The Ryun Project - 2

Brett Akagi was the key to making the documentary "Jim Ryun, America's Greatest Miler."  When I asked Brett 15 years ago to help me, I knew I was asking one of the best photojournalists in the country to take part in thankless project.  We were both working at WDAF at the time.  Brett would later go on to lead KARE's award winning team of photojournalists and now resides as the assistant news director at KSHB, the up and coming NBC station in Kansas City.

Brett talked another camera whiz Eric Futrell into working on our venture.  Eric did a lot of the leg work, traveling to Bermuda, with me to Wichita and with Brett to Denver.  "The Viking" as we know him, is one of the best freelance shooters in the country.  I was lucky to have such an incredibly talented duo.

Below is the race log for Jim Ryun's sophomore season at Wichita East.   He dropped nearly 25 seconds from March to June.  The mile he ran in Houston was the sophomore class record until Alan Webb came along. 

Spring/Summer 1963

Date        Event       Time        Place       Splits

3-21-63   Mile         4:32.4      2^nd           29.4-62.1-1:38.1-2:16.1-2:51.1-3:27.2-4:01.4-4:32.4

South Invitational   South High School  Wichita, KS

3-29-63   Mile         4:26.4      1^st            30.6-64.8-1:39.5-2:13.5-2:48.4-3:23.1-3:55.0-4:26.4

East Invitational      East High School     Wichita, KS

4-6-63     Mile         4:21.7      1^st            30.3-63.7-1:37.1-2:12-2:46.7-3:21.0-3:52.1-4:21.7

Washington Invitational         Washington High School       Kansas City, KS

4-12-63   Mile         4:22.1      1^st            31.7-63.7-1:36.5-2:10.9-2:45.6-3:19.5-3:52.2-4:22.1

Wichita State Invitational      Wichita State          Wichita, KS

4-19-63   Mile         4:21.3      1^st            29.4-63.8-1:36.9-2:10.4-2:45.7-3:19.7-3:50.2-4:21.3

Kansas Relays                                University of Kansas               Lawrence, KS

4-20-63   880          1:55.7      1^st            26.0-55.6-1:29.9-1:55.7 (2 mile relay/anchor leg)

Kansas Relays                                University of Kansas               Lawrence, KS

4-24-63   Mile         4:19.7      1^st            28.5-60.9-1:34.7-2:08.8-2:41.5-3:14.9-3:46.6-4:19.7

Hutchinson Invitation             Hutchinson High School         Hutchinson, KS

5-1-63     880          1:57.0      1^st            28.1-57.1-1:27.3-1:57.0

Heights Sophomore Meet      Wichita Heights High School Wichita, KS

5-3-63     Mile         4:16.2      1^st            29.3-60.7-1:33.4-2:05.9-2:39.5-3:12.7-3:45.3-4:16.2

City League Championship     Wichita State          Wichita, KS

5-10-63   Mile         4:20.0      1^st            30.3-62.5-1:36.5-2:10.2-2:44.7-3:18.0-3:50.5-4:20.0

Regional                  Southwestern College            Winfield, KS

5-18-63   Mile         4:16.2      1^st            29.9-62.5-1:36.3-2:10.7-2:43.9-3:16.5-3:47.4-4:16.2

State Championship               Wichita State          Wichita, KS

5-25-63   Mile        4:08.2      2^nd           29.7-60.4-1:32.0-2:04.3-2:36.2-3:07.7-3:37.2-4:08.2

Missouri Valley AAU               Shawnee Mission North         Mission, KS

5-25-63   880          1:54.5      5^th            27.0-55.2-1:24.0-1:54.5

Missouri Valley AAU               Shawnee Mission North         Mission, KS

6-1-63     880          1:53.6      5^th            27.5-56.0-1:24.7-1:53.9

District Federation  Kansas City, KS

6-8-63     Mile         4:07.8      6^th            29.5-60.8-1:32.8-2:04.3-2:36.0-3:07.5-3:37.5-4:07.8

USTFF     Houston, TX

6-26-63   440          50.5         1^st           

All Comers              Wichita East High School       Wichita, KS

7-21-63   3 Mile      14:53.2    1^st            71.0-2:29.0-3:46.0-5:01-6:16-7:32-8:50-10:07-11:24-12:40-13:52-14:53.2

All Comers              Kansas City, KS

8-2-63     2 Mile      9:28.6      1^st            72.7-2:23.6-3:34.3-4:46.5-5:59.5-7:41.0-8:25.0-9:28.6

All-Comers              Wichita State          Wichita, KS

8-7-63     2 Mile      9:13.8      1^st            67.3-2:16.8-3:26.0-4:34.8-5:44.0-6:56.2-8:08.9-9:13.8

All-Comers              Wichita State          Wichita, KS