State Finals Story - ESPNHS

State Finals Story - ESPNHS

 After the San Diego Section finals -- where he had won both the 1,600 and 3,200 -- Darren Fahy of La Costa Canyon had planned to just run the 3,200 at state. However, as things ended up, he was entered in both race and because the state meet has an "honest effort rule", he would to have to run both events or be disqualified from the meet. Rather than agonizing over the situation, he turned a turned a negative into a positive. First he qualified for the 1,600 final with an easy 4:14.07. Then, in the final, he continually "upped the ante"-- running splits of 65.50, 63.37, 61.75 and 58.15 -- to easily defeat Luis Gutierrez of Rancho Cucamonga, 4:08.78 to 4:10.94. Sophomore Blake Haney was third at 4:11.85. Cody Brazeal of Buchanan, the state leader at 4:07.72, was fourth in 4:12.56. Two-and-a-half hours later, Fahy was back on the track for the 3,200 final, where he was very crafty in letting other runners break the wind for much of the race and passed the 1,600 in 4:37.38. With one lap remaining, (reached in 8:03.7), the race was down to Danny Martinez of St. John Bosco, Fahy, Daniel De La Torre of La Salle (Pasadena) and Jonah Diaz of Palos Verdes (Palos Verdes Estates). Fahy then ran a 59-second last quarter to win in 9:03.29, followed by Martinez at 9:05.74, Diaz at 9:05.79 and Del La Torre at 9:06.60.