By Chris Parker
McAuley Catholic senior Michael Parrigon is familiar with what it feels like to be a runner-up on the state level.
Last season, he finished runner-up in the 1600 to Riley Blay from West Nodaway and to Dora’s Cade Nold in the 800.
On Friday, he used a big final kick to get himself on top of the podium in the 1600 with a time of 4:26.09 just ahead of Dora’s Daniel Tomlinson who ran 4:26.78.
“It feels amazing. The last 100 I was (thinking) you have to go. (Dora’s) Daniel Tomlinson had a great kick. He took with like 450 (meters) left and I laid it out there with everything I had with 300 (meters) left,” Parrigon said.
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When the last lap started, Tomlinson jumped into the lead and Parrigon was having flashbacks to his junior season.
“He (Tomlinson) took off and started making a gap and I (thought) ‘oh no, not again’ because obviously déjà vu from Riley (Blay last season),” Parrigon said. “With 250 (meters) left I thought ‘this is your last mile ever. Why not go do it?’”
Parrigon sprinted down the final leg of the race urged on by both teammates and friends heading into the homestretch.
“I heard my teammates and Thomas Jefferson kids over there and I knew I had to do it. They are out here supporting me, so I just had to go,” Parrigon said. “I (also) did it for the team. We are competing for a state (team) title and every point counts right now.”
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He posted a final lap time of 1:01.84.
Thomas Jefferson’s Will Twiss and Braden Honeywell-Lync each earned all-state honors in the race as well with times of 4:33.01 and 4:34.57.
Parrigon came back in the 800 and ran a time of 1:59.87 to place sixth.
On Saturday, Parrigon is schedule to run legs on McAuley Catholic’s top-seeded 4×800 relay and 4×400 relay.
