I have a fair number of records and marks to present, and I will do so shortly.
But look at the word I chose as my adjective.
Fair.
You see, with the massive amount of races and the long list of elites (professional, collegiates, and even high school elites!!) that Penn and Drake offer, I expected a concomitant number of marks that make my DDD's, and a certain number of HS, Collegiate, and US records, not to mention other types of records (Meet, Age).
When the number plays out to what's to follow, and no more, I can call it only "fair".
This, despite the very high quality of many of the events, and even the high quality of the marks that did NOT set a record or make my Top 24 Performers lists (the DDD's).
Enough complaining.
There was lots to celebrate this past weekend too!
Kenyan women broke their own WR in the 4X1500 Relay, with their 17:05.72 in the Kenyan World Relays trials!
Don't have the make-up of this team, but the new record should be SHATTERED beyond recognition in that upcoming meet!
If Kenya, Ethiopia, and the US (just to name 3) bring their "A" teams, I'm predicting times of under 16:20, or 4:05 per leg, for the winner....or even all 3 teams just named!!
At the very LEAST, I predict a time under 16:40.
The High Jump produced some great results.
At Drake, Canada's Derek Drouin became the newest 2.40 metric leaper, hitting that 7-10.50 mark exactly.
He broke the Canadian National record.
He's now 5th A-T World, tied with 5 others.
It's also the new Age 24 record, as well as the Drake Meet record!
But he wasn't alone.
The next two places were taken by Americans, Eric Kynard and Dusty Jonas, both getting 7-8.50.
No records or PR's, though!
Drake's Women's HJ was also of good quality.
Comebacking (from pregnancy) Chaunte Lowe got her post-partum PR, jumping a good 6-5 for the win.
Inika McPherson got a quarter-inch PR, hitting 6-5 also in second.
This brings her to 13th A-T US, tied with 2 others.
Both Lowe and McPherson tied Lowe's Drake Meet record from 2010.
At Penn, Tynita Butts became 20th All-Time Collegian, tied with 6 others, with her winning height of 6-2.75.
At the HP/OTC Series 1 meet in Chula Vista CA, the Men's LJ produced a couple of great marks.
Greg Rutherford broke the British National record with his 27-11 jump.
This makes him 18th A-T World, tied with 1 other.
Second was American Tyron Stewart, his 27-6.50 making him 21st A-T US.
But what was most interesting about this previously unknown's (to me, at least!!) leap were the two names he shoved OFF my DDD list!!
Previously tied in 24th place were icons Ralph Boston and Arnie Robinson.
Boston's 27-4.75 mark dated from 1965!!
Robinson's mark dated from 1976!!
Goodbye to two SUPER Heroes of the event!
Whitney Ashley has been having quite the year so far in the Discus Throw.
Two meets, and two PR's.
And the meets were on consecutive days!!
The 25 year old first PR'ed at 204-4.25
Then, next day, she again PR'ed at 209-3, the latter mark placing her 13th A-T US!!
She'd moved from 19th to 17th place with her first mark!
Keeping the field events together, let's finish off with Kearsten Peoples new SP best.
She putted 58-8.75, moving her to 21st A-T Collegian.
She'd been in 23rd place!
Two Penn DMR's produced solid marks.
The Men's Collegiate race was the most anticipated.
Oregon (UO) won the race in 9:25.40.
This is a new School record, but they remain in 7th place A-T Collegiate.
Stanford broke their School record too, their 9:29.66 making them 10th fastest School!
Kentucky was next, their 9:30.52 making them 11th best School.
And Air Force ran 9:40.12, making them 23rd best School, tied with 1 other.
Two Women's DMR teams made my list...or improved their list position!
Stanford ran 10:57.64 for 9th School A-T.
Dartmouth, with Abbey D'Agostino anchoring, ran 11:06.31, making them 17th fastest School.
Drake Meet Records were set by LaShawn Merritt's 44.44 400 (How's that for numerical alliteration?!), and Hansle Parchment's 110H time of 13.14.
There were a few good 3000 marks by HS girls of note.
But none of them made my Top 24 list.
Stephanie Jenks ran the fastest, her 9:26.87 at Drake missing 24th place by just 1.20 seconds!
And remember, she's just a 10th grader!!
The Soph Class record is held by Julia Stamps, with her 9:21.99 from 1995.
I normally wouldn't mention Relay splits, as they're sometimes not 100% accurate, and they have no place on my DDD's.
But Olivia Baker's 800 anchor in her school's 4X800 at Penn was too good to not mention!
She ran a spectacular 2:02.55, bringing her Columbia (NJ) team to an 8:45 clocking, just 2+ seconds off the HSR!
Baker ran several other races too!!
Finally, just in is the marathon by Annie Bersagel.
She's an American lawyer who lives in Norway!
And she's fast, and getting faster.
She recently got a Half PR of 1:10:08.
Also a Marathon PR of 2:30:53.
Today, she WON the Dusseldorf Marathon in a new PR of 2:28:59.
She negative split the race (1:15:02 and 1:13:57), and beat a few Kenyans and Ethiopians, something Americans don't do very often.
The time makes Bersagel 22nd A-T US!
(Remember, I include point-to-point courses, including Boston's, on my list!!)
Well, I know I keep saying this, but NEXT week could be a real record-breaker!!
There's the distance madness at Payton Jordan.
Plus the first American Track League meet in Bloomington, Indiana.
Also a good meet in Jamaica, as well as the first Diamond League meet in Doha coming soon!
Not to mention the usual collection of College and High School events!
If you like what this blog does, please ReTweet it to your followers.
Also, whether you like it or not, feel free to comment!
And if you want, read over some of the other 52 posts, to stir your memories!!
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Monday, April 21, 2014
Boston Strong...In Many Ways
With every step she took those first 15 miles or so of today's Boston Marathon, I was at once clapping, cheering, and...crying.
The emotions just poured out of me as I watched Shalane Flanagan take control of the race from the start, and never relinquish that tiny lead until she reached the Newton Hills.
While I didn't see her drop off the pace---the livestream following the women broke down!---I knew she had, because I went to Twitter to fill in the gaps of info coming from the livestream, and people were crying out to her to "stay strong", or were questioning "What happened to Shalane?".
Finally, when the livestream of the women's race came back, I saw a group of 4 or 5 Africans, with Shalane not in the picture.
But still, Shalane ran her heart out!
She tore out at 5:13 pace, and flew through 10000 in 32:34, 10 miles in 52:50, 11 miles in 58:11, and the half in 1:09:27.
One person said it was an "insane" pace.
But was it?
In 1983, when Joan Samuelson (then Benoit!) won Boston in a WR of 2:22:43, shattering the old best by over 2 minutes, she ran her first half in 1:08:34, which was a HALF PR for her!!
She faded to 1:14:09 in the 2nd half.
Shalane faded too.
But not as much as Joan did.
She did her last half in 1:12:35.
Even THAT time isn't anything to be ashamed of.
And it brought her to a PR of 3:26, and a time of 2:22:02.
She finished in 7th place!
Meb Keflighazi took the lead from the start too, with a 4:49 first mile.
But his pace was much more controlled, and more within his range, as he hit the 13.1 mile point in 1:04:21.
But unlike Flanagan, who had those 5 Africans on her shoulder the whole way, Meb had just one guy.
And by the top of those Newton hills, he'd dropped him, or it seemed that way!
Then with a mad dash for the next 10K, Meb's lead was down to just 6 seconds, with less than one mile to go!
Could he hold on to become the first American Men's winner since 1983?
YES!!
As he turned onto Boylston Street, that iconic downtown Boston thoroughfare that, last year, saw 2 bombs shatter the perfect day Boston had been up till then, he knew he had it won!!
He put his sunglasses atop his head, started waving and fist-pumping the crowd, who were there cheering this Eritrean-born American icon's every step, and crossed the finish line the winner!!
And he PR'ed to boot!!
(I'll get to the stats in a sec!)
What a magnificent, heart-thudding, tear-evoking, and, in the end, perfect Patriot's Day in Boston!!
I get emotional pretty easily.
I cry during movies, or even when reading engrossing novels.
And watching Shalane and Meb both run this race not just for themselves, but for the city of Boston, and especially for those who were killed or maimed in 2013....watching them run with such strength, power, elegance, and pure HEART......brought many tears-----joyful tears!!---to my eyes.
(As I'm certain it did to many, or most, people watching this race!)
But besides being such an emotional race, it was a fast one too, especially for the women.
As you all know, my T&F Record Book includes some Boston course times on my Top 24 lists.
I've never run Boston, but know people who have, and none of them thought it was an easy course, despite its loss of elevation.
So I decided, long ago, to include the Boston race results in my book.
Here's the stats:
Rita Jeptoo won the race in 2:18:57.
Already on the list with a time one minute slower, she moved from 18th A-T World up to 5th A-T World.
Buzunesh Deba, an Ethiopian who lives in New York, ran 2:19:59, making her 19th A-T World.
(ADDED 1 hour later: Just discovered she broke the Age 26 mark with her time! My Book had mistakenly listed Asselech Mergia's 2:19:31 at the 2012 Dubai race as the Age 26 mark. But looking more closely at her birthdate, as listed in Athletics Annual, shows she was born January 23, 1985. The Dubai race in 2012 was on January 27, thus making her 27 on that day! And no, Mergia does NOT get the Age 27 record!)
Jemima Jelegat Sumgong ran 2:20:41, gaining her 24th place on the World list!
And Shalane's massive PR of 2:22:02 moves her from 5th A-T US up to 3rd A-T US!!
This was one of the deepest elite fields ever, not just in Boston, but in ANY marathon worldwide!!
Several Place records were broken today!
In my book, I keep Best Place marks for the Marathon through 12th place.
Aleksandra Duliba's 2:21:29 now rates as the best 6th place finish ever!
Flanagan is now the best 7th placer with her 2:22:02.
Sharon Cherop's 2:23:00 is the fastest 8th place time now.
Philis Origori's 2:23:22 now rates as best 9th place ever.
Desiree Linden (formerly Desiree Davila!) ran 2:23:54, not a PR, but fast enough to make her the best 10th place mark ever.
Belaynesh Oljira's 2:24:21 is now the best-ever 11th place time.
And Meb??
Well, he PR'ed by 16 seconds, with a time of 2:08:37.
This makes him 4th A-T US!!
What a day!
What a race!
Since this will be the last post until after Penn and Drake and all that's happening later this week, allow me to add just 1 mark I found today from Mt SAC that I'd overlooked.
In the Women's 3000SC, Nicol Traynor ran 9:42.13, moving her to 21st A-T US.
(Ashley Higginson won the race in 9:35+, but it wasn't a PR!)
Keep Boston, and yourself, Strong!!
See you soon!
The emotions just poured out of me as I watched Shalane Flanagan take control of the race from the start, and never relinquish that tiny lead until she reached the Newton Hills.
While I didn't see her drop off the pace---the livestream following the women broke down!---I knew she had, because I went to Twitter to fill in the gaps of info coming from the livestream, and people were crying out to her to "stay strong", or were questioning "What happened to Shalane?".
Finally, when the livestream of the women's race came back, I saw a group of 4 or 5 Africans, with Shalane not in the picture.
But still, Shalane ran her heart out!
She tore out at 5:13 pace, and flew through 10000 in 32:34, 10 miles in 52:50, 11 miles in 58:11, and the half in 1:09:27.
One person said it was an "insane" pace.
But was it?
In 1983, when Joan Samuelson (then Benoit!) won Boston in a WR of 2:22:43, shattering the old best by over 2 minutes, she ran her first half in 1:08:34, which was a HALF PR for her!!
She faded to 1:14:09 in the 2nd half.
Shalane faded too.
But not as much as Joan did.
She did her last half in 1:12:35.
