Title of post notwithstanding, this weekend's marks show the 2014 Indoor season definitely picking up the pace....but not quite at full speed!!
(Tell that to Galen Rupp, Mary Cain, Ivan Ukhov and others who have already produced Championship-level results!!)
But before I get to all the marks, I need to "rant" a bit.
(Newspapers and magazines call it "editorializing"! LOL)
On Oversize Tracks (OT's)
I don't like them.
(How's THAT for a definitive statement?!)
Why don't I like them?
Well, let's call it a "love/hate" affair.
They're great if you want to run fast indoors.
There's several of them across the USA, so you probably live near one.
And they hold LOTS of meets!
That's the "love" part.
Now here's why I "hate" them!
As all you 1000's of readers of my blog know (LOL), I am (and this blog is) all about records, marks, and lists.
It's a highly specialized blog.
In that context, I must insist on having "legitimate" marks to work with.
And indoor times (in events longer than 60 meters!) need to be run on 200 meter tracks in order to be termed "legitimate".
Look at T&FN's lists on their website.
Look at the A-T or Yearly lists in Jack Shepard's wonderful HS Track Annual.
Look in pretty much ALL T&F record books!
OT marks are listed SEPARATELY from 200 meter track marks indoors.
I've often compared OT marks to outdoor wind-aided marks.
In this way:
They are listed separately from non-wind-aided marks!
They are NEVER mixed together.
Nor are they allowable for record purposes!!
Same goes for OT times!!
And I will end this "editorial" (LOL), and begin my report with a time that perfectly illustrates my point (if I do say so myself!).
Sophie Cantine, a freshman high schooler from WA, ran a FANTASTIC 1000 meters at the Washington Preview meet on Seattle's 307 meter oval.
She ran in the "fast" heat, the one with all collegians (except for her!)...and some pretty good ones.
(Amy Weissenbach!!)
She finished 5th, and beat some "name" runners, Cami Chapus and Amy Eloise-Neale!
Her time was 2:47.64!
That time would be a Frosh Class record...beating the now-legendary Mary Cain's Frosh Class record by 3.20 seconds!
She also came within 0.35 seconds of Cain's SOPH Class record of 2:47.29!
Not only that, her time would rank 9th All Time Indoors!!!
BUT.....
it was run on Seattle's OT!!
No records.
No placing on any lists.
Hopefully, the young (15??) Ms Cantine will run that fast on a 200 meter track before season's end!!
Now on to other marks!
Hannah Cunliffe, another Washington stater, ran a 60 in 7.35, just missing getting on my DDD (Top 24 Performers) list for HS Indoor.
You need to run 7.34 to make it!
Desiree Freier PV'ed a great early season 13-7.
That WOULD make my list, except she's already on it!
She DOES move up 2 places, however, into a tie with one other at 8th place, with her 1-inch indoor mark improvement.
(She has a 13-9 outdoor PR from last year!)
Two lady PV'ers DO move onto my list.
Alexis Romero and Greta Wagner vaulted 13-2.25 to move into a 2-way tie at 21st place on the Indoor HS list!
SIX (6!!) Weight Throwers made inroads on the A-T lists!!
They are:
Dani Bunch (Moves from 24th to 11th A-T Collegian with her throw of 73-4. Also becomes # 17 A-T World! And 14th All Time in the United States!!)
Enukwechi Chukwuebaka (WHEW!!!! LOL) He threw 76-5.75, moving him to # 11 A-T Collegian. He's a soph at Purdue.)
IMPORTANT NOTE (Added hours after this was posted.): This guy's mark (Won't try to spell his name again!! LOL) broke the Soph Class record for Collegians. The previous mark was Chris Epalle's 74-7 from 1991.
Brittany Funk (Her 71-5.25 WT moves her into 24th place on the Collegiate DDD.)
Daniel Haugh (This Georgia HS'er tossed the weight 78-5, a season leader, and he's now a solid 12th A-T!)
Kamryn Brinson (Threw the weight 56-3, just edging onto my list in 24th.)
Gabby Figueroa (Already on the list, with her 58-11 from 2013. So her good toss of 57-7, while leading the girls list this year, doesn't improve her PR, so she remains in 11th place A-T.)
Dezerea Bryant sped a 7.19 in the 60.
This tied her PR from 2013, so she remains in a tie with 2 others in 21st place on the Indoor Collegiate DDD.
Finally, there was a fantastic 3000 race at the Yale Indoor Classic.
Claire Howlett upset favored Caroline Alcorta, running 9:43.47, with Alcorta running 9:45.59.
Howlett's time moves her into 18th place A-T HS!
Alcorta's time would make the list, but she ran faster last year, so is already on the list! Her 9:43.86 ranks her 20th!
Before I finish, I must tell you of one person who does NOT make my lists (this year, so far!).
Erin Finn, now a Michigan frosh.
She ran a flat track 3000 in 9:15.32 (given a converted- from- flat track 9:11.10), winning her race by about 12 seconds.
It's the leading Collegiate 3K time thus far!
She, of course, lost her HSR in the 5000 last year to Wesley Frazier in that incredible race, running 16:18.02 to Frazier's 16:18.01 at NBN in 2013. Both were HS seniors.
See you all soon.
Hopefully with reports on more records from the NOP team!!
P.S.
Shame on me!
Forgot to mention two international level marks, one of which just came to me via Twitter!
Murielle Ahoure ran a 60 in 7.05 in Alabama.
This leads the 2014 list, but she ran 6.99 last year.
And newly-turned-18 (Born January 13, 1996) Anita Hinriksdottir of Iceland, ran an indoor PR of 2:01.82 in a beautifully front-run race in Iceland today!!
I THINK this is the Age 18 record I was missing (See my post about the upcoming race between Anita, Mary Cain, Ajee Wilson, and Natoya Goule!).
I know of no faster Age 18 times from indoors!
As noted, she led the whole way, so I suspect she MIGHT do the same against Cain et al!!
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