From 16 to 39, Some Re-MARK-able Stuff

Yet another "cute" title!
But it's my way of saying that the Ostrava meet in Europe and the Brooks PR meet near Seattle produced some great marks from athletes aged 16 to 39.
Let's start with the old fellows.

I speak of Bernard Lagat, of course.
In a fast 3000 in Ostrava, Lagat didn't win, but his 7:38.30 broke his own Age 39 record.
He's the oldest to go under 7:40.

Caleb Ndiku, just 21, won the race in a Meet Record time of 7:31.66.

Also ahead of Lagat was New Zealander Nick Willis, who broke John Walker's venerable National Record of 7:37.49, dating from 1982, with his 7:36.91.

Amina Betiche ran the 3000SC in 9:29.20 for an Algerian National Record.

Bogdan Bondarenko's "so-so" 7-7.75 HJ was the Ostrava Meet Record.
He missed 3 tries at 2.40 (7-10.50).

There was a fast 1000, which had been billed as a WR attempt by Mohammed Aman.
Wasn't to be.
In fact, Aman didn't even win!!

Ilham Ozbilen did.
In 2:15.08, for the MR and the Turkey National Record.
His time missed 24th place on my World DDD by just 0.08 seconds!

Following Ozbilen was Australian Jeff Riseley, whose 2:16.09 was a National Record.
Then came Aman, who ran the Ethiopian National Record time of 2:16.33.
Tomas Kazi broke the Hungarian National Record with his 2:17.38

Two other WR attempts failed in Ostrava.

Genzebe Dibaba came closest with her 5:27.50 over 2000 meters.
She hit 1600 in a fast 4:20.62, but then lost it during a 66.88 final 400!
Nonetheless, it was the Ethiopian National Record for the seldom-run distance, as well as the Age 23 record.
(Meet Record too, obviously!)
It puts her in 3rd on the A-T World list!

And Florence Kiplagat couldn't finish her attempt at the Hour Run and 20000 meter records (on a track).
She ended her run just after 11000 meters with stomach problems.
The winner was nowhere near the records!

In the 400, LaShawn Merritt continued winning in fast times.
His 44.16 is the Ostrava Meet Record.

Isaac Makwala ran 44.83 for the Botswana National Record.

In the Trinidad National Championships yesterday, Richard Thompson set a new National Record in the 100 with his 9.82.
It places him 9th on the A-T World list!

I missed something at the NBN meet.

I got Darryl Haraway's 10.20 100.
But I missed that his time is the new HS Junior Class record!!
I find it a bit odd that none of the Underclass records are faster than that 10.20, but then the Senior Class mark jumps all the way to 10.01.
I'd think there would be a less sharp drop from 11th to 12th grades!

Finally, in the Brooks PR meet, which went outdoors for the first time, the Girls 2 Mile produced an aggressive attack on my HS (and even US!!) DDD lists!!

I noted in my report on the Prefontaine Women's 2 Mile that this distance isn't run very often, so the Top 24's are fairly easy to get onto.
Well, for the 2nd time in less than a month, the Two Mile DDD's, here for HS and the US, got some generous revisions!

Bethan Knights, who clearly has become a standing member of the "Big Four" of elite HS middle and long distance runners of the past 2 years, won the race in a new High School Record!!
(The "Big 4" consists of Mary Cain, Alexa Efraimson, Elise Cranny, and Sarah Baxter.  Knights is the Fifth member.  In fact, to some degree, I could see her replacing Baxter, whose 2014 hasn't been as sensational as her previous 2 or 3 years!)

Anyway, Knights, a British citizen (She intends to become an American citizen!), ran 9:53.54 for the actual Two Mile (NOT 3200 Meters!!) distance.
She broke Aisling Cuffe's 9:54.22 from 2011.
And look what Ms Cuffe ran this year!!  That 15:11.13 5000!!

Knights's mark is the Age 18 record (WORLD Age 18 record!!), as well as the HS Senior Class record.
It would have made her 13th on the US list, but as a British citizen, she isn't yet eligible for US lists!