Even THAT time isn't anything to be ashamed of.
And it brought her to a PR of 3:26, and a time of 2:22:02.
She finished in 7th place!
Meb Keflighazi took the lead from the start too, with a 4:49 first mile.
But his pace was much more controlled, and more within his range, as he hit the 13.1 mile point in 1:04:21.
But unlike Flanagan, who had those 5 Africans on her shoulder the whole way, Meb had just one guy.
And by the top of those Newton hills, he'd dropped him, or it seemed that way!
Then with a mad dash for the next 10K, Meb's lead was down to just 6 seconds, with less than one mile to go!
Could he hold on to become the first American Men's winner since 1983?
YES!!
As he turned onto Boylston Street, that iconic downtown Boston thoroughfare that, last year, saw 2 bombs shatter the perfect day Boston had been up till then, he knew he had it won!!
He put his sunglasses atop his head, started waving and fist-pumping the crowd, who were there cheering this Eritrean-born American icon's every step, and crossed the finish line the winner!!
And he PR'ed to boot!!
(I'll get to the stats in a sec!)
What a magnificent, heart-thudding, tear-evoking, and, in the end, perfect Patriot's Day in Boston!!
I get emotional pretty easily.
I cry during movies, or even when reading engrossing novels.
And watching Shalane and Meb both run this race not just for themselves, but for the city of Boston, and especially for those who were killed or maimed in 2013....watching them run with such strength, power, elegance, and pure HEART......brought many tears-----joyful tears!!---to my eyes.
(As I'm certain it did to many, or most, people watching this race!)
But besides being such an emotional race, it was a fast one too, especially for the women.
As you all know, my T&F Record Book includes some Boston course times on my Top 24 lists.
I've never run Boston, but know people who have, and none of them thought it was an easy course, despite its loss of elevation.
So I decided, long ago, to include the Boston race results in my book.
Here's the stats:
Rita Jeptoo won the race in 2:18:57.
Already on the list with a time one minute slower, she moved from 18th A-T World up to 5th A-T World.
Buzunesh Deba, an Ethiopian who lives in New York, ran 2:19:59, making her 19th A-T World.
(ADDED 1 hour later: Just discovered she broke the Age 26 mark with her time! My Book had mistakenly listed Asselech Mergia's 2:19:31 at the 2012 Dubai race as the Age 26 mark. But looking more closely at her birthdate, as listed in Athletics Annual, shows she was born January 23, 1985. The Dubai race in 2012 was on January 27, thus making her 27 on that day! And no, Mergia does NOT get the Age 27 record!)
Jemima Jelegat Sumgong ran 2:20:41, gaining her 24th place on the World list!
And Shalane's massive PR of 2:22:02 moves her from 5th A-T US up to 3rd A-T US!!
This was one of the deepest elite fields ever, not just in Boston, but in ANY marathon worldwide!!
Several Place records were broken today!
In my book, I keep Best Place marks for the Marathon through 12th place.
Aleksandra Duliba's 2:21:29 now rates as the best 6th place finish ever!
Flanagan is now the best 7th placer with her 2:22:02.
Sharon Cherop's 2:23:00 is the fastest 8th place time now.
Philis Origori's 2:23:22 now rates as best 9th place ever.
Desiree Linden (formerly Desiree Davila!) ran 2:23:54, not a PR, but fast enough to make her the best 10th place mark ever.
Belaynesh Oljira's 2:24:21 is now the best-ever 11th place time.
And Meb??
Well, he PR'ed by 16 seconds, with a time of 2:08:37.
This makes him 4th A-T US!!
What a day!
What a race!
Since this will be the last post until after Penn and Drake and all that's happening later this week, allow me to add just 1 mark I found today from Mt SAC that I'd overlooked.
In the Women's 3000SC, Nicol Traynor ran 9:42.13, moving her to 21st A-T US.
(Ashley Higginson won the race in 9:35+, but it wasn't a PR!)
Keep Boston, and yourself, Strong!!
See you soon!
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Of Ducks, Near Misses, and an OFF-Season HSR
At first glance, it was a relatively quiet week in the records and marks department.
But then you look deeper---like slightly OUTSIDE the scope of my DDD's (Top 24 A-T Performers lists)---and the list of accomplishments becomes a bit noisier!!
I'll begin with that "OFF-season" HSR in the title.
As you all know, I completely separate the indoor and the outdoor seasons.
You will never find an indoor mark on my outdoor DDD's, nor anywhere else but in the indoor half of my T&F Record Book!
Or vice versa!
Thus, when an event (or entire meet!!) is moved indoors, because of bad weather conditions, that event becomes eligible for any records or marks improvements that might happen there.
Doesn't matter what time of year it is!
Well, Ms Desiree Freier broke her own INDOOR HSR in the PV...at a HS meet in Texas.
She soared over a bar set at 14-6, breaking her old HSR of 14-2.75, set at the NBIN.
And she even had one solid try at 14-9
This mark is, of course, the new Senior Class INdoor record as well!!
She also has the OUTdoor record, that 14-3.25 she vaulted at the Texas Relays.
Now, back to the 2014 OUTdoor season!
Sticking with the girl's HS PV for a minute, Kaitlyn Merritt, who already holds the Frosh and Soph Class records, broke the Junior Class record with her great 14-0.75 vault.
This moves her from 10th A-T HS (tied with 2 others) up to 4th A-T HS!!
And this makes it TWO girls now over at least 14 feet this year outdoors!!
And there's now TWO Collegiate women over 6000 points in the Heptathlon this year!
Sami Spenner joined Kendell Williams over that barrier with her 6003 score at Mt SAC, where she finished 2nd to Barbara Nwaba's 6043.
This puts Sami into 16th place on the A-T Collegiate list!
(BTW, Williams is 14th A-T Collegiate!)
And Spenner's NOT going to be able to compete at the NCAA's??
For shame, NCAA, for shame!!
The Oregon Ducks had some solid performances this weekend, and they weren't all at the Oregon Relays!
At that meet, Dakotah Keys won the Decathlon with his first spin over 8000 points, his 8027 PR missing the Collegiate DDD list by just 60 points!
Laura Roesler ran an IN-season 800 PR of 2:00.54 while winning the Mt SAC race.
That "IN-season" label comes from T&FN's (and my) rule that Collegiate marks and records must come no later than the NCAA meet!
Roesler ran faster AFTER last year's NCAA, but that mark doesn't count as a Collegiate mark (or PR).
Anyway, she's now 8th A-T Collegiate with that 2:00.54!
One more item on Roesler and her fellow Lady Duck's 800 crew.
Last year, at Penn, they barely lost to Villanova in that CR 4X800 race, running 8:17.62 (to Villanova's CR 8:17.45).
Well, there are 4 Duck women whose 2014 times add up to....8:15.90!!
And they have a 5th woman (Claudia Francis) with a time just 0.03 outside their 4th gal to have as an alternate!!
But I don't know if they'll be racing that event at Penn next week!
(ADDED about 20 minutes later:)
Apparently Elise Cranny ran TWO 800's at Mt SAC!
The first was 2:06.61, not even a PR, as she ran a bit faster indoors at NBIN.
But I just learned she ran a SECOND 800 the next day, the one where Roesler won.
In a race with all Pro's and Collegians, Cranny finished next to last in her heat, but ran a PR of 2:04.89.
This mark misses the HS DDD list by just 0.06 seconds!!
(ADDED 2 hours later!)
Apparently, Cranny ran 2:04.81, not 2:04.89, as stated above!
This DOES move her onto my HS DDD list, into 24th place!!
The Mt SAC Men's 800 was a GREAT race....especially considering it's still April!!
Winning was Duane Solomon in 1:43.88.
This broke the Mt SAC Meet Record!
Behind him came Eric Sowinski's PR of 1:44.58.
This was ANOTHER near-miss at reaching my US DDD list!!
His time was just 0.02 off 24th place!!
Next was a new Puerto Rican National record, the 1:44.64 by Wesley Vasquez!
And then yet another near miss!
Brandon McBride ran 1:45.35, missing the Collegiate DDD by just 0.04!!
Another Duck who just missed entering my Collegiate DDD list was sprinter Jenna Prandini.
Her 11.11 misses that list by a whopping 0.01 seconds!!
And it makes her the fastest Collegian this year so far!!
The Hammer Throw has 2 great marks.
Julia Ratcliffe upped her NZ National record, throwing 230-7.
This gives her the Collegiate Soph Class record, and places her 5th on the A-T Collegiate list!
Sultana Frizell threw a great 246-0, winning Mt SAC.
But the mark just misses breaking her own Canadian record by 4 inches!
It is, however, the new Mt SAC Meet record!!
Some significant High Hurdles action this week.
Aleec Harris came from virtually nowhere (I believe his previous PR was just 13.65!) to run the 110H in a blazing 13.32.
This makes him 10th A-T Collegiate!
Sharika Nelvis ran a great 12.71 in the 100H, making her 13th A-T Collegiate, tied with 1 other.
And yet one MORE near-miss, this time belonging to Jasmine Stowers, whose 12.81 PR misses the Collegiate Top 24 by just 0.01.
A bit of distance action to report.
Speaking of near misses, Kennedy Kithuka's winning Mt SAC time of 13:26.98 misses the Collegiate DDD by 0.84.
One who did NOT miss was Elvin Kibet.
Her 32:40.22 makes the list, in 24th place!
Pushed OFF the list was Ellen Reynolds, whose 32:40.6 was run in....1986!!
The Larry Ellis meet produced two new 2014 marks for the A-T list.
Rachel Sorna (already on the list with a 9:50+ time) ran a season-leading time of 9:43.48 in the 3000 SC.
This makes her 12th A-T Collegian.
Following right behind Sorna was Leah O'Connor's 9:44.35, which makes her 13th A-T Collegian!
Finally, an old mark I didn't see earlier, from the Sun Angel Classic.
Ariana Ince, once a 13-5.75 PV'er (an indoor mark), threw the Javelin 189-11, making her 10th A-T US!!
She graduated from Rice in 2011 with a PR of 157-10.
She's 25 years old now.
Here's a bit of T&F Record Book trivia for you stat geeks out there!
Every year (or two), I count the number of marks each decade has produced on my 4 DDD lists.
(I do this count separately for indoor and outdoor, of course!!)
Meaning, I count the number of marks on my lists made within each decade, like from 1990 to 1999, or 1980 to 1989.
This gives me a general idea of the speed of progress each event (in each category--World, US, Collegiate, and HS) is making.
But I stopped the decade count after the 2000-2009 decade ended.
My new count groups the past 5 years (2010-2013, plus the partial year of 2014) in with the previous decade, creating one solid chunk of 21st century marks!!
I won't do the INdoor results now.
Save that for next year.
But I counted the marks last night for the OUTdoor lists.
The last time I'd counted these was in January of 2012.
Thus, these new counts indicate the progress made in the year's 2012 and 2013, plus the first few weeks of the 2014 season.
Here's the results, with the left hand mark the January 2012 count, and the right hand mark being the new count, with the difference in parentheses.
Comments to follow.
World-Men 282 307 (plus-25)
World-Women 286 296 (plus-10)
US-Men 239 268 (plus-29)
US-Women 323 365 (plus-42)
Collegiate-Men 206 234 (plus-28)
Collegiate-Women 274 310 (plus-36)
HS-Men 224 258 (plus-34)
HS-Women 295 337 (plus-42)
First, let me state that the counts did NOT include the "new" events I've added to my Book, such as the Relays.
Also, the events for the Men's and Women's lists match.
Meaning, there's the same number of events for each gender, and within each category.
(Though the Women's HS 3000SC has just 9 marks overall!!)
Also, the overall totals for each grouping don't match.
This is caused by some events being longer than 24 deep, caused by ties at the bottom!!
