Who is German Fernandez - US 5000m AJR!

"Running is a sport I have to do. I love soccer, but now that I know I'm pretty good at running, it's my sport now." --German Fernandez

German ran cross country and track for Riverbank High School, near Sacramento, California, where he was coached by Bruce Edwards. Prior to getting serious about running, he was an avid soccer and basketball player. He ran his first race in 8th grade, and trained for the first time as a freshman in high school.

He excelled quickly in running, clocking 4:22.95 for 1600m as a freshman at the Sac-Joaquin Masters meet, just missing a spot at the CIF State Championships. He came back his sophomore year and surprised everyone by winning the Sierra Invitational by 43 seconds in 16:01 and the 2.25 mile Artichoke Invitational in a course record 11:20 (beating Yosef Ghebray's time of 11:24, run when Ghebray was a senior). He went on to win the California D4 state meet over Chad Hall to claim his first state championship.

German began having injury troubles shortly after this, and did not run for much of his junior year. He finally came back his senior year with a vengeance, though. He blasted a 14:42 as the runaway winner of the Seeded Boys Race at the Stanford Invitational in late September, tore through the autumn undefeated, and recorded a 15:03 course record on the challenging Willow Hill layout to lead his Riverbank team to the win at the Sac Joaquin Division IV Sectional Finals.

He then won the CIF State meet in 14:24 to crush Olympian Marc Davis' Woodward Park course record of 14:38. He followed that by winning the Footlocker West Regionals meet at Mt. SAC in a time of 14:53. He then finished 3rd at the Footlocker National Championship meet, behind champion Michael Fout and runner-up Chris Derrick.

In February of 2008, German won the USA 8k Junior Cross Country championships in a time of 24:18, earning him a chance to run at the World Cross Country Championships. He finished 25th at the meet in a time of 24:15 and was the first American to cross the line.

In track, German continued his stellar running. He ran numerous impressive doubles, including a 4:05.57/9:00.10 and a 4:07/8:45.08. But his best performance on the track was surely his California State Meet double where he ran 4:00.29/8:34.23 by himself. It is already regarded as the greatest 1600/3200 double in the history of high school track. The performance earned him athlete of the week honors from the USATF. (Read Rich Gonzales' review.)

German broke Jeff Nelson's 29-year old 2-mile record at the Nike Nationals meet on June 20th, clocking 8:34.40. He also broke Galen Rupp's national high school 3,000 meter record, crossing that line in 7:59.83. For his record-breaking performances, Gatorade and USA Today named German Track and Field Athlete of the Year.

Sources: DyeStat, Wikipedia

Freshman Year

German finished 3rd at the Cowboy Jamboree, running 24:12 in his first collegiate cross country race. He was the team's first finisher. He then took first in the Open Race at the NCAA Pre-Nationals meet, clocking 23:34.7.

German won his first collegiate championship by taking the Big-12 Cross Country title, running 23:47.4 and leading OSU to the team title. He then finished 5th (2nd on his team) at the NCAA Midwest Regional, running 31:20.60. At the NCAA Championships, German was running in the second pack when he hurt his Achilles and could not finish the race. He was roughly on pace to finish in the top 10.

German's Achilles healed quickly and he opened his track season with a Junior World Record 3:56.50 in his debut win at the Razorback Invitational Men's Championship Mile. It was his first ever indoor race, and he broke Boaz Lalang's record of 3:58.34 set in 2008, and Jim Ryun's previous American junior record of 3:59.6, set in 1966. He then defended his USA Junior Cross Country title in dominating fashion, running 23:20 to defeat Chris Derrick (23:39) and Luke Puskedra (23:53). In his 3rd race of the season, German ran 7:47.97 to win the Husky Invite and break Galen Rupp's American Junior Record of 7:49.16.

At the Big 12 Indoor Championships, German doubled in the mile and 3000m. He won the mile by 10 seconds, clocking 3:55.02 to break his own junior world record and the NCAA indoor record. He then came back to win the 3000m in 7:57.71. He skipped the NCAA indoor meet, then announced he had a stress reaction in his foot before competing in the World Junior Cross Country race and finishing 11th in 24:13. He was the top American.

