Ventura's Anthony Fast Horse is The Star's Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year
Anthony Fast Horse lists his running goals right above his bed.
Not that the Ventura High junior needs to be reminded of his vast potential. It’s right there in his surname.
“It’s a big part of me,” Fast Horse said. “Having the last name, I have to live up to it.”
Fast Horse is of Lakota Sioux heritage. His father Scott grew up a reservation in South Dakota. His trademark long black mane is inspired by photos of his father in his youth.
“I feel like being Native American, it’s only right to have the hair,” Fast Horse said. “I’ve thought about whether I should keep it or not, but now it’s become my image. When people think of me … I’m the kid with the long hair at the meet.”
Not just at the meet, but running in the lead pack. Based on the strength in which he finished his junior year, Fast Horse could be one of the top runners in the state in his senior season.
The Star’s All-County Boys Track Athlete of the Year broke Ventura High’s 25-year-old record in the 3,200 meters and came within an eyelash of winning the state championship in the 1,600.
“Overall, I’m proud of my season,” Fast Horse said. “I did everything I wanted to do. It couldn’t have been better.”
The Channel League champion in the 800 and 1,600, Fast Horse finished third at both the CIF-Southern Section Division 2 Finals and the CIF State Championship in the 1,600.
“He’s really savvy as a runner,” former Ventura distance coach Tyree Cruz said. “He knows what he wants to do. ... He’s goal-oriented. He rolls with the punches. He doesn’t let too much get him down.”
Cruz said Fast Horse has studied his favorite runners and is focused on the “boring and tedious” details that separate good runners from great ones.
“He’s just committed,” Cruz said. “In my years of coaching, sometimes it’s been like pulling teeth to get kids to run the miles. But he’s dialed into getting things done.”
NCAA Division I coaches have taken notice. When he takes his recruiting trips this summer, they will be to some of the biggest programs in collegiate running.
Fast Horse has trimmed his five potential destinations to Oregon, Washington, Tennessee, Oklahoma State and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
“I’m very excited,” Fast Horse said. “Especially to be able to commit and achieve one of my big dreams, which is to go to a Division I school.
“In the end, it’s going to be a hard decision to make. They all have phenomenal coaches. Where I want to spend four years of my life is going to be a big decision.”
It has been a busy junior year. Despite breaking a metatarsal early in the season, which kept him from training for five weeks, Fast Horse finished the cross country season strong by running fourth at the CIF State championships and 60th at Nike Cross Nationals.
“Which was a big accomplishment,” Fast Horse said.
He was able to continue build on that momentum in the spring.
“Coming off of cross season, I was obviously very excited to get into track season,” Fast Horse said. “I wanted to get a full healthy season in, without any barriers to stop me.”
Running a personal-record 4:08.48 in the 1,600 at the Azusa Pacifica Meet of Champions in March added to his confidence.
“I decided then that I wanted to try to win state and break the school record,” Fast Horse said.
Josh Spiker’s 25-year-old school record in the 3,200 lasted just two more weeks. Fast Horse’s 8:51.40 at the Arcadia Invitational broke it by nearly five seconds.
Fast Horse swept the 1,600 and 3,200 at the Channel League finals, then finished third in the 1,600 at the CIF-Southern Section Division 2 Finals in 4:13.37 and fifth at the CIF-SS Masters in 4:12.65.
After winning his preliminary race at the CIF State Championships, Fast Horse waited until the final lap to make his move in the final.
“I was going to sit in the back and watch the race develop,” Fast Horse said.
His late kick, which was just delayed slightly by some traffic, left him just 0.20 from Andreas Dybdahl of Santa Barbara at the finish line.
“Those little seconds that I used to get around all those people could have been used passing in the last 100,” Fast Horse said.
He ran 4:09.96 to take second in the high school mile at the Portland Track Festival on June 5.
“I kind of wanted to go have a fun trip with my friends,” Fast Horse said. “I ended up being able to dig deep and pull out a (sub) 4:10 for the full mile.”
The Star's All-County Boys Track and Field Second Team
100 - Caleb Stuart, Buena
200 - Deshonne Redeaux, Oaks Christian
400 - Ifeoluwaleyi Orekoyai, Westlake
800 - Noah de La Rionda, Royal
1,600 - Brayden Seymour, Newbury Park
3,200 - Ethan Smith, Calabasas
110 hurdles - Sean Brown, Simi Valley
300 hurdles - Alex Vincellette, Moorpark
High jump - Jackson Knowles, Rio Mesa
Long jump - Chance Harrison, Rio Mesa
Triple jump - Cade Larson, Moorpark
Shot put - Erik MuroMurrillo, Ventura
Discus - Ian Hughes, Ventura
Pole vault- Cade Sommers, Westlake
Joe Curley is a staff writer for The Star. He can be reached at joe.curley@vcstar.com. For more coverage, follow @vcspreps on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Fast Horse is The Star's Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year
