Runner-up reverence

TRACK AND FIELD: Burbank's Dotson places second and breaks school record in remarkable 800-meter race at state meet.

June 09, 2010|By Jeff Tully

(Scott Smeltzer/Leader )

BURBANK — Greg Dotson knew he was going to have to run the race of his life if he hoped to capture a state championship.

Running in the boys' 800 meters against the top athlete in the nation in Sean Krinik of Placentia Valencia, the Burbank High senior would have to leave it all on the track and hope that would be enough.

Although Dotson did run the race of his young life Saturday at the CIF-State Track and Field Championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium on the campus of Buchanan High in Clovis, Krinik proved to be just too formidable.

However, there was much for Dotson to be proud of after placing second in a personal-best time of 1 minute, 49.40 seconds.

Krinik won the race in a blistering 1:48.20. It was his second straight state crown.

Dotson's mark broke a 36-year-old school record in the 800. The senior broke John Muisch's time of 1:51 in the 880-yard race, set at the 1974 state meet. When the time was converted from yards to meters, Dotson had the coveted record.

"I'm very proud of the way that I ran in the race," said Dotson, who is headed to UC Santa Barbara. "To break the school record is something that means a lot to me. I'm glad that I was able to finally set the record without a doubt."

Dotson thought that he had broken Muisch's record when he clocked a 1:50.38 at the Masters Meet on May 28 at Cerritos College. However, after discrepancies with the conversion of the old mark, it was decided that Dotson and Muisch would share the record.

"Now there's no doubt," Burbank distance Coach Trevor Marca said. "He has the record to himself."

Setting that record didn't come without a monumental effort from Dotson. In a torrid race that might have been one of the best 800 competitions in state history, Krinik's mark was the best in the nation this year. Dotson wasn't far behind, setting the third-best time this year.

In addition, Marca said Dotson's runner-up time would have been good enough to win a state championship in the previous 13 stare-title races.

"That just goes to show you how fast the race really was," Marca said. "But you have to give credit to Krinik; he ran a great race and he deserved to win it."

Marca said he and Dotson talked at length prior to the race, determining what the runner's strategy would be, and how he would deal with Krinik.

"We wanted to take it to Krinik," Marca said. "We wanted to make him uncomfortable and put him in a place that he's never been in before."

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