2007 Boys All-Star Track & Field Team

His efforts too big to ignore, Alston races toward college career.

Published online on Wednesday, Jun. 27, 2007

Fred Harvey, at 5 feet, 6 1/2 inches and 158 pounds, knows he beat the odds as a world-class sprinter more than 25 years ago coming out of Cal Poly.

“That’s why I don’t recruit kids my size to sprint,” the University of Arizona coach says. “It’s just not the norm.”

Kyle Alston has never been associated with much that’s normal since beating cancer as a toddler and developing into one of the state’s top sprinters this year at Roosevelt High.

Alston also stands 5-6 1/2 and weighs 148.

So, yes, Harvey’s excusing himself for opening the vault at the Pacific-10 Conference school in Tucson and throwing a full scholarship at The Bee’s boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year.

“This is a young man with a really big upside,” Harvey says. “And a lot of people missed the boat because they let size be the issue. All you have to do is look at the top 50 sprinters in the world to see the average height is between 5-10 and 6-1.”

Roosevelt, Fresno County and Central Section record books didn’t argue with Alston’s stature this spring.

In the 100, Alston leaves for the Arizona desert ranked first in Rough Rider history, third in Fresno County and 11th in the section at 10.60 seconds.

In the 200, he’s first at Roosevelt, second in Fresno County and sixth all-time in the section at 21.28, according to Central Valley track and field historian Ron Blackwood.

“Sprinters come in all shapes and sizes,” says Alston, who was diagnosed with leukemia at 2 years old, was treated for three years and has been in remission since.

Harvey, married to the former Janet Yarborough — Clovis High’s only female state champion (100-meter hurdles in 1979) — says he expect Alston to contribute immediately to Arizona’s 400 relay, which placed eighth in the NCAA championships.

But for Alston to become a collegiate force in the 100 and 200, Harvey allows, he must improve.

This was evident in the CIF State Championships at Sacramento in early June when Alston arrived seeded fifth and fourth in the 100 and 200, yet returned to Fresno with seventh- and 12th-place finishes.

He did say he lost momentum with a two-week layoff prior to the state meet that only the Central Section chooses to take.

But it was also obvious at Sacramento City’s Hughes Stadium in the state finals that Alston was overpowered by bigger and stronger sprinters.

The two-day crowd of 18,116 included Harvey. And he says he didn’t leave discouraged at the 18-year-old’s performance.

“My rule is every kid at this age has the right to improve each year,” Harvey says. “Kyle’s too young to peak.

“His strength level has to improve dramatically, and his power output will increase. He already runs with great ground contact and creates a lot of force, and that will give him a great opportunity to be successful at the next level.”

Despite the size.

“Kyle,” Howard says firmly, “is the exception.”

The reporter can be reached at aboogaard@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6336.