Fairfield’s Brandtson Duffie sets PR in 3rd-place finish in Div. III State 800m run
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
COLUMBUS — In his second year in the Division III State 800-meter run, Fairfield junior Brandtson Duffie not only improved on his final spot from a season ago, but he did so by setting his own personal record.
In the 800m race at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon, Duffie raced to a time of 1:56.23 for third place, trailing only senior Josh Conrad of East Canton (1:53.99) and senior Kyle Smith of Worthington Christian (1:55.68).
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Duffie had a first lap time of 58.54 and a second lap time of 57.70 for the final time of 1:56.23.
The Fairfield junior spoke about the race and how it all played out.
“I got out faster than I usually do, and I was happy about that because I was putting myself in good position,” Duffie said. “I came across the line, and I’m guessing I was probably in eighth or ninth, and I just really stayed with that pack I was in. With 200 left, I got passed by a couple of guys, and I kept time like I’ve been doing all year and ended up where I really wanted to be this year.”
Confidence in his own abilities played a big role from Duffie to this season compared to last season in the state 800m run. Last year, Duffie was sixth in the same race with a time of 1:57.96.
“This year, I was a lot more confident. I’ve had the number-one time in Ohio for a lot of the year, and I knew I could compete with these guys,” Duffie said. “Going out there, I knew I could run with every single one of them, so I was a lot more confident this year and ready to be in this moment.”
As the final time recorded for third place was a personal record for Duffie, he spoke about how that happened and what the entire experience was like this season. This spring, Duffie was a regional champion, where he had a time of 1:57.06. He also won a district championship with a time of 1:59.06 and the Southern Hills Athletic Conference championship at 2:08.50.
“Anytime you PR, it’s good. I was more focused on what place I was going to be than time, just because you want to be on the podium, but 1:56-something is really where I wanted to be,” he said. “It’s incredible for me. Being here for the third straight year – freshman year with my 4x8 team, and these last two years with the 4x8 and the 800 individual – I’m just happy to be in this position and ready to come back next year even harder and stronger.
“I’d like to thank my coaches and my parents for all the support they gave me. It’s really helped me along my journey.”
In the 800m race at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon, Duffie raced to a time of 1:56.23 for third place, trailing only senior Josh Conrad of East Canton (1:53.99) and senior Kyle Smith of Worthington Christian (1:55.68).
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Duffie had a first lap time of 58.54 and a second lap time of 57.70 for the final time of 1:56.23.
The Fairfield junior spoke about the race and how it all played out.
“I got out faster than I usually do, and I was happy about that because I was putting myself in good position,” Duffie said. “I came across the line, and I’m guessing I was probably in eighth or ninth, and I just really stayed with that pack I was in. With 200 left, I got passed by a couple of guys, and I kept time like I’ve been doing all year and ended up where I really wanted to be this year.”
Confidence in his own abilities played a big role from Duffie to this season compared to last season in the state 800m run. Last year, Duffie was sixth in the same race with a time of 1:57.96.
“This year, I was a lot more confident. I’ve had the number-one time in Ohio for a lot of the year, and I knew I could compete with these guys,” Duffie said. “Going out there, I knew I could run with every single one of them, so I was a lot more confident this year and ready to be in this moment.”
As the final time recorded for third place was a personal record for Duffie, he spoke about how that happened and what the entire experience was like this season. This spring, Duffie was a regional champion, where he had a time of 1:57.06. He also won a district championship with a time of 1:59.06 and the Southern Hills Athletic Conference championship at 2:08.50.
“Anytime you PR, it’s good. I was more focused on what place I was going to be than time, just because you want to be on the podium, but 1:56-something is really where I wanted to be,” he said. “It’s incredible for me. Being here for the third straight year – freshman year with my 4x8 team, and these last two years with the 4x8 and the 800 individual – I’m just happy to be in this position and ready to come back next year even harder and stronger.
“I’d like to thank my coaches and my parents for all the support they gave me. It’s really helped me along my journey.”