The best runner you won't see in a cross country box score this fall

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Geoff Grammer

High school sports editor and general assignment sports reporter for the Tucson Citizen. E-mail him at ggrammer@tucsoncitizen.com

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Despite being named in the past two weeks on “runners to watch” lists in two of the state’s biggest newspapers – for the wrong school, no less – Ironwood Ridge junior Steve Magnuson will not be running for the Nighthawks this season.

In 2007, he made multiple all star teams after a stellar season at Salpointe, before transferring to Ironwood Ridge last fall. The Arizona Interscholastics Association requires a 365-day non participation period after such a  transfer.

Magnuson continues to run in non-high school events and last spring ran one of the fastest 1,600-meter races of any high school-aged track athlete, but did so in an event not associated with his school. His time of 4:19.95 in the 1,600 meters was topped by just three runners in the state, two of whom are older than he.

Magnuson, who will join the Nighthawks track team this spring, is likely the state’s best high school distance runner not competing in cross country ths fall.