My post on the Prefontaine Classic (See previous post!) became too long----too many GREAT records & marks to report!---so I decided to split all my material into TWO posts---one for the Pre meet, and the other for all the "other" stuff!
As they say in the TV news biz....."And in other news.....!".
The Gotzis meet was interesting as much for what happened BEFORE the meet as for what happened DURING this 2 day Multis Annual.
All the pre-meet talk was about if Ashton Eaton would break his WR Decathlon mark of 9039 points from 2012.
Most felt he COULD---but were split on whether he WOULD!
Well, all we Dec fans never found out the answers to those questions.
Eaton hurt his knee during SP practice a few days earlier----not too bad!----so decided to not chance making it worse, and withdrew.
But being the good guy that he is, he came to the meet (in street clothes!), took the microphone, and told the crowd (many of whom were there to see HIM!) how very sorry he was.
Get well SOON, Ashton!!
Well, when the "worse half" DNS's, the "better half" produces like never before!
(I used those quoted terms in a joking way! It refers to wives being called the "better half" of married couples! While I'm digressing all over the place, let me ALSO tell you there used to be a HILARIOUS cartoon---about an always battling married couple!---called "The Better Half". Check with Amazon to see if they have books of collected cartoons from that. It's well worth your effort!!)
Anyway, it was Brianne Thiessen-Eaton who became the big star of the meet.
She PR'ed by over 150 points, scoring a HUGE 6808, easily defeating, among others, would be-sprinter Dafne Schippers, who DNF'ed because she opted out of the 800 with a slight niggle
BTE took the National Record of Canada down with her effort.
And she became 16th A-T World!
Several places back was American Barbara Nwaba, who also PR'ed, scoring 6342 points.
She moves up one place on the A-T US list, from 14th to 13th.
On the Men's side---besides Eaton---Damian Warner of Canada also withdrew, weakening the field somewhat, as the winner scored less than 8600 points!
But American Jeremy Taiwo PR'ed.
His 8303 point total makes him 19th A-T US!!
The current format---East and West Regionals (or "prelims"....or "qualifiers"!)---to choose who makes it to the NCAA Championship meet, is a weird and, IMHO, a DEMENTED way to create a final entry list for the NCAA's!
Look at the complete results (aside from the VERY FEW highlights I'm reporting here!!) and tell me THIS is the "best" way to do it!
It's NOT!!
Times in ALL the races were invariably slow----and some VERY slow!!---and some of the field events saw qualifiers produce marks that HS kids do in dual meets!!
Okay, my "rant" is finished (for today!!), so let's see what those "highlights" were!
The East Women's 3000SC was FAST!
Leah O'Connor's PR of 9:35.33 won it over Colleen Quigley's solid (but NOT a PR!) 9:38+.
However, O'Connor stays where she was on both the Collegiate (5th A-T) and US (16th A-T) lists!
Also in the East version, Kyra Jefferson was SUPER in the 200, racing to a time of 22.26!
She moves WAY up on the All-Time Collegiate list---from 15th to 4th!!
Pushed OFF that list were 4 gals with some history to them!!
Sorry for forgetting a couple of their first names, but the 4--all of whom were tied at the bottom with times of 22.49---were....
E. Jones from 1990
Davis (That's her last name!) from 1987.
Hill (Ditto!) from 1996.
And Gwen Torrence, also from 1987!
The two (East & West) Women's 4X400 Relay races produced some list-making marks.
In the East, Ohio State won it in 3:28.37.
This makes them the 16th fastest School.
Second to Ohio State was Clemson, whose time of 3:28.59 makes them the 18th fastest School!
The West was won (Don't get me started!! LOL) by---Who else?---USC.
Their time of 3:27.86 improves their School best time of 3:28.08----dating from before anyone on the current team was BORN!!!---but they remain as 14th fastest School on my list!
Daina Levy hit a good PR in the Hammer Throw, her 226-5 making her 14th A-T Collegiate, tied with 1 other.
Turning to some HS marks---other than those that happened in Eugene (See my earlier post!!)---we'll go first with Grant Fisher.
In a meet in Michigan, in what was SUPPOSED to be (and WAS, in fact!!) a 1600 meter race, Fisher ran the MILE in a PR of 4:01.66.
Let me say that again.
In what was.....a 1600 meter race.....Fisher ran the MILE in 4:01.66.
Got that?
If not, here's a truncated (and totally hearsay!) version of what took place.
Apparently, knowing how fast Fisher was, officials took it upon themselves to set up ANOTHER finish line----9.344 meters AFTER the finish line of the 1600!
Normally, in Mile races run on metric tracks----which ALL tracks are nowadays!!---the race is started those extra 9+ meters BEFORE the normal finsh line----not after it!!!
But in this case----apparently---officials put the FINISH line for the Mile BEYOND the "FINISH line!!!
Just for this HS dude named Grant Fisher
(If only everyone had that kind of influence over officials!! LOL)
All that said, Fisher's MILE time of 4:01.66 moves him from 16th to 12th on the A-T HS list.
BTW, his "official" 1600 time was 4:00.27!!
One maybe really stupid question!
I'm not sure of how far it is from "normal" finish lines to the beginning of the curve, but might it be possible that the "special" finish line in that Michigan meet was ON the curve??
Or did they ignore the normal topagraphic outlay of the track and set it up as in a 100 meter race--straight ahead?
Okay, enough of this!
Speaking of fast 1600's, Great Oaks (CA) star Destiny Collins soloed to a fast time of 4:40.34.
You might want to compare this to that HS Mile at the Prefontaine meet! (See my earlier post!)
The HS Women's SP finally has a "Raven Saunders-ish" type mark.
Elena Bruckner sent the ball out 53-5.50 from the ring, making her 8th A-T HS!!
Sorry for the big delay in reporting on the meet in Ostrava last week, but a few marks from there are worth noting.
(The delay was mainly caused by my being HEAVILY involved in ANOTHER sort of list-making. Without going into too much detail, it involves moving my list of EVERY movie I've ever seen (about 4900 of them!!) from two notebooks to loose sheets of notebook paper---and MUCH better organized than I had them!!.
It's already taken me about 30 hours---and will probably take another 15 to 20 MORE hours before I'm done!!)
Anyway, here's that "old" news.
Sharika Nelvis nabbed the Ostrava Meet Record in the 100H with her time of 12.55.
It misses her PR by just 0.01 seconds!
(She had to battle a MINUS 1.7 wind!!)
Julius Yego----that oddball Kenyan who throws the Javelin, of all things!!---threw the Javelin (sic!) 285-0 in Ostrava.
This breaks his own National Record.
But he's still over 4 feet short of making my World Top 24 list!
Mark English didn't win the 600, but his time of 1:16.14 nabbed the National Record of Ireland for himself.
The winner was Adam Kszczot, whose 1:16.02 is the Ostrava Meet Record.
Of course, this was the first time that meet held the 600 meter race!
Christian Taylor's winning TJ of 57-6 is the new Ostrava Meet Record.
A few other interesting results from that Ostrava meet:
Bogdan Bondarenko won the HJ, which isn't shocking.
But his winning mark of just 2.24 (7-4.25) IS!!
What caused him to stop there?
Suzana Hejnova won the 400H in what I believe was her season opening time of 55.13.
Kori Carter finished just 7th in that race, running 58.24.
Anezka Drahotova easily won the Women's 3000 meter Walk, walking (sic!!) a time of 11:52.38.
She won by 19 seconds!
Asafa Powell won the 100 (against a wind of 0.4) in 10.04.
Marcin Lewandowski took a significant scalp, in the name of one Asbel Kiprop (!!), in the 1000 meter race, his winning time being 2:17.25.
A couple of JT SUPERstars had a bad day at the office in Ostrava,.
Mariya Abakumova finished in 4th place.
Barbora Spotakova finished in 5th!!
BTW, Spotakova continued her poor streak of throwing at the Pre meet, finishing way back in the field.
Kara Winger took 2nd there, behind Christine Obergfoll!
That hasn't happened very often lately, but Winger is, um, winging (HAHA!!) her way back to being a potential medal contender in Beijing!!
And last but certainly NOT least----Mr Lightning BOLT hisself made an appearance in Ostrava.
He used up 20.13 seconds of our valuable time to win the Ostrava 200!
Another day at the office!
Anyway, there you have it.
Two posts in one day!
Hope you've enjoyed them both!
And being the sole "owner" of this blog, allow me to advertise a couple of earlier posts!
I strongly recommend you read my take on the possible reasons Mary Cain left NOP to go home to Bronxville in "That Bronxville Girl".
I also suggest it might be fun (??) to see how many of my "predictions" I got WRONG in my "Pre Meet Preview" post.
(I did. I read it over AFTER the meet was done----and I did pretty good, if I do say so myself!! NOT perfect, by any means, but more than just a passing grade! That is, given all the no shows etc that no one has control over!!)
ADDITIONS & CORRECTIONS (added many hours later):
As I just did in my Pre meet post, allow me to make a few additions & corrections to the above....instead of waiting until next week's post to do so!!
CORRECTION: The Men's winner at Gotzis scored less than 8500 points, NOT 8600, as I stated above. (Although I guess, in a sense, my initial statement was correct, as 8400+ is under BOTH 8500 AND 8600!! LOL)
ADDITION: Bogdan Bondarenko did NOT end his competition after winning in 7-4.25 at Ostrava. He made 3 attempts at 2.34 (7-8), but missed all three!
NEW MARKS: I came across two new records in the latest eTN, which I decided to add here, rather than wait until next week!
In a home meet in Cuba, Pablo Pichardo Triple Jumped 59-4, adding an inch to his National Record.
But he remains in 3rd place on the A-T World list!
Also, in the same meet, Roberto Janet threw the Hammer 256-0 for a new Cuban National Record!
See you soon!
Sunday, May 31, 2015
High Schoolers move Pre to the Top!
I've seen many Prefontaine Classics in person.
Including the year 2001.
That was when Alan Webb finished just 5th in the Bowerman Mile.
A certain Mr Hicham El Guerrouj won the race, in 3:49.92.
But most of the crowd's cheers were for Mr Webb, who broke Jim Ryun's HSR in that race!
(I felt then like I was at a tennis match, trying to watch El G & Webb at the same time!! LOL)
I introduce my Pre meet post this way for a good reason.
No HSR's set, but in a way, a group of High School kids MADE this meet even better than it usually (ALWAYS!!!) is.
So, let's get on with all the reasons why.
As I did in my Preview (Hope it helped your enjoyment of the meet!), I'll do each day separately.
We'll begin with the Friday night Distance Festival!
Mo Farah?
A solid group of Kenyans in the 5K?
Good field events?
Nah!
What MADE Friday night (at least for ME!!) was the Women's HS Mile!
Yes, I said MILE!
None of that insane 1600 bullcrap at a meet honoring Steve Prefontaine!!
And what a race it was!!
Not 100% sure (Only 99.9% sure! LOL), but this was probably the DEEPEST High School Mile field (Or even....UGH!....a 1600 field!) EVER!!
ALL 10 runners ran under 4:45!
Seven went sub 4:42!
Any HS girl would KILL to run 4:41 and change!
Imagine running 4:41+ and finishing SEVENTH!!
Yes, this was definitely a WORLD Class HS race!!
In a thrilling last 50 meters, Ryen Frazier ripped past Danielle Jones, sending both under the magic 4:40 barrier.
Frazier didn't beat her elder sister Wesley's HS PR, but she came close.
Her winning 4:39.84 rates her 11th A-T HS.
Jones ALMOST won!
But her 4:39.88 is now 12th A-T HS
Perhaps the favorite (because of her recent 4:16 in the 1500!), Christine Aragon ran 4:40.75.
This makes her 18th A-T HS.
Next was Jordyn Colter, whose 4:41.10 makes her 20th A-T HS!
Then we have Lauren Gregory, who finished 5th in 4:41.11.
(Yep, just one tiny tick of the watch back of Colter!!)
Gregory's now 21st A-T HS!
Then we have Oregon girl Ella Donaghue, whose 4:41.66 makes her 24th A-T HS!!
That's a solid rewrite of my All Time HS Mile list!!
With all these girls coming ON my list, a few got kicked OFF the list!!
Among them were:
Vickie Cook from 1981.
Darlene Beckford from 1979!!
Haley Meier, twin sister of Hannah.
Jordan Hasay!!
And a certain gal by the name of Efraimson, who ran her time in 2012, while a Freshman at Camas HS in WA!!
(More on her later! LOL)
While the HS Girls Mile did the most damage to my Record Book, MoBot put on a good show too.
Running at or near the front (behind the pacers!!) for the first few K's of the 10000, Mo Farah went through 5000 in about 13:21, seemingly headed for a new PR (and British record!!).
But as happens in races like this, "racing" took over, and the pace slowed.
Geoff Kamworor and Paul Tanui---especially Tanui!---tried to keep the fires burning, but when you run just 66's doing that, well, there's goes any record attempts!
Running just 13:29 over the 2nd half (Races like this are normally negative split!!), Mo finished in 26:50+, about 4 seconds off his PR.
His final 800 was about 2:00---instead of what should have been 1:54.
Despite the time, I wasn't unduly impressed.
Just another "jog & kick" affair for Mo.
That said, Mo DID get the Age 32 record with his 26:50.97.
Cam Levins, one of the several NOP'ians----Is that like a Martian?? LOL---running here, ran 27:07.91, walloping the Canadian National Record to pieces!
Two Americans ran good times---for Americans!
Diego Estrada improved his PR to 27:30.53.
He moves from 14th to 12th on the A-T US list.
Hassan Mead's time of 27:33.04 is 15th A-T US!!
The 5000 produced an Age record too.
And in a race won in just 13:10, THAT became the highlight of the race!!
Bernard Lagat (Who else??) DESTROYED the Age 40 record---by about 29 seconds!!.
His Age 40 record is 13:14.97.
(Don't be surprised when he takes it down even more later this season!!)
The Women's TJ was a wild and great battle amongst 3 stars--Caterine Ibarguen, Olga Saladuha---and Yekaterina Koneva.
Ibarguen actually WON the event---but her mark was negated by excessive wind.
So the Pre Meet Record---with her 2nd place jump!---is now held by Koneva, who jumped 49-4.25.
This makes her 19th A-T World!
Saturday was the BIG day---or at least NBC considers it so!
(Tell that to the distance Nuts---who thoroughly LOVED the FREE Friday Night webcast, courtesy of USATF-TV!!)
While Genzebe Dibaba (and a few others) did their best to make Saturday ALSO Distance Day, it was the SPRINTERS who truly made the normally INSANE Eugene crowd even more NUTTY!!
Where do I begin??
Well, let's start with one of those "B" races---aka "International" or "National"!
