NEW YORK, NY -- While Anthony Kostelac was a no show for Friday's anticipated 1000 meter showdown with some of top middle distance preps on the East Coast at the New Balance Collegiate Games (potentially due to the snowstorm which has hit the Mid Atlantic this weekend), three other Virginians participated and posted fine times in the race.
Without Kostelac in the field as well as Pennsylvania star Tom Mallon, the door was left open for others to contend for the win as the race came down to Kevin Byrne of New Jersey and Zavon Watkins of New York with Byrne as the winner. With the weather and precipitation more of rain mix east of Richmond, Cody Snyder of Lee-Davis, David Gunnerson of Grafton, and Blake Theroux of Western Branch were able to make the trip north to the Armory in time for the race unlike Kostelac stuck in the heavy portion of the snowstorm within the state in Charlottesville.
Snyder, Gunnerson, and Theroux were never able to contend in the top half of the field, but Snyder was able to close well with two 29 second final laps for a fourth place finishing time of 2:29.45. Snyder, a junior at Lee-Davis High School, now becomes the 12th fastest all-time in state history for 1000 meters just behind Thomas Jefferson great Cullen Maddox's 1981 performance of 2:29.2 hand held.
Grafton senior Gunnerson, making his third appearance in the New Balance Collegiate Games 1000 meter race, led Snyder heading into the final lap with a 800 meter split of 1:59. Snyder went by him on the final lap and ended up with a time of 2:30.29 for 6th place overall, which was just off his #21 all-time performance of 2:30.15 from last year's race. Gunnerson should be the top seed in the event at the Group AA State Indoor Championships.
Finishing out the Virginian contigent was Blake Theroux for Western Branch who posted a personal best time of 2:30.31 as he came across the line right after Gunnerson for seventh place. Theroux's time inserts him among the top 25 all-time and actually bumps defending Group AAA state 1000 meter champ Kostelac off the list.