Udland, Robinson End High School Running Careers

The Meet of Champions on Thursday did not go the way the Miller boys track team likely hoped, but it closed the door on two great distance running careers and added a chapter to another rising Millburn star.

Tyler Udland finished fifth in the 3,200 meter, losing out to Livingston's Jeremy Elkaim, who set a new meet record in the event with a time of 8:46.08. Udland, who entered the event with the fastest two-mile run than any other high schooler in the state this season, did not get off to a very good start and was never able to recover against an extremely deep and fast field.

"I knew from the first lap I wasn't feeling good today," Udland said. "When they took off, it was just a disaster. My legs were dead. It happens, it was just a bad time for it to happen."

Udland fell back as far as 10th place in the race through nearly seven laps. But in the last 600 meters, he made a charge to pick up five spots and slotted into fifth place with a 9:12.10. Both Udland and Milburn head coach Jeff Kaye admitted it wasn't Tyler's best race, but also commented on how many good runners were in the field.

"There were so many good runners in this race, it was really about who was feeling good today," Udland said. "The guys out front ran an unbelievable race. No matter how good I was feeling, it would've been tough to keep up with them."

After capturing state championships in the spring of his sophomore year and during the fall cross country season his junior year, injuries plagued him a year ago and kept him from successfully defending his crown last spring. To add to it, many young runners around the state had caught up to Udland. But he had posted the best two-mile time in the state this spring and was the first two-miler in Jersey to go under nine minutes this season.

"With what's happened with New Jersey runners, there has just been an explosion," Kaye said. "New Jersey running is just incredible. It's not that Tyler has gotten worse, he has actually improved. It's just that everyone else has gotten better."

With the Meet of Champions being the last race of his high school career, Udland acknowledged that there was a lot more good to look at, as opposed to just focusing on how things finished.

"I'm definitely looking at the overall picture," Udland said of his career. "I'm extremely proud of what I've done. To win two MOC titles is great. Not many kids can say that. I've run some good races."

Had Brian Robinson been able to post his seeding time in the 1,600 meter of 4:12.14 yesterday, he would've finished in fifth place overall. But the senior miler, who holds Millburn's school record for the fastest mile, did not run a good race and fell back too early to ever contend for a top eight spot and a medal in the event.

Robinson ended his high school running career with a 17th place finish, posting a 4:24.93. In the inside part of the track was clogged with runners very early, keeping Robinson in the back of the lead pack throughout the race.

"He went out well in the first half of the race, but it got crowded and he had to go to the third lane a bit to try and pass some guys," Kaye said. "He just couldn't catch up."

After being overshadowed by Udland for multiple years, Robinson carved out a name for himself this season as one of the milers in the area and as a contender on the state level. He finished second in the sectional championships and third in the Group 3 championships in the one mile race in the weeks leading up to Thursday's meet.

"He ended his career great. He ended it with a bit of a bang," Kaye said. "In most other schools, he'd be the talk of the town, but not with Tyler around."

Sophomore and brother to Tyler, Blake Udland competed in only the two-mile race and also did not run his best time. But he has another two years to work on getting to the top. Blake, who returns next season as the top runner on either the boys or girls Millburn teams, did not finish in the top 23 of the 3,200.

"The biggest thing for him is that he just lost his two training partners, Tyler and Brian," Kaye said of Blake taking the next step. "He'll have to do a lot of running by himself. But I think it will make him mentally stronger."