Craig Huffer
Craig David Huffer (born 27 October 1989) is an Australian sub-4 minute miler. He is best known as having the fastest 1500 metre/mile times of all NCAA recruits for the 2010/11 season and choosing a small division II school Adams State University, over large division I institutions.
Before signing with Adams State, Huffer broke some of Craig Mottram's junior records over the 1500 metres in his state of Victoria in Australia, and won National All Schools titles over the 800 metres.[1]
In 2008 as an 18-year-old Huffer won the Leonara Golden Gift, the richest mile race in Australia.[2]
In 2009 as a 19-year-old Huffer placed 3rd at the 2009 Australian Athletics Championships in Brisbane,[3] and recorded 3:39.98 at the Sydney Track Classic[4] to rank the fourth fastest Australian junior ever over the 1500 metres.
In 2010 he became the 47th ever Australian to run a sub-4 mile in Nashville, USA, and went onto run a 1500 metres personal best of 3:36.35 at the Reunion Internacional Ciudad de Barcelona,[5][6] to rank 15th on the all-time Australian senior list.[7] He represented Australia at the 2008 World Junior Championships[8] and was the only Australian track athlete to achieve an A-qualifying mark in 2010 not be selected for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
A foot injury sidelined Huffer from the 2011 outdoor track season. In October 2011 he turned professional joining the Very Nice Track Club to train under Ron Warhurst in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
A persistent hip injury plagued Huffer's 2012 London Olympic preparations. He finally made a full return to racing in August 2012 by winning the mile event at Folksham Challenge meeting in Molndal, Sweden[9] and went onto post a new personal best of 1:47.73 over the 800 metres at the Copenhagen Athletic Games[10] two weeks later. Huffer finished off his 2012 season with a 4th placing at the "world's most prestigious road mile" The Fifth Avenue Mile in New York, USA, recording a time of 3:53.5.[11]
References
- ^ http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/biographies/country=aus/athcode=228354/index.html
- ^ http://www.leonora.wa.gov.au/council/news/golden_gift_2008.html
- ^ http://www.athletics.com.au/history/national/matf55.htm
- ^ http://www.iaaf.org/gp09/results/eventcode=4211/sex=M/discCode=1500/result.html
- ^ pl:Reunion Internacional Ciudad de Barcelona 2010
- ^ http://www.tilastopaja.org/staticresults/eaa12799357.htm
- ^ http://www.runnerstribe-statscentral.com/?page_id=885
- ^ http://www.iaaf.org/wjc08/results/eventcode=3739/racedate=07-08-2008/sex=M/discCode=1500/combCode=hash/roundCode=h/results.html#detM_1500_hash_hand
- ^ http://www.trackandfield.se/Resultat/2012/120804.htm
- ^ http://mars-net.dk/2012/08-21-cag/start-m30-800-1.htm
- ^ http://web2.nyrrc.org/cgi-bin/htmlos.cgi/9132.1.316491178750095408