German opened outdoors at the Payton Jordan Invitational, placing 4th in the 5000m in 13:31.78. The time was faster than Galen Rupp's AJR, but he was beat by Chris Derrick (13:29.98 AJR).

German won both the 1500m (3:42.80, prelim 3:47.49) and 5000m (14:21.05) at the Big-12 Championships. He won the 1500m at the NCAA Mid-West Regional, clocking 3:43.09 (prelim 3:50.78). At the NCAA Championships, German won his 1500m prelim in 3:41.39, then led wire-to-wire to win the NCAA title in 3:39.00. He then finished 5th at the USA Championships 5000m, breaking Chris Derrick's AJR with a time of 13:25.46.

Sources: okstate.com

"I want to stay healthy this year and run some PRs." --German Fernandez, prior to his record-breaking senior track season

Championships

2005 California State D4 cross country
2007 California State D4 cross country (14:24 CR)
2008 USA 8k Junior Cross Country (24:18)
2008 California State track 1600m/3200m (4:00.29MR/8:34.23NR)
2008 Nike Nationals 2-mile (8:34.40 NR)
2008 Big-12 Cross Country (23:47.4)
2009 USA 8k Junior Cross Country (23:20)
2009 Big-12 Indoor mile/3000m (3:55.02CR/7:57.71)
2009 Big-12 Outdoor 1500m/5000m (3:42.80/14:21.05)
2009 NCAA Outdoor 1500m (3:39.00)

High School Bests

4:00.29 - 1600m - Cerritos (2008)
7:59.83 - 3000m - Greensboro (2008) - NR
8:34.23 - 3200m - Cerritos (2008) - NR
8:34.40 - 2-miles - Greensboro (2008) - NR

Collegiate Bests

3:39.00 - 1500m - Fayetteville (2009)
3:55.02i - mile - Stillwater (2009) - JrWR, CR
7:47.97i - 3000m - Seattle (2009) - JrAR*
13:25.46 - 5000m - Eugene (2009) - JrAR
23:20 - 8000m - Derwood (2009)
31:20.60 - 10000m - Stillwater (2008)

*Technically, it's not, because the track is 308m and "over-sized". But it's still the fastest any American junior has ever covered 3000m on any track.

Sources: FlashResults

1,500 meters

1. 3:29.30 - Bernard Lagat - Rieti (2005)
2. 3:29.77 - Sydney Maree - Koln (1985)
3. 3:30.54 - Alan Webb - Saint-Denis (2007)
4. 3:31.01 - Jim Spivey - Koblenz (1988)
5. 3:31.52 - Steve Holman - Brussels (1997)
6. 3:31.76 - Steve Scott - Nice (1985)
7. 3:31.93 - David Krummenacker - Stockholm (2002)
8. 3:33.1 - Jim Ryun - Los Angeles (1967)
9. 3:33.28 - Chris Lukezic - Rome (2006)
10. 3:33.6 - Joe Falcon - Oslo (1990)
11. 3:33.72 - Seneca Lassiter - Nice (1999)
12. 3:33.89 - Paul McMullen - Monaco (2001)
13. 3:33.99 - Steve Lacy - Oslo (1980)
14. 3:33.99 - Todd Harbour - Zurich (1982)
15. 3:34.25 - Matt Tegenkamp - Athens (2007)
NR. 3:39.00 - German Fernandez - Fayetteville (2009)

1 mile

1. 3:46.91 - Alan Webb - Braaschaat (2007)
2. 3:47.69 - Steve Scott - Oslo (1982)
3. 3:48.38 - Bernard Lagat - Oslo (2005)
4. 3:48.83 - Sydney Maree - Rieti (1981)
5. 3:49.31 - Joe Falcon - Oslo (1990)
6. 3:49.80 - Jim Spivey - Oslo (1986)
7. 3:50.34 - Todd Harbour - Oslo (1981)
8. 3:50.40 - Steve Holman - Oslo (1997)
9. 3:50.84 - Tom Byers - Koblenz (1982)
10. 3:51.1 - Jim Ryun - Bakersfield (1967)
11. 3:51.34 - John Gregorek - Oslo (1982)
12. 3:51.39 - Richie Harris - Koblenz (1984)
13. 3:51.62 - Chuck Aragon - Oslo (1984)
14. 3:52.02 - Craig Masback - Oslo (1979)
15. 3:52.2 - Marty Liquori - Kingston (1975)
NR. 3:55.02i - German Fernandez - Fayetteville (2009)

