Holland senior Justin Price and Copperas Cove junior Robert Griffin, hailed as the cream of the crop in the boys hurdles events, lived up to their billing with a pair of double-gold medal performances Friday night at the University Interscholastic League State Track and Field Meet at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
Price defended his championship in the Class A 300-meter hurdles and added a title in the 110s - hours after taking bronze in the long jump for a career total of six state medals - for his high school swan song before running for Texas next year.
Griffin, who sent a rustle of anticipation through the stands prior to each of his races, didn’t disappoint the crowd of 16,357. He won the 110s going away in a 4A state meet-record time of 13.55 seconds.
For his encore, he turned the 300s into a man-against-boys competition with an electrifying run of 35.33, smashing the 4A and overall state meet records and missing the national high school record by the narrowest of margins - a hundredth of a second.
But rather than lament about the hurdle he brushed early to deny him the mark, Griffin calmly made a statement that might send more shockwaves than his performance.
“I might be graduating in December to go play football for whoever wants me,” said Griffin, who quarterbacked the Bulldawgs to the 4A Division I title game last fall. “Right now, I’m weighing my options. If it’s the best thing for me to graduate early, then I will. If not, then I’ll be back here at state.”
If he returns, Griffin could rewrite the national record books as a senior. He knows that, but he also knows that Friday’s showing could be just the tip of the iceberg.
“My race didn’t feel as good as I wanted it to be,” he said. “But it’s still a fast time. So I know if I can run that fast and it doesn’t feel well, then I can’t imagine how fast I’ll run when it does feel well.”
With their events going off back-to-back, Price’s performances were a precursor to Griffin and they were equally dominant.
Price shot out of the blocks and never trailed in the 110s, crossing the line in 14.37, more than half a second ahead of the field.
Running in Lane 8 for the 300s, Price had only one competitor on his outside. He had made up that stagger entering the turn and by the time he reached the top of the curve the outcome was sealed. He cruised home in 38.36, dusting second-place Stephen Pace of Rule by more than two full seconds.
“I couldn’t have pictured a better ending than this,” Price said. “Under the lights, winning gold medals, this is it.”
After turning in dazzling efforts two at a time when it mattered most, the only question that remained was about what the future holds for each athlete.
“I want to play football and run track in college. I want to do both,” Griffin said. “I wanted to go to Miami, but there’s too many problems down there. Schools can’t offer me anything yet but a lot of them want me, like Baylor, LSU, Florida State and Florida.”
As for Price, he knows where he’ll be next fall - right back at Myers Stadium.
“Now I’m looking forward to running on this same track next year at the next level,” he said. “When you get into high school, it seems like it’s going to take forever. But really, it’s flown by.”
It certainly did.
edrennan@temple-telegram.com
