Summerside comes up short at trials

July 06, 2008 12:00 am

— By Rich Brown
rbrown@joplinglobe.com
When Beijing was selected as the host city for the 2008 Summer Olympics seven years ago, Seth Summerside was in his second year of track at College Heights Christian School.
Shortly before midnight Friday, the 24-year-old long-distance marvel was vying for the right to represent the United States next month in the 10,000-meter run at those Olympics. He came up short. But in a telephone interview Saturday from Eugene, Ore., site of the Olympic Trials, Summerside left the impression that it is only a temporary setback.
“I will definitely be back,” said Summerside, whose older brother, Josh, got him interested in running as a College Heights sophomore. “I think I will be a good story in four years (for the 2012 Olympics). I am good enough to win and just as good as the runners there (at the Trials). It just wasn’t my day.”
Although he finished last in the 25-man field, the University of Arkansas graduate who now lives in Fayetteville refused to give excuses.
“There were no problems,” he said. “Just fitness-wise, I wasn’t there. At this level you have to be in tip-top shape or you are not going to make it.”
Summerside had hip surgery early this year, which he said was due to training too hard, and was hospitalized for a week, returning to training on March 10. He was back going full-out in April.
His time of 30 minutes, 52 seconds at the Trials, did not compare to his 28:02, which he had in his first meet attempt at the event last year at Stanford.
Abdi Abdirahman, sponsored by Nike, won the Trials in 27:41.89 after being seeded eighth with a time of 27:16.99. Summerside was seeded 14th based on his Stanford finish. The top three in the Trials advance to Beijing and the Olympics Aug. 8-24.
“I feel I should be running 27:30 this year,” said Summerside, who is in the second year of his four-year contract with Adidas. “I think I am good enough to set an American record (presently 27:13.98) and have the potential to get on the awards stand at the Olympics.”
His mother, Sherri, is not one to disagree.
“Seth amazes me with his dedication, attitude and self discipline for whatever he sets his sights on,” she said.
Adidas-affiliated athletes, such as Summerside, who train at Fayetteville generally travel throughout Europe during the summer but that may not be the case for the former Arkansas star this time.
“I may not run in Europe,” he said. “I may just go into training for next year.”
Summerside, who holds a degree in marketing, devotes his full attention to running, thanks to Adidas, who pays him a yearly salary and travel expenses in his professional career. Coached by former Arkansas mentor John McDonald, Summerside, who also qualified for the Olympic Trials in the 1,500 and 5,000 last season, said he runs 80 miles a week as base training.
“I talked with my coach and we agree that next year should be my year,” he said. “I have not reached my potential. I feel like I have four to eight years left in me.”