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FORK UNION, VA -- The rest of the country better not be sleeping on Fork Union senior Axel Mostrag again. Last year at Nike Indoor Nationals, Mostrag showed those on the national scene how talented of a middle distance runner he is by nearly bringing his team\'s distance medley relay far from behind for a national championship and finishing up as a national runner-up for 800 meters. After his performance in the 1600 meter run at the Fork Union Indoor Invitational, anyone would be foolish to make the same mistake again to overlook the Polish national.
Mostrag broke the meet and facility 1600 meter record of 4:19.96 held by one of the high school greats at the mile distance in Seneca Lassiter, a Williamsburg product from Lafayette High School. Lassiter had high school prep bests of 4:08 in the mile and 3:53 for 1500 meters. He went onto star at the University of Arkansas and won NCAA championships in the mile and 1500 meters and as a post-collegiate won US national titles and competed in World Championships. Before there was Alan Webb, there was Lassiter representing the state of Virginia very well on the international scene.
Mostrag is not a native of Virginia as he has only lived in American for three years after beginning his attendance at Fork Union Military Academy three years ago in time for the track season as a sophomore. However, the Polish citizen has become a loved son of Virginia with his great performances over the past few years on the track. His greatest performance so far may have came this past Saturday on his home track at FUMA in the 160 meter unbanked surface known as the Estes Athletic Center.
The Fork Union middle distance star broke Lassiter\'s long standing record with a state best time of 4:17.76 in the 1600 meter run at the FUMA Invitational. Mostrag\'s time is also a personal best for him indoors in the event. With many of the nation\'s fastest times being produced on some of the faster and banked 200 meter tracks in the country such as top harriers from the Northeast at the New York Armory, Mostrag put up a time that ranks him right up there despite racing 11 laps around tight turns with no spikes. Not to mention, he was unpushed with the closest competitor being teammate Jeremy Haney at 4:30 for second place honors.
The ultimate shame is probably Virginia\'s top track athlete is limited to where he can compete because of sanctioning conflict issues with Fork Union\'s status as a category 3 private school with state associations that do not allow their schools to compete against schools such as Fork Union. Later this month at the Virginia Tech Invitational in Blacksburg, many of Virginia\'s best will be competing against a great amount of out of state talent converging on the state\'s fastest track. However, Mostrag and Fork Union will not be present because their team cannot compete against schools from states such as Maryland in sanctioned events.
Mostrag will not be invited to the Millrose Mile for the 100th annual event, despite Fork Union having athletes competed in the past such as Kippy Keino several years ago in 2002 and 2003 and fellow Virginia category 3 private school St. Catherine\'s had Katie Doswell also compete in the prestigous race. The tight rope that has to be walked to appease all state associations seems to have only been getting thinner over recent years. Mostrag\'s invitation would have certainly only made for a more legitimate field including one of the nation\'s top returning middle distance runners.
Thankfully, Mostrag will get an opportunity to race on a fast track against top high school competition in the 1000 meter run at the Collegiate Games on February 3rd in New York City. An elite field of high schoolers will be assembled including Mostrag to compete on one of the country\'s fastest tracks at the New York Armory. The Millrose Mile will be contested on the same weekend in New York City, but the best high school middle distance runner in the city that weekend might be at the Armory with Mostrag.
Fork Union\'s indoor season as team ends fairly early in mid February with their private school state championships and conference championships. Fork Union coach Winston Brown plans to find a quality meet for Mostrag to compete in during the open month of racing that exists now between their conference championships and Nike Indoor Nationals. Last year, Mostrag competed unattached in two college meets including posting a US #1 800 at the time of 1:54.40 at Liberty University.
Mostrag comes from a talented family of track stars as his older brother Mariusz, competed at Virginia Commonwealty University in Richmond, Virginia and qualified for NCAA Division I Outdoor National Championships last year for 800 meters with a 1:48.61 best. However, it appears the younger Mostrag ended up with the slightly better talent running faster times than the elder at this age. Despite plenty of false rumors that circulate about Mostrag as he is very physically developed, he is of typical high school senior age and meets all age requirements for Virginia and elsewhere.