Local athletes take to nation’s biggest track stage

For a young track athlete, an invitation to the Millrose Games is like receiving an invite to have dinner at the White House. For over a century, this meet has played host to the best track and field athletes of their generation, many of whom ultimately went on to score medals at the Olympics. And tonight, five area prep tracksters will step onto the famous wooden track at Madison Square Garden to compete in the nation’s oldest and most prestigious indoor track meet.

The Albemarle boys 4x800-meter relay squad, which recorded the season’s fastest time in the United States on Saturday at the Virginia Tech Invitational, will be joined by Western Albemarle miler Tyler Stutzman at the event.

“They’re so excited about having this special opportunity to compete with the best in the nation at this legendary venue,” said Albemarle coach Buz Male.

The foursome of Zach Vrhovac, Luke Noble, Garrett Bradley and Anthony Kostelac will toe the line ranked as the second-fastest squad in the country and will be competing against the No. 1 team in the nation — Morris Hills (N.J.) High.

The quartet has been on a tear since last winter, when they started a strong run that led them to the runner-up spot at Nationals in June and an amazing 7:42 clocking (the second-fastest all-time for any Virginia team).

“I’ve never had a bunch of guys who absolutely love to compete as much as this team. They can’t wait to go up against Morris Hills on Friday,” Male said.

If last Friday’s competition at the Virginia Tech Invitational — where the Albemarle boys won in 7:49 and outlegged a favored New Bern (N.C.) squad by 13 seconds — is any indication, then the 17-year-old Millrose meet record of 7:53 could be wiped from the books. To add fuel to this already high-octane group, Kostelac, the foursome’s only junior, recorded a 2:31.39 1,000-meter run, and the UVa-bound Vrhovac scorched a 1:04.82 500-meter run at the Tech meet. Both times currently rank third in the nation.

Later on in the evening, Stutzman will be the first Warrior in school history to compete at Millrose as he goes up against the best prep milers in the country. Stutzman will step onto the track as the nation’s top-ranked 3200-meter runner. He, too, had an impressive run in Blacksburg, where he shattered the school record en route to his 9:05 national standard.

“The mile race should be real exciting,” commented Western coach Lindy Bain. “The field is very close with only three or four seconds separating the entrants. Because of the tightness on the small track, positioning throughout the latter part of the race will be the key. Hopefully Tex (Stutzman) can come out on top.”

Stutzman, who is also the top-ranked miler in the state (4:14.91), will most certainly be in the hunt for the most prestigious mile title in the land.

Two-time Olympic silver medalist Adam Nelson, a student at UVa’s Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, will also be at the Games to compete in the pro shot put.