English Gardner has been fairly quiet this year.
So her winning time of 10.84 was a shocker!
(Unless you're a big fan of Ms Gardner's! For a GREAT intro to this VERY talented girl, buy & watch the documentary called "We Grew Wings"---where she's featured!! It's available from Amazon!)
While it was a PR by 0.01 seconds, she remains 12th A-T US.
Tyson Gay ran his first OUTdoor race of 2015, winning the 100 in 9.88.
Back in the field was Kim Collins, who had recently KILLED the Age 39 record with a 10.03.
He took that Age record to another level---becoming the oldest person to go sub-10---with his 9.99.
Oh, and Bingtian Su of China ran 9.99 also.
This is not only the new National Record of China, but it's the first sub-10 by ANY Asian man!!
Justin Gatlin (BOOOOOO!! Ha Ha, just messing with you!1 I LOVE the dude!!) totally dominated the 200 field.
His 19.68 matched his PR, and won by 0.36 seconds!!
It garnered him the Pre Meet Record too!
AND...the Age 33 record!!
Second place---with a new South Africa National Record (breaking his own mark!)---was Anaso Jobodwana, who ran 20.04.
Including the year 2001.
That was when Alan Webb finished just 5th in the Bowerman Mile.
A certain Mr Hicham El Guerrouj won the race, in 3:49.92.
But most of the crowd's cheers were for Mr Webb, who broke Jim Ryun's HSR in that race!
(I felt then like I was at a tennis match, trying to watch El G & Webb at the same time!! LOL)
I introduce my Pre meet post this way for a good reason.
No HSR's set, but in a way, a group of High School kids MADE this meet even better than it usually (ALWAYS!!!) is.
So, let's get on with all the reasons why.
As I did in my Preview (Hope it helped your enjoyment of the meet!), I'll do each day separately.
We'll begin with the Friday night Distance Festival!
Mo Farah?
A solid group of Kenyans in the 5K?
Good field events?
Nah!
What MADE Friday night (at least for ME!!) was the Women's HS Mile!
Yes, I said MILE!
None of that insane 1600 bullcrap at a meet honoring Steve Prefontaine!!
And what a race it was!!
Not 100% sure (Only 99.9% sure! LOL), but this was probably the DEEPEST High School Mile field (Or even....UGH!....a 1600 field!) EVER!!
ALL 10 runners ran under 4:45!
Seven went sub 4:42!
Any HS girl would KILL to run 4:41 and change!
Imagine running 4:41+ and finishing SEVENTH!!
Yes, this was definitely a WORLD Class HS race!!
In a thrilling last 50 meters, Ryen Frazier ripped past Danielle Jones, sending both under the magic 4:40 barrier.
Frazier didn't beat her elder sister Wesley's HS PR, but she came close.
Her winning 4:39.84 rates her 11th A-T HS.
Jones ALMOST won!
But her 4:39.88 is now 12th A-T HS
Perhaps the favorite (because of her recent 4:16 in the 1500!), Christine Aragon ran 4:40.75.
This makes her 18th A-T HS.
Next was Jordyn Colter, whose 4:41.10 makes her 20th A-T HS!
Then we have Lauren Gregory, who finished 5th in 4:41.11.
(Yep, just one tiny tick of the watch back of Colter!!)
Gregory's now 21st A-T HS!
Then we have Oregon girl Ella Donaghue, whose 4:41.66 makes her 24th A-T HS!!
That's a solid rewrite of my All Time HS Mile list!!
With all these girls coming ON my list, a few got kicked OFF the list!!
Among them were:
Vickie Cook from 1981.
Darlene Beckford from 1979!!
Haley Meier, twin sister of Hannah.
Jordan Hasay!!
And a certain gal by the name of Efraimson, who ran her time in 2012, while a Freshman at Camas HS in WA!!
(More on her later! LOL)
While the HS Girls Mile did the most damage to my Record Book, MoBot put on a good show too.
Running at or near the front (behind the pacers!!) for the first few K's of the 10000, Mo Farah went through 5000 in about 13:21, seemingly headed for a new PR (and British record!!).
But as happens in races like this, "racing" took over, and the pace slowed.
Geoff Kamworor and Paul Tanui---especially Tanui!---tried to keep the fires burning, but when you run just 66's doing that, well, there's goes any record attempts!
Running just 13:29 over the 2nd half (Races like this are normally negative split!!), Mo finished in 26:50+, about 4 seconds off his PR.
His final 800 was about 2:00---instead of what should have been 1:54.
Despite the time, I wasn't unduly impressed.
Just another "jog & kick" affair for Mo.
That said, Mo DID get the Age 32 record with his 26:50.97.
Cam Levins, one of the several NOP'ians----Is that like a Martian?? LOL---running here, ran 27:07.91, walloping the Canadian National Record to pieces!
Two Americans ran good times---for Americans!
Diego Estrada improved his PR to 27:30.53.
He moves from 14th to 12th on the A-T US list.
Hassan Mead's time of 27:33.04 is 15th A-T US!!
The 5000 produced an Age record too.
And in a race won in just 13:10, THAT became the highlight of the race!!
Bernard Lagat (Who else??) DESTROYED the Age 40 record---by about 29 seconds!!.
His Age 40 record is 13:14.97.
(Don't be surprised when he takes it down even more later this season!!)
The Women's TJ was a wild and great battle amongst 3 stars--Caterine Ibarguen, Olga Saladuha---and Yekaterina Koneva.
Ibarguen actually WON the event---but her mark was negated by excessive wind.
So the Pre Meet Record---with her 2nd place jump!---is now held by Koneva, who jumped 49-4.25.
This makes her 19th A-T World!
Saturday was the BIG day---or at least NBC considers it so!
(Tell that to the distance Nuts---who thoroughly LOVED the FREE Friday Night webcast, courtesy of USATF-TV!!)
While Genzebe Dibaba (and a few others) did their best to make Saturday ALSO Distance Day, it was the SPRINTERS who truly made the normally INSANE Eugene crowd even more NUTTY!!
Where do I begin??
Well, let's start with one of those "B" races---aka "International" or "National"!
English Gardner has been fairly quiet this year.
So her winning time of 10.84 was a shocker!
(Unless you're a big fan of Ms Gardner's! For a GREAT intro to this VERY talented girl, buy & watch the documentary called "We Grew Wings"---where she's featured!! It's available from Amazon!)
While it was a PR by 0.01 seconds, she remains 12th A-T US.
Tyson Gay ran his first OUTdoor race of 2015, winning the 100 in 9.88.
Back in the field was Kim Collins, who had recently KILLED the Age 39 record with a 10.03.
He took that Age record to another level---becoming the oldest person to go sub-10---with his 9.99.
Oh, and Bingtian Su of China ran 9.99 also.
This is not only the new National Record of China, but it's the first sub-10 by ANY Asian man!!
Justin Gatlin (BOOOOOO!! Ha Ha, just messing with you!1 I LOVE the dude!!) totally dominated the 200 field.
His 19.68 matched his PR, and won by 0.36 seconds!!
It garnered him the Pre Meet Record too!
AND...the Age 33 record!!
Second place---with a new South Africa National Record (breaking his own mark!)---was Anaso Jobodwana, who ran 20.04.
Then we had the Women's "A" 100.
WOW!!
Murielle Ahoure won over SAFP---barely!!
They both were credited with 10.81's.
Ahoure is now 17th A-T World, tied with 1 other.
I should interject here with the fact that there was MUCH talk among some in attendance that the wind readings----especially the LEGAL ones!---were WAY off---maybe DOUBLE what was reported!
This was in regards to all the sprint races, plus the horizontal jumps!
Some said the "wind machine" wasn't working, as some winds first labled as 0.0 later became 2.7 or whatever---wind-aided!
Until PROOF is given---or until the IAAF or whomever decrees it, I'm accepting all these times as legal!!
Speaking of wind affecting outcomes, Tianna Bartoletta jumped a PR of 23-4.50---but it was wind-aided!!
But Christobel Nettey got lucky, as her Canada National Record jump of 22-11.75 WAS legal!!
Another who was NOT affected by wind was PV Superstar Renaud Lavillenie.
He easily won the "competition" with his 19-10.25 OUTdoor PR.
This moves him from 7th A-T World to 2nd, wheree he's tied with 2 others!
He attempted the WR height of 6.16 (20-2.50), but missed his 3 tries!
And it's the new Prefontaine Meet Record!
That "other" vertical jump---the High Jump---had ITS own Superstar.
Or one of them---as Bogdan Bondarenko wasn't there.
Mutaz Barshim WAS there, however, and won with his new Pre Meet Record jump of 7-10.75 (2.41).
He didn't try for a WR, which surprised--and disappointed---some folks!
Giving Barshim SOME competition was China's Guiwei Zhang.
His jump of 7-9.75 came VERY close to China's National Record of 7-10 (by Zhu Jianhua in 1984!!)
But it does rank him 16th A-T World, tied with a massive NINE others!!
One who SAID she wanted to go for a World Record was Genzebe Dibaba.
But the lack of decent pacing (Who can stay ahead of Ms Dibaba---even for "just" 3000 meters??) and competition put paid to any record tries.
That said, she put on quite a show.
Coming through 3K in about 8:36 (14:20 pace!), she ran by herself the rest of the way, finishing in her OUTdoor PR of 14:19.76.
(That's about one second slower than her INdoor WR!!)
It's the new Pre Meet Record.
She moves from 9th A-T World up to 4th!
(One of her sisters---um, what's her name?? LOL---is ahead of her on that list!)
And she moves up on my Combined events list too.
In my Combined 1500-5000 list, her Combined time of 18:17.30 (3:57.54 & 14:19.76) is now 2nd best!!
Only Meseret Defar's 18:14.88 (4:02.00 and 14:12.88) is in front of her!
(Sister Tirunesh, who owns the OUTdoor 5000 WR of 14:11.15, doesn't have a 1500 time to her credit, as far as I know. But if and when she DOES run one, she'll surely be on my list!!)
Oh yes, sorry to say that Genzebe does NOT get the Age 24 record.
That belongs to Defar's 14:12.88.
Debuting in a track 5K was young Faith Kipyegon.
She was 2nd to Dibaba, running a great 1st 5K race time of 14:31.95.
And she ALSO makes my Combined 1500-5000 list.
Her Combined time of 18:28.93 (3:56.98 & 14:31.95) ranks her 9th on that list!
Almost forgot to mention it, but she now is 21st A-T World.
Kirani James easily beat LaShawn Merritt, winning in 43.95---which JUST misses Michael Johnson's MR of 43.92!
A ways back came the Bahamas Chris Brown, who isn't QUITE ancient at Age 36.
However, he's all alone when it comes to running fast 400's past the early 30's.
He broke his own Age 36 record (by 0.22 seconds!) with his 44.54.
Speaking of "old" guys---the always flamboyant Ezekiel Kemboi won the 3000SC with a Meet Record time of 8:01.71.
It's also the Age 33 record!!
But let it be known that Mr Kemboi has his work cut out for him.
Simon Vroemen ran 8:04.95 at Age 36 several years ago!!
Evan Jager ran a solid race in 3rd place, missing his AR by just 0.57 seconds!!
The closing Bowerman Men's mile was a bit UNDERwhelming---timewise!
No sub-3:50's this time!
But while Ayanleh Souleiman won it again (He set the Meet Record last year with his 3:47.32!), he got a bit of a challenge from American Matthew Centrowitz.
Centro's 3:51.20 wasn't a PR, but he beat some high quality runners, so all congrats to him!
(Asbel Kiprop was among his victims!!)
The Women's 1500 was also a bit slower than last year.
But it gave us some VERY interesting sub-stories.
(That term---"sub-stories"--reminds me of a good movie I once saw called "Subway Stories". Um, sorry for the slight digression!! LOL)
While NOT the TOP story, having Jenny Simpson beat "favored" Sifan Hassan (and "rival" Shannon Rowbury---who finished 4th!) provided a spark to what should be---and already IS!!---a HOT US Middle Distance season!!
She won it in 4:00.98, with her last 400 in about 62 seconds!!
Three Americans got Q's for Beijing---and solid PR's
Sarah Brown keeps getting better!
The former Ms Bowman ran 4:03.20, breaking her previous best by about 2 full seconds!
She is now 16th A-T US!
Katie Mackie is another who keeps improving.
She set her old best (4:04.60) while beating Mary Cain's HSR of 4:04.62 at 2013's Oxy High Performance (now called the Hoka One One High Performance meet!!).
Her new PR of 4:03.81 moves her from 23rd to 21st on the A-T US list.
Moved OFF the list----and with Mackie being one of the ones to do it, it seems almost providential!!! LOL---was one Ms Mary Cain!!
(What a lousy year SHE's having---first running awful in her 3 OUTdoor races, and now being shoved off my DDD list!!)
So---Simpson won the race, beating some high profile runners.
And we saw some impressive PR's from some American ladies.
Ho hum.
Because it was a HIGH SCHOOL girl who really made the crowd go WILD!!
She's not eligible for HSR's---because of her Professional status---so she gets ONLY my very own designated "HS PRO" records.
But Alexa Efraimson---still finishing her Senior year at Washington state's Camas High--ran 4:03.39 to DESTROY her PR of 4:07.05---run while she was still an "amateur"!!
It IS, as noted, the HS Pro record, as well as the HS Pro Senior Class record.
(So what if just TWO girls---so far!---have fit that description!!)
Oh yes, it makes Ms Efraimson, who turned 18 on February 20th, 18th A-T US!!
Well, that's a wrap on my Prefontaine Classic report.
This post is already too long for me to add all the OTHER news I have.
So stick around!
I'll have another post---covering Gotzis, the NCAA Regional meets, and assorted other stuff---up ASAP!!
See you soon!!
CORRECTIONS & ADDITIONS (added many hours later!):
ADDITION: Elaine Thompson, that shocking newcomer to Jamaican World Class sprinting, came in a VERY close second to English Gardner in the "B" 100, both being given times of 10.84.
It was a PR for both.
CORRECTION: While both were given the same time----10.81----it was Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce, NOT Murielle Ahoure, who won the main race of the 100!
Didn't want to wait till next week to make these changes.
See you soon!
WOW!!
Murielle Ahoure won over SAFP---barely!!
They both were credited with 10.81's.
Ahoure is now 17th A-T World, tied with 1 other.
I should interject here with the fact that there was MUCH talk among some in attendance that the wind readings----especially the LEGAL ones!---were WAY off---maybe DOUBLE what was reported!
This was in regards to all the sprint races, plus the horizontal jumps!
Some said the "wind machine" wasn't working, as some winds first labled as 0.0 later became 2.7 or whatever---wind-aided!
