Record breaking runner

PALMER -- Jake Parisien is just about to finish his eighth grade year and he has already joined an elite group in Alaska youth running.

Parisien's name can now be added to a list of record- breaking and title-winning runners hailing from Mat-Su schools that includes Norm Rousey and Eric Strabel. On Wednesday at the Palmer Invitational Middle School track and field meet Parisien broke a pair of Strabel's records.

Last year, Parisien tied Strabel's mark in the 800-meter and came just a second short of the former Colony High School star and current University of Alaska Anchorage standout's record in the mile run. Gary Howell, Parisien's distance coach at Palmer Junior Middle School, said rough winds prevented Parisien from breaking the marks last year, and up until Wednesday Parisien had been breaking the records during his practice runs this season.

With his chance at history Wednesday, Parisien not only broke the records -- he shattered them. Parisien started his record breaking afternoon with the 1,600 and finished the mile race with a time six seconds better than Strabel's.

Strabel's record stood at 4 minutes and 46 seconds, Parisien's new mark is 4:40.

"He ran all his splits perfect," Howell said.

Howell broke down the race in 200-meter increment for Parisien. Howell said other than a moment in the third lap, he felt confident about Parisien's chances.

"I was a little nervous near the end of the third lap. He fell off about four seconds," Howell said. "He ran the last lap six seconds faster."

Parisien led for virtually the entire race, with his primary opponent being time.

"I knew that I had it going into the last lap," Parisien said. "My goal was 4:40."

In the 800, Parisien ran a 2:09 -- five seconds faster than Strabel's record -- which according to race officials is a considerable time difference in the event.

Parisien started running thanks to the advice of Lyle Buzbey, his elementary physical education teacher, and continued to build an interest in the sport after gaining an interest about another, very elite, runner -- Steve Prefontaine.

"He started doing research," Howell said. "He researched Steve Prefontaine and began to idolize him. As it goes Jake's times are better than Prefontaine's when he was that age."

Parisien not only used the advice of Buzbey and the influence of Prefontaine, he needed a little push from his mother to pursue another running event.

"In sixth grade my mom kind of forced me to run cross-country," Parisien said.

Parisein's mother's advice payed dividends for the young runner, as he won his first race.

"It was good, it boosted my running career," Parisien said.

Howell, who will coach Parisien and the Palmer Moose cross-country team at the high school level next fall, believes the sky is the limit for the young runner.

"Jake is just one of those runners," Howell said. "He's got a gift -- he's got the form, he's got the lung capacity, he's got the leg speed -- he fell in love with the sport."

Howell said Parisien is a rare talent, who possess not only the physical ability but the technical form.

Parisien is not only running against athletes in his age level, but against prep runners and adults. He finished 18th in the open class of the Heart Run last weekend and Howell said he is already faster many of the high school runners he will have as teammates next year.

Contact Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com