JEFFERSON CITY – Amos Bartelsmeyer has been fixated on the Adidas Dream Mile.
He finished second in a slow, tactical race at the Kansas Relays, which is one of three automatic qualifying events for the Adidas Grand Prix event in New York. Festus’ Drew White won that race, but he still needs the time of 4:08.55 to earn his invite.
Bartelsmeyer, an MICDS junior, anticipated White taking out a fast pace for the Class 3 1,600-meter run in an effort to chase down that qualifying mark. When it didn’t materialize, Bartelsmeyer was left to his own devices.
“I was thinking be first place, second place the entire race,” Bartelsmeyer said. “After the first 400, I think I saw it go through in 65 and thought it was a little slow. I think it was coming up on the 800 that I moved into first and decided I had to take this race if I wanted a good time.”
Bartelsmeyer quickly stretched the field and had a six-second lead by the end of the third lap. He continued to pull away and won by 10 seconds in 4:14.66.
“I was hoping to go sub-4:10, but it was a tough day to do it because it’s pretty hot outside,” Bartelsmeyer said. “I’ve never had to run a race on my own, just me going after it. I’m still happy about the time and definitely happy about winning. I’m just going to look to hit that time at the Festival of Miles.”
The Festival of Miles is slated for Thursday and will feature 12 of the best boys and girls from the state and region competing at St. Louis University High. It will provide Bartelsmeyer his last chance this year to hit the Dream Mile qualifying time and dip below his PR of 4:12.94.
White finished fourth (4:26.33) in the Class 3 1,600-meter run as he was still feeling the effects of Friday’s hot temperatures during his 3,200-meter relay and 3,200-meter run, which he won.
Bartelsmeyer came back later in the day and took third in a blisteringly fast 800-meter run. Pulled along by the record performance of Cardinal Ritter’s Charles Jones Jr., Bartelsmeyer captured third in a quick 1:52.76.