The 16-year-old middle-distance runner just didn’t have it. Not on this night. His kick, the one that helped him shatter all sorts of 800-meter records in this breakout season, wasn’t there.Maybe it was the magnitude of the stage for Cooper Lutkenhaus, the newly turned pro who didn’t advance out of the first round Tuesday at the world track and field championships in Tokyo.There were more than 35,000 fans packed inside Japan’s National Stadium — and Lutkenhaus was lined up against some of the best runners from eight different countries.Disappointed to be going home so soon? Sure.Did it overshadow his season in the slightest? Not at all. Showing wisdom beyond his years, Lutkenhaus explained his early exit — a seventh-place showing in his opening heat — in terms any runner can understand.“It just wasn’t there today,” Lutkenhaus said.The sendoff was spectacular: A cheer squad leading the way through a high-school hallway packed with classmates and a marching band following close behind. That was the grand farewell Lutkenhaus received at Northwest High School in Justin, Texas before taking off for worlds.His dream season, though, hit a speed bump Tuesday when he was pushed into lane two — adding extra distance to the two-lap race — and couldn’t climb his way into the mix. Simply a learning experience.“Leaving the stadium with my head held high,” Lutkenhaus said after the race. “I don’t really have any regrets from that race. You’re going to have bad races occasionally.”Lutkenhaus became the talk of track last month at U.S. championships after finishing in 1 minute, 42.27 seconds, which broke the under-18 world record.Not only did he earn a trip to Tokyo — he’s the youngest American to qualify for worlds — but that blistering time paved the way to going pro and signing a deal with Nike.Through all of his new-found fame, he’s still the same, level-headed kid he’s always been. The one whose favorite movie is “Elf” (he was born Dec. 19 so he likes holiday movies), who plays video games (“College Football 25” is his current choice), enjoys swimming at his buddy’s pool, makes spontaneous food runs with friends and passionately roots for the Te …
