Manning the track
4/24/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field, Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
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For Kyle Manning, running track was not necessarily a top priority when he arrived at Lehigh as a freshman. An accomplished runner in high school, the Maryland native wanted to make sure his grades could sustain in the classroom before making a commitment to a two-season sport; it turned out to be an easier decision than he ever realized.
“I came to the practices in the fall and got to meet the team and they were all very supportive and were a great group of guys to be around,” said Manning. “They were performing at a high level from the year before, and I knew I wanted to be a part of the team. I decided to try to walk-on at that point and competed at the tryout. I have been grateful I made that decision ever since.”
So has the Lehigh track program, because as only a sophomore, Manning ran on some of the top relay teams in school history. He ran the first leg of the 4x800 team that ended up with a fourth place finish at the Patriot League Indoor Championships, and the sixth fastest time in school history.
That team went on to eclipse that mark the following year at the IC4A Indoor Championships, finishing in 7:38.91, the second fastest in school history. Later that year, at the Patriot League Outdoor Championships, the 4x800 team scored a second place finish with a time of 7:31.56, just 0.26 seconds off the all-time mark.
While Manning was succeeding in the 800 with the relay team, it was in the individual 800 meter dash where he was struggling to get his timing right. An event that is known for its unusual combination of power and stamina has always been a favorite of Manning’s.
“Without a doubt, the 800 meters is my favorite event,” said Manning. “It certainly has some mystery surrounding it. It’s hard to classify it as a sprint or a distance race. Surprisingly, that classification continues to vary even within college track teams. The 800 requires a special blend of speed and endurance and I’ve been trying to find that perfect mix for seven years now.”
This season Manning was finally able to find that perfect mix, when he smashed the 30-year old school record for the 800 at the IC4A Indoor Championships in March. His time of 1:51.32 was over two seconds faster than the previous mark of 1:53.41 set by Andy Hubsch in 1978.
“It was certainly an incredible feeling,” said Manning about his record breaking time. “Looking at the competition in that race, I knew if I kept pace with them, the time would take care of itself. The race felt very fast. It was harder than usual to keep that pace while staying relaxed and efficient, but I had enough left to put together a strong finish.
“I didn’t realize how fast it was until I looked up at the scoreboard after the race – it was impossible to wipe the smile off my face at that point. Andy Hubsch held that record for 30 years, which is an incredible accomplishment, and to break that record is an incredible honor. The feeling after the race is something I will remember for the rest of my life.”
Now with just a few meets left in his college career, Manning will try to hit his stride just in time for the Patriot League Outdoor Championships next weekend and look to shave another second off his time in the 800.
“I want to walk away from my running career knowing I couldn’t have run a single hundredth of a second faster,” added Manning. “I want to look back and be proud of all the work I put into the sport and accomplishments I have reached. I have done that up to this point, and I look forward to continuing my effort throughout the next several weeks.”
And it turned out he was able to find that balance between school and track after-all, as the senior has maintained a 3.20 GPA in mechanical engineering, and was a member of the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll.
Manning and the rest of the Lehigh track team will be in action this weekend when Lehigh hosts its only home meet of the year on Saturday on the Goodman Campus.