So some lists could have 30 or even 35 or more athletes on them, caused by those ties.
You'll notice that in the US, Collegiate, and HS categories, the Women improved more than the Men!
In the World category, the Men did better since January 2012.
You'll also notice that in ALL of the categories, the Women's numbers were larger in January 2012, in 3 of them (except the World), MUCH larger!!
The margins have gotten bigger in this latest count, except for the World category.
There, the 25 to 10 growth for each pushed the Men slightly ahead of the Women, 307 to 296.
Why are the Women so much better in the 21st century?
1. The "new" events. In the past 25-30 years, women have begun competing more and more in the 3000SC, TJ, PV, HT, 5000, 10000 and the Marathon. Thus, most of the marks in these events have been made in recent years. The matching Men's events have been going on for much longer! (The JT has changed for BOTH genders, with the new Javelin introduced around 2000.)
2. The US Women's rate of growth (over the World's rate of growth!)--42 to 10--is due to 2 factors mainly. One, a lot of the throwing event marks were made by Europeans in the 70's, 80's, and 90's. This was before the improvement in methodology and knowledge in drug testing. This is NOT saying that all of the older marks were enhanced by drugs!!! But knowing of the dangers of being caught by the upgrade and frequency in drug testing might have caused SOME athletes (and nations!!!) to NOT take any chances of being caught...and banned! Two, the US lists in the 20th century just didn't have the same quality or depth that the World list had! Thus, it's been easier for the US Women to make inroads onto these lists. Same goes for the Collegiate and HS Women. Overall, Women have progressed much more rapidly than Men have, again partially due to the fact the Men's events date from older historical roots than the Women's.
Well, a few days from now, the massive Penn Relays begins, as does Drake!
Both are expected to be of the highest quality, with some GREAT match-ups set, plus many elites making their 2014 outdoor debuts, and all those Relays!!
And tomorrow is the Boston Marathon!!
(As you all know, I include marks from Boston's course on my Marathon DDD's!!)
I MIGHT have an "extra" post about that.
But I'm not 100% certain yet.
We'll see.
(If not, it will surely be in next week's report!!)
See you soon!
But then you look deeper---like slightly OUTSIDE the scope of my DDD's (Top 24 A-T Performers lists)---and the list of accomplishments becomes a bit noisier!!
I'll begin with that "OFF-season" HSR in the title.
As you all know, I completely separate the indoor and the outdoor seasons.
You will never find an indoor mark on my outdoor DDD's, nor anywhere else but in the indoor half of my T&F Record Book!
Or vice versa!
Thus, when an event (or entire meet!!) is moved indoors, because of bad weather conditions, that event becomes eligible for any records or marks improvements that might happen there.
Doesn't matter what time of year it is!
Well, Ms Desiree Freier broke her own INDOOR HSR in the PV...at a HS meet in Texas.
She soared over a bar set at 14-6, breaking her old HSR of 14-2.75, set at the NBIN.
And she even had one solid try at 14-9
This mark is, of course, the new Senior Class INdoor record as well!!
She also has the OUTdoor record, that 14-3.25 she vaulted at the Texas Relays.
Now, back to the 2014 OUTdoor season!
Sticking with the girl's HS PV for a minute, Kaitlyn Merritt, who already holds the Frosh and Soph Class records, broke the Junior Class record with her great 14-0.75 vault.
This moves her from 10th A-T HS (tied with 2 others) up to 4th A-T HS!!
And this makes it TWO girls now over at least 14 feet this year outdoors!!
And there's now TWO Collegiate women over 6000 points in the Heptathlon this year!
Sami Spenner joined Kendell Williams over that barrier with her 6003 score at Mt SAC, where she finished 2nd to Barbara Nwaba's 6043.
This puts Sami into 16th place on the A-T Collegiate list!
(BTW, Williams is 14th A-T Collegiate!)
And Spenner's NOT going to be able to compete at the NCAA's??
For shame, NCAA, for shame!!
The Oregon Ducks had some solid performances this weekend, and they weren't all at the Oregon Relays!
At that meet, Dakotah Keys won the Decathlon with his first spin over 8000 points, his 8027 PR missing the Collegiate DDD list by just 60 points!
Laura Roesler ran an IN-season 800 PR of 2:00.54 while winning the Mt SAC race.
That "IN-season" label comes from T&FN's (and my) rule that Collegiate marks and records must come no later than the NCAA meet!
Roesler ran faster AFTER last year's NCAA, but that mark doesn't count as a Collegiate mark (or PR).
Anyway, she's now 8th A-T Collegiate with that 2:00.54!
One more item on Roesler and her fellow Lady Duck's 800 crew.
Last year, at Penn, they barely lost to Villanova in that CR 4X800 race, running 8:17.62 (to Villanova's CR 8:17.45).
Well, there are 4 Duck women whose 2014 times add up to....8:15.90!!
And they have a 5th woman (Claudia Francis) with a time just 0.03 outside their 4th gal to have as an alternate!!
But I don't know if they'll be racing that event at Penn next week!
(ADDED about 20 minutes later:)
Apparently Elise Cranny ran TWO 800's at Mt SAC!
The first was 2:06.61, not even a PR, as she ran a bit faster indoors at NBIN.
But I just learned she ran a SECOND 800 the next day, the one where Roesler won.
In a race with all Pro's and Collegians, Cranny finished next to last in her heat, but ran a PR of 2:04.89.
This mark misses the HS DDD list by just 0.06 seconds!!
(ADDED 2 hours later!)
Apparently, Cranny ran 2:04.81, not 2:04.89, as stated above!
This DOES move her onto my HS DDD list, into 24th place!!
The Mt SAC Men's 800 was a GREAT race....especially considering it's still April!!
Winning was Duane Solomon in 1:43.88.
This broke the Mt SAC Meet Record!
Behind him came Eric Sowinski's PR of 1:44.58.
This was ANOTHER near-miss at reaching my US DDD list!!
His time was just 0.02 off 24th place!!
Next was a new Puerto Rican National record, the 1:44.64 by Wesley Vasquez!
And then yet another near miss!
Brandon McBride ran 1:45.35, missing the Collegiate DDD by just 0.04!!
Another Duck who just missed entering my Collegiate DDD list was sprinter Jenna Prandini.
Her 11.11 misses that list by a whopping 0.01 seconds!!
And it makes her the fastest Collegian this year so far!!
The Hammer Throw has 2 great marks.
Julia Ratcliffe upped her NZ National record, throwing 230-7.
This gives her the Collegiate Soph Class record, and places her 5th on the A-T Collegiate list!
Sultana Frizell threw a great 246-0, winning Mt SAC.
But the mark just misses breaking her own Canadian record by 4 inches!
It is, however, the new Mt SAC Meet record!!
Some significant High Hurdles action this week.
Aleec Harris came from virtually nowhere (I believe his previous PR was just 13.65!) to run the 110H in a blazing 13.32.
This makes him 10th A-T Collegiate!
Sharika Nelvis ran a great 12.71 in the 100H, making her 13th A-T Collegiate, tied with 1 other.
And yet one MORE near-miss, this time belonging to Jasmine Stowers, whose 12.81 PR misses the Collegiate Top 24 by just 0.01.
A bit of distance action to report.
Speaking of near misses, Kennedy Kithuka's winning Mt SAC time of 13:26.98 misses the Collegiate DDD by 0.84.
One who did NOT miss was Elvin Kibet.
Her 32:40.22 makes the list, in 24th place!
Pushed OFF the list was Ellen Reynolds, whose 32:40.6 was run in....1986!!
The Larry Ellis meet produced two new 2014 marks for the A-T list.
Rachel Sorna (already on the list with a 9:50+ time) ran a season-leading time of 9:43.48 in the 3000 SC.
This makes her 12th A-T Collegian.
Following right behind Sorna was Leah O'Connor's 9:44.35, which makes her 13th A-T Collegian!
Finally, an old mark I didn't see earlier, from the Sun Angel Classic.
Ariana Ince, once a 13-5.75 PV'er (an indoor mark), threw the Javelin 189-11, making her 10th A-T US!!
She graduated from Rice in 2011 with a PR of 157-10.
She's 25 years old now.
Here's a bit of T&F Record Book trivia for you stat geeks out there!
Every year (or two), I count the number of marks each decade has produced on my 4 DDD lists.
(I do this count separately for indoor and outdoor, of course!!)
Meaning, I count the number of marks on my lists made within each decade, like from 1990 to 1999, or 1980 to 1989.
This gives me a general idea of the speed of progress each event (in each category--World, US, Collegiate, and HS) is making.
But I stopped the decade count after the 2000-2009 decade ended.
My new count groups the past 5 years (2010-2013, plus the partial year of 2014) in with the previous decade, creating one solid chunk of 21st century marks!!
I won't do the INdoor results now.
Save that for next year.
But I counted the marks last night for the OUTdoor lists.
The last time I'd counted these was in January of 2012.
Thus, these new counts indicate the progress made in the year's 2012 and 2013, plus the first few weeks of the 2014 season.
Here's the results, with the left hand mark the January 2012 count, and the right hand mark being the new count, with the difference in parentheses.
Comments to follow.
World-Men 282 307 (plus-25)
World-Women 286 296 (plus-10)
US-Men 239 268 (plus-29)
US-Women 323 365 (plus-42)
Collegiate-Men 206 234 (plus-28)
Collegiate-Women 274 310 (plus-36)
HS-Men 224 258 (plus-34)
HS-Women 295 337 (plus-42)
First, let me state that the counts did NOT include the "new" events I've added to my Book, such as the Relays.
Also, the events for the Men's and Women's lists match.
Meaning, there's the same number of events for each gender, and within each category.
(Though the Women's HS 3000SC has just 9 marks overall!!)
Also, the overall totals for each grouping don't match.
This is caused by some events being longer than 24 deep, caused by ties at the bottom!!
So some lists could have 30 or even 35 or more athletes on them, caused by those ties.
You'll notice that in the US, Collegiate, and HS categories, the Women improved more than the Men!
In the World category, the Men did better since January 2012.
You'll also notice that in ALL of the categories, the Women's numbers were larger in January 2012, in 3 of them (except the World), MUCH larger!!
The margins have gotten bigger in this latest count, except for the World category.
There, the 25 to 10 growth for each pushed the Men slightly ahead of the Women, 307 to 296.
Why are the Women so much better in the 21st century?
1. The "new" events. In the past 25-30 years, women have begun competing more and more in the 3000SC, TJ, PV, HT, 5000, 10000 and the Marathon. Thus, most of the marks in these events have been made in recent years. The matching Men's events have been going on for much longer! (The JT has changed for BOTH genders, with the new Javelin introduced around 2000.)
2. The US Women's rate of growth (over the World's rate of growth!)--42 to 10--is due to 2 factors mainly. One, a lot of the throwing event marks were made by Europeans in the 70's, 80's, and 90's. This was before the improvement in methodology and knowledge in drug testing. This is NOT saying that all of the older marks were enhanced by drugs!!! But knowing of the dangers of being caught by the upgrade and frequency in drug testing might have caused SOME athletes (and nations!!!) to NOT take any chances of being caught...and banned! Two, the US lists in the 20th century just didn't have the same quality or depth that the World list had! Thus, it's been easier for the US Women to make inroads onto these lists. Same goes for the Collegiate and HS Women. Overall, Women have progressed much more rapidly than Men have, again partially due to the fact the Men's events date from older historical roots than the Women's.
Well, a few days from now, the massive Penn Relays begins, as does Drake!
Both are expected to be of the highest quality, with some GREAT match-ups set, plus many elites making their 2014 outdoor debuts, and all those Relays!!
And tomorrow is the Boston Marathon!!
(As you all know, I include marks from Boston's course on my Marathon DDD's!!)
I MIGHT have an "extra" post about that.
