Niednagel Goes the Distance But Chooses the Half-Mile : Track: Dana Hills runner has excelled at longer distances, but finds his favorite in a shorter race, the 800.

Around and around Dan Niednagel ran, winning track and field races for Dana Hills High, going faster each year, but to what end?

When he added up those endless laps, he found he was only running in circles.

The results have been impressive, though. A senior, Niednagel is one of Orange County’s most consistent, versatile and fastest distance runners. Moreover, as a sophomore he was a key member of Dana Hills’ 1988 State championship cross-country team.

But until this year, something was missing in Niednagel’s running. It wasn’t a goal he hadn’t met or a title he hadn’t won. No, it wasn’t something that tangible. It was more personal.

Despite--or perhaps because of--his ability to master almost any distance, Niednagel didn’t have a race to call his own. He had run everything from a 400-meter leg on the Dolphins’ 1,600-meter relay team to the 3,200 meters, but there wasn’t one race that sparked his passion.

And then at the end of last season, quite by accident, he discovered the 800 meters.

At the 1990 South Coast League championships, Niednagel qualified for the Southern Section 4-A preliminaries in the 800, 3,200 and the 4 X 400 relay. But the 3,200 and the 4 X 400 relay were scheduled only 15 minutes apart. So Niednagel chucked the 3,200 in favor of the 800 and the relay.

He ran 1 minute 55.64 seconds for the 800, the second-best qualifying time.

“I like running fast,” he said. “It (the 800) goes by so fast, it’s over before you have a chance to get tired.”

Although he didn’t advance past the 4-A finals, he had found his race.

It has taken a year of seasoning, but Niednagel has learned how to run a good 800. And that’s made him all the happier.

Early on, it was a struggle, however. The subtle aspects of pace, which don’t always make a difference in the 3,200 or 1,600, are crucial to a well-run 800.

Last year, a 400 split of 55 seconds would ruin Niednagel mentally and physically, turning the final 100 meters into a survival shuffle to the finish line.

Now he said he’s able to handle such a swift start. “It didn’t used to be like that,” he said. “Only in the past few months.”

Running confidently at Saturday’s 4-A prelims, Niednagel passed 400 in about 55 seconds on his way to a 1:56.41 and a first-place finish in his heat. Again, he enters the 4-A final with the second-best qualifying mark.

He also qualified for the 1,600, winning his heat in 4:23.60, the second-best time of the day. But he quickly scratched from the race to concentrate on the 800.

At Friday’s 4-A finals at Cerritos College, Niednagel will be trying to improve on his 1:54.0 personal best set at South Coast League finals May 3.

Last year at this time, Niednagel was almost running blindly, trying to take a cram course in the 800.

Of his 2:00 time at 4-A finals last year, Niednagel said: “I was in over my head. I was out of it and jogged the last 200.”

Now, he figures a 1:52 clocking might be possible. Even the school record of 1:51.42 set by Andy Sims in 1984 is not entirely out of the question.

To that end, Niednagel spent much of this season developing his speed, not that he needed that much work.

“I have a lot more foot speed than most distance runners,” he said.

Still, he has been able to trim his time in the 4 X 400 relay leg to 50.3, good even for an open 400 runner.

It’s only helped him run a faster 800 meters, his race of choice.

“All this year I’ve learned how to handle a fast pace,” he said. “Mentally, I love the 800. (It) doesn’t hurt that bad. I’m used to running 15 minutes (for three-mile cross-country races). The 800 is over so quick.”