if you’re not feeling well one day, it could be a terrible race.
“I feel bad for him. He was pretty much with me all year. He was my training partner, and to see that happen to someone is a shame.”
Unlike in most of his races this season, Miles didn’t lead from start to finish.
The first mile, the easiest of the course, he ran in a pack of five or so runners.
“Most of it’s flat or downhill,” he said. “I just had to stay comfortable and stay with the leaders.”
The hills came in the second mile, and he continued with the pack.
“I was pretty comfortable after we hit some hills,” he said.
In the third mile, he and Mt. Lebanon’s Rad Gunzenhauser made their break. With about 800 meters to go, Gunzenhauser kicked into the lead by about 10 meters.
“I was just trying to save some energy because we had the hardest hill on the course with 150 meters to go,” he said.
Miles pushed it up the hill and still found enough left to overtake Gunzenhauser in the last 150 meters and hold on to win by a scant two seconds.
The rest of the field was 14 seconds back.
“It was a great race how it came down,” he said. “I heard it was an epic finish. I can’t wait to see the video.”
It took Miles a good 15 minutes to recover from his supreme effort.
“It was the biggest race I ever won,” said Miles. “It was a great experience. I felt great running up to the line and then after the race, reality hit and I was exhausted. I was pretty dehydrated, I couldn’t move my mouth it was so dry and I had a headache and stomach problems. A couple of things just flared up.”
Miles won every race he was in this year except two. In the Briarwood Invitational, he came in third to a set of twins, Joe and Jim Rosa from West Windsor, NJ. Jim set the course record in 15:19. Miles finished in 15:49.
In the 4K Manhatten Invitational, Miles lost to Haddonfield’s Jonathan Vitez by two seconds (12:25-12:27). Vitez was ranked 11th in the country.
This is Miles’ third season for cross country. He played soccer, basketball and track in ninth grade and then was convinced to run year round as a sophomore. And he’s not sorry.
“It’s been an excellent three years,” he said. “It’s awesome because I know that this is where the Lord wants me, and I’m able to have fun with what I’m doing.”
After an injury in indoor track his sophomore year, Miles didn’t run during the winter last year and doesn’t expect to again this year. That doesn’t mean he’s taking a season off.
After a dismal performance in the finals of the mile at the state championships last spring, Miles has decided to focus on the two-mile this year, which means he will be building his base for the longer distance on his own.
Miles expects to make a decision on college within the next week or two. He is definitely committed to running.
Besides being a good runner, Miles is also an excellent student. He has 5.36 GPA and is ranked in the top 14 percent of his class. He is also a member of the National Honor Society and president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
While Miles’ state championship capped an incredible season, it’s not over yet. He will most likely have the chance to avenge his only losses of the year at the Foot Locker Regional Cross Country Championships in Sunken Meadows, NY, on Sept. 28; and if he finishes in the top 10, he will travel to the National Championship in San Diego, CA on Dec. 13.
“One more month of training,” he said.
NOTE: Three other SOL runners medaled at the state meet. Council Rock North’s Chris Campbell finished seventh in 16:21, Hatboro-Horsham’s Sam Hibbs was 12th in 16:26 and Central Bucks West’s Nick Scarpello was 15th in 16:28.
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