Terry Has Total Recall of His Big Flop : Preps: El Modena runner is determined to learn from bad memories of last year’s poor performance in State meet.

Every athlete has a moment he’d rather forget, one that entrenches itself in the psyche for days, weeks, even years.

“Get over it,” friends and coaches say. “Put it behind you.”

For some, including Mike Terry of El Modena High School, it’s not that easy.

Moments after he finished the State 800-meter final last year, Terry could manage only one positive thought:

“At least I’m a junior,” he told himself.

It was the sole consolation to a sub-par race. The previous day, Terry had placed second in his preliminary heat, cruising to a near career-best 1 minute 53.80 clocking. It felt easy. He was confident he could win the championship.

On the day of the final, Terry went to the movies. He got a sandwich. He joked and talked and was relaxed as could be.

But when the gun went off, Terry shut down. His body went limp, his mind weak. He ran the race, but that was all. He finished eighth out of nine runners.

“I was in a daze,” Terry said. “I don’t know what it was. I can’t explain it. . . . I went out slow and never made an attempt to get back in. During the race I was thinking, ‘Oh God. I’ve screwed up. I’ve blown it.’ Instead, I should’ve been thinking ‘OK, let’s get back in.’ ”

For Terry, a two-time Southern Section 3-A champion who was once described by Vanguard Coach Tom Weber as the most talented middle-distance runner in El Modena’s talent-packed history, it was a devastating experience. He couldn’t sleep the night after the race, and for weeks, he questioned himself and his desire to compete.

Last week, he managed a little humor in describing the experience.

“The day of the State meet last year, I went to see ‘Total Recall,’ ” he said. “I know I won’t want to watch that movie again.”

Especially when he can watch his own version. Terry’s total recall of the State meet is available on his parents’ videotape. He’s watched his race many times, evaluating his mistakes. For Terry, there’s no better self-help tape on the market.

Of that race, Terry says he can see he went out too slow, but it wasn’t slow enough that he couldn’t have caught the leaders.

“I wasn’t out of the race yet,” he said. “But in my mind, I was.”

It is that mental lapse of a season ago that inspired Terry’s aggressive attitude for his senior year.

Last fall, Terry finished fifth in the Century League cross-country championships. As a point guard in basketball, he averaged 16 points and was named the league’s co-most valuable player.

But track, his favorite sport, has brought him the greatest rewards.

So far, with the exception of his third-place finish at Saturday’s Arcadia Invitational, Terry has won every 800-meter race he’s entered this season. He ran 1:55.21 at the Pasadena Games last month and 1:55.23 at last week’s Oakland Relays.

And while he didn’t win at Arcadia, Terry wasn’t disappointed with his performance. His time of 1:53.38 was a career best. He ran a smart race. He reacted to a move by Arroyo Grande’s Louis Quintana, the nation’s top miler, sprinting the final 200 meters until Terry’s arms and legs tightened up.

In addition, Terry had raced on Tuesday and Thursday of last week so he was a bit tired. Last year, Terry cruised through league dual meets like they were New Year’s Day parades. Now, he takes them more seriously, not because the competition’s improved, but because he believes it’s better for his mental edge.

“My philosophy all through high school has just been to win the race, not worry about times,” he said after winning the 800 against Santa Ana Valley last Thursday. “But this 800 today? It was the first time I’ve led at the 400. Normally, I’d sit on someone else’s shoulder and outkick them at the end.”

The sit-and-kick strategy remains his favorite, but with increased endurance and overall strength--he’s added 15 pounds to his 6-foot-3 frame and now weighs 175--Terry has the makings of a front-runner.

Terry, who has a 4.2 grade-point-average and scored 1,180 on his Scholastic Aptitude Test, says he will attend UCLA in the fall. He plans to major in economics and go into business after college.

Why business?

“I like the competitiveness,” he said.