The inhaler is still in the back of Steve Hallinan’s locker. But now it’s just a reminder of the American junior’s struggles during the fall, not the crutch so many asthma sufferers rely on.
Hallinan, a junior, was named Patriot League runner of the week for the second week in a row and the third time this season after running the second-fastest mile in Eagles’ history (4:07.37) at last weekend’s Terrapin Invitational.
“I had a solid month where I was having trouble breathing on runs and there was even a two-week period where I was just shut down,” said Hallinan, who was hampered by a mysterious illness from the start of the season. He bottomed out with an 89th-place finish at the Bill Dellinger Invitational in Eugene, Ore., and later was diagnosed with asthma.
He still managed to finish fifth at the NCAA East Regionals and led American to nationals.
“I haven’t used [the inhaler] since the middle of October, so whatever I had, my system was able to fight off and get back to 100 percent,” said Hallinan, who is back to taking on Eagles’ records. He won his first-ever race in the 1,000 meters at the Navy Invitational with the sixth-fastest time in school history.
“It’s been a good couple of weeks,” said Hallinan. “Things are definitely at the opposite end of the spectrum of what was happening in the fall.”
Ahoure goes back in time
A little extra work in the library has made George Mason sophomore Murielle Ahoure (Hayfield High) that much more of a force on the track. Tasked with researching sprinting legends Florence Griffith-Joyner and Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Ahoure turned new-found knowledge into records.
She won the 55-meter dash at the Virginia Tech Invitational with a time of 6.84 seconds, tying George Mason’s school record set by Sherri’ Funn in 1982 and set a new facility record at Virginia Tech’s Rector Field House.
“She’s got an understanding of their progressions and how they’ve come along,” said Patriots coach Angie Taylor. “Just knowing some of the things that she didn’t do, even last year, that we’re doing this year, and her feeling so much stronger and so much more in control of her body, she’s very conscientious of that.”
Terps quick out of the gate
Maryland freshman Jason Allen has won the long jump in each of his first two collegiate meets, including a leap of 23 feet, 7.25 inches to win last weekend’s Terrapin Invitational. Allen also won the men’s long jump last week at Virginia Tech in his collegiate debut.
Terps junior All-American Dominic Berger (DeMatha Prep) also has started strong, posting a school-record 7.25 seconds in the 55-meter hurdles at Virginia Tech. Maryland’s previous record in the 55-meter hurdles was 7.41.
