WR holder Miller running for State Record and Team Title
5-26-2017
Chris Auckley
@MOTrackFanatic
MoTrackFanatic @ outlook.com
If you haven't heard of Brandon Miller by now, that's too bad, you've missed out. If you're a track and field fan in Missouri, Miller should be on your radar this weekend. Miller is the O' Fallon, Mo. native who is a freshman at John Burroughs School in Ladue. But before Brandon will earn his first All-State honor, he has already made a name for himself in track and field.
Miller got into running early in life and has been coached by his mother Angela and competed for the Ultimate Speed Academy Track Club. Miller has won many age-group national championships and set many AAU age-group records in the 800 and 1500-meters at AAU Junior Olympics over the last half-dozen years. Miller has won the last three junior high mile races at the annual Festival of Miles in St. Louis. In 2013, as an 11-year-old, Miller took 7th in the race, running 4:57.76, trailing only 14-year-olds, most of which are now high school seniors who have earned plenty of All-State honors. In 2014, he won in 4:46.90. In 2015, he set the meet record with a 4:32.66. Last year, as an eighth-grader, he won in an amazing 4:25.02. Two months later he was in the Houston, Texas area for last year's AAU Junior Olympics. The day after running a 1:53.65 800-meter prelim, Miller ran a 4:02.9 1500-meters, which converts to a 4:20 1600-meters, for another national record, winning by 16 seconds. The next day: BOOM! Miller put himself on the international track map.
In the 13-14-year-old 800-meter final, Miller exploded. He opened with a 56+-second opening lap, and closed in 54+ seconds. He crossed the tape in 1:51.23!!!! The time was a world record for a 14-year-old. That's right, World Record. Not another AAU or USA age-group record, a World Record. What's more impressive, Miller did it by himself, leading from wire to wire and winning by nine seconds. That created a lot of talk about Miller being a future Olympian and the next great American half-miler. However, Miller still had to get ready for his first day of school. Miller was suddenly sixth on the Missouri All-Time 800-meter performance list, except he wasn't in high school yet.
Race Video:
MileSplit Video Recap:
Miller had a solid first season of high school cross country for John Burroughs. Miller won the conference title-The Metro League, as well as the Class 3 District 3 crown. Miller took 33rd at the State Cross Country Meet in Class 3. Miller may never be great in cross country as he'll likely decide to compete nationally at USATF or AAU Junior Olympics in track in late July or early August every year, keeping him from building much of a distance training base in the summer. Or in the years to come, he may make a USA Track and Field Junior Team and compete at the Pan-Am Games or World Under-20 Championships that are usually in mid-July. And that's fine if Miller never becomes one of the state's or nations best in cross country. Miller's shown he's excellent from 400-meters to the mile, and his future lies in those distances. But with what he's done so far, I wouldn't put it past him to be an excellent runner over the hills and across the grass.
This season, Miller has posted the US#35/MO#1 800-meter time of 1:52.56. He also has the MO#10 time of 48.94 in the 400. Miller will run the 800, 4x400, and 4x800 at State. He'll run the 800 fresh on Friday, followed by the 4x400 prelims. Saturday he'll start off with the 4x800 early in the day, and hopefully the 4x400 finals to finish the meet. Miller says he has run the 1600-meters a couple of times, but his focus in the 800-meters.
And Miller is focused. He's not just looking to be All-State for the first time or earn his first state title. He wants to better the time of friend, mentor, and big-brother figure C.J., Charles Jones. Jones is the former Cardinal Ritter High 400-800-meter standout who has the overall Missouri High School Record with his 1:49.54 mark at the 2014 USATF Junior Nationals. Jones is an NCAA Division I All-American in the 4x400 and a Big 12 Champion in the 800 for Texas Tech. The State Meet Record is 1:49.89 by Billy Rainey of Parkview in 1987. CJ is second on that list with his 1:49.96 in 2012, which stands as the Class 3 record.
Miller and the John Burroughs Bombers are projected to take second in the Class 3 boys team standings according to the scoring from performances at the District and Sectional meets, as compiled by former longtime Hardin-Central coach and Missouri Track and Cross Country Coaches Association Secretary Dean Hayes. Miller says he and his teammates, including his older brother Derrick, a sophomore who will compete in the 300-meter hurdles, will be happy to bring a trophy back to school, but they don't want any of the four, they want the first-place one.
Angela is on staff at Burroughs as an assistant coach and Miller says it's not weird having his mom as his coach. He says she does a good job of turning off coach speak when practice is over, and just being mom. Angela and Brandon's Father Derrick have done a great job raising Brandon. He's humble and kind and very courteous. Miller won't be a case of "what could have been" or "if only". By all accounts he has his head on straight and won't be a case of a talented athlete that couldn't successfully handle the temptations or struggles that could derail his athletic career or success in life.
So, if you're in Jefferson City Friday or Saturday, make sure you're in view of the Licklider Track at Jefferson City High School, especially around 3:40 p.m. Friday for the Boys Class 3 800-meters. If you do, in a few years, you might be able to look up at your television at the Summer Olympics broadcast and say, "I saw him win his first state championship".
Miller talked about his world record and his first state track meet in an interview on Wednesday: