ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Former Angelo State All-American and 2010 Lone Star Conference 400-meter champion James Howell posted a time of 46.57 to place third in the 400-meters at the US Indoor Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Albuquerque Convention Center Sunday afternoon.
Howell, who finished third at the NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championships as a senior last May with a personal best time of 45.95 in the 400, closed the finals behind Michael Courtney (46.11) and just behind Tavaris Tate (46.53).
“I was focusing on getting at it, coming of the blocks and being either in the lead or close to it after the first 200,” Howell said. “I got out a little faster than I wanted to and paid for it a little bit at the end. I'm pretty satisfied with the finish since it was my first time running indoors and I was competing with a lot of guys that have that background.”
Howell and Courtney, training partners at Next Level Athletix in San Antonio, trailed Tate until the end of the race when he started to fade. That's when Courtney made his move and surged to the front. Howell got close in the final steps of the race but couldn't catch Tate for second place as the two leaned across the finish line.
“He's known for coming on in the last 120- or 130-meters, so I was prepared for that,” Howell said of his training partner. “I didn't panic when it happened. He finished strong, like he's known for, and pulled me to a personal-best indoors.”
Howell, a Long Beach, Calif., native, won his heat Saturday in 47.34, the third-best time of the day, to qualify for Sunday's final.
“It was amazing, I just put it in God's hands,” Howell said. “I was kind of in shock, especially seeing the personal-best times of the guys in my heat. I told myself that I belong here. It's an overwhelming experience. It's just my third year of running track and God has blessed me with times that people have been running for their entire lives.
“To be in the same heat and finals with some of these guys is amazing. When it's time to race it's all business, but they're down-to-earth guys like myself. It's a true blessing to be on this team.
Howell, who is working to finish his management degree at Angelo State in May, will take a week off before resuming his training with Next Level Athletix. He plans to run his next 400-meter dash outdoors at Rice later this season and aims to post one of the top times in the world with his teammates at the Texas relays in the 4x400.
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