Until PROOF is given---or until the IAAF or whomever decrees it, I'm accepting all these times as legal!!
Speaking of wind affecting outcomes, Tianna Bartoletta jumped a PR of 23-4.50---but it was wind-aided!!
But Christobel Nettey got lucky, as her Canada National Record jump of 22-11.75 WAS legal!!
Another who was NOT affected by wind was PV Superstar Renaud Lavillenie.
He easily won the "competition" with his 19-10.25 OUTdoor PR.
This moves him from 7th A-T World to 2nd, wheree he's tied with 2 others!
He attempted the WR height of 6.16 (20-2.50), but missed his 3 tries!
And it's the new Prefontaine Meet Record!
That "other" vertical jump---the High Jump---had ITS own Superstar.
Or one of them---as Bogdan Bondarenko wasn't there.
Mutaz Barshim WAS there, however, and won with his new Pre Meet Record jump of 7-10.75 (2.41).
He didn't try for a WR, which surprised--and disappointed---some folks!
Giving Barshim SOME competition was China's Guiwei Zhang.
His jump of 7-9.75 came VERY close to China's National Record of 7-10 (by Zhu Jianhua in 1984!!)
But it does rank him 16th A-T World, tied with a massive NINE others!!
One who SAID she wanted to go for a World Record was Genzebe Dibaba.
But the lack of decent pacing (Who can stay ahead of Ms Dibaba---even for "just" 3000 meters??) and competition put paid to any record tries.
That said, she put on quite a show.
Coming through 3K in about 8:36 (14:20 pace!), she ran by herself the rest of the way, finishing in her OUTdoor PR of 14:19.76.
(That's about one second slower than her INdoor WR!!)
It's the new Pre Meet Record.
She moves from 9th A-T World up to 4th!
(One of her sisters---um, what's her name?? LOL---is ahead of her on that list!)
And she moves up on my Combined events list too.
In my Combined 1500-5000 list, her Combined time of 18:17.30 (3:57.54 & 14:19.76) is now 2nd best!!
Only Meseret Defar's 18:14.88 (4:02.00 and 14:12.88) is in front of her!
(Sister Tirunesh, who owns the OUTdoor 5000 WR of 14:11.15, doesn't have a 1500 time to her credit, as far as I know. But if and when she DOES run one, she'll surely be on my list!!)
Oh yes, sorry to say that Genzebe does NOT get the Age 24 record.
That belongs to Defar's 14:12.88.
Debuting in a track 5K was young Faith Kipyegon.
She was 2nd to Dibaba, running a great 1st 5K race time of 14:31.95.
And she ALSO makes my Combined 1500-5000 list.
Her Combined time of 18:28.93 (3:56.98 & 14:31.95) ranks her 9th on that list!
Almost forgot to mention it, but she now is 21st A-T World.
Kirani James easily beat LaShawn Merritt, winning in 43.95---which JUST misses Michael Johnson's MR of 43.92!
A ways back came the Bahamas Chris Brown, who isn't QUITE ancient at Age 36.
However, he's all alone when it comes to running fast 400's past the early 30's.
He broke his own Age 36 record (by 0.22 seconds!) with his 44.54.
Speaking of "old" guys---the always flamboyant Ezekiel Kemboi won the 3000SC with a Meet Record time of 8:01.71.
It's also the Age 33 record!!
But let it be known that Mr Kemboi has his work cut out for him.
Simon Vroemen ran 8:04.95 at Age 36 several years ago!!
Evan Jager ran a solid race in 3rd place, missing his AR by just 0.57 seconds!!
The closing Bowerman Men's mile was a bit UNDERwhelming---timewise!
No sub-3:50's this time!
But while Ayanleh Souleiman won it again (He set the Meet Record last year with his 3:47.32!), he got a bit of a challenge from American Matthew Centrowitz.
Centro's 3:51.20 wasn't a PR, but he beat some high quality runners, so all congrats to him!
(Asbel Kiprop was among his victims!!)
The Women's 1500 was also a bit slower than last year.
But it gave us some VERY interesting sub-stories.
(That term---"sub-stories"--reminds me of a good movie I once saw called "Subway Stories". Um, sorry for the slight digression!! LOL)
While NOT the TOP story, having Jenny Simpson beat "favored" Sifan Hassan (and "rival" Shannon Rowbury---who finished 4th!) provided a spark to what should be---and already IS!!---a HOT US Middle Distance season!!
She won it in 4:00.98, with her last 400 in about 62 seconds!!
Three Americans got Q's for Beijing---and solid PR's
Sarah Brown keeps getting better!
The former Ms Bowman ran 4:03.20, breaking her previous best by about 2 full seconds!
She is now 16th A-T US!
Katie Mackie is another who keeps improving.
She set her old best (4:04.60) while beating Mary Cain's HSR of 4:04.62 at 2013's Oxy High Performance (now called the Hoka One One High Performance meet!!).
Her new PR of 4:03.81 moves her from 23rd to 21st on the A-T US list.
Moved OFF the list----and with Mackie being one of the ones to do it, it seems almost providential!!! LOL---was one Ms Mary Cain!!
(What a lousy year SHE's having---first running awful in her 3 OUTdoor races, and now being shoved off my DDD list!!)
So---Simpson won the race, beating some high profile runners.
And we saw some impressive PR's from some American ladies.
Ho hum.
Because it was a HIGH SCHOOL girl who really made the crowd go WILD!!
She's not eligible for HSR's---because of her Professional status---so she gets ONLY my very own designated "HS PRO" records.
But Alexa Efraimson---still finishing her Senior year at Washington state's Camas High--ran 4:03.39 to DESTROY her PR of 4:07.05---run while she was still an "amateur"!!
It IS, as noted, the HS Pro record, as well as the HS Pro Senior Class record.
(So what if just TWO girls---so far!---have fit that description!!)
Oh yes, it makes Ms Efraimson, who turned 18 on February 20th, 18th A-T US!!
Well, that's a wrap on my Prefontaine Classic report.
This post is already too long for me to add all the OTHER news I have.
So stick around!
I'll have another post---covering Gotzis, the NCAA Regional meets, and assorted other stuff---up ASAP!!
See you soon!!
CORRECTIONS & ADDITIONS (added many hours later!):
ADDITION: Elaine Thompson, that shocking newcomer to Jamaican World Class sprinting, came in a VERY close second to English Gardner in the "B" 100, both being given times of 10.84.
It was a PR for both.
CORRECTION: While both were given the same time----10.81----it was Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce, NOT Murielle Ahoure, who won the main race of the 100!
Didn't want to wait till next week to make these changes.
See you soon!
Friday, May 29, 2015
Pre Classic Preview
It's called the Prefontaine CLASSIC for a reason.
Because I can't remember there ever being an edition of this meet that was NOT classic, in the most classical sense of that word.
Poor grammar aside, here are the reasons why tonight's and tomorrow's edition WILL be....um, classic!
Event by event, day by day.
Friday, May 29
Men's DT
The Meet Record is Ben Plucknett's 234-0 from 1983.
You can pretty much forget that mark being bettered here.
I say that, even though both Gerd Kanter and Pietr Malachowski have PR's better than the MR.
Those two should battle it out for the win.
But watch for Eloan Hadadi to spoil the party.
Women's LJ
Another great mano-a-mano (Or should this one be womano-a-womano? LOL) will be between Tianna Bartoletta and Brittney Reese.
I would give this one to Reese without hesitation, but for one glaring flaw she has.
She tends to foul...and foul....and foul....then rips a 7.00 meter jump that blows her competition away.
Nerve-shattering, but always thrilling for her fans.
Expect nothing less tonight!
But watch for a possible upset by Canada's Christobel Nettey or England's Shara Proctor.
BTW, the Meet Record is held by Marion Jones, her 23-11.75 from 1998.
Women's 800
This isn't the "BIG" race.
That's tomorrow. (See below!)
But this "B" affair ain't so bad.
Not when Maggie Vessey's in it!
What she chooses to wear should be reason enough to watch this one.
(Tonight's part of the meet is available on a USATF-TV webcast--and it's FREE!)
Joining Vessey is my favorite tweeter & blogger, Phoebe Wright.
Also in the mix should be Charlene Lipsey and LaTavia Thomas.
Women's HS 200
Candace Hill should be the clear favorite tonight.
Just a 10th Grader, she's on the verge of breaking the 23 second barrier.
But she has some competition, in the faces of Diamond Spaulding and Symone Mason, both of whom also have low-23 PR's.
Men's HS 200
Watch Ryan Clark MOVE!!
He's the "stud" of this OUTdoor season so far!
But watch also for the INdoor "stud" of 2015, Rai Benjamin.
He's also been HOT this year, both INdoors AND OUTdoors.
He recently ran the 400H in 50.45. (See a previous post!)
Men's SP
The Meet Record is Christian Cantwell's 73-1.25 from 2010.
He's one of the men in tonight's battle, but don't expect him to break his own MR.
This event is LOADED!! (I'll be saying that a LOT in this preview!!)
Besides Cantwell, other Americans are Ryan Whiting, Reese Hoffa, and Joe Kovacs, the latter of whom seems best able to get that MR.
Add David Storl and Tomasz Majewski, and you've got one Hell of a field!
Women's HS Mile
Another "loaded" field!
The only Miler missing isn't eligible for HS Miles anymore.
Alexa Efraimson is a Professional now.
(See my preview of tomorrow's 1500 for more on Alexa!)
But what we DO have is incredible!
Start with Stephanie Jenks and Ryen Frazier.
Then add Colorado-ans (??) Katie Rainsberger and Jordyn Colter.
And Lauren Gregory.
The last ingredient for a "classic" race is 4:16 girl Christina Aragon!
Can they break the HSR of 4:35.24?
Will the race find several going sub-4:40?
Watch this one, folks!
Men's HS Mile
No Grant Fisher or Matt Maton!
However, this race DOES have Mikey Brannigan!
And he's HOT (in the running sense, ladies!!).
Set to join him are Sam Ritz and Elijah Armstrong, the latter possibly better known as a 5000 man!
Men's 5000
This race isn't in Saturday's Main Program for one reason (IMO): TV doesn't like races longer than 4 minutes!
That said, Galen Rupp is set to open his 2015 OUTdoor season here!
What can he do?
The American Record is 12:53.60, and the Meet Record is Mo Farah's 12:56.98 from 2012.
Albert Rop, Ibrahim Jeilan, Isaiah Koech, and Edwin Soi should be at or close to the front.
Collis Birmingham and Lawi Lalang are other foreigners who might contest Rupp.
Bernard Lagat should SHATTER the Age 40 record (13:43!!), but by how much?
Other Americans are Ryan Hill, German Fernandez, and Trevor Dunbar.
Men's 10000
Labled by many as THE race of the meet (at least on the Men's side!), it's all up to one man: Mo Farah.
Or maybe it's REALLY up to Geoff Kamworor!!
He's never gone sub-27:00, but he seems determined to shove MoBot to the ranks of the defeated!
Can he push the pace hard enough to limit the sting of Farah's last 400 kick?
Will the race go sub-26:30?
A WORLD Record??
NOPE!
But it very well COULD be a PR for Mo....in 2nd or 3rd place!!
Paul Tanui and Kenneth Kipkemoi could also mix it up.
Cam Levins is seeking the Canadian Record and a sub-27:00 time.
Zane Robertson is going after the National Record of New Zealand (27:41).
Other Americans are Brian Schrader, Hassan Mead, and Diego Estrada.
And that wraps tonight's activity.
But hang on to your hats (or whatever you want to hang on to! LOL), because here is what you can expect tomorrow!
Women's TJ
The MR is held by Olga Saladuha,her 49-1.75 from 2011.
She's in the field, along with the woman who is now RED HOT!!
Her name is Caterine Ibarguen!
Yekaterina Koneva is also here.
Everyone else, maybe especially the lone American (Amanda Smock), should have stayed home!
Men's PV
Renaud Lavillenie.
That's all, folks!
Brad Walker's 2008 MR of 19-9.75 may not be long for this world!
The best thing about Renaud, IMHO, is that he tries for the WR in almost every meet!
How many athletes do that....or CAN do that??
His brother, Valentin, will also be there, as well as Lavillenie's main rival, Raphael Holzdeppe.
Men's International Mile
This is, by any other name, the "B" race.
But this field, for what it is, is LOADED!! (I told you I'd be using that word a lot!! LOL)
Australian Ryan Gregson will be joined by a field of Americans most meet directors would BEG for!
They include Will Leer, Lopez Lomong, Andy Wheating, Garrett Heath, Pat Casey, Mac Fleet, and Ben Blankenship!
Choose your winner, folks!
Women's 400
Forgive me for being repetitive, but this Pre Classic race has a....CLASSIC field of Americans.
Consider this as a Summit Meeting of a quartet of USA All-Time Greats!!
We have Natasha Hastings, Francena McCorory, Allyson Felix, and a woman known to everyone as SRR, aka Sanya Richards-Ross.
And every one of them SEEMS to be in top shape.
The Meet Record of Ana Guevara (49.34 in 2003) could be in jeopardy!
Another American, Phyllis Francis, could surprise.
And NEVER discount the Jamaicans, who are represented by Novlene Williams-Mills and Stephanie McPherson!!
Should be a GREAT race!
Men's 800
Daniel Rudisha is injured, so won't be here.
He says it's not seriious.
But what IS serious is the field of Nijel Amos, Mohammed Aman, Adam Kszczot, Alfred Kipketer, Ferguson Cheruiyot, and Taouflik Makhloufi!
The American side has Charles Jock, who ain't exactly dead meat!!
The Meet Record is Amos's 1:43.63 from last year's edition!
Men's HJ
Bogdan Bondarenko isn't here, but Mutaz Barshim is.
If conditions are right, a 2.40+ jump is VERY likely!
Other 2.40+ jumpers are Derek Drouin, Andriy Protsenko, and Ivan Ukhov.
Americans doing battle are Jesse Williams and Eric Kynard.
The MR is Barshim's 7-10.50 from 2013.
Men's 400H
Maybe the weakest field of the meet.
Or maybe I should say that the entire EVENT is in a slump!!
Yet the MR of 47.91 (by Bershawn Jackson from 2005!) could be broken.
Bershawn--10 years after his MR!!--is back.
Other Americans are Michael Tinsley and Johnny Dutch.
But watch for Jehue Gordon, Javier Culson, and most interesting, the young Jamaican, Jaheel Hyde!
Men's 3000SC
First question: Will Jairus Birech take the field under 8:00?
Second question: Will Evan Jager be right there with him?
The MR is "just" 8:03.54 (by Consesius Kipruto in 2013).Sub-8:00 men Paul Koech, Ezekiel Kemboi, and Birech are in the field.
