Bartoszak, the Polish national 1,500-meter champion, shattered the course record of 3:53 set by Steve Scott in 1991. Arizona State’s Geoff Smith finished second Sunday in 3:54.8. “I feel great,” an elated Bartoszak said. “I’m not even tired. The conditions were perfect. I didn’t worry about the other runners at all.”

Jody Dunston-Hawkins, a San Antonio native living in Waco, held off a hard-charging Ruth Wysocki in the women’s race with a time of 4:28.80, just missing PattiSue Plumer’s 1991 course record of 4:24.

In non-elite men’s action, 16-year-old Barry Trask posted a national class time of 4:15 to win the 15-16 age group. James Manning, a 19-year-old Southwest Texas student, also ran a 4:15 in winning the men’s 19-24 age group.

Georgetown’s 13-year-old Thomas Simmons was second in the boys’ 13-14 age group in 4:52, and 71-year-old Robert McIntyre of Austin won the men’s 70-and-over age group in 5:47.

The cool, overcast morning, with no wind made conditions ideal.

Bartoszak led from the gun with a tight pack of runners including Scott Hippensteel, Tim Gargiulo, Smith and former University of Texas standout Harry Green close behind. All-American Paul Vandergrift expected to challenge Bartoszak, but he pulled out with a strained hamstring less than 200 yards into the race.

When Bartoszak whipped by the halfway mark in 1:50, it became clear an extraordinary run was under way. Paul Perrone and Shawn Walsh had joined the chase pack and were just two seconds back at the halfway mark.

As the runners approached the bridge at the three-quarter mark, Bartoszak opened an even larger gap and Smith and Gargiulo led the pursuers about 40 yards back.

“I kept thinking he was going to come back,” Smith said. “But he didn’t. He never let up.”

When Bartoszak snapped the tape, Gargiulo, a six-time All-America runner from Southern Methodist, drew even on Smith’s shoulder in a battle for second. Smith prevailed, half a second better than Gargiulo’s 3:55.2. Smith has a best time of 3:58.

Wysocki, of Irvine Ca., whose history includes a 1,500-meter win over Mary Slaney in the ‘84 Olympic trials, shot to the front in the elite women’s race. Top 1,500 runner Rosalind Taylor went with her, along with ‘92 River City Ten Miler winner Hawkins and Austin’s Therese Devlin-Brown. They passed the half in a tight bunch on course record pace at 2:06.

Wysocki fell back, and Dunston and Taylor became the pace setters. When they hit the Congress Avenue bridge however, the wily Wysocki unleashed a powerful kick to finish second in 4:31.43.

Devlin-Brown outsprinted a tiring Taylor for third in 4:32.2.

“I’m kind of new at this mile stuff,” Dunston-Hawkins said. “When we passed the quarter in 62 seconds, I felt fine, so I thought I might as well go for it.”

Dunston-Hawkins said she improved her mile time by 20 seconds. Three weeks ago, she won the All Saints Mile in Dallas in 4:48.

The 40-and-over men’s race featured a mystery master in black with no race number visible. The runner, who blitzed the field in 4:26, was 41-year-old Chuck Dettman from Eau Claire, Wisconsin.