While Knights led almost from the gun, as seems to be her M.O., Hannah DeBalsi gave her a scare over the final 2 laps, catching her, then dueling back and forth for a 200 or so, before Bethan rammed home her final winning sprint.
DeBalsi's 9:55.05 is the new Sophomore Class record.
It makes her 3rd A-T HS.
And puts her in 15th on the US list!

Four others ran fast enough to make one or both lists.

Stephanie Jenks ran 10:06.54 for 9th A-T HS, and 23th A-T US.
Audrey Belf ran 10:11.24 for 15th A-T HS.
Caroline Alcorta's 10:11.71 is 16th A-T HS.
And Makena Morley ran 10:15.17 for 24th A-T HS!

In the Girls One Mile (NOT 1600 meters!!), the Dream Mile winner from NY's DL, Sarah Feeny, won the race in a non-PR (but still fast) time of 4:39.40.

But Katie Rainsberger came down from Colorado's altitude to get an 8 second PR, running 4:41.07 in 2nd.
It makes her 16th A-T HS.

Remember, my One Mile and Two Mile lists are what they say they are--1 and 2 MILE lists!!
There are NO 1600 or 3200 times mixed in, nor any marks converted FROM 1600 or 3200 times!!
Thus, you don't see Kim Mortensen's 9:48.59 3200 from 1996 on my Two Mile list.
Nowhere!!
Not that mark, nor the converted time given her of 9:52.03.
I feel sorry for Ms Mortensen (and many many others!!), but I refuse to give any honor or respect to those aberrational distances!!
The same goes for Alexa Efraimson's 4:33.31 "HSR" 1600 at her state meet.
It may have been the fastest outdoor 1600 ever run by a HS girl, but that's ALL it was, and nothing more!!
3200 meters is NOT 3218.688 meters!!
(The actual measurement of a Mile is 1609.344 meters!  Thus Two Miles is 3218.688 meters!)

Speaking of Ms Efraimson, that hot race between her and 2:03.32 girl Raevyn Rogers didn't quite materialize as hoped.
Rogers just didn't have it yesterday.
But Alexa did.
She ran a PR time of 2:03.26 for the easy victory.
Her previous best was 2:04.10.
It makes her 12th A-T HS.

And don't forget, she'll be running the 1500 at both the Adult and Junior versions of the USATF meet, then assuredly going on to the World Junior Championships.
Assuming she and Mary Cain are the winners, the United States will have a formidable team in that event in Eugene in late July!!
(Bethan Knights said she's NOT going to try for the WJC!!)

And can't forget the SO close attempt on the Boys 4 X 1 Mile Relay record!
That record is held by South Eugene HS, and dates from 1976, back when Bernard Lagat was just about 1.5 years old!!
Northport TC, from New York, ran their hearts out, but ended just 0.32 from the record, running 17:06.92.
Gig Harbor (WA) was featured as the probable record-setters.
That is, until Northport entered the meet at the 11th hour!
They flew west, then flew around the track, but alas, came up JUST short of the targeted mark of 17:06.6.

Next week is going to be busy.
For one thing, I turn 70 on June 24th!!
(Born the exact same date, June 24, 1944, as former Yardbirds guitarist Jeff Beck!!)

But other than that personal milestone (I'm like the Rolling Stones Keith Richards, shocked I made it past my 30th birthday!!!), there's lots of T&F activity upcoming.

There's the USATF meet in Sacramento from June 25-29.
(Only the SP's--men's and women's--and the 1st day of the Junior Multi's will be on the 25th.   The bulk of the meet begins on the 26th.)
There's also the Golden West Invitational, a GP meet in Dakar, Senegal on June 28th, the Znamenskiy Memorial on June 27th, the meet in Sollentuna on the 28th, one in Turku on the 25th, plus some major National championships (besides the US!!), all between the 26th and 29th of June.

And whatever happens of note will assuredly find its way into my next report(s)!!

That is, if I make it PAST my 70th birthday!!
Me and Keith!!
LOL