High School Mile/2 mile Record Progression

Mile Record Progression

?4:21.2?  Lou Zamperini Torence HS. CA ??? 
4:20.4  Chesley Unruh  El Monte, Ca  1925
4:20.0  Carl Joyce  Commerce, Boston  1947
4:17.8  Deacon Jones  Boys Town, Neb  1954
4:16.1  Jim Bowers  DeKalb, Ill  1956
4:12.2  Dyrol Burleson (Cottage Grove, Or)  1958
4:11.0  Dale Story (Orange, Ca)  1959 
4:08.9  Archie San Romani Jr.   East Wichita  1959 (Jim Ryun's HS)
4:03.5  Tom Sullivan (St. George, Evanston, Il) -->Villanova 1961
3:59.0  Jim Ryun East Wichita, KS  1964
3:55.3  Jim Ryun East Wichita, KS  6-27-1965

2 Mile Record Progression

two mile run  (rarely run prior to 1960s)

9:44.3  Bill Cox  (Edison Tech, Rochester, NY)  1925 
9:30.7  Bob Buchanan (Stillwater, Ok)  1953
9:21.4  Tom Laris  (Washington, NYC, NY)  1958
9:16.0  Dave Deubner  (North Eugene)  1962
9:15.9   Dave Deubner  (North Eugene, Or) 1962 **
   (** Doug Brown (Red Lodge, Mt) ran 9:16.2 1962 also beating the record)
     (NOT the Florida head coach)
9:11.6  Tracy Smith (Arcadia, CA)  1963
8:53.6  Gerry Lindgren 1964 (enroute to 5000 meters)
8:40.0i Gerry Lindgren Rogers, Spokane, Wa '64
8:36.3  Jeff Nelson Burbank    Ca '79



notes on the mile

My recollection is that San Romani (coached by Bob Timmon, who would
coach Jim Ryun a couple of year later) did his 4:08.9 in a showdown with
California star Dale Story of Orange High School.  Story ran around
4:11.  Both were in the open race, I think, at the Compton
Invitational.  It was, to me, the beginning of the huge breakthroughs to
come.

--Walt Murphy

Mile Progression:
I'll have to think on it a while to come up with others  but I'm sure Tommy
Sullivan (IL-HS/Vill/College) ran around 4:03 in high school in 1961.Glenn
Cunningham could have run sub 4:10 in the 30's. Santee was close in late 40's.
Burelson in the late 50's
POD