Another to watch is Abel Mutai, whose PR is 8:01.67.
The American Record is Jager's 8:04.71.
Women's International 100
Again, this so called "B" race has a good field, with some interesting side stories.
For one, English Gardner is coming back to her "home" track at the U of O!
Barbara Pierre showed great promise a year or 3 ago.
Is she ready to compete again with the top girls?
Ditto with Kim Duncan, who perhaps is better at 200 meters!
You also have Brazil's (and all of South America's!!) record holder, Ana Lemos, whose PR is 11.01.
Don't leave out the veteran's veteran, Kelly Ann Baptiste, who surprisingly is just 28 years young!!
Last but not least, you have the "slowest" (in terms of PR's!) in the field, High School Professional Kaylin Whitney, who is all of 17 years old!!
She's been better at 200 this season (so far!), but she's due for a fast 100, so watch for her!
Women's JT
The MR is by Christina Obergfoll, 222-1 from 2013.
That mark is vulnerable here.
Besides Obergfoll, you have 236-2 woman Mariya Abakumova, and "comebacking" American Kara Winger (formerly Patterson).
But don't overlook Barbora Spotakova, even though she BOMBED in her most recent meet!!
Women's 100
Okay, here we go again!
This event is CLASSIC!!
In fact, this field is CLASSICALLY classic!!
Forget the MR of 10.70 by Carmelita Jeter in 2011.
(Although, given PERFECT conditions, it CAN go down!!)
Any words I choose to describe this field can't come close to the greatness they represent, so I'll just list the entrants! (In alphabetical order....to be fair! LOL)
Murielle Ahoure
Michelle Lee Ahye
Tianna Bartoletta
Tori Bowie
Carmelita Jeter
Blessing Okagbare
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (aka SAFP)
Elaine Thompson
Will the World Championships field be any better??
Men's 100
The MR is Steve Mullings's 9.80 from 2011.
With Tyson Gay leading the pack, that record could go....if the Eugene winds are just right!
But watch for Mike Rodgers, Nesta Carter, James Dasaolu, Richard Thompson, and Ryan Bailey.
Then you have the Ancient Warrior, Kim Collins, here also!
He recently SHATTERED the Age 39 record with a 10.03 time.
Can he take it south of 10.00 on this VERY fast track?
Men's 400
It SHOULD come down to a last straightaway battle between LaShawn Merritt and Kirani James.
But Merritt has been slow (pun intended! LOL) to come around this year.
The MR is held by the legendary Michael Johnson, his 43.92 dating from 2000!
But don't overlook Isaac Makwala, who could upset both of the superstars!
Another Age Record could fall here.
Chris Brown has already got the Age 36 record, with his earlier 44.76.
Can he go faster here?
Women's 800
The MR is Francine Niyonsaba's 1:56.72 from 2013.
This race has the best US field---maybe EVER!!
Check out these names:
Brenda Martinez
Ajee Wilson
Chanelle Price
Alysia Montano
Yes, the last named is BAAACCCKKKK!!!!
Now a Mama, she seems ready to do her usual 55-56 opening lap, then hang tough the rest of the way against a great field!
Throw Yekaterina Poistagova, Eunice Sum, Janeth Jepkosgei, Abeba Aregawi, and Lynsey Sharp into the mix, and you've got yourself a RACE!!
Men's 110H
With no one yet going sub-13.00 this year, this is a relatively weak event....on the surface.
But you have some NAMES here.
They include Pascal Martinot-Lagarde, Orlando Ortega, Aleec Harris, David Oliver, and the WR holder, Aries Merritt.
The MR is Oliver's 12.90 from 2010.
Women's 5000
Will Genzebe Dibaba, holder of FOUR World Records INdoors, go after the WR here??
She SAID she will!
But saying it, and DOING it, are two entirely different babies!!
Almaz Ayana, who recently ran 14:14.32 (For comparison, Dibaba's INdoor WR is 14:18!!), was SUPPOSED to be in this race!
But someone---and some are saying it was the Ethiopian federation!!---took her from the entry list!
Sad!
It COULD have been quite a race!
The MR is just 14:33.96, which Vivian Cheruiyot ran in 2011.
Sally Kipyego is fast, as are Viola Kibiwot, Sentajeha Ejigu, and American Record holder Molly Huddle.
Then you have Faith Kipyegon, who won the 2012 WJC 1500, but whose 5000 track debut is THIS race!
Can she run as fast over 12.5 laps as over 3.75?
We'll see.
Other Americans are Marielle Hall and Gabe Grunewald.
Alexi Pappas is also listed, but I believe she's in this as the rabbit!
If she is, she has her work cut out for her, trying to keep up with, let alone lead, Genzebe Dibaba!!
Good luck with THAT!!
(BTW, Jordan Hasay was also supposed to be in this race, but she came up with some sort of injury.)
Men's 200
Justin Gatlin
Okay, that's a wrap!
Just kidding! (Or was I??)
If you go by the Twitterverse (and several other sources!), Gatlin is perhaps T&F's most REVILED personage!
So, even though the Eugene crowds are normally lenient with their "boo's", you might expect to hear a few when he's introduced.
Will Gatlin win?
YES....barring some disaster!!
Nickel Ashmeade and Isaiah Young should be his main rivals.
Walter Dix's 19.72 from 2010 is the Meet Record.
Women's 1500
Another fierce rivalry happens here!
While Jenny Simpson's collection of medals and fast times is clearly superior to Shannon Rowbury's, it was their race in Zurich last summer which set the stage for this "rivalry".
Have you seen the video of that race, especially the finish?
Simpson won, 3:59.92 to 3:59.93, but as she crossed the finish line, Rowbury came up on her inside and ALMOST nipped her!
While she didn't NIP her, she CLIPPED her (or so it seemed!), and down both went, CRASHING to the track in one cringe-worthy moment!!
Hopefully, both will stay on their feet this time!! LOL
Because they'll HAVE to, as 3:57+ girl Sifan Hassan is here too!
Helen Obiri's 2014 MR of 3:57.05 could be broken!
And if it is, will Simpson be the one to do it, thus breaking Mary Slaney's 1982 AR of 3:57.12??
Or is Shannon ready to take over the power position on the American front?
Mercy Cherono, Axumawit Embaye (I just LOVE that name!!), Hannah England, Laura Weightman, and Zoe Buckman are the other foreigners in the race.
Other Americans are Aisha Praught, Treniere Moser, Katie Mackey, and Emma Coburn.
Oh yes, almost forgot!
HS Professional Alexa Efraimson, now all of 18 years old, is also here!
She ran 4:09.43 at Mt SAC as her OUTdoor season "rust-buster".
Then she proceeded to break her 800 best---TWICE---first by just 0.03 seconds, then with a solid 2:01.13! (She won both races!!)
Her coach, Mike Hickey, once said she was ready to go 3:59, but more recently has said it's more likely she'll run 4:02, after a slight setback this past winter.
If she runs that time, she'll be the American Junior record holder, beating....Mary Cain!!
(For my "brilliant" editorial on Cain's departure from NOP to return home to Bronxville NY, see my previous post, "That Bronxville Girl"!! LOL)
Men's Bowerman Mile
This race always ends the Pre meet, as it should, as Bill Bowerman was Steve Prefontaine's coach while he was at UO.
The Meet Record is Ayanleh Soulaiman's 3:47.32 from last year.
This CLASSIC field has at least SEVEN who have broken 3:50.
Silas Kiplagat
Collins Cheboi
Aman Wote
James Magut
Silas Kiplagat
Abdelati Iguider
Asbel Kiprop
Then you have a couple of Americans who would LOVE to be towed to a sub-3:50 time.
They are America's best, Leo Manzano, and Matthew Centrowitz!
This should be the perfect way to end a truly CLASSIC (sic!!) meet!!
Tonight's events, as noted, will be livestreamed FREE by USATF-TV!!
You can bet I will be watching!
Will you?
Because I can't remember there ever being an edition of this meet that was NOT classic, in the most classical sense of that word.
Poor grammar aside, here are the reasons why tonight's and tomorrow's edition WILL be....um, classic!
Event by event, day by day.
Friday, May 29
Men's DT
The Meet Record is Ben Plucknett's 234-0 from 1983.
You can pretty much forget that mark being bettered here.
I say that, even though both Gerd Kanter and Pietr Malachowski have PR's better than the MR.
Those two should battle it out for the win.
But watch for Eloan Hadadi to spoil the party.
Women's LJ
Another great mano-a-mano (Or should this one be womano-a-womano? LOL) will be between Tianna Bartoletta and Brittney Reese.
I would give this one to Reese without hesitation, but for one glaring flaw she has.
She tends to foul...and foul....and foul....then rips a 7.00 meter jump that blows her competition away.
Nerve-shattering, but always thrilling for her fans.
Expect nothing less tonight!
But watch for a possible upset by Canada's Christobel Nettey or England's Shara Proctor.
BTW, the Meet Record is held by Marion Jones, her 23-11.75 from 1998.
Women's 800
This isn't the "BIG" race.
That's tomorrow. (See below!)
But this "B" affair ain't so bad.
Not when Maggie Vessey's in it!
What she chooses to wear should be reason enough to watch this one.
(Tonight's part of the meet is available on a USATF-TV webcast--and it's FREE!)
Joining Vessey is my favorite tweeter & blogger, Phoebe Wright.
Also in the mix should be Charlene Lipsey and LaTavia Thomas.
Women's HS 200
Candace Hill should be the clear favorite tonight.
Just a 10th Grader, she's on the verge of breaking the 23 second barrier.
But she has some competition, in the faces of Diamond Spaulding and Symone Mason, both of whom also have low-23 PR's.
Men's HS 200
Watch Ryan Clark MOVE!!
He's the "stud" of this OUTdoor season so far!
But watch also for the INdoor "stud" of 2015, Rai Benjamin.
He's also been HOT this year, both INdoors AND OUTdoors.
He recently ran the 400H in 50.45. (See a previous post!)
Men's SP
The Meet Record is Christian Cantwell's 73-1.25 from 2010.
He's one of the men in tonight's battle, but don't expect him to break his own MR.
This event is LOADED!! (I'll be saying that a LOT in this preview!!)
Besides Cantwell, other Americans are Ryan Whiting, Reese Hoffa, and Joe Kovacs, the latter of whom seems best able to get that MR.
Add David Storl and Tomasz Majewski, and you've got one Hell of a field!
Women's HS Mile
Another "loaded" field!
The only Miler missing isn't eligible for HS Miles anymore.
Alexa Efraimson is a Professional now.
(See my preview of tomorrow's 1500 for more on Alexa!)
But what we DO have is incredible!
Start with Stephanie Jenks and Ryen Frazier.
Then add Colorado-ans (??) Katie Rainsberger and Jordyn Colter.
And Lauren Gregory.
The last ingredient for a "classic" race is 4:16 girl Christina Aragon!
Can they break the HSR of 4:35.24?
Will the race find several going sub-4:40?
Watch this one, folks!
Men's HS Mile
No Grant Fisher or Matt Maton!
However, this race DOES have Mikey Brannigan!
And he's HOT (in the running sense, ladies!!).
Set to join him are Sam Ritz and Elijah Armstrong, the latter possibly better known as a 5000 man!
Men's 5000
This race isn't in Saturday's Main Program for one reason (IMO): TV doesn't like races longer than 4 minutes!
That said, Galen Rupp is set to open his 2015 OUTdoor season here!
What can he do?
The American Record is 12:53.60, and the Meet Record is Mo Farah's 12:56.98 from 2012.
Albert Rop, Ibrahim Jeilan, Isaiah Koech, and Edwin Soi should be at or close to the front.
Collis Birmingham and Lawi Lalang are other foreigners who might contest Rupp.
Bernard Lagat should SHATTER the Age 40 record (13:43!!), but by how much?
Other Americans are Ryan Hill, German Fernandez, and Trevor Dunbar.
Men's 10000
Labled by many as THE race of the meet (at least on the Men's side!), it's all up to one man: Mo Farah.
Or maybe it's REALLY up to Geoff Kamworor!!
He's never gone sub-27:00, but he seems determined to shove MoBot to the ranks of the defeated!
Can he push the pace hard enough to limit the sting of Farah's last 400 kick?
Will the race go sub-26:30?
A WORLD Record??
NOPE!
But it very well COULD be a PR for Mo....in 2nd or 3rd place!!
Paul Tanui and Kenneth Kipkemoi could also mix it up.
Cam Levins is seeking the Canadian Record and a sub-27:00 time.
Zane Robertson is going after the National Record of New Zealand (27:41).
Other Americans are Brian Schrader, Hassan Mead, and Diego Estrada.
And that wraps tonight's activity.
But hang on to your hats (or whatever you want to hang on to! LOL), because here is what you can expect tomorrow!
Women's TJ
The MR is held by Olga Saladuha,her 49-1.75 from 2011.
She's in the field, along with the woman who is now RED HOT!!
Her name is Caterine Ibarguen!
Yekaterina Koneva is also here.
Everyone else, maybe especially the lone American (Amanda Smock), should have stayed home!
Men's PV
Renaud Lavillenie.
That's all, folks!
Brad Walker's 2008 MR of 19-9.75 may not be long for this world!
The best thing about Renaud, IMHO, is that he tries for the WR in almost every meet!
How many athletes do that....or CAN do that??
His brother, Valentin, will also be there, as well as Lavillenie's main rival, Raphael Holzdeppe.
Men's International Mile
This is, by any other name, the "B" race.
But this field, for what it is, is LOADED!! (I told you I'd be using that word a lot!! LOL)
Australian Ryan Gregson will be joined by a field of Americans most meet directors would BEG for!
They include Will Leer, Lopez Lomong, Andy Wheating, Garrett Heath, Pat Casey, Mac Fleet, and Ben Blankenship!
Choose your winner, folks!
Women's 400
Forgive me for being repetitive, but this Pre Classic race has a....CLASSIC field of Americans.
Consider this as a Summit Meeting of a quartet of USA All-Time Greats!!
We have Natasha Hastings, Francena McCorory, Allyson Felix, and a woman known to everyone as SRR, aka Sanya Richards-Ross.
And every one of them SEEMS to be in top shape.
The Meet Record of Ana Guevara (49.34 in 2003) could be in jeopardy!
Another American, Phyllis Francis, could surprise.
And NEVER discount the Jamaicans, who are represented by Novlene Williams-Mills and Stephanie McPherson!!
Should be a GREAT race!
Men's 800
Daniel Rudisha is injured, so won't be here.
He says it's not seriious.
But what IS serious is the field of Nijel Amos, Mohammed Aman, Adam Kszczot, Alfred Kipketer, Ferguson Cheruiyot, and Taouflik Makhloufi!
