Dotson wasn’t able to stick to his game plan completely, and Paul wasn’t able to implement hers as well. The two Bulldogs’ seedings held firm, as Dotson won his race in 1 minute 57.52 seconds and Paul placed fifth in 2:22.10.
Dotson, the 2009 Pacific League 800 champion, was able to hold of Jason Coupe of Galt High, who finished second in 1:57.71.
“Greg ran a very smart race, holding off a late charge to win it,” Burbank Coach Darin Wolf said.
In the race, Dotson fell to second when Miles Andrews of Long Brach Poly took the pace out quickly. But Dotson took the lead midway through the race with Coupe coming up from last place to run right off his shoulder. On the final lap, with Coupe on the outside, he had to go wide and Dotson was able to hold him off at the finish.
In Paul’s race, Paisley Pettway of Millikan High captured the event in 2:16.98. Paul is the 2009 Pacific League 800 champion.
Pettway took the pace out very quickly and led the entire race. Paul fell to the back of the pack early, but made a surge late in the race to get the fifth spot.
“McKenzie got a little bumped at the start, but made her way up through the pack to a very good position,” Wolf said. “She just didn’t have much left on the last lap.”
The two competed on an indoor wood track that was covered by a Tartan surface. Instead of the two laps that is the standard distance for the outdoor 800, the indoor race covered 5 1/2 laps.
“Times indoors are usually going to be a bit slower than outdoors, since its more difficult to maintain your momentum through the tighter turns,” Wolf said.
Dotson and Paul qualified for the competition by placing among the top-four runners in their event at six qualifying meets recently. In addition, athletes had to also meet a minimum performance standard in each event.The fourth annual Run for the Dream Indoor Track and Field Invitational honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the successful athletes from the Central Valley.
The event featured one of the fastest indoor tracks in the world. The $1,000,000 state-of-the art Tartan Track was built exclusively for this event.
Along with high school races, the meet also featured youth and collegiate competitions. In the high school events, medals were awarded to the top three finishers.
Next up for Dotson and Paul is the track and field season that is scheduled to begin early next month. Both will be looking to defend their league titles in the 800.