But I'm not 100% certain yet.
We'll see.
(If not, it will surely be in next week's report!!)
See you soon!
Sunday, April 13, 2014
From Miles to Meters, and Back Again...I Hope!
I'm declaring WAR!!
(As has, in a much more "gentlemanly" manner, the group "Bring Back the Mile"! Their website is bringbackthemile.com.)
The war is against those abominations, those inventions, those (choose any nasty epithet!), that ONLY United States High Schools use, the 1600 and 3200 meter distances.
Here's a bit of history.
When I began running in January 1962, and for about the next 18 years, tracks in the US were 440 YARDS around, and were mostly dirt.
Then Tartan began changing the texture of tracks.
But with those welcome changes came another.
Besides the track's surface, they changed the circumference too!
They "went metric"., meaning those 440 yards became...400 meters.
So now (starting around 1980), if you wanted to run a mile, you had to measure out the extra "yardage" to make the meters into...miles!
We found out that a mile is about 1609 meters.
Two miles, therefore, is double that, or 3218 meters.
Even wanting to run a 6 mile, or a 3 mile (instead of the Olympic distances of 10000 and 5000 meters) took some re-measuring....or maybe DE-measuring!
(Meaning, having to SUBTRACT 188 yards from the 5000 to get back to 3 miles, or 376 yards from the 10000 to return to the 6 mile!)
We Americans, most of whom are STILL as fearful of "metrics" as we are of AIDS, cling to the "English" distance measuring elements of inches, feet, yards, and...MILES!
I remember the first time I drove into Canada via the Peace Arch in Blaine WA.
I'd been a runner for many years by then, so I knew how to translate meters into miles.
Well, here I was, leaving the USA and I-5 behind, heading into Canada to visit my favorite city, Vancouver B.C.
I get through the guard station (luckily!!) and find myself on Canada Highway 99.
The first sign I see says "Speed Limit: 100 KM Per Hour".
I thought, these Canadians are SPEED DEMONS!!
Then I realized the sign meant NOT 100 MILES Per Hour, but 62 Miles per hour...which is what 100 Kilometers is in distance!
(I knew people who ran 50K's, and even some who ran 100K's!!)
Suffice to say, for Americans, even in the 21st Century, the Metric System is confusing!
Yet High School Federations adopted that system, and when tracks changed to 400 meters, they changed the 1 Mile to...1600 meters, and the 2 Mile to 3200 Meters.
NOT their actual lengths of 1609 and 3218 meters, easily attainable by, you know, taking a damn Measuring Tape, and measuring out those "extra" meters, marking the track at that point (like some did by placing a plaque on the curb, indicating that was the starting line for the 1 or 2 mile), and then running the MILE and 2 MILE, instead of those abominations, the 1600 and 3200.
Some have suggested using the Olympic Metric distances of 1500 and 3000, instead of going back to the Jurassic era, where MILES and MILERS ruled!!
In my opinion, ANYTHING would be better than the 1600-3200, even the 1500 and 3000.
As readers of this blog know, my "DDD" lists are the Top 24 Performers of All-Time in the World, US, Collegiate, and HS categories.
Let's take a look at my HS DDD's.
A few FACTS:
First, I do NOT list any 1600 or 3200 times!
Nor do I list times converted from the metric to the English distances, such as adding 1.08% to a 1600 time to get a Mile time.
You can't use a formula, no matter how scientifically valid it might seem, to "predict" human endeavor!
Especially a human IN MOTION; i.e. a runner!
So my "MILE" lists are REALLY Mile lists (same with 2 Miles).
They are PURE, devoid of the infections known as 1600-3200 times!
My Boys Outdoor Mile list has 15 times on it dating from 2000 forward.
There's enough MILE races run, and enough good runners in recent years, that most of my Top 24 are relatively recent.
However, the remaining 9 times come from the previous century.
And SIX of those remain from as long ago as 1964!
The Boys Outdoor 2 Mile is the same.
There, 11 marks date from the 20th century, and TEN of those from 1979 or before!
(Remember, the US "went metric" around 1980, thus explaining those "1979 or before" marks!)
The Girls lists are only slightly better, but that's mainly due to the "Renaissance" in Girls middle and long distance running these past several years!
Nonetheless, the Girls Mile list still has 5 marks dating from 1982 and earlier.
And the 2 Mile Girls list has six marks from the 70's!!
And that's DESPITE the change to the 1600 and 3200.
The just-finished Arcadia Invitational gave me one example I'd like to use to close out my "thesis" (Fancy name for a RANT!! LOL)
Alexa Efraimson ran 9:55.92 for 3200 Meters, winning the race easily, leading all the way.
(Luckily, she was timed at 3000, so we have her time there to "legitimize" her race.)
ADDED HOURS LATER: Her 3000 split was 9:23.24. This makes her 21st A-T HS!!
That 9:55.92 will NEVER find its way onto my lists!
Thus, it's as if she's never run 2 Miles--which she has NOT!!--and perusers of my book will think it odd that the 2nd fastest Miler of All-Time can't run twice the distance fast enough to make even 24th place on my list!!
But what if the Arcadia officials had changed the 3200 to 2 Miles?
How long would it have taken Alexa to run those extra 18 meters?
Surely fast enough to EASILY make that list!!
Since last year, when Mary Cain transformed long-standing HSR's into MINCEMEAT, Alexa Efraimson has slowly but surely been labled "the next Mary Cain".
(Elise Cranny too, but to a lesser extent!)
Why?
As I stated before, Alexa's first 2 races THIS year were almost CLONES of Cain's first two races in 2013!
Efraimson's age and class level this year match Cain's age and class level from 2013.
Meaning Alexa's now a 16 year old HS junior, whereas Cain was the same in the 2013 Indoor season.
Cain then ran 9:02 (on an OT) and 4:32 for the Mile.
Efraimson ran 9:00 (on the same OT) and...4:32 for the Mile.
But then they moved in different directions.
Cain continued racing against Professionals.
Efraimson's next two races (at NBIN and Arcadia) were against....other HS'ers!!
Not a Professional.....or a Rabbit....in sight!!
And thus, Mary broke more records, while Efraimson has run slower than she's capable.
What does all this have to do with the premise of this post?
Just what I said!
Read those 2 sentences again.
"Cain continued racing against Professionals.
Efraimson's next two races.....were against...other HS'ers."
Tell me, students, what distances do HIGH SCHOOLS run?
Correct!
The 1600 and 3200 Meters!!
What do Professionals (and Collegians) run?
The Mile and 2 Mile, or the 1500 and 3000. (at least when racing those range of distances!!).
THEY don't use the 1600 or 3200.
World, US, and Collegiate lists don't need to convert Meters into Miles, because to THEM, the only place a 1600 exists is as a leg in a Distance Medley Relay!!
(I'm okay with that! To a degree!)
So when Mary Cain wants to race a MILE, she needn't worry about having to race the 1600 instead!!
(Ditto with the 2 Mile and 3200, as witnessed by her racing against Tirunesh Dibaba and other Professionals in Boston last year...over 2 MILES!!)
Efraimson, meanwhile......UNLESS SHE TURNS PRO TOO!!....will have to continue to race mostly 1600's and 3200's for this season and in 2015, until she graduates.
In my opinion, that alone is a GREAT reason for her to turn Pro NOW.....or this summer, after her 11th grade term is over, just as Cain did after HER 11th grade term!!
I wish I felt differently.
I wish I could stand by, and let the "authorities" have their way, and accept the 1600 and 3200 as legitimate!
At least for the sake of athletes like Alexa Efraimson!!
But I refuse to!
I will stand with the 99% of the WORLD that looks at the numbers "1600" and "3200" and asks.... WTF is THAT???
Support "Bring Back the Mile", please.
I do.
(As has, in a much more "gentlemanly" manner, the group "Bring Back the Mile"! Their website is bringbackthemile.com.)
The war is against those abominations, those inventions, those (choose any nasty epithet!), that ONLY United States High Schools use, the 1600 and 3200 meter distances.
Here's a bit of history.
When I began running in January 1962, and for about the next 18 years, tracks in the US were 440 YARDS around, and were mostly dirt.
Then Tartan began changing the texture of tracks.
But with those welcome changes came another.
Besides the track's surface, they changed the circumference too!
They "went metric"., meaning those 440 yards became...400 meters.
So now (starting around 1980), if you wanted to run a mile, you had to measure out the extra "yardage" to make the meters into...miles!
We found out that a mile is about 1609 meters.
Two miles, therefore, is double that, or 3218 meters.
Even wanting to run a 6 mile, or a 3 mile (instead of the Olympic distances of 10000 and 5000 meters) took some re-measuring....or maybe DE-measuring!
(Meaning, having to SUBTRACT 188 yards from the 5000 to get back to 3 miles, or 376 yards from the 10000 to return to the 6 mile!)
We Americans, most of whom are STILL as fearful of "metrics" as we are of AIDS, cling to the "English" distance measuring elements of inches, feet, yards, and...MILES!
I remember the first time I drove into Canada via the Peace Arch in Blaine WA.
I'd been a runner for many years by then, so I knew how to translate meters into miles.
Well, here I was, leaving the USA and I-5 behind, heading into Canada to visit my favorite city, Vancouver B.C.
I get through the guard station (luckily!!) and find myself on Canada Highway 99.
The first sign I see says "Speed Limit: 100 KM Per Hour".
I thought, these Canadians are SPEED DEMONS!!
Then I realized the sign meant NOT 100 MILES Per Hour, but 62 Miles per hour...which is what 100 Kilometers is in distance!
(I knew people who ran 50K's, and even some who ran 100K's!!)
Suffice to say, for Americans, even in the 21st Century, the Metric System is confusing!
Yet High School Federations adopted that system, and when tracks changed to 400 meters, they changed the 1 Mile to...1600 meters, and the 2 Mile to 3200 Meters.
NOT their actual lengths of 1609 and 3218 meters, easily attainable by, you know, taking a damn Measuring Tape, and measuring out those "extra" meters, marking the track at that point (like some did by placing a plaque on the curb, indicating that was the starting line for the 1 or 2 mile), and then running the MILE and 2 MILE, instead of those abominations, the 1600 and 3200.
Some have suggested using the Olympic Metric distances of 1500 and 3000, instead of going back to the Jurassic era, where MILES and MILERS ruled!!
In my opinion, ANYTHING would be better than the 1600-3200, even the 1500 and 3000.
As readers of this blog know, my "DDD" lists are the Top 24 Performers of All-Time in the World, US, Collegiate, and HS categories.
Let's take a look at my HS DDD's.
A few FACTS:
First, I do NOT list any 1600 or 3200 times!
Nor do I list times converted from the metric to the English distances, such as adding 1.08% to a 1600 time to get a Mile time.
You can't use a formula, no matter how scientifically valid it might seem, to "predict" human endeavor!
Especially a human IN MOTION; i.e. a runner!
So my "MILE" lists are REALLY Mile lists (same with 2 Miles).
They are PURE, devoid of the infections known as 1600-3200 times!
My Boys Outdoor Mile list has 15 times on it dating from 2000 forward.
There's enough MILE races run, and enough good runners in recent years, that most of my Top 24 are relatively recent.
However, the remaining 9 times come from the previous century.
And SIX of those remain from as long ago as 1964!
The Boys Outdoor 2 Mile is the same.
There, 11 marks date from the 20th century, and TEN of those from 1979 or before!
(Remember, the US "went metric" around 1980, thus explaining those "1979 or before" marks!)
The Girls lists are only slightly better, but that's mainly due to the "Renaissance" in Girls middle and long distance running these past several years!
Nonetheless, the Girls Mile list still has 5 marks dating from 1982 and earlier.
And the 2 Mile Girls list has six marks from the 70's!!