The American side has Charles Jock, who ain't exactly dead meat!!
The Meet Record is Amos's 1:43.63 from last year's edition!
Men's HJ
Bogdan Bondarenko isn't here, but Mutaz Barshim is.
If conditions are right, a 2.40+ jump is VERY likely!
Other 2.40+ jumpers are Derek Drouin, Andriy Protsenko, and Ivan Ukhov.
Americans doing battle are Jesse Williams and Eric Kynard.
The MR is Barshim's 7-10.50 from 2013.
Men's 400H
Maybe the weakest field of the meet.
Or maybe I should say that the entire EVENT is in a slump!!
Yet the MR of 47.91 (by Bershawn Jackson from 2005!) could be broken.
Bershawn--10 years after his MR!!--is back.
Other Americans are Michael Tinsley and Johnny Dutch.
But watch for Jehue Gordon, Javier Culson, and most interesting, the young Jamaican, Jaheel Hyde!
Men's 3000SC
First question: Will Jairus Birech take the field under 8:00?
Second question: Will Evan Jager be right there with him?
The MR is "just" 8:03.54 (by Consesius Kipruto in 2013).Sub-8:00 men Paul Koech, Ezekiel Kemboi, and Birech are in the field.
Another to watch is Abel Mutai, whose PR is 8:01.67.
The American Record is Jager's 8:04.71.
Women's International 100
Again, this so called "B" race has a good field, with some interesting side stories.
For one, English Gardner is coming back to her "home" track at the U of O!
Barbara Pierre showed great promise a year or 3 ago.
Is she ready to compete again with the top girls?
Ditto with Kim Duncan, who perhaps is better at 200 meters!
You also have Brazil's (and all of South America's!!) record holder, Ana Lemos, whose PR is 11.01.
Don't leave out the veteran's veteran, Kelly Ann Baptiste, who surprisingly is just 28 years young!!
Last but not least, you have the "slowest" (in terms of PR's!) in the field, High School Professional Kaylin Whitney, who is all of 17 years old!!
She's been better at 200 this season (so far!), but she's due for a fast 100, so watch for her!
Women's JT
The MR is by Christina Obergfoll, 222-1 from 2013.
That mark is vulnerable here.
Besides Obergfoll, you have 236-2 woman Mariya Abakumova, and "comebacking" American Kara Winger (formerly Patterson).
But don't overlook Barbora Spotakova, even though she BOMBED in her most recent meet!!
Women's 100
Okay, here we go again!
This event is CLASSIC!!
In fact, this field is CLASSICALLY classic!!
Forget the MR of 10.70 by Carmelita Jeter in 2011.
(Although, given PERFECT conditions, it CAN go down!!)
Any words I choose to describe this field can't come close to the greatness they represent, so I'll just list the entrants! (In alphabetical order....to be fair! LOL)
Murielle Ahoure
Michelle Lee Ahye
Tianna Bartoletta
Tori Bowie
Carmelita Jeter
Blessing Okagbare
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (aka SAFP)
Elaine Thompson
Will the World Championships field be any better??
Men's 100
The MR is Steve Mullings's 9.80 from 2011.
With Tyson Gay leading the pack, that record could go....if the Eugene winds are just right!
But watch for Mike Rodgers, Nesta Carter, James Dasaolu, Richard Thompson, and Ryan Bailey.
Then you have the Ancient Warrior, Kim Collins, here also!
He recently SHATTERED the Age 39 record with a 10.03 time.
Can he take it south of 10.00 on this VERY fast track?
Men's 400
It SHOULD come down to a last straightaway battle between LaShawn Merritt and Kirani James.
But Merritt has been slow (pun intended! LOL) to come around this year.
The MR is held by the legendary Michael Johnson, his 43.92 dating from 2000!
But don't overlook Isaac Makwala, who could upset both of the superstars!
Another Age Record could fall here.
Chris Brown has already got the Age 36 record, with his earlier 44.76.
Can he go faster here?
Women's 800
The MR is Francine Niyonsaba's 1:56.72 from 2013.
This race has the best US field---maybe EVER!!
Check out these names:
Brenda Martinez
Ajee Wilson
Chanelle Price
Alysia Montano
Yes, the last named is BAAACCCKKKK!!!!
Now a Mama, she seems ready to do her usual 55-56 opening lap, then hang tough the rest of the way against a great field!
Throw Yekaterina Poistagova, Eunice Sum, Janeth Jepkosgei, Abeba Aregawi, and Lynsey Sharp into the mix, and you've got yourself a RACE!!
Men's 110H
With no one yet going sub-13.00 this year, this is a relatively weak event....on the surface.
But you have some NAMES here.
They include Pascal Martinot-Lagarde, Orlando Ortega, Aleec Harris, David Oliver, and the WR holder, Aries Merritt.
The MR is Oliver's 12.90 from 2010.
Women's 5000
Will Genzebe Dibaba, holder of FOUR World Records INdoors, go after the WR here??
She SAID she will!
But saying it, and DOING it, are two entirely different babies!!
Almaz Ayana, who recently ran 14:14.32 (For comparison, Dibaba's INdoor WR is 14:18!!), was SUPPOSED to be in this race!
But someone---and some are saying it was the Ethiopian federation!!---took her from the entry list!
Sad!
It COULD have been quite a race!
The MR is just 14:33.96, which Vivian Cheruiyot ran in 2011.
Sally Kipyego is fast, as are Viola Kibiwot, Sentajeha Ejigu, and American Record holder Molly Huddle.
Then you have Faith Kipyegon, who won the 2012 WJC 1500, but whose 5000 track debut is THIS race!
Can she run as fast over 12.5 laps as over 3.75?
We'll see.
Other Americans are Marielle Hall and Gabe Grunewald.
Alexi Pappas is also listed, but I believe she's in this as the rabbit!
If she is, she has her work cut out for her, trying to keep up with, let alone lead, Genzebe Dibaba!!
Good luck with THAT!!
(BTW, Jordan Hasay was also supposed to be in this race, but she came up with some sort of injury.)
Men's 200
Justin Gatlin
Okay, that's a wrap!
Just kidding! (Or was I??)
If you go by the Twitterverse (and several other sources!), Gatlin is perhaps T&F's most REVILED personage!
So, even though the Eugene crowds are normally lenient with their "boo's", you might expect to hear a few when he's introduced.
Will Gatlin win?
YES....barring some disaster!!
Nickel Ashmeade and Isaiah Young should be his main rivals.
Walter Dix's 19.72 from 2010 is the Meet Record.
Women's 1500
Another fierce rivalry happens here!
While Jenny Simpson's collection of medals and fast times is clearly superior to Shannon Rowbury's, it was their race in Zurich last summer which set the stage for this "rivalry".
Have you seen the video of that race, especially the finish?
Simpson won, 3:59.92 to 3:59.93, but as she crossed the finish line, Rowbury came up on her inside and ALMOST nipped her!
While she didn't NIP her, she CLIPPED her (or so it seemed!), and down both went, CRASHING to the track in one cringe-worthy moment!!
Hopefully, both will stay on their feet this time!! LOL
Because they'll HAVE to, as 3:57+ girl Sifan Hassan is here too!
Helen Obiri's 2014 MR of 3:57.05 could be broken!
And if it is, will Simpson be the one to do it, thus breaking Mary Slaney's 1982 AR of 3:57.12??
Or is Shannon ready to take over the power position on the American front?
Mercy Cherono, Axumawit Embaye (I just LOVE that name!!), Hannah England, Laura Weightman, and Zoe Buckman are the other foreigners in the race.
Other Americans are Aisha Praught, Treniere Moser, Katie Mackey, and Emma Coburn.
Oh yes, almost forgot!
HS Professional Alexa Efraimson, now all of 18 years old, is also here!
She ran 4:09.43 at Mt SAC as her OUTdoor season "rust-buster".
Then she proceeded to break her 800 best---TWICE---first by just 0.03 seconds, then with a solid 2:01.13! (She won both races!!)
Her coach, Mike Hickey, once said she was ready to go 3:59, but more recently has said it's more likely she'll run 4:02, after a slight setback this past winter.
If she runs that time, she'll be the American Junior record holder, beating....Mary Cain!!
(For my "brilliant" editorial on Cain's departure from NOP to return home to Bronxville NY, see my previous post, "That Bronxville Girl"!! LOL)
Men's Bowerman Mile
This race always ends the Pre meet, as it should, as Bill Bowerman was Steve Prefontaine's coach while he was at UO.
The Meet Record is Ayanleh Soulaiman's 3:47.32 from last year.
This CLASSIC field has at least SEVEN who have broken 3:50.
Silas Kiplagat
Collins Cheboi
Aman Wote
James Magut
Silas Kiplagat
Abdelati Iguider
Asbel Kiprop
Then you have a couple of Americans who would LOVE to be towed to a sub-3:50 time.
They are America's best, Leo Manzano, and Matthew Centrowitz!
This should be the perfect way to end a truly CLASSIC (sic!!) meet!!
Tonight's events, as noted, will be livestreamed FREE by USATF-TV!!
You can bet I will be watching!
Will you?
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
That Bronxville Girl
Bob Dylan cut a song in the late 80's called "Brownsville Girl".
A long song, but there wasn't much to it, IMO.
But this one line might be the perfect intro to my little "editorial" about Queen Mary:
"Then she told us how times were tough and 'bout how she was thinkin' of bummin' a ride back to from where she started."
Mary Cain is from Bronxville (NY), not "Brownsville (TX)", but that sentiment Old Bobby sang years ago sort of fits.
If you haven't heard Mary has left Oregon to return to "where she started", then you're blind, deaf, and dumb! (Or just don't care about Mary Cain!)
Yes, Ken Goe wrote that she left NOP--though is still a member of the group---to return home to Bronxville.
Now, why should this NOT be a story worthy of FIVE full pages (a few minutes ago, but growing FAST!!) of comments on Let's Run's MB?
1. School at Portland U is done, and kids ending their freshman year normally go home...even if "home" is 3000 miles away!
2. Her boyfriend is still in NY, and kids her age usually want to be close to their S.O.'s.
3. She's always been close to her parents, and she missed them.
So what's the big deal then?
After all, others have left NOP (or other OR groups) recently--Dathan Ritzenhein and Kara Goucher, for example.
But Mary has been a "STAR" since her frosh year at Bronxville HS.
She's NEWS---no matter if it's good or bad!
So here's MY take on this sudden move.
It goes back to something Alberto Salazar said amidst the firestorm that was Mary's INdoor campaign of 2013.
She was destroying HSR's left and right, so he was asked what HE had done to make that happen.
I'll never forget his reply:
"I didn't make Mary. She was already made (when I started working with her)."
He began coaching Cain because he saw a major talent who had a few flaws in her running form, which he felt he could correct..
And supposedly he did--especially with her arm swing & carriage.
But let's look at a timeline of her "progress" with NOP.
1. She's shattering Class records in her Freshman and Sophomore years, INdoors and OUTdoors, culminating in her obliterating Jordan Hasay's great 4:14.50 in the Barcelona WJC.
2. Salazar calls her, and they hook up as athlete and coach, though during her Senior year in Bronxville, she lives there and trains under John Henwood's guidance. (Henwood is Salazar's East Coast assistant!)
3. Her 2013 season is absolutely PHENOMENAL, as she breaks TEN HSR's within 5 months time! She even makes the final at the Moscow WC's!!
4. She decides to turn Pro and move to Portland to start college at the University of Portland. She even announces she has a boyfriend named Benito.
5. While she runs okay INdoors in 2015--though FAR from her 2013 standards!--she's obviously having problems, which only seem worse in her 3 OUTdoor races.
So WHAT happened?
Go back to what Salazar said, that I quoted above.
"I didn't make her. She was already made."
That's IT!!
Whatever her HS coach---whose name I don't even know!--did got her to that point.
It wasn't Salazar's "magic", or the correction of her running form flaws.
She broke all those records using her years of experience WITH HER HIGH SCHOOL COACH----not Salazar (or Henwood).
She had built a momentum in her first 2 years of HS (BEFORE Salazar called her!) that carried over to her 2013 Junior year!
It's like if you become a success in ANY sport under one coach---then a new coach is hired, but the momentum the athlete already has in high gear is credited to the new coach---when he/she had almost nothing to do with it!
Salazar didn't "make" Mary Cain---she was already "made".
The main gist I get from reading all 5 pages of Let's Run's (& T&FN's lesser amount of) comments is this:
1. Most feel it's a weight problem. She's changing from a girl to a woman, and her woman's body has slowed her down. She's gained maybe 10 pounds.
2. She's homesick, and misses Benito.
3. The Salazar (and NOP) way of doing things is too intense. She's a loose fun happy girl, and couldn't handle/didn't mesh with....NOP's and (especially!!) Salazar's intensity.
I've been highly critical of Alberto for a long time.
(Read my "Open Letter to Alberto Salazar" post from right after the USATF INdoor fiasco of 2014!)
His personality grinds on me.
But it's not just his personality.
It's his training methods.
At first, I was stupified watching (on Flotrack) the post-race workouts he had his charges do last year (2014) during INdoors.
Remember?
AFTER they broke some record or other, Salazar took them to another track (from Boston U to Harvard, I believe!) and do a workout.
For Galen Rupp--who had just broken an AR in the 2 Mile--he had him do FIVE 1 Milers, with the last one in 4:01.
For Cain--who had just broken a 1000 or Mile record--he had her do a 3 mile tempo at 5:30 per mile, then do four 800's in 2:20, then four 400's, all at 60 or faster--last one in 57!.
(Jordan Hasay, Treniere Moser, and Cam Levins did similar workouts!)
Maybe it's just me, but I don't recall knowing (or hearing of) ANYone who did anything post-race but jog (cool down).
Not even elite Professional athletes!
Until Salazar started advertising HIS methods!
They were fun to watch, but I now see them as ONE of the reasons why (possibly!) Mary left NOP.
In recent years---maybe ALWAYS!!--we've seen or heard stories of other teen girl prodigies (and even a BOY prodigy or two!) who just suddenly disappear from everyone's radar.
Then you begin wondering....Where ARE they?
In this blog, I had a post a year or so ago asking where 3 girls were---Wesley Frazier, Cayla Hatton, and Natosha Rogers.
Each had phenomenal success in either HS or College---then basically disappeared!!
There have been many others.
Whatever happened to Brianna Jackucewicz, whose 16:43.02 INdoor 5000 came as a SEVENTH grader?
That's just one example.
Injury?
Burnout?
Too many body changes?
Eating disorders?
Boyfriend, pregnancy, a new life away from running?
