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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Prep track: Anderson an ironman when it comes to hurdles

During the preseason of his freshman year, Mead senior Bryan Anderson decided to give track and field a try for the first time.

He tinkered with the javelin, some jumps and a sprint or two before heading to the hurdles.

Now his mom, Mindy Schlosser, had no problem with her son turning out for track as long as he stayed away from the hurdles.

“She saw a girl at a track meet eat it over a hurdle,” Anderson said. “The girl knocked herself out, chipped a tooth and broke her elbow.”

Anderson went to a season-opening jamboree and he still hadn’t broken the news to his mom.

“She wasn’t super happy,” Anderson said.

Anderson has had his share of bumps and bruises the last four years.

The most recent blow out came at district last spring. He was in the 300-meter hurdles and in the middle of the first corner when he caught a hurdle with his lead toe.

“I took the hurdle out, did a somersault but got back up,” Anderson said.

Anderson managed to finish fourth and qualify for the finals. But he had the eighth-worst time, putting him in Lane No. 8 – not the best lane for most races – for the final.

“I wasn’t really hurt besides a little track burn,” Anderson said. “I was more ticked off and embarrassed. I told everybody (after the prelim) ‘I’m going to crush you guys tomorrow’ (in the final).”

Anderson won the next day.

“She still worries every time I do the hurdles,” Anderson said.

Mead coach John Mires, who was a hurdler back in the day, is always hunting for athletes to recruit. He was coaching freshman football when he saw Anderson and urged him to do track.

It didn’t take long for Anderson to earn Mires’ admiration.

“He hasn’t gotten all the kudos he deserves,” Mires said.

Mires marvels at Anderson’s durability and consistency. Through regional last weekend, Anderson has done 103 races in the high and intermediate hurdles – with possibly four more this weekend at Star Track XXXIV at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma.

“I would never think there’d be that many races in a high school kid’s career,” Mires said. “Bryan saw right away that hurdles could be great for him.”

Anderson broke the school record (14.34) when he did 14.18 at district. He wants to break the record in the 300 (38.20) this week. His personal best is 38.49.

Right on his heels is sophomore teammate Joseph Heitman. And stride for stride with Anderson, if not a smidge ahead at least in the highs, is Gonzaga Prep senior Nick Johnson, the defending state champ who posted 13.85 when Anderson did 14.18.

Johnson, Anderson and Ben Craig of Central Valley swept the state berths in the 110 while Johnson, Heitman and Anderson finished 1-2-3 in the 300.

Odds are that the GSL will see a champion or two at Tacoma. At the least, they could all earn medals.

“Any other year and I would be leading the GSL,” Anderson said. “I don’t think any of us would be as good without the competition. So in a way it’s a blessing and a curse.

“My goal is to be a dual state champ,” Anderson added. “But if I PR (personal bests) in both races I’d be happy.”

Mires shared at the Pasco Invite that Anderson hates losing more than he likes winning.

“Winning really isn’t that important,” Anderson said, “but the terrible feeling of losing sucks.”

Anderson, who carries a 3.6 grade-point average, is headed to Carroll College where he plans to do the hurdles. In college, the highs are three inches higher than high school and the intermediates are 400 meters.

He picked Carroll for education first, athletics second. He plans to major in something in health sciences.

Anderson has become a student of hurdling. He watches video of himself but also of Aries Merritt, the world record holder in the 110 (12.80) and gold medalist in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

“I watched his world record race one night 15 times in a row,” Anderson said.

Anderson also runs legs on Mead’s speedy 400 and 1,600 relays.

“He’s an ironman,” Mires said. “There’s no ‘off’ button to him.”