3,000 meters

1. 7:30.84 - Bob Kennedy - Monaco (1998)
2. 7:33.37 - Sydney Maree - London (1982)
3. 7:34.41 - Bernard Lagat - Rethimno (2006)
4. 7:34.96 - Adam Goucher - Monaco (2001)
5. 7:34.98 - Matt Tegenkamp - Monaco (2006)
6. 7:35.84 - Doug Padilla - Oslo (1983)
7. 7:36.69 - Steve Scott - Ingelheim (1981)
8. 7:36.90 - Chris Solinsky - Sheffield (2007)
9. 7:37.04 - Jim Spivey - Koln (1993)
10. 7:37.70 - Rudy Chapa - Eugene (1979)
11. 7:38.03 - Marc Davis - Monaco (1993)
12. 7:39.03 - Dathan Ritzenhein - Sheffield (2007)
13. 7:39.28 - Alan Webb - Eugene (2005)
14. 7:39.45 - Tim Broe - Lausanne (2001)
15. 7:40.0 - Daniel Lincoln - Eugene (2006)
NR. 7:47.97 - German Fernandez - Seattle (2009)

5,000 meters

1. 12:58.21 - Bob Kennedy - Zurich (1996)
2. 12:59.22 - Bernard Lagat - London (2006)
3. 13:01.15 - Sydney Maree - Oslo (1985)
4. 13:04.90 - Matt Tegenkamp - Stockholm (2006)
5. 13:10.00 - Adam Goucher - Heusden-Zolder (2006)
6. 13:10.86 - Alan Webb - Berlin (2005)
7. 13:11.77 - Meb Keflezighi - Heusden-Zolder (2000)
7. 13:11.77 - Tim Broe - Oslo (2005)
9. 13:11.93 - Alberto Salazar - Stockholm (1982)
9. 13:11.93 - Anthony Famiglietti - Walnut (2007)
11. 13:12.24 - Chris Solinsky - Heusden-Zolder (2007)
12. 13:12.91 - Matt Centrowitz - Eugene (1982)
13. 13:13.32 - Abdi Abdirahman - London (2005)
14. 13:13.49 - Bruce Bickford - Oslo (1985)
15. 13:14.80 - Bill McChesney - Zurich (1982)
NR. 13:25.46 - German Fernandez - Eugene (2009)

10,000 meters

1. 27:13.98 - Meb Keflezighi - Palo Alto (2001)
2. 27:16.99 - Abdi Abdirahman - Eugene (2008)
3. 27:20.56 - Mark Nenow - Brussels (1986)
4. 27:25.61 - Alberto Salazar - Oslo (1982)
5. 27:29.16 - Craig Virgin - Paris (1980)
6. 27:31.34 - Todd Williams - Knoxville (1995)
7. 27:33.48 - Galen Rupp - Palo Alto (2007)
8. 27:33.93 - Alan Culpepper - Palo Alto (2001)
9. 27:34.72 - Alan Webb - Palo Alto (2006)
10. 27:35.65 - Dathan Ritzenhein - Palo Alto (2006)
11. 27:36.99 - Tim Nelson - Palo Alto (2009)
12. 27:37.17 - Bruce Bickford - Stockholm (1985)
13. 27:37.45 - Bob Kennedy - Palo Alto (2004)
14. 27:37.74 - Anthony Famiglietti - Palo Alto (2006)
15. 27:41.05 - Ed Eyestone - Walnut (1985)
16. 27:42.15 - Dan Browne - Palo Alto (2004)
NR. no time - German Fernandez - hopefully soon!

Source: All-Time Athletics