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© 2003, Unknown |
| school/year |
Penn/2003 |
| birth date |
February 13 |
| height |
5'9 |
| weight |
145 |
| hometown |
Cheyenne, Wy |
| major |
Environmental Biology |
| sport |
Track and Field |
| training town |
Philadelphia, Pa |
| coach |
Charlie Powell |
| personal best |
1:45.39 |
| ranking |
National-3rd (time) World-24th (time) in 2002 |
| outstanding achievement |
2003 NCAA Outdoor Champion |
| career goals |
environmental engineering |
Sam Burley is on track for Beijing. Literally.
At the 2003 World Championships, Burley finished a strong 1:46.63 in a competitive 800 meter heat, but was disqualified for a minor lane violation. Given the history of this young man from Cheyenne, Wyoming, he'll be back at the Olympic trials with focus and passion.
In his 800 specialty, he's gone from being a last placing 2:26 runner his freshman year at Cheyenne Central High to blazing a 1:45.39 PR at the 2002 NCAAs as a University of Pennsylvania junior in the fastest American time of the year (a mere .22 behind Otukile Lekote of South Carolina). He came back to win the 2003 title in a cliffhanger against Texas Tech's Jonathan Johnson, becoming only the second Ivy League male in history to win the NCAA two-lapper. Then he finished fourth at the U.S. Championships.
In the 800, Burley's awesome kick often starts a long 300 meters from the line. His lean 5'9", 145 lb. frame does not announce his physical strength, seamlessly complimented by his mental toughness. When this highly competitive athlete loses -- at anything -- he just goes back and figures out how to get better. But self-obsession is not a Burley trait: under Penn coach Charlie Powell he proved himself a dedicated team player when he anchored a 4 x 400 win against Princeton at the 2002 Outdoor Heps. That performance also sealed the overall team victory, and it came after he ran both the 1500 (first place) and 800 (second).
Burley is still at Penn, getting his Masters in Environmental Studies, an academic quest aided by a well-deserved NCAA post-graduate scholarship. |
