A former Riverbank High track star is riding high after breaking a 43-year-old world junior record for the mile.
German Fernandez, now an Oklahoma State freshman, ran the indoor
mile in 3 minutes, 56.50 seconds at the Razorback Invitational in
Fayetteville, Ark., over the weekend.
The old record of 3:59.60 was set in 1966 by Jim Ryun.
Fernandez told The Modesto Bee he was "trying to run
conservatively." Fernandez' time qualified him for the NCAA indoor
championships.
Ryun was a high school junior in 1964 when he became the first
high school student to run the mile in fewer than 4 minutes.