There are lots of reasons why a young girl---or ANYone!!---suddenly is not the same athlete as she/he once was.
I don't know what happened to Mary.
Until (and unless) SHE herself decides to "come clean" about her decision to leave NOP, we can only speculate.
But there HAVE been success stories of young athletes who have succeeded DESPITE their bodily changes, DESPITE whatever's happening in their social life, DESPITE moving far from home to a totally new environment!
Let us hope and pray that this outstanding young athlete---and PERSON!!!---is able to find her way back.
And she doesn't need Salazar's help!
After all, she was "already made"!!
A long song, but there wasn't much to it, IMO.
But this one line might be the perfect intro to my little "editorial" about Queen Mary:
"Then she told us how times were tough and 'bout how she was thinkin' of bummin' a ride back to from where she started."
Mary Cain is from Bronxville (NY), not "Brownsville (TX)", but that sentiment Old Bobby sang years ago sort of fits.
If you haven't heard Mary has left Oregon to return to "where she started", then you're blind, deaf, and dumb! (Or just don't care about Mary Cain!)
Yes, Ken Goe wrote that she left NOP--though is still a member of the group---to return home to Bronxville.
Now, why should this NOT be a story worthy of FIVE full pages (a few minutes ago, but growing FAST!!) of comments on Let's Run's MB?
1. School at Portland U is done, and kids ending their freshman year normally go home...even if "home" is 3000 miles away!
2. Her boyfriend is still in NY, and kids her age usually want to be close to their S.O.'s.
3. She's always been close to her parents, and she missed them.
So what's the big deal then?
After all, others have left NOP (or other OR groups) recently--Dathan Ritzenhein and Kara Goucher, for example.
But Mary has been a "STAR" since her frosh year at Bronxville HS.
She's NEWS---no matter if it's good or bad!
So here's MY take on this sudden move.
It goes back to something Alberto Salazar said amidst the firestorm that was Mary's INdoor campaign of 2013.
She was destroying HSR's left and right, so he was asked what HE had done to make that happen.
I'll never forget his reply:
"I didn't make Mary. She was already made (when I started working with her)."
He began coaching Cain because he saw a major talent who had a few flaws in her running form, which he felt he could correct..
And supposedly he did--especially with her arm swing & carriage.
But let's look at a timeline of her "progress" with NOP.
1. She's shattering Class records in her Freshman and Sophomore years, INdoors and OUTdoors, culminating in her obliterating Jordan Hasay's great 4:14.50 in the Barcelona WJC.
2. Salazar calls her, and they hook up as athlete and coach, though during her Senior year in Bronxville, she lives there and trains under John Henwood's guidance. (Henwood is Salazar's East Coast assistant!)
3. Her 2013 season is absolutely PHENOMENAL, as she breaks TEN HSR's within 5 months time! She even makes the final at the Moscow WC's!!
4. She decides to turn Pro and move to Portland to start college at the University of Portland. She even announces she has a boyfriend named Benito.
5. While she runs okay INdoors in 2015--though FAR from her 2013 standards!--she's obviously having problems, which only seem worse in her 3 OUTdoor races.
So WHAT happened?
Go back to what Salazar said, that I quoted above.
"I didn't make her. She was already made."
That's IT!!
Whatever her HS coach---whose name I don't even know!--did got her to that point.
It wasn't Salazar's "magic", or the correction of her running form flaws.
She broke all those records using her years of experience WITH HER HIGH SCHOOL COACH----not Salazar (or Henwood).
She had built a momentum in her first 2 years of HS (BEFORE Salazar called her!) that carried over to her 2013 Junior year!
It's like if you become a success in ANY sport under one coach---then a new coach is hired, but the momentum the athlete already has in high gear is credited to the new coach---when he/she had almost nothing to do with it!
Salazar didn't "make" Mary Cain---she was already "made".
The main gist I get from reading all 5 pages of Let's Run's (& T&FN's lesser amount of) comments is this:
1. Most feel it's a weight problem. She's changing from a girl to a woman, and her woman's body has slowed her down. She's gained maybe 10 pounds.
2. She's homesick, and misses Benito.
3. The Salazar (and NOP) way of doing things is too intense. She's a loose fun happy girl, and couldn't handle/didn't mesh with....NOP's and (especially!!) Salazar's intensity.
I've been highly critical of Alberto for a long time.
(Read my "Open Letter to Alberto Salazar" post from right after the USATF INdoor fiasco of 2014!)
His personality grinds on me.
But it's not just his personality.
It's his training methods.
At first, I was stupified watching (on Flotrack) the post-race workouts he had his charges do last year (2014) during INdoors.
Remember?
AFTER they broke some record or other, Salazar took them to another track (from Boston U to Harvard, I believe!) and do a workout.
For Galen Rupp--who had just broken an AR in the 2 Mile--he had him do FIVE 1 Milers, with the last one in 4:01.
For Cain--who had just broken a 1000 or Mile record--he had her do a 3 mile tempo at 5:30 per mile, then do four 800's in 2:20, then four 400's, all at 60 or faster--last one in 57!.
(Jordan Hasay, Treniere Moser, and Cam Levins did similar workouts!)
Maybe it's just me, but I don't recall knowing (or hearing of) ANYone who did anything post-race but jog (cool down).
Not even elite Professional athletes!
Until Salazar started advertising HIS methods!
They were fun to watch, but I now see them as ONE of the reasons why (possibly!) Mary left NOP.
In recent years---maybe ALWAYS!!--we've seen or heard stories of other teen girl prodigies (and even a BOY prodigy or two!) who just suddenly disappear from everyone's radar.
Then you begin wondering....Where ARE they?
In this blog, I had a post a year or so ago asking where 3 girls were---Wesley Frazier, Cayla Hatton, and Natosha Rogers.
Each had phenomenal success in either HS or College---then basically disappeared!!
There have been many others.
Whatever happened to Brianna Jackucewicz, whose 16:43.02 INdoor 5000 came as a SEVENTH grader?
That's just one example.
Injury?
Burnout?
Too many body changes?
Eating disorders?
Boyfriend, pregnancy, a new life away from running?
There are lots of reasons why a young girl---or ANYone!!---suddenly is not the same athlete as she/he once was.
I don't know what happened to Mary.
Until (and unless) SHE herself decides to "come clean" about her decision to leave NOP, we can only speculate.
But there HAVE been success stories of young athletes who have succeeded DESPITE their bodily changes, DESPITE whatever's happening in their social life, DESPITE moving far from home to a totally new environment!
Let us hope and pray that this outstanding young athlete---and PERSON!!!---is able to find her way back.
And she doesn't need Salazar's help!
After all, she was "already made"!!
Monday, May 25, 2015
A short report
With a couple of World Challenge meets, lower division Collegiate Conferences, and some big HS State meets, I thought this weekend would have seen MUCH more record and high list action than we saw.
Remember a post from last year titled something like "That Moby Dick Moment"? (Can't remember the actual title, and too lazy to look it up!)
Well, we've just experienced another one!
Meaning, it was a VERY quiet weekend before an upcoming one that SHOULD (WILL!!) provide me with enough material to (maybe!) call for multiple posts!
(See below for some details on this!)
However quiet it was, there WERE some good marks.
One correction first.
I reported that Marquis Dendy's winning TJ at the SEC (56-11.25) was a legal jump.
Sorry, but it was wind-aided.
I've removed it from my Collegiate list.
However, he did have a legal jump of 55-8.50, which is his OUTdoor PR, and puts him in at 22nd on the Collegiate list, tied with 1 other.
He was taken OFF my US list!
Move over, Kaylin Whitney?
In a CIF meet, Lauren Rain Williams, a soph (just like Whitney was last year!), sped a 200 in 22.68.
It had an aiding wind of 3.2 that negates the mark for list purposes.
However, according to a couple of sources, it's the 5th fastest time under "all conditions", which includes wind-aided marks.
Whatever the case, it's an EXCELLENT time!!
Will she follow Whitney into the Pro ranks?
BTW, speaking of Ms Whitney, the new Pro had her first overseas meets AS a Pro!
In the 2nd meet, she faced Veronica Campbell-Brown!
Out of lane 2.
VCB won in 22.68, but Whitney surprised by finishing 2nd in 23.06, her fastest time as a Pro!
There are a few other legal sprint times to report.
Marvin Bracy broke through the 10 second barrier, running the 100 in 9.95.
This satisfied the many people who have considered Bracy the next great American sprinter!
And it makes him 22nd A-T US, tied with 6 others!
Dafne Schippers also broke through a barrier--the 11 second kind.
Her 10.94 set a new National Record for the Netherlands!
And it beat Dina Asher-Smith's 11.02.
The 19 year old Brit set the National Record of Great Britain with her time.
Another NR for the Netherlands was Sifan Hassan's 1000 time of 2:34.68.
That race (in the Hengelo meet) had some depth, as the first 9 all ran under 2:40.
Anita Hinriksdottir ran 2:36.63 for the Age 19 record.
It's also the new National Record of Iceland.
Jenny Meadows ran it in 2:36.13 for the Age 34 record.
Speaking of Age 34 records, another one was set by Fabiana Murer in the PV, as she vaulted 15-3.
In a different meet, American Melinda Withrow, vaulted 15-1.
She's now 12th A-T US, tied with 6 others.
She has an interesting story, which in some ways resembles that of Demi Payne.
As with Payne, she was good, but not great in HS and in her early college years.
After college, Withrow basically disappeared, only starting to compete again recently.
She'd never broken 14 until this year.
And now she's over 15---at age 30!
The only difference with Payne (as far as I know!) is that Withrow is not a new mother!
Speaking of PV'ers, the Weeks twins competed in a Heptathlon together.
After 6 events, Lexi was leading by a few points.
In the 800, Tori beat Lexi, 2:19.47 to 2:19.81.
However, she came up ONE point short of beating her sister, the final scores being 4481 and 4480!!
In a Throwers meet, Dani Bunch got a big PR in the SP, throwing it 61-11.75.
She's now 10th A-T US!
Sean Furey got a PR in the JT with his 270-11.
He moves from 18th to 15th on the A-T US list!
Elena Bruckner threw the Discus out to 182-8, for 10th A-T HS.
(I have SOME doubts about this mark, as another meet 8 days later saw her throw just 152+.)
Kiah Hicks had a 196-7 Discus Throw, making her 24th A-T Collegiate!
Aldan Tooker ran the 3000SC in 9:06.37 for 12th A-T HS!
Bella Burda won the NY State 3000 in 9:37.31.
But that wasn't the big news from that race, as Burda was probably favored to win.
The BIG news came from that incredible SEVENTH Grade girl, Katelyn Tuohy!
Can't remember her place in the race (5th??), but she ran 9:48.44!!
I have no idea what the record is for 7th Grade girls, but this MUST be very close to the "record"!
And it fits in very well with her recent 4:58.40 Mile (See my earlier post!).
Given a last 218 meters at about the same pace, she would have a Two Mile time of UNDER 10:30!!
And there you have it---a short report!
But check out what's coming!
Tomorrow is the Ostrava meet, which besides Usain Bolt, includes MANY great athletes.
Then come the Collegiate Regionals, East and West.
And on May 29th and May 30th is the Prefontaine DL!!
The latter has such a GREAT field (in EVERY event!) that I MIGHT do a preview post prior to the Friday night session!
If not, I'll surely do a HUGE post covering this always-great meet in DETAIL!!
See you soon----if not sooner!!
LOL
Remember a post from last year titled something like "That Moby Dick Moment"? (Can't remember the actual title, and too lazy to look it up!)
Well, we've just experienced another one!
Meaning, it was a VERY quiet weekend before an upcoming one that SHOULD (WILL!!) provide me with enough material to (maybe!) call for multiple posts!
(See below for some details on this!)
However quiet it was, there WERE some good marks.
One correction first.
I reported that Marquis Dendy's winning TJ at the SEC (56-11.25) was a legal jump.
Sorry, but it was wind-aided.
I've removed it from my Collegiate list.
However, he did have a legal jump of 55-8.50, which is his OUTdoor PR, and puts him in at 22nd on the Collegiate list, tied with 1 other.
He was taken OFF my US list!
Move over, Kaylin Whitney?
In a CIF meet, Lauren Rain Williams, a soph (just like Whitney was last year!), sped a 200 in 22.68.
It had an aiding wind of 3.2 that negates the mark for list purposes.
However, according to a couple of sources, it's the 5th fastest time under "all conditions", which includes wind-aided marks.
Whatever the case, it's an EXCELLENT time!!
Will she follow Whitney into the Pro ranks?
BTW, speaking of Ms Whitney, the new Pro had her first overseas meets AS a Pro!
In the 2nd meet, she faced Veronica Campbell-Brown!
Out of lane 2.
VCB won in 22.68, but Whitney surprised by finishing 2nd in 23.06, her fastest time as a Pro!
There are a few other legal sprint times to report.
Marvin Bracy broke through the 10 second barrier, running the 100 in 9.95.
This satisfied the many people who have considered Bracy the next great American sprinter!
And it makes him 22nd A-T US, tied with 6 others!
Dafne Schippers also broke through a barrier--the 11 second kind.
Her 10.94 set a new National Record for the Netherlands!
And it beat Dina Asher-Smith's 11.02.
The 19 year old Brit set the National Record of Great Britain with her time.
Another NR for the Netherlands was Sifan Hassan's 1000 time of 2:34.68.
That race (in the Hengelo meet) had some depth, as the first 9 all ran under 2:40.
Anita Hinriksdottir ran 2:36.63 for the Age 19 record.
It's also the new National Record of Iceland.
Jenny Meadows ran it in 2:36.13 for the Age 34 record.
Speaking of Age 34 records, another one was set by Fabiana Murer in the PV, as she vaulted 15-3.
In a different meet, American Melinda Withrow, vaulted 15-1.
She's now 12th A-T US, tied with 6 others.
She has an interesting story, which in some ways resembles that of Demi Payne.
As with Payne, she was good, but not great in HS and in her early college years.
After college, Withrow basically disappeared, only starting to compete again recently.
She'd never broken 14 until this year.
And now she's over 15---at age 30!
The only difference with Payne (as far as I know!) is that Withrow is not a new mother!
Speaking of PV'ers, the Weeks twins competed in a Heptathlon together.
After 6 events, Lexi was leading by a few points.
In the 800, Tori beat Lexi, 2:19.47 to 2:19.81.
However, she came up ONE point short of beating her sister, the final scores being 4481 and 4480!!
In a Throwers meet, Dani Bunch got a big PR in the SP, throwing it 61-11.75.
She's now 10th A-T US!
Sean Furey got a PR in the JT with his 270-11.
He moves from 18th to 15th on the A-T US list!
Elena Bruckner threw the Discus out to 182-8, for 10th A-T HS.
