South junior medals in 3,200 meters
By: Justin Feil
SOUTH PLAINFIELD Sometimes your best just isn’t enough.
Such was the case for West Windsor-Plainsboro South’s Brian Leung. The Pirates junior clocked a new personal best of 9 minutes, 14.54 seconds to earn a medal with a seventh-place finish in the Tournament of Champions boys’ 3,200 meters Wednesday but wasn’t satisfied.
"I know I shouldn’t be, but I’m extremely disappointed with this," Leung said. "I was aiming for at least a 9:05 before this season. It’s disappointing (not to get it). It’s something to build on, but at the same time that last 800 killed me. Up to that point, I could have gotten fourth or fifth. I was so close. That’s what gets me so mad."
Leung had spent this season building up to this meet. Putting so much emphasis on accomplishing his goal time at the meet made the feelings all the more acute when he missed his mark.
"It was either going to be here or if somehow I would go to nationals," Leung said. "I was planning on doing it here. I’ve done these workouts this season that are so difficult that are aimed at the low 9s. I’ve hit those workouts. I basically did a 9:08 by myself on the track in practice. It just didn’t come together tonight. I couldn’t really respond in that last 800.
"The first six laps, I was hanging in there," he added. "I wasn’t feeling good. I could definitely feel my hip and my stride wasn’t as long as it normally is. I felt good enough to the point where I could keep up with the guys. It was just that last 800 that really killed me. I know the Ridgewood guy, Dan Emont, he passed me with 800 to go and he ended up with a 9:08, so I slowed down tremendously in that last 800 meters. It was right in front of me and I just couldn’t grab it."
A recent hip injury may have cost him the endurance needed to finish off a solid start to the two-mile race. He was third after three laps and still tied for fifth after six of the eight laps were run.
"Going into the race, my hip’s been really bothering me for the last two weeks," he said. "I only ran two or three times so it’s been tough. I tried warming it up. I’ve gone to the chiropractor. Nothing really seems to help it though. I was going into the race saying, I’ll give it all I have, it’s the last race of the season. It was all right.
"It’s frustrating," he added. "I’m friends with some of these guys. I hear them say, I’m so pumped for this, I’m so ready, I’m feeling great. Deep down, I know for myself I’m really not feeling my best, but I’m going to try my best anyway."
His best was still good for a medal, the only one of the day on the boys’ side from the Packet area. And as a junior, he has the chance to return and improve upon his finish. Only one other person, Doug Smith who was fourth in 9:04.52, will return next year from among the top 13 finishers.
"Coming into the race, I was aiming just to stay with someone like Doug Smith," Leung said. "He basically had the race I wanted to have. This is definitely going to be a huge building block for me. I’ll definitely be back here next year, hopefully more fit and definitely healthy.
"Of course, I’ve had my ups and downs. This is definitely one of my low points. I still PR’d tonight, which I’m pretty happy about. But I think I could definitely have gone a lot faster if my hip was better. As a whole, I’m happy with this, I’m happy with the season. It’s been a great learning experience especially with the whole cross country thing, how I got sick and pulled through. It’s all about how I’ve matured as a runner and a person."
Leung at least had the chance to compete. While Leung finished off the competition for the Packet area, the day began ominously for the Pirates when Andrew Long appeared to severely injure his knee in a warm-up jump on the pole vault. The WW-P South senior was unable to enter competition.
In the discus, two area athletes finished their first trip to the Tournament of Champions with the motivation to return and improve. Barnett Wu fouled on one good throw and safely put out a throw of 141 feet, 7 inches to land in 17th place.
"It was good competing against all the top athletes in New Jersey," said the WW-P North junior. "I got really nervous. It’s the first time I was actually in the second flight. It was a good experience. I enjoyed it a lot.
"You gain experience from going to these types of meets. I’ve never been here. Last year I was terrible. I’ve improved this much and it’s an honor to compete among the best of the best in New Jersey."
Wu had a personal record of 123 feet a year ago. This year, he topped out at 156-9. Similarly, Montgomery High School sophomore Mathys Mesters improved tremendously after a year in the discus. His first trip ended without an official distance, though he had a promising throw land out of bounds. A glimpse of the state’s upper echelon is just the sort of motivation the two will use in their offseason.
"I just work hard over the summer," Wu said. "All my workouts in the summer time, that’s when I do all my training. My winter and spring track results reflect what I do in the summer."
The hope is that those workouts will bring the reflection off a medal in the next trip to the Meet of Champions.

