On Saturday, Jan. 27, two Jesuit High School Sacramento alumni took to the track in the Dempsey Indoor Center in Seattle, Washington, and raced the indoor mile at the 2023 University of Washington Invitational Track Meet. 

In an amazing race, Matt Strangio ’20 and Spencer Pickren ’21 both ran personal bests, with Strangio winning the race in 3:55.53, putting himself at 19th place in the nation for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and 29th in the world at all levels for this indoor season at the time of the race. His recent 3000 meter race is also the 11th fastest in the history of the NCAA. 

Pickren achieved one of the greatest benchmarks in a distance runner’s career: the first sub-4 minute mile of his life. He ran a thrilling 3:59.38. Pickren was the last individual in the race to get under the four-minute barrier, just four-hundredths of a second behind former Olympic Gold Medalist Mathew Centrowitz. 

The “sub-four club” is an incredibly exclusive group. It is estimated that there are roughly 1,900 people that have run a sub-four minute mile in recorded history. The odds of a high school football player in any given class making the NFL is roughly 0.023 percent. A similar number of athletes from any given class make the NBA, at 0.02-0.03 percent. The number is slightly higher for the MLB, at 0.5 percent. The odds of any highschool boy who does track breaking 4 minutes in the mile is minuscule. Seven students from the 2020 highschool class broke 4 minutes this indoor season, which is 0.0012 percent of the boys who did track in his highschool class. 

With an exceptional distance program headed by legendary Coach Walt Lange, who has been a coach of the team since 1970, Jesuit has not only given rise to Strangio and Pickren, but also Olympian Michael Stember ’96 with a personal best of 3:58.4 in the mile, and a 1500 meter personal best of 3:35.11(which converts to a 3:52.31 mile). Stember is the highest-performing Jesuit runner of all time, although Strangio may take that title if he keeps improving at his current level. 

Pickren was grateful for the opportunity to run with an athlete of Centrowitz’s caliber and knowing he could keep up with the gold-medalist was motivation to run at his best. 

“Competing against those you look up to is definitely a sign you’re moving in the right direction,” Pickren said. “The biggest thing for me […] was confidence and I kept reminding myself that just because he’s Matt Centrowitz doesn’t mean I can’t compete – this fueled me even more. I’ve always looked up to him, so it was a dream come true to run by his side.”

Racing with former Olympic Champion Mathew Centrowitz was a great experience for Strangio and Pickren, going head-to-head with someone who was once the best in the world. 

“Getting to race and actually beat Centrowitz in a mile was like a dream come true for me,” Strangio said. “I still remember exactly where I was, sitting on the couch in my living room, when I watched him win the gold medal in Rio, and he is someone who has inspired me for many years.” 

With about a month left in the indoor season, Pickren had looked to continue improving his time. 

“If I get another shot this indoor season, I’d like to aim for 3:57,” Pickren said. “I think with a few more weeks of training, this could be possible.”

While Pickren did not get another shot at his 3:57 before the end of his season, he did set a personal record in the 3000 meters with a 8:02.53

Strangio had also set high goals for himself this season, hoping to race at the highest level of college in the United States.

“I am hoping to run national qualifying times in the 3000 and mile for this season; as long as I run times that are fast enough to qualify for nationals, I will be able, and I am confident that I will be able to compete well at the national meet,” Strangio said.

Strangio was able to achieve half of that goal, qualifying for the 3000 meter finals with a seventh seed. This is one of the most competitive fields in NCAA history, and is sure to be an exciting race. The finals will be held this Saturday at 5:00 eastern time.

With his abilities and passion, Strangio intends to compete at the highest level once his eligibility expires following next season.

“I am hoping to run well enough during this outdoor season to earn an NIL deal for my last year of NCAA eligibility, and I hope to sign a professional contract after the ’25 outdoor season when my eligibility is up,” Strangio said.

Having just broken one of the most legendary barriers in sports and nearly beating an Olympic champion, Pickren reflects on his journey towards this achievement. 

“As I’ve gotten closer to the [four minute] barrier the past couple years, I’ve learned just how dedicated and engaged you have to be with training to run at this level, which led to a very emotional moment for me after I crossed the line,” Pickren said. “This is a goal I have been working towards for the past 11 to 12 years, so waves of relief, gratitude, and reflection of the tedious journey were passing through me.”

Jesuit athletics played a crucial part in the development of these amazing athletes. Strangio was at Jesuit for four years, while Pickren transferred in before his sophomore year. They both credit Coach Lange and the amazing program he has cultivated in his long tenure at Jesuit with playing an important part in their lives, not only in their running careers but also as men. 

“My time at Jesuit and my time running for the cross country and track teams gave me a great foundation for my collegiate career.” Said Strangio. “I cannot imagine where I would be without Coach Lange and all the other great track and cross-country coaches that I [had at Jesuit]. They taught me a lot in a short amount of time, and their program, as well as the great experience that I had as a student at Jesuit, made me into the man that I am today.”

Pickren also believes that Jesuit and the distance program shaped him into the person he is in all areas of his life.

“I would not be in the same place I am today without JHS,” Pickren said. “I began at Jesuit in the winter of my sophomore year, and even without the four-year experience, I grew immeasurably; not only physically, but also mentally, spiritually, and emotionally […] It goes without saying that Coach Lange and all of the assistant coaches have created a remarkable environment at Jesuit in which athletes can achieve anything they dream of and feel fulfilled by the brotherhood of amazing student-athletes.”

Strangio and Pickren should serve as a source of inspiration and pride to the Jesuit community. Two alumni ranking in the top 100 in the world in a track and field event, at any point in the season, is incredibly rare. The amount of athletes that come out of Jesuit’s distance running program is a true testament to the incredible coaching staff and the guidance of Coach Lange. He has continuously produced elite athletes, year after year, decade after decade. 

Strangio and Pickren are those elite athletes at the moment, and their futures have a lot in store. The two are definitely going places, at just over 15 miles an hour.