(I have SOME doubts about this mark, as another meet 8 days later saw her throw just 152+.)
Kiah Hicks had a 196-7 Discus Throw, making her 24th A-T Collegiate!
Aldan Tooker ran the 3000SC in 9:06.37 for 12th A-T HS!
Bella Burda won the NY State 3000 in 9:37.31.
But that wasn't the big news from that race, as Burda was probably favored to win.
The BIG news came from that incredible SEVENTH Grade girl, Katelyn Tuohy!
Can't remember her place in the race (5th??), but she ran 9:48.44!!
I have no idea what the record is for 7th Grade girls, but this MUST be very close to the "record"!
And it fits in very well with her recent 4:58.40 Mile (See my earlier post!).
Given a last 218 meters at about the same pace, she would have a Two Mile time of UNDER 10:30!!
And there you have it---a short report!
But check out what's coming!
Tomorrow is the Ostrava meet, which besides Usain Bolt, includes MANY great athletes.
Then come the Collegiate Regionals, East and West.
And on May 29th and May 30th is the Prefontaine DL!!
The latter has such a GREAT field (in EVERY event!) that I MIGHT do a preview post prior to the Friday night session!
If not, I'll surely do a HUGE post covering this always-great meet in DETAIL!!
See you soon----if not sooner!!
LOL
Monday, May 18, 2015
Shanghai fizzles-Collegiates sizzle
In a nutshell, that's basically it!
While there were SOME great marks in Shanghai, this 2nd DL of 2015 essentially fizzled!
(Like Stockholm and Rome did last year!)
But the day (weekend!) was saved by many thrilling Collegiate Conference performances (and team battles!).
But I have to begin with Almaz Ayana's sensational run over 5000 meters in Shanghai!
She followed a pacer through 3K in 8:36--which is 14:20 pace.
But Ethiopian Ayana picked up the pace, even though she would eventually finish 26 seconds ahead of 2nd place!
By herself, she ran steady 66-67's, finishing in the third best-ever time of 14:14.32.
What was best about it was that it was never hyped!
Meaning that in pre-meet talk, NOTHING was said about her going for a fast time.
None of that bullshit "I'm going for the WR!"---which almost never happens!!
She just went out there and ran fast---then ran even faster!---and wound up becoming 3rd A-T World!
Simple.
And definitely NO fizzle!
BTW, it's the Shanghai Meet Record.
And she came from 6th A-T World down to that 3rd!
Oh yes, forgot to mention that the first two on that list?
They're also Ethiopian, so no National Record!
(Or Age 23 record either!!)
Only 3 other events produced list or record changing marks.
Nikoleta Kiriakopoulou PV'ed 15-6.25 for a new Greece National Record.
She moves from 20th A-T World, tied with 3 others, to 16th, tied with 1 other.
Mutaz Barshim HJ'ed 7-9.75, out-jumping Bogdan Bondarenko for the Shanghai Meet Record.
And China's Huihui Lu threw the Javelin 210-2, also a Shanghai Meet Record.
And that was basically it from Shanghai!
And they call that a DIAMOND League meet?
Ha!
The US Collegiate scene was another story altogether!
And a guy named Tevin Hester set the stage!
His wind-aided 9.87 was the fastest 100 of the day!
(Would've broken the CR, if legal!)
But even though not acceptable, there WERE a couple of sub-10's that DO make my DDD!!
Andre De Grasse, the Canadian attending USC, tore up the track at the PAC-12 meet at UCLA.
He ran 9.97 in the 100, beating Ato Boldon's 10.03 from 1996 for the Meet Record!
This makes him 9th A-T Collegiate, tied with 5 others!
But he also ran solid 200's.
His heat was a 20.03
This makes him 12th A-T Collegiate, tied with 2 others.
It's also the National Record of Canada.
Then he ran 20.05 in the final!
The other sub-10 was a shocker.
Bryce Robinson suddenly emerged (He wasn't listed in T&FN's initial Top 10 NCAA Formchart!) to run 9.99.
This makes him 16th A-T Collegiate, tied with 3 others.
What it does also is take OFF my Top 24 list a legend!
Frankie Fredericks mark from 1989 is no longer a DDD-worthy mark!!
And neither is a mark by James Sanford, dating from 1980!!
He too is OFF my list!
And Mr Hester?
He also had a wind-LEGAL 200 of 20.18.
Speaking of the sprints, the SEC meet had quite a spectacular 4X100 Relay.
The Women's team from Texas A&M set the SEC Meet Record with their time of 42.61.
But they were followed closely by Florida's 42.72.
They move from the 7th fastest School to 3rd.
The 4th place spot was taken by Kentucky, whose 42.85 moves them from 10th A-T School to 6th!
FOUR schools running between 42.61 and 42.85 in one race!
That's the SEC for you!!
But the great marks weren't limited to the track.
Keturah Orji (as reported in my last post!) was beaten in the LJ by Quenesha Burks, but she prevailed in her signature event, the Triple Jump.
Her winning jump of 46-4.25 was initially reported as having 0.0 wind!
But that was soon changed to a +2.7, thus negating her first 46 footer for record or list purposes!
She did, however, have a legal jump of 45-5, which is her OUTdoor PR.
And it made her the Collegiate Frosh Class Record holder!
She moves from 19th A-T Collegiate to 14th, tied with 1 other.
And she moves onto the US list, taking 20th place, tied with 3 others!
As in Doha, the Men's SEC Triple Jump produced quite a battle.
Latario Collie's 56-4.50 was good.
It makes him 9th A-T Collegiate, tied with 2 others.
But it was Marquis Dendy's 56-11.25 which prevailed for the SEC Meet Record.
It makes him 4th A-T Collegiate, tied with 1 other.
It also makes him 15th A-T US!
BTW, speaking of that Doha TJ, I forgot to tell you that Christian Taylor's 2nd place mark of 59-2.25 is the best 2nd Place mark ever!!
Kendra Harrison exploded from a 12.7 girl all the way to 12.50, setting an SEC Meet Record!
It moves her from 6th A-T Collegiate, tied with 1 other, to 3rd.
And it moves her from 21st to 15th on the A-T US list!
The ACC had quite the meet too.
(See my previous post for earlier marks from there!)
Shakima Wimbly?
Who's she?
She's another who came out of nowhere (at least to my limited range of knowledge!) to suddenly be "a contender" (As they said in "Rocky"! LOL) at the NCAA.
But will she double?
She should, as she ran the 200 in 22.43, making her 19th A-T Collegiate.
And she added a 400 of 50.84, which makes her 22nd A-T Collegiate.
Both are ACC Meet Records!
Natoya Goule ran a solid 800 time of 2:01.32 to garner the ACC Meet Record.
But no PR!
And Notre Dame's Women's 4X400 team ran 3:31.17 for yet another ACC Meet Record.
Shamier Little ran a World-leading (and PR time of) 54.68 in the 400H.
This moves her from 23rd to 16th on the A-T Collegiate list.
Kyra Jefferson suddenly became the fastest Collegiate 200 woman this year, running a great 22.39.
She's now 15th A-T Collegiate, tied with 1 other.
Katelyn Daniels threw the Discus 193-10 for the Big 10 Meet Record.
Adding to the list of 6000+ scores in the Women's Heptathlon (See my previous post!) was Jess Herauf's score of 6014 points.
It's the Big 10 Meet Record.
And it makes her 22nd A-T Collegiate!
To indicate just how LOADED the 2015 Women's Collegiate Heptathlon is, note that Herauf's mark removed FROM my list---another mark from 2015!!
The PAC-12 meet, in addition to Andre DeGrasse's sprint double, had some other highlights.
Raevyn Rogers won the 800 in 2:01.67, garnering the Collegiate Frosh Class record in the process.
Shelby Houlihan was supposed to have a great duel with Stanford's freshman Elise Cranny.
But Cranny faded on the last lap to 4th, while Houlihan finished in 4:11.06 for the PAC-12 Meet Record.
USC's Women's 4X100 team won the race in 43.10, another PAC-12 Meet Record.
But they narrowly lost to Oregon's Ducks, who won the meet, 185 to 182!!
A meet in Europe (I believe!) produced a National Record for South Africa.
Anasdo Jobodwana sprinted 200 in 20.06 for his NR.
A couple of relatively new Pro's produced some interesting results.
Abbey D'Agostino decided against running at the Hoka One-One meet.
Instead, she stayed home in Massachusetts and ran in a "Twilight" meet, soloing to victory in the 1500, time of 4:13.91.
She won by about 8 seconds!
Emily Liparei was 3rd in 4:22+.
But even better---MUCH better!!--was 18 year old Alexa Efraimson's 800 time of 2:01.13.
This was at the Portland meet, a "last chance" affair that took place last night.
Her training mate (and 2:03 800 girl) Makayla Fricker paced her through about 600 meters, but it was all Alexa's show.
Her splits were approximately 60 and 61, and she finished strong, indicating a potential for getting into the 1:59's.....soon!!
And she's the new HS PRO 800 meter record holder too!!
Of course, she had only one mark and person to beat--Mary Cain!!
Oh yes, almost forgot!
This puts her on the 2015 OUTdoor Top 10 list for the WORLD!!
But on the AMATEUR High School front, there were some outstanding marks!
Lexi Weeks PV'ed 14-2.
She remains 3rd A-T HS, but now she's not tied with anyone!
Rai Benjamin, perhaps better known for his INdoor exploits over 400 and 300 meter flat races, ran the 400H in 50.45, making him 18th A-T HS!
With his great 400 speed, he's on target to go under 50 seconds...soon!
Bobby Colantonio threw a PR in the HT, his mark of 243-7 moving him from 11th to 7th on the A-T HS list!!
Kendall Sheffield blazed through the 110H in 13.42.
He's now 18th A-T HS, tied with 1 other.
Jordyn Colter broke the Colorado state record in the 800 with her 2:04.56.
She's 21st A-T HS.
And Ryan Clark sprinted the 100 in 10.26, making him 23rd A-T HS, tied with 1 other.
Well, I THINK that's a wrap on the fizzle and sizzle of this past weekend!
(If I find enough other marks worthy of my lists, I might produce another post in a day or two.
Otherwise, my next post won't be until this coming weekend!)
Enjoy this, and see you soon!!
While there were SOME great marks in Shanghai, this 2nd DL of 2015 essentially fizzled!
(Like Stockholm and Rome did last year!)
But the day (weekend!) was saved by many thrilling Collegiate Conference performances (and team battles!).
But I have to begin with Almaz Ayana's sensational run over 5000 meters in Shanghai!
She followed a pacer through 3K in 8:36--which is 14:20 pace.
But Ethiopian Ayana picked up the pace, even though she would eventually finish 26 seconds ahead of 2nd place!
By herself, she ran steady 66-67's, finishing in the third best-ever time of 14:14.32.
What was best about it was that it was never hyped!
Meaning that in pre-meet talk, NOTHING was said about her going for a fast time.
None of that bullshit "I'm going for the WR!"---which almost never happens!!
She just went out there and ran fast---then ran even faster!---and wound up becoming 3rd A-T World!
Simple.
And definitely NO fizzle!
BTW, it's the Shanghai Meet Record.
And she came from 6th A-T World down to that 3rd!
Oh yes, forgot to mention that the first two on that list?
They're also Ethiopian, so no National Record!
(Or Age 23 record either!!)
Only 3 other events produced list or record changing marks.
Nikoleta Kiriakopoulou PV'ed 15-6.25 for a new Greece National Record.
She moves from 20th A-T World, tied with 3 others, to 16th, tied with 1 other.
Mutaz Barshim HJ'ed 7-9.75, out-jumping Bogdan Bondarenko for the Shanghai Meet Record.
And China's Huihui Lu threw the Javelin 210-2, also a Shanghai Meet Record.
And that was basically it from Shanghai!
And they call that a DIAMOND League meet?
Ha!
The US Collegiate scene was another story altogether!
And a guy named Tevin Hester set the stage!
His wind-aided 9.87 was the fastest 100 of the day!
(Would've broken the CR, if legal!)
But even though not acceptable, there WERE a couple of sub-10's that DO make my DDD!!
Andre De Grasse, the Canadian attending USC, tore up the track at the PAC-12 meet at UCLA.
He ran 9.97 in the 100, beating Ato Boldon's 10.03 from 1996 for the Meet Record!
This makes him 9th A-T Collegiate, tied with 5 others!
But he also ran solid 200's.
His heat was a 20.03
This makes him 12th A-T Collegiate, tied with 2 others.
It's also the National Record of Canada.
Then he ran 20.05 in the final!
The other sub-10 was a shocker.
Bryce Robinson suddenly emerged (He wasn't listed in T&FN's initial Top 10 NCAA Formchart!) to run 9.99.
This makes him 16th A-T Collegiate, tied with 3 others.
What it does also is take OFF my Top 24 list a legend!
Frankie Fredericks mark from 1989 is no longer a DDD-worthy mark!!
And neither is a mark by James Sanford, dating from 1980!!
He too is OFF my list!
And Mr Hester?
He also had a wind-LEGAL 200 of 20.18.
Speaking of the sprints, the SEC meet had quite a spectacular 4X100 Relay.
The Women's team from Texas A&M set the SEC Meet Record with their time of 42.61.
But they were followed closely by Florida's 42.72.
They move from the 7th fastest School to 3rd.
The 4th place spot was taken by Kentucky, whose 42.85 moves them from 10th A-T School to 6th!
FOUR schools running between 42.61 and 42.85 in one race!
That's the SEC for you!!
But the great marks weren't limited to the track.
Keturah Orji (as reported in my last post!) was beaten in the LJ by Quenesha Burks, but she prevailed in her signature event, the Triple Jump.
Her winning jump of 46-4.25 was initially reported as having 0.0 wind!
But that was soon changed to a +2.7, thus negating her first 46 footer for record or list purposes!
She did, however, have a legal jump of 45-5, which is her OUTdoor PR.
And it made her the Collegiate Frosh Class Record holder!
She moves from 19th A-T Collegiate to 14th, tied with 1 other.
And she moves onto the US list, taking 20th place, tied with 3 others!
As in Doha, the Men's SEC Triple Jump produced quite a battle.
Latario Collie's 56-4.50 was good.
It makes him 9th A-T Collegiate, tied with 2 others.
But it was Marquis Dendy's 56-11.25 which prevailed for the SEC Meet Record.
It makes him 4th A-T Collegiate, tied with 1 other.
It also makes him 15th A-T US!
BTW, speaking of that Doha TJ, I forgot to tell you that Christian Taylor's 2nd place mark of 59-2.25 is the best 2nd Place mark ever!!
