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Big test for Perez
Today's mile race in Arcadia features top invitational field

By RICH RUPPRECHT
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Mike Perez has been reading this week's track chatroom discussion board leading 
up to today's much anticipated mile race at Arcadia, and he just laughs at the 
remarks of some of his critics.

To most high school running aficionados, Perez, a senior at Lower Lake, who had 
never really impressed anyone until finishing fourth in his division in last fall's 
state cross country meet, is considered an early season flash in the pan.

Forget that Perez has run the fastest mile in the state (4:13.3) this season, 
which converts to a 4:11.97 in the 1,600 meters (which is run at the state meet) 
and last weekend added the fastest state time in the 800 (1:55.0) this season.

"I think a lot of it is, 'Who is this kid and where is Lower Lake,' " Perez said. 
"I'm excited about the race."

Some of the harshest e-mails directed at Perez accuse the 5-foot-8, 150-pounder of 
not yet facing tough competition.

It's obvious that the field for the boys' invitational mile can't get much better. 
It's considered one of the top track meets in the U.S., with more than 500 entrants 
and 20 states represented.

The two featured runners in the mile are Cabrillo High's Michael Coe, who ran a 
4:07.30 mile indoors and Irish star Ciaran O'Lionaird, who ran a 4:09 in the same 
indoor mile at Boston.

"Michael chased down a couple of good runners at Mountain View ," Lower Lake coach 
Bob Galloway said of the event two weeks ago when Perez ran a personal best in the 
1,600 and the third-fastest time in the race in Redwood Empire history. "The best 
thing about Mike is he's an unknown quantity."

Perez's story has some definite twists and turns. Since enrolling at Lower Lake as 
a freshman, Perez has never lived in his own home. His mother lives in Southern 
California, and Perez said he doesn't know anything about his father. He has lived 
with relatives near Lower Lake, but after cross country ended, he found himself 
homeless. He now lives with the Galloways, who have four children of their own.

Perez is somewhat surprised at his success, but agrees with Galloway who told him 
that he needed to train harder if he wanted to get better.

"I was fast as a little kid, but more as a sprinter," Perez said. "I played baseball 
a lot and some basketball. Now, I wish I had run in middle school."

After cross country - Perez had the fastest time of any Empire boy at the state meet 
with his fourth-place finish in the Division IV race - Perez looked forward to the 
track season and ran about 10 miles a day.

Perez admitted getting bored in the middle of distance races. He really doesn't like 
running the 3,200 for that very reason. Galloway said Perez is "learning to focus," 
and "nobody really knows how fast he can run."

What has impressed Galloway is Perez's final lap in all his races. He trailed in the 
mile at both Piedmont and Mountain View and then showed a late kick to easily win 
both races.

In the 800 last week, he ran his final lap in 52 seconds "We really don't know what 
his best race is," said Galloway, referring to Perez's inexperience. In competition, 
he's only run the 3,200 twice.

Last year, Perez mainly ran the mile and failed to qualify for the North Coast 
Section's Meet of Champions.

And about the race, Perez said, "I'm nervous, but it's the kind of nervous where I 
just can't wait."

ARCADIA INVITATIONAL
The track meet at Arcadia High is one of the state's largest and most prestigious. 
Arcadia is near Pasadena.

One of the feature races today is the boys' mile. Favorites are Michael Coe of 
Cabrillo High in Lompoc and Ciaran O'Lionaird of Ireland. Coe ran a 4:07.30 indoor 
mile in January, and O'Lionaird ran a 4:09 mile in the same race in Boston. Also in 
the mile is Lower Lake's Mike Perez, who ran a 4:13.3 mile two weeks ago, fastest 
in the state. Other entrants are from Tennessee, New York and Utah. The race is 
strictly invitation only.

The meet record for the boys' mile is 4:01.81 set by Alan Webb of South Lakes High 
in Virginia.
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