And that's DESPITE the change to the 1600 and 3200.
The just-finished Arcadia Invitational gave me one example I'd like to use to close out my "thesis" (Fancy name for a RANT!! LOL)
Alexa Efraimson ran 9:55.92 for 3200 Meters, winning the race easily, leading all the way.
(Luckily, she was timed at 3000, so we have her time there to "legitimize" her race.)
ADDED HOURS LATER: Her 3000 split was 9:23.24. This makes her 21st A-T HS!!
That 9:55.92 will NEVER find its way onto my lists!
Thus, it's as if she's never run 2 Miles--which she has NOT!!--and perusers of my book will think it odd that the 2nd fastest Miler of All-Time can't run twice the distance fast enough to make even 24th place on my list!!
But what if the Arcadia officials had changed the 3200 to 2 Miles?
How long would it have taken Alexa to run those extra 18 meters?
Surely fast enough to EASILY make that list!!
Since last year, when Mary Cain transformed long-standing HSR's into MINCEMEAT, Alexa Efraimson has slowly but surely been labled "the next Mary Cain".
(Elise Cranny too, but to a lesser extent!)
Why?
As I stated before, Alexa's first 2 races THIS year were almost CLONES of Cain's first two races in 2013!
Efraimson's age and class level this year match Cain's age and class level from 2013.
Meaning Alexa's now a 16 year old HS junior, whereas Cain was the same in the 2013 Indoor season.
Cain then ran 9:02 (on an OT) and 4:32 for the Mile.
Efraimson ran 9:00 (on the same OT) and...4:32 for the Mile.
But then they moved in different directions.
Cain continued racing against Professionals.
Efraimson's next two races (at NBIN and Arcadia) were against....other HS'ers!!
Not a Professional.....or a Rabbit....in sight!!
And thus, Mary broke more records, while Efraimson has run slower than she's capable.
What does all this have to do with the premise of this post?
Just what I said!
Read those 2 sentences again.
"Cain continued racing against Professionals.
Efraimson's next two races.....were against...other HS'ers."
Tell me, students, what distances do HIGH SCHOOLS run?
Correct!
The 1600 and 3200 Meters!!
What do Professionals (and Collegians) run?
The Mile and 2 Mile, or the 1500 and 3000. (at least when racing those range of distances!!).
THEY don't use the 1600 or 3200.
World, US, and Collegiate lists don't need to convert Meters into Miles, because to THEM, the only place a 1600 exists is as a leg in a Distance Medley Relay!!
(I'm okay with that! To a degree!)
So when Mary Cain wants to race a MILE, she needn't worry about having to race the 1600 instead!!
(Ditto with the 2 Mile and 3200, as witnessed by her racing against Tirunesh Dibaba and other Professionals in Boston last year...over 2 MILES!!)
Efraimson, meanwhile......UNLESS SHE TURNS PRO TOO!!....will have to continue to race mostly 1600's and 3200's for this season and in 2015, until she graduates.
In my opinion, that alone is a GREAT reason for her to turn Pro NOW.....or this summer, after her 11th grade term is over, just as Cain did after HER 11th grade term!!
I wish I felt differently.
I wish I could stand by, and let the "authorities" have their way, and accept the 1600 and 3200 as legitimate!
At least for the sake of athletes like Alexa Efraimson!!
But I refuse to!
I will stand with the 99% of the WORLD that looks at the numbers "1600" and "3200" and asks.... WTF is THAT???
Support "Bring Back the Mile", please.
I do.
From Marathon Debuts to Ongoing Field Event Dominance
Consider this an odd week.
With all due respect to the Arcadia High School Invitational, and such meets as the Sun Angel Classic, this past week didn't have any real standout meets, like the Texas and Florida Relays were recently, or the Drake and Penn Relays are expected to be soon.
Also, field events continue to dominate the marks and records deluge in the early 2014 Outdoor season.
But since the London Marathon just ended, let's begin our report with that.
It was interesting to watch, and the results offered a few marks I'm about to lay on you.
But the MOST sociological significance came from its PRE-race hype!
It went on for weeks.
It seemed to never end!
Hell, it went on DURING the race!
(If I hear the name "Mo" one more time, I'll scream!!)
In the end, the declarations of an onrushing tsunami turned out to be a comparatively minor basement flooding, easily mopped up!
Wilson Kipsang and Edna Kiplagat were the winners, respective times of a Course Record 2:04:29 and 2:20:21, a NON-PR.
The mega-overhyped Mo Farah ran a sluggish 2:08 and change. Hardly worth remembering.
The mega-UNDERhyped Tirunesh Dibaba, meanwhile, had a great debut, finishing 3rd in 2:20:35.
While not spectacular, it was FAR better than the other 2 debuts, Mo's, and Kenenisa Bekele's first in Paris in 2:05:03. (See last week's blog!)
Here's the marks that came from the London race.
Kipsang's time is a new Age 32 record.
Edna Kiplagat's time is an Age 34 record.
Stanley Biwott, 2nd behind Kipsang, ran 2:04:54, putting him in 24th place on the World list, tied with 1 other.
(One item: The times I'm reporting may not be right. These are UNofficial times. I've seen a couple of different times so far on Twitter, but any changes will be either edited in, or reported later.)
As for Dibaba's 2:20:35, she moves into 23rd place A-T World.
A bit more interesting than Dibaba's time was who she moved OFF the DDD list!
Before London, two women were tied in 24th place with times of 2:20:43.
Both were eliminated by Dibaba's entry!
One of them was the legendary Tegla Loroupe, whose time was run in 1999.
That was the LAST time on the World DDD from the 20th century!!
Now the oldest times date from 2001.
Before I leave this week's road action behind, one brief comment.
Of the 3 debuts (Bekele's in Paris, Farah's and Dibaba's in London), I rate them as follows:
1. Dibaba by a couple of large noses (or behinds, breasts, or EGO's!!!).
2. Bekele. Not bad. Ran close to even pace, and WON!!
3. Farah. UGH!! What a disaster!! This guy needs to run some TRACK WR's, then return to the roads! Vastly overhyped AND overrated!!! (But he gave a good interview post-race, so kudos for being a good sport about it!)
As the title of this post indicates, field events continue to dominate the 2014 outdoor season.
For the most part, the runners have been a bit slow (Pun intended!! LOL) in getting revved up.
There were 2 REALLY good marks this week.
Raven Saunders is for real, folks!
She slaughtered the INdoor SP record at NBIN with an incredible 56-7.50.
That improved Michelle Carter's INdoor HSR by about 22 inches!
Well, she's done it again....OUTdoors!!
She again smashed a Michelle Carter SP record to pieces!
This time, it was her OUTdoor record, and Saunders's new HSR is even better than her INdoor mark...by a half-inch!!
She reached 56-8, getting Carter's mark by about the same amount, 22 inches!!
Besides the new HSR, it's also the new Senior Class record, obviously!
This girl is AMAZING!!!
Coming from virtually nowhere in 2013 (Best of 42 feet last spring!), she SHOT (Heh!) forward by 11 feet INdoors in December, then.....well, if you read my blog, you know the rest!
What's NEXT?????
Another fantastic athlete isn't "new", like Saunders is.
Just 18, Multis Master Kendell Williams shattered another of her PR's!
She scored 6018 points in the Heptathlon, setting a new Collegiate Frosh Class record!
(The record she broke dated from 1983!!)
She's now 14th A-T Collegiate!!
This surpassed her previous best of 5578 (Her HSR from 2012!) by a mere 440 points!!
Don't forget, this past INdoor season, she broke her old Pentathlon best (4068 from 2013) by a total of 567 points!! (Over 2 separate Pents!)
What's next for HER???
Garrett Scantling also had a good Multi.
He scored 8169 in the Dercathlon, good for 16th A-T Collegiate.
More good Pole Vaulting.
Kaitlyn Merritt, who holds the HS 9th and 10th Grade OUTdoor records (13-3 in 2012 and 13-8 in 2013), got a one inch PR last week, her 13-9 moving her to 10th A-T HS, tied with 2 others.
And Sandi Morris, an Arkansas Collegian, also got an OUTdoor PR, her 14-7.25 giving her 9th A-T Collegiate, tied with 6 others.
She'd been 17th on that list!
She also is 23rd A-T US, tied with 3 others!
Arcadia had a good field event mark.
Vashti Cunningham, just a HS sophomore (and holder of the Frosh Class OUTdoor record at 6-0.25!!), PR'ed at 6-2, moving her into 11th place A-T HS, tied with 4 others.
BTW, speaking of HS High Jumpers, whatever happened to Gabrielle Williams, who jumped spectacularly in 2012, but then pretty much disappeared soon after??
The throws produced 3 good marks.
Felicia Johnson went 60-7.25 in the SP.
She's now 17th A-T US, tied with 1 other.
Her previous best rated her 23rd A-T US!
Shelbi Vaughan continues inching (REALLY "inching"!!!) towards the 200 foot barrier in the DT.
Her latest "inches" improvement, to 199-3, keeps her in 12th place A-T Collegian, but she's now NOT tied with 1 other, like before!!
Freya Jones had a Javelin Throw of 181-7, giving her 22nd A-T Collegian, tied with 1 other.
The final field event mark is Julia Ratcliffe's 228-4 Hammer Throw.
It's a new National Record for New Zealand.
It moves her from 10th place on the A-T Collegiate list into 8th.
And it narrowly misses the Collegiate Soph Class record of 228-11.
ADDED A FEW HOURS LATER: I discovered another noteworthy field event mark AFTER posting this. Didn't want to wait until next week!
Tim Glover threw the Javelin 275-7 at the Sea Ray Relays.
(How did I miss that?? I'm not TOTALLY blind...yet!! LOL)
That makes him 5th A-T US.
He had been 17th!!
There were a few track marks worthy of note.
The "major" one was a SORT OF World Record!!
Here's the deal.
In 2009, the University of Tennessee's Women's 4X1500 team (3 members of which were now-pro greats Sarah Bowman-Brown, Phoebe Wright, and Chanelle Price!!) ran 17:08.34 for a "World's Best".
I'm not certain if it's considered a WR, and if so, by whom!!
But it IS......or rather, WAS....the best-on-record in the entire world!!
Well, no more!
It was bitten into by a Kenyan National team (!!!), which included Eunice Sum and Helen Obiri (!!!).
Their time of 17:08.17 is the new WR....or World Best.....or whatever you want to call it!!
Wait until the World Relays meet next month!
It will be DESTROYED!!!
Simon Magakwe set a South African National Record in the 100, time of 9.98.
I somehow overlooked a Stanford Invitational 10000 mark.
Elinor Kirk's 32:17.05 from there ranks her 8th A-T Collegiate!
Finally, Jasmine Quinn ran the 100H in 13.33 for 18th A-T HS, tied with 2 others.
Next week are two iconic events
The Boston Marathon and the Mt SAC Relays.
(Among much else!)
Stay tuned!
And stick around, too, for another "extra" post.
It's sure to incite arguments, high blood pressure, and maybe even a death threat or two!!
Why?
I'm taking on those ABOMINATIONS, the US High School 1600 and 3200 meter runs!!
(Using Mary Cain and Alexa Efraimson as my "Guinea Pig" examples!! That's one reason I didn't tell you what happened with Alexa at Arcadia! But you'll soon find out, and much much more!!)
With all due respect to the Arcadia High School Invitational, and such meets as the Sun Angel Classic, this past week didn't have any real standout meets, like the Texas and Florida Relays were recently, or the Drake and Penn Relays are expected to be soon.
Also, field events continue to dominate the marks and records deluge in the early 2014 Outdoor season.
But since the London Marathon just ended, let's begin our report with that.
It was interesting to watch, and the results offered a few marks I'm about to lay on you.
But the MOST sociological significance came from its PRE-race hype!
