Kenneth Rooks reacts after crossing the end line to win the boys’s 3,000 meter steeplechase ultimate through the U.S. Monitor and Area Championships in Eugene, Ore., Saturday, July 8, 2023. Ashley Landis, Related Press
BYU steeplechaser Henry Marsh BYU Photograph
Kenneth Rooks crosses the end line to win the boys’s 3,000-meter steeplechase ultimate through the U.S. monitor and area championships in Eugene, Ore., Saturday, July 8, 2023. Ashley Landis, Related Press
Kenneth Rooks celebrates after successful the boys’s 3,000 meter steeplechase ultimate through the U.S. monitor and area championships in Eugene, Ore., Saturday, July 8, 2023. Ashley Landis, Related Press
Henry Marsh has been there and carried out that. His trainers have taken him around the globe and as he watches one other BYU star getting ready to do the identical, the four-time Olympian couldn’t be happier.
“When he made the remark about being in ‘Henry Marsh mode’ that was very flattering and sort of him. He dealt with it rather well. My large query is how briskly would he have run had he not fallen?” — Henry Marsh on Kenneth Rooks
“Kenneth Rooks is a superb runner. He has the ‘it’ issue,” mentioned Marsh. “I'm so impressed with what he’s carried out.”
Rooks will start his coaching subsequent week for subsequent month’s World Monitor and Area Championships (Aug. 19-27) in Budapest, Hungary. The BYU junior fell throughout Saturday’s steeplechase on the USA Championships in Eugene, Oregon, solely to rise up and win the race in superb vogue.
After taking a victory lap, the present NCAA steeplechase champion instructed reporters he was impressed by the best way Marsh ran his races — a long time earlier than he was born.
“He used to exit behind the pack initially of races and slowly transfer his manner up. He would run at his personal tempo and inside himself,” Rooks mentioned. “That got here into my thoughts, too, that I wanted to run like Henry Marsh.”
Rooks received again on his ft, saved his personal tempo, and over the subsequent 5 laps proceeded to cross all 13 runners who had gone out forward of him through the fall. He received the race in a private greatest 8.16.78.
“When he made the remark about being in ‘Henry Marsh mode’ that was very flattering and sort of him,” Marsh mentioned. “He dealt with it rather well. My large query is how briskly would he have run had he not fallen?”
This was the second race the place Rooks turned in a time sooner than Marsh’s college document 8.21.60 — a document that lasted 47 years till the junior engineering pupil from Walla Walla, Washington, ran previous it in early Could.
“It’s enjoyable to see (Rooks’) growth,” mentioned BYU monitor and area head coach Ed Eyestone. “Not solely to win the NCAAs, however to go to the USAs and beat the professionals is nice. It places him heading in the right direction. He’s in a superb place to make the Olympic crew and I don’t assume he has had his greatest run but.”
Marsh agrees.
“I see a lot of him in me,” mentioned the five-time BYU All-American. “I don’t restrict him. I feel he’s received an awesome future. He's simply scratching the floor.”
The making of a legend
Working started for Marsh within the ninth grade at Northwood Junior Excessive within the Dallas suburb of Richardson, Texas. After quarterbacking his crew to an 0-10 document, Marsh left soccer and turned his consideration to the grime monitor behind the college.
BYU steeplechaser Henry Marsh
BYU Photograph
“That 12 months I broke the town document with a 3:25 time within the three-quarter mile and began my working profession,” Marsh mentioned.
After a freshman 12 months on the monitor crew at BYU, Marsh left on a mission to Brazil for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He put all working on maintain for a whole 12 months till one afternoon when he and his companion have been out knocking on doorways.
“We got here throughout a neighborhood monitor membership. I requested my mission president if I may run with these guys, and he mentioned ‘Sure,’” Marsh mentioned. “I began working with them and so they have been invited to compete within the Brazilian Nationwide Membership Championships simply exterior the mission in Sao Paulo.”
Together with his president’s approval, Marsh crossed the boundaries to run the steeplechase and completed in second place with 9:25.
“In hindsight, if I hadn’t carried out that, if my president hadn’t been impressed to let me do it, I wouldn’t have made the Olympic crew,” Marsh mentioned.
Olympic march
Believing that BYU had given up on him, the 5-foot-10, 163-pound sophomore returned to highschool to seek out his half-scholarship gone. Much more decided, he determined to affix the monitor crew as a walk-on and pay his personal manner.
In his first post-mission race, Marsh ran an 8:55 to qualify for the NCAAs. His time was 30 seconds sooner than his run in Brazil simply months earlier than. Marsh did even higher on the NCAAs with an 8:27, breaking the college document by 14 seconds and qualifying for the Olympic trials.
“On the flight house, coach (Clarence) Robinson pulled me apart and mentioned, ‘Henry, have you considered the Olympics?’ I mentioned, ‘Who me, coach? The one who is just not on a scholarship?’” Marsh mirrored. “Proper then he mentioned, ‘You bought one. Full trip.’”
Not even a 12 months faraway from his mission, Marsh earned a roster spot and was working for america on the 1976 Olympics.
Marsh reached the finals and as he ready for the race, he observed a chant rising within the crowd.
“I heard all of those individuals saying, ‘Go Marsh!’ which was unusual as a result of I had by no means competed internationally earlier than,” he mentioned.
The ego increase didn’t final lengthy. Marsh discovered that McDonald’s was staging a promotion that had an Olympic occasion on a coupon and if an American received a gold medal, you bought a free Massive Mac. A silver medal produced a free cheeseburger and bronze received you French fries.
Marsh ran the second-fastest time in American historical past, however 8:23.99 was solely adequate for tenth place — off the medal stand and out of McDonald’s.
Want for velocity
Rooks could have erased Marsh’s working marks at BYU, however he has a technique to go to match his legacy. Marsh is a nine-time U.S. nationwide champion. He set the American steeplechase document 4 instances and was ranked the No. 1 steeplechaser on the planet in 1981, 1982 and 1985.
Kenneth Rooks crosses the end line to win the boys’s 3,000-meter steeplechase ultimate through the U.S. monitor and area championships in Eugene, Ore., Saturday, July 8, 2023.
Ashley Landis, Related Press
Seven years after he left Provo, Marsh ran even sooner. He clocked his private greatest and new American document 8:09.17 in West Germany in 1985. He is aware of Rooks can get sooner and he should for subsequent month’s world championships and each race after it.
“The World Championships is a completely completely different sport,” Marsh mentioned. “I don’t know what (Rooks’) upside is. I don’t assume he is aware of. I wouldn’t be stunned to see him run within the low teenagers, given the suitable circumstances.”
Marsh, who lives in Twin Falls, Idaho, has run throughout Europe, together with Budapest.
“They run quick instances over there. The circumstances are usually good,” he mentioned. “Monitor followers are educated. The atmosphere is conducive to quick instances. There are guys which have run sub-8.”
Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma holds the present world document at 7:52.11.
“He’s not there, however he has potential to get there within the coming years,” Marsh mentioned. “However I don’t see any motive why he couldn’t make the finals.”
Marsh was a assured runner in his day, however he has no downside watching Rooks run previous his data. Runners are sooner right this moment.
“Completely!” he mentioned. “There may be higher know-how, higher coaching. Ken is a sooner runner than I used to be. I’ve given him a few pointers, however he’s a winner. I feel he'll run properly.”
Kenneth Rooks celebrates after successful the boys’s 3,000 meter steeplechase ultimate through the U.S. monitor and area championships in Eugene, Ore., Saturday, July 8, 2023.
Ashley Landis, Related Press