Despite a stiff breeze that made conditions less than optimal, German Fernandez ran 8:34.40 for two miles Friday night at the Nike Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro, North Carolina, to set a new national high school Fernandez_german80010d9a1 record. The old mark, 8:36.3, had been established way back in 1979 by Jeff Nelson. Fernandez lives in Riverbank, California; Nelson came from Burbank, California. Once again, Fernandez produced a masterpiece of negative-splits racing, covering the first mile in 4:19 and the second in 4:15.

On May 31, he used similar tactics to run 4:00.29 (1600 meters) and 8:34.23 (3200 meters) in the California state meet, with a little more than two hours rest between races. It's hard to believe that a kid this young can also race with such poise and intelligence. His recent efforts are sure to become the model for other young runners and their coaches. Fernandez will be heading to Oklahoma State University in the fall.

From the Modesto Bee By WILL DeBOARD   (wdeboard@modbee.com)

German Fernandez shattered the national record in the 2-mile run at the Nike Outdoor National Track and Field Championships in Greensboro, N.C., (June 20). Fernandez, a recent graduate of Riverbank High School, won the race in 8 minutes, 34.40 seconds, nearly two seconds faster than the 8:36.3 set by Burbank's Tim Nelson in 1979.

Fernandez had previously set the national record for the 3,000 meters, when he crossed that distance in just under 8 minutes. The old record in that race was 8:05.8. Fernandez set the national record in the 3,200 at the CIF State Track and Field Championships last month at Cerritos College in Norwalk. That run of 8:34.23 was coupled with a victory in the 1,600-meter run in 4:00.29.

Fernandez, who will run for Oklahoma State University next year, won the Gatorade Boys Track and Field Runner of the Year award on Thursday. This record-setting run places him as one of the favorites to win the national award.