Snead Runs Nation's Fastest 600 of Year

Photo Caption: Journal Staff Photo by Linda White. Chris Snead of Churchill (l) and Suitland's Donald Battle hit the wire to finish the 600 at the state Class AA track meet with identical clockings of 1:11.6. It's the fastest time run in the nation this year but Battle was declared the winner and the record-holder.

By Donna Niewiaroski
Special to the Journal

At approximately 11:30 Saturday morning, Churchill's Chris Snead ran the fastest time in the nation for high school boys in the 600-yard dash, a 1:11.6, and lost. Suitland's Donald Battle won the race at the Maryland Class AA I indoor track and field championships at Navy's Halsey Field House in an identical clocking, thereby setting the meet and AA record, tying the Maryland all-time record, and reaping the national recognition.

"I leaned at the finish," said Snead, "and I thought that would do it. I knew Battle doesn't lean at the finish; I beat him outdoors in the quarter last year that way."

This time around the strategy fell a little short, even though Snead's lunge was enough to convince the stopwatches the contest ended in a dead heat. And since the accutrack timer - the device photographing and automatically timing the finish of each race - which had been functioning eratically all morning, drew a blank for that race, the final decision rested with the human eye. It was a unanimous call, however; every judge awarding the gold medal to Battle.

"At first, right after the race, it was fine that I got second," explained Snead. "I was really happy with my time. But now I can't understand how we could have the same time and they could hand out a first and a second. It's up to the judges I guess. I would have liked to win, but I guess someone has to come in second."

Bladensburg's Brian Garland established the old meet and class AA records last year at 1:11.8. Both Saturday's winner and runner-up tie John Wallace of Fairmont Heights' Maryland all-time mark run two years ago.

Although Battle, by virtue of his state performance, currently leads the nation's high school 600 runners, the Suitland senior was unfortunate enough to have done it in an area known for its prowess in the quarter mile. He was unable to crack the Washington area 600 record, held by H.D. Woodson's William Contee at 1:11.1 since 1976.

The last time and the first time the two rivals met this season, in the National Guard 800-meter run, Snead had no pre-race plan of attack. Instead the Churchill senior listened in on Suitland coach Bob Rothenberg's instructions before the race and ran Battle's strategy. It netted him second place, four-tenths of a second behind Suitland's front-runner.

This time, however, the 5-foot-10, 140-pound Snead was better prepared, but so was Battle. A season of testing himself at distances ranging from 500 to 1000 meters, Snead knew precisely how to react to Battle.

"My coach told me that at about 60-yards before the gun lap, if I was second or third, I should go then. If I was leading, I should wait until the first turn to make my move."

While Snead was perfecting his racing style, however, Rothenberg was doing his homework, scouting Battle's chief competition at the various all-comer meets and at the Region I championships.

"I knew Rothenberg wanted his other two guys (Michael Byrams and Ricky Johnson) to box me in," noted Snead. "Rothenerg had seen me run during the season and he knew no one had contested me. I knew he had put Byrams outside of me to block me in and then Johnson came. At first I thought he was just out there to run, but then I was in this nice little box and I knew something was fishy. It was pretty scary; they could have kept me boxed in the whole race."

Rothenberg's suspected strategy went into effect from the gun as Battle and Johnson shot straight to the front of the pack while Byrams and Snead fell in behind. Snead remained in fourth position for two laps until the prescribed 60-yards from the gun lap. He caught Battle by the first turn and paced him to the tape.

"I hesitated to go after Battle right then. I don't know why," Snead speculated. "I did let him get too far away from me, it was my mistake."

A mistake according to Snead, but Churchill coach Dave Gillespie held a different view of the race. "Chris put out 110 percent in the 600 and got edged out," Gillespie said.

You couldn't ask for anything more.