It went on for weeks.
It seemed to never end!
Hell, it went on DURING the race!
(If I hear the name "Mo" one more time, I'll scream!!)
In the end, the declarations of an onrushing tsunami turned out to be a comparatively minor basement flooding, easily mopped up!
Wilson Kipsang and Edna Kiplagat were the winners, respective times of a Course Record 2:04:29 and 2:20:21, a NON-PR.
The mega-overhyped Mo Farah ran a sluggish 2:08 and change. Hardly worth remembering.
The mega-UNDERhyped Tirunesh Dibaba, meanwhile, had a great debut, finishing 3rd in 2:20:35.
While not spectacular, it was FAR better than the other 2 debuts, Mo's, and Kenenisa Bekele's first in Paris in 2:05:03. (See last week's blog!)
Here's the marks that came from the London race.
Kipsang's time is a new Age 32 record.
Edna Kiplagat's time is an Age 34 record.
Stanley Biwott, 2nd behind Kipsang, ran 2:04:54, putting him in 24th place on the World list, tied with 1 other.
(One item: The times I'm reporting may not be right. These are UNofficial times. I've seen a couple of different times so far on Twitter, but any changes will be either edited in, or reported later.)
As for Dibaba's 2:20:35, she moves into 23rd place A-T World.
A bit more interesting than Dibaba's time was who she moved OFF the DDD list!
Before London, two women were tied in 24th place with times of 2:20:43.
Both were eliminated by Dibaba's entry!
One of them was the legendary Tegla Loroupe, whose time was run in 1999.
That was the LAST time on the World DDD from the 20th century!!
Now the oldest times date from 2001.
Before I leave this week's road action behind, one brief comment.
Of the 3 debuts (Bekele's in Paris, Farah's and Dibaba's in London), I rate them as follows:
1. Dibaba by a couple of large noses (or behinds, breasts, or EGO's!!!).
2. Bekele. Not bad. Ran close to even pace, and WON!!
3. Farah. UGH!! What a disaster!! This guy needs to run some TRACK WR's, then return to the roads! Vastly overhyped AND overrated!!! (But he gave a good interview post-race, so kudos for being a good sport about it!)
As the title of this post indicates, field events continue to dominate the 2014 outdoor season.
For the most part, the runners have been a bit slow (Pun intended!! LOL) in getting revved up.
There were 2 REALLY good marks this week.
Raven Saunders is for real, folks!
She slaughtered the INdoor SP record at NBIN with an incredible 56-7.50.
That improved Michelle Carter's INdoor HSR by about 22 inches!
Well, she's done it again....OUTdoors!!
She again smashed a Michelle Carter SP record to pieces!
This time, it was her OUTdoor record, and Saunders's new HSR is even better than her INdoor mark...by a half-inch!!
She reached 56-8, getting Carter's mark by about the same amount, 22 inches!!
Besides the new HSR, it's also the new Senior Class record, obviously!
This girl is AMAZING!!!
Coming from virtually nowhere in 2013 (Best of 42 feet last spring!), she SHOT (Heh!) forward by 11 feet INdoors in December, then.....well, if you read my blog, you know the rest!
What's NEXT?????
Another fantastic athlete isn't "new", like Saunders is.
Just 18, Multis Master Kendell Williams shattered another of her PR's!
She scored 6018 points in the Heptathlon, setting a new Collegiate Frosh Class record!
(The record she broke dated from 1983!!)
She's now 14th A-T Collegiate!!
This surpassed her previous best of 5578 (Her HSR from 2012!) by a mere 440 points!!
Don't forget, this past INdoor season, she broke her old Pentathlon best (4068 from 2013) by a total of 567 points!! (Over 2 separate Pents!)
What's next for HER???
Garrett Scantling also had a good Multi.
He scored 8169 in the Dercathlon, good for 16th A-T Collegiate.
More good Pole Vaulting.
Kaitlyn Merritt, who holds the HS 9th and 10th Grade OUTdoor records (13-3 in 2012 and 13-8 in 2013), got a one inch PR last week, her 13-9 moving her to 10th A-T HS, tied with 2 others.
And Sandi Morris, an Arkansas Collegian, also got an OUTdoor PR, her 14-7.25 giving her 9th A-T Collegiate, tied with 6 others.
She'd been 17th on that list!
She also is 23rd A-T US, tied with 3 others!
Arcadia had a good field event mark.
Vashti Cunningham, just a HS sophomore (and holder of the Frosh Class OUTdoor record at 6-0.25!!), PR'ed at 6-2, moving her into 11th place A-T HS, tied with 4 others.
BTW, speaking of HS High Jumpers, whatever happened to Gabrielle Williams, who jumped spectacularly in 2012, but then pretty much disappeared soon after??
The throws produced 3 good marks.
Felicia Johnson went 60-7.25 in the SP.
She's now 17th A-T US, tied with 1 other.
Her previous best rated her 23rd A-T US!
Shelbi Vaughan continues inching (REALLY "inching"!!!) towards the 200 foot barrier in the DT.
Her latest "inches" improvement, to 199-3, keeps her in 12th place A-T Collegian, but she's now NOT tied with 1 other, like before!!
Freya Jones had a Javelin Throw of 181-7, giving her 22nd A-T Collegian, tied with 1 other.
The final field event mark is Julia Ratcliffe's 228-4 Hammer Throw.
It's a new National Record for New Zealand.
It moves her from 10th place on the A-T Collegiate list into 8th.
And it narrowly misses the Collegiate Soph Class record of 228-11.
ADDED A FEW HOURS LATER: I discovered another noteworthy field event mark AFTER posting this. Didn't want to wait until next week!
Tim Glover threw the Javelin 275-7 at the Sea Ray Relays.
(How did I miss that?? I'm not TOTALLY blind...yet!! LOL)
That makes him 5th A-T US.
He had been 17th!!
There were a few track marks worthy of note.
The "major" one was a SORT OF World Record!!
Here's the deal.
In 2009, the University of Tennessee's Women's 4X1500 team (3 members of which were now-pro greats Sarah Bowman-Brown, Phoebe Wright, and Chanelle Price!!) ran 17:08.34 for a "World's Best".
I'm not certain if it's considered a WR, and if so, by whom!!
But it IS......or rather, WAS....the best-on-record in the entire world!!
Well, no more!
It was bitten into by a Kenyan National team (!!!), which included Eunice Sum and Helen Obiri (!!!).
Their time of 17:08.17 is the new WR....or World Best.....or whatever you want to call it!!
Wait until the World Relays meet next month!
It will be DESTROYED!!!
Simon Magakwe set a South African National Record in the 100, time of 9.98.
I somehow overlooked a Stanford Invitational 10000 mark.
Elinor Kirk's 32:17.05 from there ranks her 8th A-T Collegiate!
Finally, Jasmine Quinn ran the 100H in 13.33 for 18th A-T HS, tied with 2 others.
Next week are two iconic events
The Boston Marathon and the Mt SAC Relays.
(Among much else!)
Stay tuned!
And stick around, too, for another "extra" post.
It's sure to incite arguments, high blood pressure, and maybe even a death threat or two!!
Why?
I'm taking on those ABOMINATIONS, the US High School 1600 and 3200 meter runs!!
(Using Mary Cain and Alexa Efraimson as my "Guinea Pig" examples!! That's one reason I didn't tell you what happened with Alexa at Arcadia! But you'll soon find out, and much much more!!)
Sunday, April 6, 2014
That "Moby Dick" Moment
Sorry, but had to start showing off my "literary" prowess!
So, you ask, what is a "Moby Dick" moment?
In T&F terms, it's basically that time when (as seen in the brilliant 1956 Gregory Peck version) you KNOW things are about to EXPLODE, because that quiet is TOO quiet.
In the movie, it brings forth a sense of foreboding, as well as a well-deep FEAR!!
But as we know, fear can be seen as a THRILL!
Anyway, enough with the Melville schtick!!
What I was trying to say is that this past weekend had some excellent marks, but just not enough to bring on that FULL sense of......the OUTdoor season has finally ARRIVED!!
But the marks DID present us with enough hints of what's to come.
That moment when the records and marks "breach" the surface of our awareness, and we yell out.....THAR SHE BLOWS!!".
Okay, without further ado, here's what the last couple of days offered us.
Since this blog is about records, I'll start with a new HSR by the powerful Aquinas HS girls.
They broke the 4X200 Relay record last week.
And now have done it again, at the Florida Relays.
They nipped it by 0.04, down to 1:33.43.
They also have a strong 4X100 and 4X400 team of girls!
Joanna Atkins, who PR'ed in the 400 Indoors with a 51.13, got PR's in the 100 and 200 in Florida.
She ran 11.09 and 22.27.
The latter makes her 20th A-T US, tied with 1 other!
It's also, as far as I can tell, a Florida Relays Meet Record!
BTW, this removes 2 women who were tied in 24th place with times of 22.30.
Zundra Feagin.
And one Jackie Joyner-Kersee!!!
JJK's mark dated from 1988!
Feagin's from 1996.
Must be a fast track there, because Dedric Dukes sprinted 200 in a blazing 19.97.
His previous OUT PR was just 20.45.
He'd run 20.34 INdoors!
He's now 8th A-T Collegiate.
And 21st A-T US!!
Also rates as the MR.
The two 4X400 Relays produced great marks at Florida.
The Florida Men's team ran the 2nd fastest time EVER in the Collegiate category!
They ran 2:59.73, a spectacular mark, especially considering it happened on April 5th!
What can they do by June??
BTW, Arman Hall anchored in a mere 43.7!
The Florida Women ran well also.
Their 4X400 squad finished in 3:27.38, a new school record.
They're now # 7 School on the A-T list!
Also at the Florida Relays, Eva Vivod, a freshman (!) at Virginia Tech, threw the Javelin 186-4, making her 13th A-T Collegiate.
It's also the new Collegiate Freshman Class Record!!
Only thing is, I don't know her nationality.
I don't think she's American, however.
If she was, she'd be 15th A-T US.
I'll try to find out where she's from, and her age!
(ADDED a few hours later: Ms Vivod is a 19 year old (Born August 7, 1994) Slovenian. She seems to have some varied talents, as she scored 5228 in the Heptathlon at Age 15!! Also, she has a slightly better Javelin PR, 186-11, dating from 2013. However, that doesn't count as her Collegiate PR! She redshirted the Indoor season, but is competing now.)
The Stanford Invitational gave up some interesting marks.
(This Stanford meet should not be mixed up with the more renowned Payton Jordan meet, held in May.)
The most startling mark came from Marielle Hall in the 5000.
Her PR from 2013 had been 16:22.
She'd gotten a couple of PR's INdoors, such as a 3K in 9:17 or so.
Nothing that would indicate what was to come at Stanford.
She "breached" through all the way to 15:19.26!!
And she WON the race!
It places her 9th A-T Collegiate!
I believe she's a senior at Texas!
This reminds me a bit of the breakthrough in 2012 of Natosha Rogers!
She'd had a 16:25 PR from 2011.
Then she switched to the 10K, and wound up running 32:41 to win the 2012 NCAA, then chopping ANOTHER 42 seconds off her time at the Olympic Trials, finishing 2nd, but missing the Olympic Team because she hadn't run the 31:45 Q.
This is a very exciting development!!
(I wonder if Abbey D should start looking over her shoulder!!)
Another good time by a Collegian there.
Kate Avery, who ran very well in the NCAA XC, ran 15:27.90, making her 18th A-T Collegiate!
And Sarah Collins ran 15:31.03, making her 22nd A-T Collegiate!
One of the women chased OFF my DDD was.....Molly Huddle!!
Another good Stanford mark came from Rachel Johnson in the 3000SC.
She ran a solid early season 9:49.31, good for 18th A-T Collegiate!
