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Who's #1: The 5 Who Broke 4 Before Maton

Who's #1: The 5 Who Broke 4 Before Maton

May 12, 2015 by Lincoln Shryack
Who's #1: The 5 Who Broke 4 Before Maton

Bend (OR) senior Matthew Maton joined one of the most prestigious clubs in all of running this past Friday, becoming just the sixth high schooler to break 4 minutes in the mile. Running sub-4 is a remarkable achievement for any man, but to do it as a prep is something much greater, unmatched on any level in the world of sports. 
 
With great success comes great hype, and just like the five men before him, Maton will be expected to become a superstar. His career at Oregon will be analyzed with a higher level of scrutiny now that he’s run 3:59, and fair or not, a huge amount of pressure will be put on his shoulders to become “great.” Now that his name is being mentioned in the same sentence as Rupp, Webb, and Ryun, Maton’s career is destined to forever be compared with their accomplishments. It’s the price you pay for running so fast so young.
 
It’s way too early to try and predict how Maton’s career will play out, but what we can do is look at the careers of the five other high schoolers who have broken four. In no way do their resumes make any suggestion at what we can expect from Maton, but it’s fun to see where the other five went after joining the sub-4 group. Their careers all followed different paths, with successes and failures intertwined. 

Alan Webb (HS Mile PB: 3:53.43)

Alan Webb competes at the 2007 IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan
 
Webb’s 3:53 mile at the 2001 Pre Classic as a high school senior is arguably one of the best prep performances in U.S. track and field history. Webb went on to win U.S 1500m titles in ’04, ’05, and ’07. While he ended his career without an Olympic or World medal, he still holds the American record in the mile (3:46.91) from 2007. 
 

Jim Ryun (HS Mile PB: 3:55.30)

Jim Ryun becomes the first high schooler to break 4 minutes in the mile in 1964, 3:59
 
Ryun was the first prep to ever break four way back in 1964, running 3:59.0. His 3:55.3 from his senior year in 1965 would stand as the high school record until Webb came along in 2001. Ryun was truly a once-in-a-lifetime talent, and still owns American junior records in the 800m (1:44.3), 1500m (3:36.1), and 2-mile (8:25.1). His 3:51 mile World record that he set in 1967 (he was only 20) stood for eight years. Ryun qualified for three Olympic Games- ’64, ’68, and ’72, winning the silver medal in the 1500m in 1968. He was 17 when he made his first Olympic team, the youngest American track athlete ever. 
 

Tim Danielson (HS Mile PB: 3:59.40)


 
Danielson’s career after breaking four did not go as planned. After becoming the 2nd prep to crack the hallowed sub-4 barrier in 1966, Danielson never again broke four minutes in the mile. He left BYU after his freshman year, and did little in running after that. In 2014, Danielson was sentenced to 50 years in prison for the 2011 murder of his third wife. Read more on that story.

Lukas Verzibicas (HS Mile PB: 3:59.71)

Lukas Verzbicas breaks the 2-mile national high school record at the 2011 Pre Classic
 
Verzibicas was expected to be the next great American distance star after he won two consecutive Foot Locker XC titles and became the first prep since Alan Webb to break four in 2011. The Lithuanian-born Verzbicas ran 3:59.71 at the adidas Dream Mile just one week after setting the national high school record in the 2-mile of 8:29.46 at the Pre Classic. However, Verzbicas left the University of Oregon just a few months into his freshman year, having run only two races, opting to pursue a career in triathlon instead. In July of 2012, Verzbicas was severely injured in a bicycle accident which nearly ended his career. His recovery was the subject of our 2013 DRIVEN documentary. 
 

Marty Liquori (HS Mile PB: 3:59.80)

Marty Liquori (L) with Jim Ryun
 
Liquori became the 3rd high schooler to break four, running 3:59.8 in 1967 in a race that also featured Jim Ryun and Tim Danielson. Liquori finished 12th in the 1500m at the 1968 Olympics as a 19-year-old, the youngest to ever compete in the final. While at Villanova, Liquori won 5 NCAA titles. In 1969 and 1971, he was ranked #1 in the world in both the mile and 1500m. Although he never again competed in the Olympic Games, Liquori ended his career with PBs of 3:36 (1500m), 3:52 (mile), 8:17 (2-mile), and 13:15 (5000m). 

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