Wednesday, June 17, 1998

Punahou’s
Macdonald on the
heels of No. 1

After placing third with
a personal best in the 800
last week, she runs against
the elite again Saturday

By Pat Bigold
Star-Bulletin

Eri Macdonald has no peer in Hawaii in the girls' 800 meters.

So the Punahou junior is going after Lindsay Hyatt of Placer High School (Auburn, Calif.), the nation's top runner in the 800 the past two seasons.

Macdonald set a personal record of 2 minutes, 9.95 seconds to finish third to Hyatt's sizzling 2:07.76 Saturday in the elite Golden West Invitational in Sacramento, Calif. Macdonald was on Hyatt's heels throughout the race and challenged her over the final 200 meters.

This Saturday, the two will compete in the 800 in the eighth National Scholastic Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Raleigh, N.C.

"I'm impressed that she doesn't back down," said Mike Kennedy, editor of girls' events for Track and Field News. Kennedy was at Saturday's race and said he will watch this weekend, too.

Macdonald's father, Duncan, a former U.S. 5,000-meter record holder, said he was delighted Eri ran so well despite not competing for several weeks. Hawaii's prep track season ended May 16.

"It's difficult to peak twice in the space of a month, especially without a race for the second peak," he said.

Eri Macdonald came into the Golden West ranked No. 2 in the nation in the 800 meters. That ranking came as a result of her first race with Hyatt.

In late March, Macdonald gave Hyatt (2:09.96) all she could handle, finishing in a then-personal best of 2:10.3 to place second at Rocklin High School in Northern California.

Saturday, Hyatt completed 400 meters in 62.2 seconds, with Macdonald a few meters behind.

"Eri challenged her down the backstretch and appeared to take a very slight lead at 200 meters," Kennedy said. "But she never got the inside position. It was gutsy of her, though."

Katie Hotchkiss of Fremont Mission High in San Jose, Calif., came from well back to overtake a fading Macdonald for second place in 2:09.74.

"Eri couldn't quite get around Lindsay coming into the turn," Duncan Macdonald said.

He said he told her to stay closer to Hyatt on the first lap in Raleigh.

"She was four to five meters behind at the Golden West and that's too much ground to give up," he said. "And I told her to wait just a little longer to make her move."