Saturday • June 13, 2009 • Folsom High School, Folsom, CA
Tavaris Tate Returns Brings a Nation Leading 400 Meter Time to GWI 50
Tavaris Tate at the 2008 GWI (Don Gosney photo)
By Bob Burns
Fortunately for Tavaris Tate, his father allowed no running in the house.
“My parents were very strict,” Russell Tate said. “They said, ‘You do your running outside, not in the house.’ Tavaris was always running around the house when he was little, so I took him to the track and told him to do his running there. He would just run and run.”
Thirteen years later, he’s still little, just 5-foot-7. But he hasn’t slowed down, either, judging by his nation-leading time of 45.71 seconds in the 400 meters. The recent graduate of Starkville (Miss.) High School will defend his title at the 50th Golden West Invitational at Folsom High School.
Tate won the GWI 400 last year in 46.45 and placed third in the 200 in 21.27. He won the 400 at the 2009 Nike Indoor Nationals and has broken 46 seconds twice outdoors.
“My goal this season was to run in the 45s, so I’m impressed that I reached my goal,” Tate said. “But now I think I can run under 45. I’m looking forward to dropping my time some more.”
With his speed and range – he has also clocked 10.48 in the 100 and 20.87 in the 200 this spring – Tate had his choice of scholarship offers from powerhouse schools. He chose to stay in Starkville and attend Mississippi State..
“We’ve had a lot of great sprinters, including two national champions, but Tavaris is as important of a signing as Mississippi State has ever had,” said Mississippi State coach Al Schmid
Tate speaks softly, beginning many of his responses with “Yes sir.” Russell Tate was a fitness instructor in the Army, so Tavaris and his three siblings learned respect and discipline at an early age. But there’s no mistaking his confidence. He might be staying home for college, but he believes track will take him places – such as London, site of the 2012 Olympics.
At the Nike Indoor Nationals, Tate met LaShawn Merritt, the reigning Olympic 400-meter champion. When Tavaris returned home, he started studying the high school times of Merritt and other great high school quarter-milers.
“Right now my times override anything they did,” Tate said. “I realize I’ve been blessed with a talent. I’ve got things I want to accomplish.”
Tavaris won his first national age-group title at age 10, clocking 61 seconds for the 400. he gave up football following his freshman year in high school to concentrate full-time on track. He doesn’t view his diminutive size as a handicap.
“I laugh about it myself when I’m in the blocks and the guy next to me is 6-2 or 6-3,” Tate said. “A lot of people look at me and probably think they can intimidate me, but the great thing about track is that it never matters who’s in the lane on your right or who’s in the lane to the left. You’ve got your own lane to maximize.”
Tate chuckles when asked what he likes to do outside of track, school and church.
“I’m kind of nitpicky about the people I associate with,” Tate said. “I’m not the type to be out partying. Besides, I’m either in the gym or on the track. I can have fun later.”
At the Mississippi 5A Championships in early May, Tate won the 100, 200 and 400, lowering his national best to 45.71 in the one-lap event. He also anchored the winning 4 x 400 relay team, despite still feeling the effects of a stomach virus earlier that week.
Shortly before his final state meet, Tate committed to Mississippi State.
“My first thought was to go away to school, but I realized that my support and strength comes from my home and my family,” Tate said. “It’s going to be good. I don’t have to go far away from my dad. He’s been training me since I was six.”
It’s not as though he won’t be keeping fast company next spring. Mississippi State’s Dwight Mullings clocked 44.98 at the recent Southeastern Conference Championships.
“I saw (Mullings) the other day at the track and told him, ‘We’re going to be bumping heads next year,’” Tate said. “The competition will make both of us faster.”
But brash talk doesn’t make a fast 400-meter runner, as Russell Tate reminds his son over and over.
“We raised Tavaris to understand that hard work pays off,” Russell Tate said. “You’ve got to do the work. We’ve always believed that God would take him with his running ability around the world. God could have chosen someone else to do what he’s doing, but he chose Tavaris. It’s humbling.”