In the HS Girls Mile race, Anna Maxwell ran the OUTdoor 2014 leader, but her 4:43.27 misses 24th place on the HS DDD by 0.75 seconds!
Remember that tie between Sarah Baxter and Bethan Knights in a 3200 last week?
Well, Ms Knights seems to have PR'ed in the Mile too!
She finished 4th behind Maxwell in 4:50.33.
Still, a 6 second PR!
And yes, it was a MILE, not a 1600!!
While we're talking about HS girls, two BIG (NOT speaking of their weight!!!!! LOL) stars of the SP threw far outdoors.
The new INdoor HSR holder, Raven Saunders, improved her OUTdoor PR from 2013 by almost TEN FEET!
This was apparently her first OUTdoor meet since changing her throwing style from the glide to the spin!.
She tossed the ball 51-9.50, good for 21st A-T HS!!
(Think she'll add a few FEET to that mark??)
Stamatia Scarvelis is the OUTdoor leader thus far, her new OUTdoor PR of 53-3.50 making her 6th A-T HS, tied with 1 other.
Saunders's entry onto the outdoor list eliminates a super-venerable name FROM the list.
Anyone remember Lynette Matthews?
She'd thrown the SP 51.4 in HS back in.....1971.
She WAS 24th on the A-T list!
No more!
I'll close off with a PV mark.
Sandi Morris vaulted 14-6.25 at the Arkansas Spring Invitational, making her 17th A-T Outdoor Collegian!
Oh yes, almost forgot!
Ken Bekele debuted in the marathon in Paris!
He ran an excellent 2:05:03, after a 1:02:09 first half.
He slowed a bit in the second half, due to a slight cramp in his calf!
Well, I hope you had a WHALE of a time reading this!!
(LOLOL)
So, you ask, what is a "Moby Dick" moment?
In T&F terms, it's basically that time when (as seen in the brilliant 1956 Gregory Peck version) you KNOW things are about to EXPLODE, because that quiet is TOO quiet.
In the movie, it brings forth a sense of foreboding, as well as a well-deep FEAR!!
But as we know, fear can be seen as a THRILL!
Anyway, enough with the Melville schtick!!
What I was trying to say is that this past weekend had some excellent marks, but just not enough to bring on that FULL sense of......the OUTdoor season has finally ARRIVED!!
But the marks DID present us with enough hints of what's to come.
That moment when the records and marks "breach" the surface of our awareness, and we yell out.....THAR SHE BLOWS!!".
Okay, without further ado, here's what the last couple of days offered us.
Since this blog is about records, I'll start with a new HSR by the powerful Aquinas HS girls.
They broke the 4X200 Relay record last week.
And now have done it again, at the Florida Relays.
They nipped it by 0.04, down to 1:33.43.
They also have a strong 4X100 and 4X400 team of girls!
Joanna Atkins, who PR'ed in the 400 Indoors with a 51.13, got PR's in the 100 and 200 in Florida.
She ran 11.09 and 22.27.
The latter makes her 20th A-T US, tied with 1 other!
It's also, as far as I can tell, a Florida Relays Meet Record!
BTW, this removes 2 women who were tied in 24th place with times of 22.30.
Zundra Feagin.
And one Jackie Joyner-Kersee!!!
JJK's mark dated from 1988!
Feagin's from 1996.
Must be a fast track there, because Dedric Dukes sprinted 200 in a blazing 19.97.
His previous OUT PR was just 20.45.
He'd run 20.34 INdoors!
He's now 8th A-T Collegiate.
And 21st A-T US!!
Also rates as the MR.
The two 4X400 Relays produced great marks at Florida.
The Florida Men's team ran the 2nd fastest time EVER in the Collegiate category!
They ran 2:59.73, a spectacular mark, especially considering it happened on April 5th!
What can they do by June??
BTW, Arman Hall anchored in a mere 43.7!
The Florida Women ran well also.
Their 4X400 squad finished in 3:27.38, a new school record.
They're now # 7 School on the A-T list!
Also at the Florida Relays, Eva Vivod, a freshman (!) at Virginia Tech, threw the Javelin 186-4, making her 13th A-T Collegiate.
It's also the new Collegiate Freshman Class Record!!
Only thing is, I don't know her nationality.
I don't think she's American, however.
If she was, she'd be 15th A-T US.
I'll try to find out where she's from, and her age!
(ADDED a few hours later: Ms Vivod is a 19 year old (Born August 7, 1994) Slovenian. She seems to have some varied talents, as she scored 5228 in the Heptathlon at Age 15!! Also, she has a slightly better Javelin PR, 186-11, dating from 2013. However, that doesn't count as her Collegiate PR! She redshirted the Indoor season, but is competing now.)
The Stanford Invitational gave up some interesting marks.
(This Stanford meet should not be mixed up with the more renowned Payton Jordan meet, held in May.)
The most startling mark came from Marielle Hall in the 5000.
Her PR from 2013 had been 16:22.
She'd gotten a couple of PR's INdoors, such as a 3K in 9:17 or so.
Nothing that would indicate what was to come at Stanford.
She "breached" through all the way to 15:19.26!!
And she WON the race!
It places her 9th A-T Collegiate!
I believe she's a senior at Texas!
This reminds me a bit of the breakthrough in 2012 of Natosha Rogers!
She'd had a 16:25 PR from 2011.
Then she switched to the 10K, and wound up running 32:41 to win the 2012 NCAA, then chopping ANOTHER 42 seconds off her time at the Olympic Trials, finishing 2nd, but missing the Olympic Team because she hadn't run the 31:45 Q.
This is a very exciting development!!
(I wonder if Abbey D should start looking over her shoulder!!)
Another good time by a Collegian there.
Kate Avery, who ran very well in the NCAA XC, ran 15:27.90, making her 18th A-T Collegiate!
And Sarah Collins ran 15:31.03, making her 22nd A-T Collegiate!
One of the women chased OFF my DDD was.....Molly Huddle!!
Another good Stanford mark came from Rachel Johnson in the 3000SC.
She ran a solid early season 9:49.31, good for 18th A-T Collegiate!
In the HS Girls Mile race, Anna Maxwell ran the OUTdoor 2014 leader, but her 4:43.27 misses 24th place on the HS DDD by 0.75 seconds!
Remember that tie between Sarah Baxter and Bethan Knights in a 3200 last week?
Well, Ms Knights seems to have PR'ed in the Mile too!
She finished 4th behind Maxwell in 4:50.33.
Still, a 6 second PR!
And yes, it was a MILE, not a 1600!!
While we're talking about HS girls, two BIG (NOT speaking of their weight!!!!! LOL) stars of the SP threw far outdoors.
The new INdoor HSR holder, Raven Saunders, improved her OUTdoor PR from 2013 by almost TEN FEET!
This was apparently her first OUTdoor meet since changing her throwing style from the glide to the spin!.
She tossed the ball 51-9.50, good for 21st A-T HS!!
(Think she'll add a few FEET to that mark??)
Stamatia Scarvelis is the OUTdoor leader thus far, her new OUTdoor PR of 53-3.50 making her 6th A-T HS, tied with 1 other.
Saunders's entry onto the outdoor list eliminates a super-venerable name FROM the list.
Anyone remember Lynette Matthews?
She'd thrown the SP 51.4 in HS back in.....1971.
She WAS 24th on the A-T list!
No more!
I'll close off with a PV mark.
Sandi Morris vaulted 14-6.25 at the Arkansas Spring Invitational, making her 17th A-T Outdoor Collegian!
Oh yes, almost forgot!
Ken Bekele debuted in the marathon in Paris!
He ran an excellent 2:05:03, after a 1:02:09 first half.
He slowed a bit in the second half, due to a slight cramp in his calf!
Well, I hope you had a WHALE of a time reading this!!
(LOLOL)
Friday, April 4, 2014
The Future of Track and Field
Okay, so the title of this post is just a wee tad dramatic!
But the point of this "extra" post is to offer a few suggestions to make our favorite sport even better.
Of course, the "suggestions" are really opinions--MY opinions!
So feel free to offer your own in the comments section, or to state why you DISagree with mine!
Before I begin, I'll offer 3 marks that came in a few days ago.
To get them out of the way before my next FULL report hopefully FILLED with great records and marks!
Maria Michta is the best WALKER we have in the United States right now, male or female!
She walked in both the London OG and the Moscow WC.
(Others before that??)
And this past week, she broke the American Record for the 20,000 meter Road distance.
Her time was 1:31:09.
You might remember that she PR'ed in the 1 Mile Indoor Walk this year also.
Imagine the same for a 1 Mile RUNNER breaking the AR for the 20K RUN!!
Quite a range of distances, eh?
She and her younger sister, Katie, made the World Cup teams, Maria for the Seniors, Katie for the Junior race! Katie is still in High School.
The JT saw a couple of good marks from HS girls.
Katelyn Gouchenour threw the spear 167-0 to become 13th A-T HS!
She's the sister of Alexandra Gouchenour, who scored 5300 points in the HS Heptathlon in 2010.
The other JT was also part of a sister act!
Last year, Megan Glasmann threw 176-11, making her 2nd A-T HS, behind Haley Crouser.
Well, her younger sister, Chrissy, threw the Jav 160-6 last week.
It just misses my HS DDD list!
Actually, it would've been on there, except Ms Gouchenour's mark pushed her down to 25th place!
With her DNA, I have a feeling she'll be ON the list VERY soon!!
Now for my thoughts on improving T&F in the future.
(In no particular order!)
1. Eliminate the 1600 and 3200 races for US HS'ers! The group "Bring Back the Mile" is working to accomplish that. All it would take is for officials to measure the extra 9 (or 18) meters, mark the starting line with a permanent marker on the curb, and that's all!! If this can't be done NOW, then at least time runners at the 1500 and 3000 marks of the respective 1600 & 3200 races! Those distances have Worldwide acceptance, whereas the 1600 and 3200 are used ONLY by US HS's!!
2. Do NOT offer up (like T&FN does!) scientific or mathematical formulas for converting 1600 and 3200 times into 1 and 2 Mile times. You can't do it!! There is NO formula that can predict what will happen in those extra 9 and 18 meters. Just ask Gail Devers what happened to HER in the final 10 meters or so of her Barcelona OG final!!
3. As I wrote about in earlier posts, do away with the 12 pound SP for male HS'ers, and the 55 meter distances indoors (flat and hurdles). For the SP (and DT and HT), also do away with all those OTHER weights used in the "Junior" divisions Worldwide! Having all those different weight categories just adds to the BLOB of records fans (and athletes and officials!!) have to keep track of!! There's NO reason why EVERY boy can't throw the International weights used by Professionals!!
4. Also do away with the "Junior" and "Youth" classifications!! AGE groupings are okay, but putting nebulous labels on them is confusing. One example: A current "Junior" is an athlete whose birthdate was in 1995 or 1996. If you were "unlucky" enough to be born in 1994, but you would still be 19 during the WJ's, you don't qualify!! I say he/she SHOULD. After all, they're still a TEENAGER then, aren't they?? To my mind, a teenager is a "junior"!! Same with the "youth" label. Instead, go by the ACTUAL AGE of the person at the time of the event!! You could still have the WJ meet available for 18 and 19 year olds. Just don't label them "Junior". Go by their actual birthdate (not just the year!). I do, for my Age Records!!
5. I LOVE T&FN, but their website does something really annoying. They have what they call a "comprehensive" or "absolute" yearly list. Those COMBINE indoor marks with outdoor marks in the same events. (Obviously, there's no outdoor 60's or 60H, nor an outdoor WT!!) Here's why I dislike this concept so totally! Let's say Athlete X ran 3:50.00 for the Mile indoors. Now let's imagine that Athlete X runs the Mile in 3:50.01 OUTdoors!! All you'll see--ALL YEAR!-- on T&FN's comprehensive/absolute list is the INDOOR 3:50.00 Athlete X ran!! You won't know--unless you're a real student of the sport OR read my blog (LOL)--that Athlete X ran a SUPER Mile of 3:50.01, even LEADING the WORLD outdoors with that mark! Why? Because his 3:50.00 INdoor mark was the "absolute" best that year!! SEPARATE the seasons!! I do.
