Times Staff

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Michael Coe got exactly the result he wanted at the Nike Outdoor Nationals Saturday night.

The Cabrillo senior won the boys mile in 4:08.21 at North Carolina A & T University Saturday night. Thus, he finished his high school career with a win before he goes to run for Cal at Berkeley on a partial athletic scholarship.

Dyestat.com listed Ayalew Taye of Massachusetts second in 4:08.50.

“I'm happy right now. Very happy,” Coe said in a phone interview after the race. “This was just what I wanted after state.”

Coe had hoped to win the CIF State Meet 1,600 meter title but finished second to El Camino High School senior A.J. Acosta.

Meanwhile, Mission Prep freshman Jordan Hasay ran her second-fastest mile time ever Saturday night, 4:42.27, but Danielle Tauro, a junior from New Jersey, won in 4:39.25, the fifth-fastest U.S. time ever. Dyestat.com listed Corona del Mar senior Annie St. Geme second in 4:41.57 and Hasay third.

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Hasay was unbeaten in her freshman school year. She won the state 3,200 title. St. Geme was second.

Though she lost Saturday night for the first time since the Golden West Invitational in 2005 - she won the girls mile there last week in 4:42.21, the second-fastest U.S. freshman time ever behind Mary Decker - Hasay was happy with her time.

“I ran the last 800 in 2:16, so that was good,” she said in a phone interview.

“The second lap was too slow. The first 800 was 2:26. Bridget Franek was leading - I really didn't want to lead,” the first half of the race.

With the pace, “I probably should have gone ahead and led,” the 2005 national cross country champion said.

As for Coe, he roared through his last 1,200 in 2:59 after the leader came through the first lap in a slow 67.8. “My last 800 was 1:57.”

He wasn't leading after the first lap. He designed his race plan that way.

“I'd decided that I wasn't going to lead (early) no matter what,” he said. “And that's the way it worked out.

“It was close. I didn't take the lead until 300 yards to go. I tried to open up a little bit of a gap, but Kenny Klotz (Oregon) actually passed me with 250 left.

“Taye passed a lot of people off the last turn. I had enough left to hold him off.”

Hasay has the Junior Nationals at IUPUI in Indianapolis next week, and then she is done until the cross country season. She said Saturday night that she was leaning toward racing in the 3,000. Hasay will run either that distance or the 5,000.

June 18, 2006