BC's Phebus is turning heads

The days of Burlington Central senior Ryan Phebus flying under the track and field radar are long over.

That's what happens when you run a head-turning 1:53.9 split in the 3,200 relay at last year's Class AA state meet (Central's open 800 record is 1:55) and then win medals in the 800 and 1,600 at this year's state indoor track meet in Bloomington.

And this Division I college prospect is poised to make even more of a statement during the outdoor season.

"We knew as a freshman that Ryan had talent," said 13th-year Central coach Mike Schmidt, who has presided over a laundry list of talented track and field athletes at the school.

"You could just see it. He's always had a strong work ethic on the track. If you ask him to do something, he will do it. Plus, he's a competitor. As a distance runner, you have to have that will when your body tells you to stop, you keep going. He has the talent and you put that together with that strong, competitive desire to succeed and that's when you have that success."

Schmidt said there's a perfectly simple reason why Phebus hasn't garnered the big headlines until now.

"Last year he was a relay guy," said Schmidt. "He was the key guy in the 4-by-8 (that established a new school record). We knew what he was doing with those splits. He mostly ran the mile individually and almost never ran it fresh. He didn't get that much recognition. People don't recognize how good he is, but we sure did. This is his year to be more of an individual. He'll be able to shine and that's something he's earned and has deserved."

Phebus, who qualified for Class A state in the mile as a freshman, also broke Chris Wesson's indoor school record in the open 800 by running 1:58.8 this season (Wesson ran 2:00 en route to indoor and outdoor state 800 titles in 2005). Phebus took seventh at the Class AA indoor meet and eighth in the mile.

"He was the only kid to double up in the event," said Schmidt.

Central distance coach Jon Pollock, the captain of the 1998 team that finished tied for 13th in the state, said Phebus possesses one other key component.

"Speed in distance runners is rare to find," said Pollock, now a firefighter/paramedic in South Elgin. "That's probably what puts him as one of the top runners in the state. Between his work ethic and his leg speed, he's come a long way. He's got guts. Usually all distance runners need to have guts to endure the pain to compete at the level he's competing at now. He's got all the components."

Phebus said his freshman experience Downstate turned the light bulb on in his head.

"Qualifying for state as a freshman was a huge deal for me," said Phebus. "I never thought I would be a runner. I definitely knew I could run if I qualified for state as a freshman."

Phebus stepped up his commitment by joining the cross country team his junior year after a 2-year run in the football program.

"Cross country definitely helped me with my distance running," he said. "It was a smart choice to join the team. The coaches kept hounding me to join. I did football in eighth grade and all my buddies and friends were doing it, but I was a skinny little guy."

Now, he's an accomplished runner with a burning desire to succeed.

"I hate to lose," said Phebus. "That plays a huge role in what I do. I hate to fail at anything."

And the higher the stakes, the better.

"No matter who is out there, I love to compete," said Phebus. "I don't care who is next to me if it's a big meet or a small meet. I feed off the adrenaline. When the meets get bigger, I get pumped on adrenaline. I love when there are big meets under the lights. I love running at night when there is a huge crowd."

Last year's state 3,200 relay race would qualify as one of those big-meet situations.

"I was the anchor," said Phebus. "I had so much adrenaline behind me. Our time dropped. I was so pumped up."

That 1:53.9 clocking took some time to sink in.

"I didn't believe it at first," said Phebus. "I didn't know what the split was. And then they told me that's what I just ran. From that point on, I knew running was going to become a pretty serious thing for me. I'm a little more determined this year."

Phebus, as an eighth-grader, can remember seeing Wesson, who has gone on to run at Eastern Illinois University, and other athletes on the Central track.

"I'm following in the footsteps of a guy who held the record," said Phebus. "That pumps me up a lot. I was in eighth grade when he was a senior. I met him a couple of times. He's definitely one of the guys I looked up to. Never in a million years did I think I could be faster than those guys. They were bigger, stronger and faster. It blows my mind that I'm doing this now."

Phebus's strategy for success in the 800 mirrors his determined attitude.

"I like to get out fast and either stay right behind the leader or take the pace myself," said Phebus, who will also be a key component of Central's talented 1,600 relay team this year. "The key is to open up and work hard and get off to a fast pace before you start dying and burning at the end."

Surprisingly, Phebus prefers the 1,600 race.

"I would like to switch it up and run the 1,600 at a few big meets this year," said Phebus. "The mile is definitely my favorite race. I find the race more relaxing and fun. It's not just a sprint."

Schmidt lauds Phebus for his desire to run both races, but says a choice will likely have to be made once the latter part of the season approaches.

"It's an almost impossible double to do," said Schmidt. "He's good at both of them. We think at the next level he is best suited as a 1,500 meter runner."

That next level will come calling soon enough for Phebus, who is drawing interest from the likes of UW-Milwaukee and Iowa State. He said Southern Illinois University is also expressing interest.

"I haven't figured it out yet, but I'm definitely going to figure it out soon," said Phebus of his college plans. "I wanted to get the indoor season out of the way and prove that my 800 was good instead of just some coach's split from last year."

But before college, Phebus would like to make some more noise on the outdoor high school stage. He wants to get down to 1:53.0 in the open 800 and has his sights on a 4:14 mile time. Phebus went 1:55 in the open 800 at the Midwest Distance Gala at York last summer and he holds the Central mile record at 4:23 (established at a small meet at Stillman Valley last year where he virtually ran the race by himself).

"I have a lot of work ahead of me," said Phebus, who is good friends with Central hurdles standout Dan Hagberg (who will run at Cornell next season). "I still have high goals."

And the pursuit of those goals has Phebus on the fast track to join the long line of Central track and field greats.