6. Offer more 5000's and 10000's for High Schoolers, both boys and girls! They're going to run these distances in college, and in the pro ranks. There's no reason they can't run them in HS. The HSR's for the 10K's date from 1976 (boys) and 1979 (girls). There are athletes running today that can break those marks. (Well, at least the girls HSR!!) Give them the chance! (See my next idea regarding the Steeplechase.)
6A. As a sub-text to # 6, I'd love to see more track 10K's offered during the summer in Europe. The DL's currently don't have 10K's--not good for TV! So either change that.....or put 10K's on some of the non-DL European meet schedules during the summer! I'm sure they'd attract some athletes who WANT to run a fast 10K, but can't find any!!
7. Not many states run the Steeplechase for HS'ers. And when they do, it's almost always the 2000 meter version. Rarely do they run the 3000 meter version. In fact, I believe all (or most) of the times for the longer race come from "open" meets, invitationals, where Collegians and Pro's run. Or the WJ's! Again, they're going to race the 3K distance in college and the professional meets. Why not start them doing so in HS?? The boys HSR dates from 1979 also! (The girls HSR is much more recent, but that's due mainly to the fact that the Steeple for girls didn't START until just recently!
8. Start a TV channel exclusively for T&F (and Road Running/Walking)!! What we get from NBC or ESPN is so very AWFUL that it's no surprise our sport has such a low fan base! And if that can't be done, at least offer up more FREE (or very low cost) livestreams of meets! But hire announcers who KNOW the sport---like Tim Hutchings and Carrie Tollefson!! Even some former elite athletes---who shall remain nameless!!---don't know the sport....or how to announce it!!
9. There are some GREAT statistical books available for records & marks fans like myself. Athletics Annual, FAST Annual, HS Track, the Histories by Roberto Quercetani, and several others (Age Record books, National Record books, etc). But there is currently no ONE clearinghouse or distributor for ALL of these wonderful books! T&FN advertises the FAST and HS Track books every year, and in the past has offered for sale the Quercetani volumes. But there's a new book out now--A History of Indoor Track and Field: 1849-2013 by Grant Birkinshaw--which I'm finding IMPOSSIBLE to order!! So I suggest a one-stop-shop distribution outlet for ALL of these books! Sort of like a T&F Amazon!
10. Do away with Oversize Tracks (OT's) INdoors. Or at least do NOT put OT marks on your lists. Again, T&FN does this, and it makes for confusion and downright deception! One example: Mary Cain's 9:02.10 from 2013, run on Seattle's OT, is still listed as her PR on T&FN's lists. NOT her actual PR of 9:04.51. Same went for Jenny (Barringer) Simpson's 15:01.70 5000 she ran in Seattle as a Collegian in 2009. It's listed as the CR...or at least the "absolute" best by a Collegian! But it shouldn't be! OT marks are not record-eligible. And they shouldn't be list-eligible either! Outdoor wind-aided marks aren't eligible for the yearly lists. They're listed separately---on a "wind-aided" list, usually found BELOW the REAL (and legitimate!!) list of marks!! And they're NEVER listed as anyone's PR. (They're listed as someone's "a-c", or "all conditions" best!!) If that 15:01.70 or 9:02.10 MUST be listed, then ALSO list that athlete's REAL best mark, the one that IS record and list-eligible!! On MY lists, you won't find ANY Oversize Track marks!! Ever!!
Those are just SOME changes that would help improve T&F in the future.
But the future is....TODAY!!
Next post will be Sunday or Monday, with ALL the great records and marks (and places on A-T lists) you expect to find in this blog!
See you then!
But the point of this "extra" post is to offer a few suggestions to make our favorite sport even better.
Of course, the "suggestions" are really opinions--MY opinions!
So feel free to offer your own in the comments section, or to state why you DISagree with mine!
Before I begin, I'll offer 3 marks that came in a few days ago.
To get them out of the way before my next FULL report hopefully FILLED with great records and marks!
Maria Michta is the best WALKER we have in the United States right now, male or female!
She walked in both the London OG and the Moscow WC.
(Others before that??)
And this past week, she broke the American Record for the 20,000 meter Road distance.
Her time was 1:31:09.
You might remember that she PR'ed in the 1 Mile Indoor Walk this year also.
Imagine the same for a 1 Mile RUNNER breaking the AR for the 20K RUN!!
Quite a range of distances, eh?
She and her younger sister, Katie, made the World Cup teams, Maria for the Seniors, Katie for the Junior race! Katie is still in High School.
The JT saw a couple of good marks from HS girls.
Katelyn Gouchenour threw the spear 167-0 to become 13th A-T HS!
She's the sister of Alexandra Gouchenour, who scored 5300 points in the HS Heptathlon in 2010.
The other JT was also part of a sister act!
Last year, Megan Glasmann threw 176-11, making her 2nd A-T HS, behind Haley Crouser.
Well, her younger sister, Chrissy, threw the Jav 160-6 last week.
It just misses my HS DDD list!
Actually, it would've been on there, except Ms Gouchenour's mark pushed her down to 25th place!
With her DNA, I have a feeling she'll be ON the list VERY soon!!
Now for my thoughts on improving T&F in the future.
(In no particular order!)
1. Eliminate the 1600 and 3200 races for US HS'ers! The group "Bring Back the Mile" is working to accomplish that. All it would take is for officials to measure the extra 9 (or 18) meters, mark the starting line with a permanent marker on the curb, and that's all!! If this can't be done NOW, then at least time runners at the 1500 and 3000 marks of the respective 1600 & 3200 races! Those distances have Worldwide acceptance, whereas the 1600 and 3200 are used ONLY by US HS's!!
2. Do NOT offer up (like T&FN does!) scientific or mathematical formulas for converting 1600 and 3200 times into 1 and 2 Mile times. You can't do it!! There is NO formula that can predict what will happen in those extra 9 and 18 meters. Just ask Gail Devers what happened to HER in the final 10 meters or so of her Barcelona OG final!!
3. As I wrote about in earlier posts, do away with the 12 pound SP for male HS'ers, and the 55 meter distances indoors (flat and hurdles). For the SP (and DT and HT), also do away with all those OTHER weights used in the "Junior" divisions Worldwide! Having all those different weight categories just adds to the BLOB of records fans (and athletes and officials!!) have to keep track of!! There's NO reason why EVERY boy can't throw the International weights used by Professionals!!
4. Also do away with the "Junior" and "Youth" classifications!! AGE groupings are okay, but putting nebulous labels on them is confusing. One example: A current "Junior" is an athlete whose birthdate was in 1995 or 1996. If you were "unlucky" enough to be born in 1994, but you would still be 19 during the WJ's, you don't qualify!! I say he/she SHOULD. After all, they're still a TEENAGER then, aren't they?? To my mind, a teenager is a "junior"!! Same with the "youth" label. Instead, go by the ACTUAL AGE of the person at the time of the event!! You could still have the WJ meet available for 18 and 19 year olds. Just don't label them "Junior". Go by their actual birthdate (not just the year!). I do, for my Age Records!!
5. I LOVE T&FN, but their website does something really annoying. They have what they call a "comprehensive" or "absolute" yearly list. Those COMBINE indoor marks with outdoor marks in the same events. (Obviously, there's no outdoor 60's or 60H, nor an outdoor WT!!) Here's why I dislike this concept so totally! Let's say Athlete X ran 3:50.00 for the Mile indoors. Now let's imagine that Athlete X runs the Mile in 3:50.01 OUTdoors!! All you'll see--ALL YEAR!-- on T&FN's comprehensive/absolute list is the INDOOR 3:50.00 Athlete X ran!! You won't know--unless you're a real student of the sport OR read my blog (LOL)--that Athlete X ran a SUPER Mile of 3:50.01, even LEADING the WORLD outdoors with that mark! Why? Because his 3:50.00 INdoor mark was the "absolute" best that year!! SEPARATE the seasons!! I do.
6. Offer more 5000's and 10000's for High Schoolers, both boys and girls! They're going to run these distances in college, and in the pro ranks. There's no reason they can't run them in HS. The HSR's for the 10K's date from 1976 (boys) and 1979 (girls). There are athletes running today that can break those marks. (Well, at least the girls HSR!!) Give them the chance! (See my next idea regarding the Steeplechase.)
6A. As a sub-text to # 6, I'd love to see more track 10K's offered during the summer in Europe. The DL's currently don't have 10K's--not good for TV! So either change that.....or put 10K's on some of the non-DL European meet schedules during the summer! I'm sure they'd attract some athletes who WANT to run a fast 10K, but can't find any!!
7. Not many states run the Steeplechase for HS'ers. And when they do, it's almost always the 2000 meter version. Rarely do they run the 3000 meter version. In fact, I believe all (or most) of the times for the longer race come from "open" meets, invitationals, where Collegians and Pro's run. Or the WJ's! Again, they're going to race the 3K distance in college and the professional meets. Why not start them doing so in HS?? The boys HSR dates from 1979 also! (The girls HSR is much more recent, but that's due mainly to the fact that the Steeple for girls didn't START until just recently!
8. Start a TV channel exclusively for T&F (and Road Running/Walking)!! What we get from NBC or ESPN is so very AWFUL that it's no surprise our sport has such a low fan base! And if that can't be done, at least offer up more FREE (or very low cost) livestreams of meets! But hire announcers who KNOW the sport---like Tim Hutchings and Carrie Tollefson!! Even some former elite athletes---who shall remain nameless!!---don't know the sport....or how to announce it!!
9. There are some GREAT statistical books available for records & marks fans like myself. Athletics Annual, FAST Annual, HS Track, the Histories by Roberto Quercetani, and several others (Age Record books, National Record books, etc). But there is currently no ONE clearinghouse or distributor for ALL of these wonderful books! T&FN advertises the FAST and HS Track books every year, and in the past has offered for sale the Quercetani volumes. But there's a new book out now--A History of Indoor Track and Field: 1849-2013 by Grant Birkinshaw--which I'm finding IMPOSSIBLE to order!! So I suggest a one-stop-shop distribution outlet for ALL of these books! Sort of like a T&F Amazon!
10. Do away with Oversize Tracks (OT's) INdoors. Or at least do NOT put OT marks on your lists. Again, T&FN does this, and it makes for confusion and downright deception! One example: Mary Cain's 9:02.10 from 2013, run on Seattle's OT, is still listed as her PR on T&FN's lists. NOT her actual PR of 9:04.51. Same went for Jenny (Barringer) Simpson's 15:01.70 5000 she ran in Seattle as a Collegian in 2009. It's listed as the CR...or at least the "absolute" best by a Collegian! But it shouldn't be! OT marks are not record-eligible. And they shouldn't be list-eligible either! Outdoor wind-aided marks aren't eligible for the yearly lists. They're listed separately---on a "wind-aided" list, usually found BELOW the REAL (and legitimate!!) list of marks!! And they're NEVER listed as anyone's PR. (They're listed as someone's "a-c", or "all conditions" best!!) If that 15:01.70 or 9:02.10 MUST be listed, then ALSO list that athlete's REAL best mark, the one that IS record and list-eligible!! On MY lists, you won't find ANY Oversize Track marks!! Ever!!
Those are just SOME changes that would help improve T&F in the future.
But the future is....TODAY!!
Next post will be Sunday or Monday, with ALL the great records and marks (and places on A-T lists) you expect to find in this blog!
See you then!
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