CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – He did it!
Rocky Hansen ’23 was never chasing history. History was just one more thing that couldn't outrun Rocky Hansen.
The best to ever lace up spikes for Christ School track became North Carolina’s first-ever high school runner to go under 4 minutes in the mile Sunday at the University of Virginia's High Performance meet. Rocky fended off a field full of college runners in 3:59.56.
“It’s humbling (to be the first),” Rocky said.
“I love this state. It's such a beautiful state to live in, and the running community all throughout North Carolina has always been very supportive of me, which I appreciate. I appreciate the support I get from Christ School. It’s such a pleasure to be coached by Coach (Randy) Ashley and know that I have Greenie Nation behind me.”
Cheered on by his parents, Jake and Molly, Rocky overtook Virginia junior Jack Eliason (3:59.64) for the lead with 200 meters to go Sunday. His splits were 58.06 at 400 meters, 1:58.77 at 800 meters, and 3:00.12 at 1,200 meters. Rocky is the only high school boy in the United States to break 4 minutes this spring and just the 18th in U.S. history.
Rocky’s previous best in the mile (4:00.76) came last May at the RunningLane Track Championships in Huntsville, Ala.
The senior from Hendersonville, N.C., holds almost every distance record in North Carolina, ranging from 1,000 meters (2:27.32) to his personal-best for 5K in cross country (14:20.90). Rocky just returned from Philadelphia, where his anchor leg in the 1,600 allowed the Greenies (9:58.15) to break a 17-year-old state record for the Distance Medley Relay at the Penn Relays.
Rocky has attended Christ School since the ninth grade and will run in college for Wake Forest University.
Part of what makes Rocky great is his dogged determination to put every race, good or bad, behind him. That was the case again Sunday.
“It’s all about short-term memory,” Rocky said. “It’s super rewarding to know I could rise to the occasion like this, and it makes me excited for what’s to come. But I’m onto the next thing, onto the next challenge.”