Ches Ready For Armory Dates

ESPN SportsCenter fired up the Twitter running community this morning with a mention of Gatorade Runner of the Year Edward Cheserek on the show.

And breaking news around The Armory is that Cheserek will be competing in the high school mile at the New Balance Games on Saturday and then returning to the Millrose Games, this time running in the elite two-mile race with Bernard Lagat, Dathan Ritzenhein and a host of others.

Ritz was actually on hand at St. Benedict's Prep on Wednesday morning to surprise Cheserek with the Gatorade Award. The two had a short run on the St. Benedict's track and Ritzenhein, a three-time Olympian, joked about his readiness for the Millrose Games on Feb. 16.

"I hope I am ready because I don't want to get beat by a high school runner," he told Jim Lambert of the Newark Star Ledger.

Millrose could be his final chase at one of the greatest marks in U.S. high school history. Gerry Lindgren ran 8:40.0 indoors in the two-mile nearly 49 years ago (1964) and no one has touched it since. It is the oldest standing high school record.

Cheserek has had a lighter running schedule this year after a sensational junior season, but still won the Foot Locker national cross country championship for the second time. He spent much of the fall in preparation for college testing and has been on a number of recruiting visits this winter. In fact, he visited both the University of Oregon and University of Portland late last week.