Menlo track star Robert Miranda returns to form

With the win, Miranda becomes the first iGreyhounds runner in the nine-year history of the club to win gold at a primetime winter event. Last summer, Niki Iyer of Harker-San Jose became the first iGreyhounds runner ever to win gold, topping the field in the girls’ 3,000 at the USA Track and Field Junior Olympics.

It has been a school year of ups and downs for Miranda, who missed the 2016 cross country season due to a stress fracture in his ankle. He was diagnosed with the injury less than a week prior to the start of Menlo’s cross country opener.

“He was looking good too,” said Jorge Chen, who serves as Menlo’s cross country and track coach, along as coach of the iGreyhounds. “During training and everything he was looking amazing. It really sucked for him.”

The injury was a major setback for the Knights, as Miranda was coming off a breakout sophomore campaign on the track circuit, winning West Bay Athletic League gold in both the 1,600 and 3,200. He didn’t resume training until the tail end of cross country season, less than two months before Saturday’s gold-medal run.

“Now Rob is even hungrier just to do well in the track season because he missed the entire cross country season,” Chen said.

Saturday’s performance was chock with even more drama for Miranda though. Last Wednesday, just three days before the state club meet, he was overcome by influenza. Chen said he told Miranda to consider not running Saturday, but the junior was having none of that.

“On Saturday he was obviously just itching to run because he missed the cross country season,” Chen said. “He really, really wanted to run.”

Always a premier tactician, Miranda ran most of the seven-and-a-half lap race amid a pack of six runners, ranging from third to eighth place until the final lap. Then, when a runner from Great Oaks made a bolt up top of the pack, it quickly became a two-man race between he and Miranda.

Heading into the penultimate straightaway, Miranda returned to the championship form he enjoyed before he was injured — and then some.

“With 300 meters to go, I saw Rob put on this kick like I’ve never seen before and he just took off,” Chen said.

By the time Miranda hit the final turn, he was approximately 40 meters out front, according to Chen. He went on to a finish of 8:51.14, topping his previous personal record of 8:56, which he recorded at the state qualifying meet Jan. 28 at College of San Mateo.

Miranda wasn’t the only iGreyhounds runner to finish the winter season with a flourish at the state championship. Iyer also medaled, placing second in the girls’ 3,000 meters. And, to start the day, the iGreyhounds girls’ medley relay team of Sophia Donovan, Lauren Hamilton, Electa Narasin and Kyra Pretre — after entering the event seeded No. 10 — medaled with a sixth-place finish.

“All six of them came home with hardware which was pretty cool, especially the relay team,” Chen said. “They were pretty excited.”