I wasn't going to say anything, because anything starts arguments here,
but since Garry has put me on the spot with this:
"pps--maybe Cordner Nelson will be able to log on later while in Eugene and
provide some insight from the point of view of somebody who has seen it all,
but he did say he put Webb as the No. 2 prep he has ever seen, right behind
Ryun)"
maybe I'd better explain.
First, I went nuts about Webb, like almost everybody else at Hayward
Field. It was one of the most impressive runs I've ever seen.
My crack about Webb being the second best high school miler I'd ever seen
was partly a wisecrack, but it has some truth in it. Consider a few facts:
1. Webb ran on a faster track.
2. Ryun ran more than a second faster for his last lap.
3. Ryun made the Olympic team as a high school junior.
4. Ryun's 3:55.3 beat Peter Snell for the AAU championship.
5. Ryun ran many world-class times in two high school years.
On the other hand, Webb is only beginning. He has every chance to run
many more fast races, even some this year. He may well have a better career
than Ryun if he can remain healthier than did Ryun. He will have a fine
coach in Ron Warhurst and he will have Kevin Sullivan for a training partner.
There is a good possibility that he will run so well as to make us almost
forget about his great run at Eugene. Almost.
Cordner Nelson