Kendra Harrison exploded from a 12.7 girl all the way to 12.50, setting an SEC Meet Record!
It moves her from 6th A-T Collegiate, tied with 1 other, to 3rd.
And it moves her from 21st to 15th on the A-T US list!
The ACC had quite the meet too.
(See my previous post for earlier marks from there!)
Shakima Wimbly?
Who's she?
She's another who came out of nowhere (at least to my limited range of knowledge!) to suddenly be "a contender" (As they said in "Rocky"! LOL) at the NCAA.
But will she double?
She should, as she ran the 200 in 22.43, making her 19th A-T Collegiate.
And she added a 400 of 50.84, which makes her 22nd A-T Collegiate.
Both are ACC Meet Records!
Natoya Goule ran a solid 800 time of 2:01.32 to garner the ACC Meet Record.
But no PR!
And Notre Dame's Women's 4X400 team ran 3:31.17 for yet another ACC Meet Record.
Shamier Little ran a World-leading (and PR time of) 54.68 in the 400H.
This moves her from 23rd to 16th on the A-T Collegiate list.
Kyra Jefferson suddenly became the fastest Collegiate 200 woman this year, running a great 22.39.
She's now 15th A-T Collegiate, tied with 1 other.
Katelyn Daniels threw the Discus 193-10 for the Big 10 Meet Record.
Adding to the list of 6000+ scores in the Women's Heptathlon (See my previous post!) was Jess Herauf's score of 6014 points.
It's the Big 10 Meet Record.
And it makes her 22nd A-T Collegiate!
To indicate just how LOADED the 2015 Women's Collegiate Heptathlon is, note that Herauf's mark removed FROM my list---another mark from 2015!!
The PAC-12 meet, in addition to Andre DeGrasse's sprint double, had some other highlights.
Raevyn Rogers won the 800 in 2:01.67, garnering the Collegiate Frosh Class record in the process.
Shelby Houlihan was supposed to have a great duel with Stanford's freshman Elise Cranny.
But Cranny faded on the last lap to 4th, while Houlihan finished in 4:11.06 for the PAC-12 Meet Record.
USC's Women's 4X100 team won the race in 43.10, another PAC-12 Meet Record.
But they narrowly lost to Oregon's Ducks, who won the meet, 185 to 182!!
A meet in Europe (I believe!) produced a National Record for South Africa.
Anasdo Jobodwana sprinted 200 in 20.06 for his NR.
A couple of relatively new Pro's produced some interesting results.
Abbey D'Agostino decided against running at the Hoka One-One meet.
Instead, she stayed home in Massachusetts and ran in a "Twilight" meet, soloing to victory in the 1500, time of 4:13.91.
She won by about 8 seconds!
Emily Liparei was 3rd in 4:22+.
But even better---MUCH better!!--was 18 year old Alexa Efraimson's 800 time of 2:01.13.
This was at the Portland meet, a "last chance" affair that took place last night.
Her training mate (and 2:03 800 girl) Makayla Fricker paced her through about 600 meters, but it was all Alexa's show.
Her splits were approximately 60 and 61, and she finished strong, indicating a potential for getting into the 1:59's.....soon!!
And she's the new HS PRO 800 meter record holder too!!
Of course, she had only one mark and person to beat--Mary Cain!!
Oh yes, almost forgot!
This puts her on the 2015 OUTdoor Top 10 list for the WORLD!!
But on the AMATEUR High School front, there were some outstanding marks!
Lexi Weeks PV'ed 14-2.
She remains 3rd A-T HS, but now she's not tied with anyone!
Rai Benjamin, perhaps better known for his INdoor exploits over 400 and 300 meter flat races, ran the 400H in 50.45, making him 18th A-T HS!
With his great 400 speed, he's on target to go under 50 seconds...soon!
Bobby Colantonio threw a PR in the HT, his mark of 243-7 moving him from 11th to 7th on the A-T HS list!!
Kendall Sheffield blazed through the 110H in 13.42.
He's now 18th A-T HS, tied with 1 other.
Jordyn Colter broke the Colorado state record in the 800 with her 2:04.56.
She's 21st A-T HS.
And Ryan Clark sprinted the 100 in 10.26, making him 23rd A-T HS, tied with 1 other.
Well, I THINK that's a wrap on the fizzle and sizzle of this past weekend!
(If I find enough other marks worthy of my lists, I might produce another post in a day or two.
Otherwise, my next post won't be until this coming weekend!)
Enjoy this, and see you soon!!
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Super Weekend: Doha & CR (Part 1)
What a LOADED 4 days of T&F we're experiencing!
There's TWO Diamond League meets, one already done!
And ALL the MAJOR Collegiate Conferences, their 1st day or two in the bag!
There's some BIG High School State meets.
And there was that STORMY Hoka One One affair!
Because I already have--as of this morning, BEFORE the start of today's activities--more than 4 full pages of GREAT records and marks to report, I decided to break up the weekend into 3 parts.
The first part--this one--will cover the Doha DL, the Hoka 1-1 meet, the first day or 2 of most of the big College Conference results, plus whatever else I found!
The second part will cover the Collegiate scene, with the Conferences' final days results in detail!
The third part will cover the Shanghai DL, plus whatever was left out of the first 2 parts!
Whenever a MAJOR Record is set---meaning either a WR, US Record, CR, or HSR--I must lead with that, no matter how great the other marks are!
And Sandi Morris--half of that Dynamite Duo of female Collegiate PV'ers, the other half being Demi Payne---well, she's done it again!!
In this bouncy game of CR trading, Morris is the latest to take the lead.
In the always exciting SEC meet--which ain't over!!--Morris broke Payne's OUTdoor CR with her vault of 15-5.75.
She was all alone after 14-6, and proceeded to make 15-1.75, then the record height.
It's the SEC Meet Record, the former record held by former CR holder Tina Sutej!
It's the OUTdoor Collegiate Senior Class record.
She moves from 2nd to 1st on the Collegiate list.
She moves from 9th to 4th on the A-T US list.
AND she finally enters the WORLD list in 17th place, tied with 2 others!!
Let's stick to that SEC meet for a bit.
In the Women's HJ, a great battle took place between Leontia Kallenou and Jennelle Scheper.
In the end, Scheper prevailed, her winning height of 6-5 also the SEC Meet Record.
She moves from 6th A-T Collegiate, tied with 5 others, to 5th, tied with 1 other.
Kallenou's 6-4 jump doesn't change her place on the Collegiate list (She's still 15th!), but she's no longer tied with anyone!
The SEC Multis produced 2 great marks!
Maicel Uibo improved his Decathlon PR to 8326 points, winning VERY easily!
It's the SEC Meet Record.
And it moves him from 11th to 4th on the A-T Collegiate list!
Erica Bougard had her Day of Days in the Heptathlon, scoring 6250 points for the relatively easy win over Kendell Williams, who came within 15 points of her PR with 6003 points.
Bougard's mark is also the SEC Meet Record.
And she moves up a whopping 19 (!!) places on the A-T Collegiate list, from 23rd to 4th!
And she moves onto the US list, placing 17th there.
Big 10 Conference Meet Records were set by Chuk Enekwechi in the HT, his mark being 238-9.25, and by Stephanie Richartz, who PV'ed 14-4.
Shelbi Vaughan got a solid PR in the Discus Throw, her mark being 211-8.
While she remains 6th A-T Collegiate, her mark moves her from 14th to 11th on the A-T US list!
Never heard of her---or at least can't remember her name--but Carolina Carmichael improved her PV up to 14-9 at the American Athletic Conference, a meet also unknown to me!!
Anyway, she moves from 21st A-T Collegiate, tied with 6 others, all the way to 6th, tied with 4 others!
And assuming she's an American citizen (Haven't had time to research it---will change this later, if needed!), she's now 20th A-T US, tied with 6 others!!
What a year for the PV!!
Brooke Pleger inched up (literally!!) the Collegiate HT list....sort of.
She did improve her PR to 228-8.75, but it doesn't change her Collegiate list status.
It DOES move her up one place on the US list, however, from 18th to 17th!
The Atlantic Coast Conference got 2 new MR's.
Continuing the onslaught of Women's Collegiate 6000+ scores in the Heptathlon this year, Xenia Rahn scored 6057 points for the ACC MR.
It also makes her 14th A-T Collegiate!
Irena Sediva got the other ACC Meet Record, her JT of 192-5 spearing the mark....so to speak! LOL
She moves up a place on the A-T Collegiate list, from 10th to 9th.
It also breaks her own Collegiate Soph Class record!
Kaitlin Petrillose, who WAS having a pretty rough year, got the Big 12 MR with her PV of 14-6.
Quanesha Burks surprised Keturah Orji in the SEC Long Jump, not only winning, but jumping 22-5.25 for 6th place on the A-T Collegiate list!
It's also the Collegiate Soph Class record!
And it ties the one and only Britney Reese's SEC Meet Record!!
Hannah Carson threw the Javelin 184-11 for 21st A-T Collegiate!
She's finally making up for those dreary HS years she had!
Well, those College kids weren't the only ones making history this Wild Weekend!
The Professionals---1 or 2 of "College age"--were also in the game!
The initial DL meet of 2015, in Doha, Qatar, gave us LOTS of GREAT marks, and a shock or two (or 3!).
Jasmin Stowers.
What a FANTASTIC year she's having!
I've dubbed it a "Brianna Rollins 2013-style" year.
Remember?
Well, Stowers is well on her way to matching--or surpassing!--what Rollins did 2 years back!
She won the Doha 100H race in a blazing 12.35.
It's the Meet Record!
It's the Age 23 record, breaking her own mark!
She moves from 5th to 3rd on the A-T US list.
And she moves from 11th A-T World, tied with 2 others, to 7th!
Not to mention she beat--among others!--2012 Olympic Champion Sally Pearson!
BTW, 2nd in this race was Sharika Nelvis, who is ALSO having a good year!
Her time of 12.54 is a BIG PR, and makes her 17th A-T US, tied with 1 other!
Dawn Harper-Nelson inexplicably finished LAST in this race, in 13.24!!
I didn't see the race, so have no idea what happened to her!
It seems no matter how fast he runs, Justin Gatlin just can't out-run controversy!
His 100 time of 9.74 notwithstanding, he continues to be subjugated to hate-filled remarks.
One Twitter person said (paraphrased) that "50% hate him, and 50% despise him"!
Nice.
Anyway, that 9.74 easily won the Doha 100, setting the Meet Record!
It's also the Age 33 record.
But his placings on the US (2nd) and World (5th) lists remains the same!
Personally, I think this hatred of Gatlin should STOP!
He's done the time, so back off!!
He's a good person who did something bad....and paid for it with 4 years off his career!
I like the guy!
Kim Collins continues to rock and roll....and sprint fast!
He ran 10.03 in the 100 to DESTROY Troy Douglas's Age 39 record!!
The Triple Jump doesn't get much love.
But the Battle Royal that ensued in Doha in the Men's event brought a LOT of love their way!
Pablo---or is that Pedro?---Pichardo is from Cuba.
But that didn't keep him from his MISSION in Doha.
He hopped, skipped & jumped out 59-3, for the longest leap in years!
But he almost didn't win!
Because Christian Taylor, who lives in Florida, just across some water from Cuba, almost got him with his PR of 59-2.25!!
Pichardo's 59-3 is the Age 21 record!
He breaks his own National Record of Cuba.
It's the Doha Meet Record!
And he moves from 6th to 3rd on the A-T World list!
Taylor's 59-2.25 moves him from 3rd to 2nd on the A-T US list!
He's just two inches from the American Record!!
He remains in 5th place on the A-T World list!
Allyson Felix ran one of her fastest 200's--especially for this early in the year!.
Her 21.98 shattered the Doha Meet Record.
She beat Muriele Ahoure, and 17 year old new American HS Pro Kaylin Whitney (who finished in 8th place, time of 23.24, in her first International race as a Pro!), among others!
I'm not sure if there's anyone else who has done this, but Felix now holds THREE Doha Meet Records!!
Her 100 from 2012, and her 400 from 2008, plus this year's 200, are all Doha MR's!!
Does anyone know if anyone else---male or female---holds this distinction??
Bershawn Jackson's 48.09 in the 400H is the new Doha MR.
Luiza Gega's non-winning (Dawit Seyaum won in 4:00+!) 4:02.63 is the National Record of Albania.
Reese Hoffa nabbed his own Age 37 record in the SP, hitting 69-10.75.
Shara Proctor tied her own National Record of Great Britain with her Long Jump of 22-10.
(Tianna Bartoletta won the event!)
That Hoka One One Distance Festival---formerly the Oxy High Performance meet---was SO promising!!
The fields the sponsor had collected were, in some cases, equal to or better than some seen at the USATF meets!!
The list of GREAT American (and a very few foreign!) names was practically endless!
And all of them wanted--at the very least!--to get Qualifying times for the USATF meet and/or the WC's!!
Then the skies opened up and the God of Thunder roared!
But that only excuses what happened in the latter part of the meet.
(More on that in a minute!)
The first few races, while okay by "normal" standards, were quite inferior when you consider the athletes raison d'etre for being there!!
That said, a few good marks evolved.
But the only Meet Record was set by Stephanie Garcia in the 3000SC.
Her winning time was 9:37.19.
She was in the 4th Section of the 800 (Supposed to be the slowest, with the least speedy runners!), but HS Professional Alexa Efraimson WON that section with a time faster than in Section 3!
But her time of 2:03.23, while a PR by 0.03 seconds, does NOT break Mary Cain's HS Pro 800 record!!
Alexa looked like she could have held her own in the 2 faster sections, running very strongly, with a very good kick!!
Maggie Vessey beat Jenny Simpson in Section 2 (Why were they in Section TWO???), 2:00.70 to 2:00.79.
Vessey wore a white--and rather BRIEF--uniform, but while beautiful and fashionable, she's also having a good solid year so far!
Simpson kicked from back in the pack to ALMOST beat her!
Treniere Moser of NOP won the "fast" section....in 2:01.67!!
And she was the ONLY NOP person to perform well.
Shannon Rowbury didn't win either of her two races, the 800 or 1500.
And Mary Cain?
Oh God!
Remember this meet in 2013, when it was the Oxy High Performance meet?
Remember the Women's 1500, won by Katie Mackey in 4:04.60?
(Mackey won this year too, but about 3 seconds slower!)
Remember seeing Mary Cain, then just barely 17 years old, sprint from 6th or 7th on the final curve to get 2nd in the HSR of 4:04.62??
Well, THAT Mary Cain is NOT THIS Mary Cain!!
Nowhere near!!
She went immediately to the back of the 12 woman pack.....and remained there, just barely edging out Cory McGee to avoid LAST place!!
Her time was AGAIN---for the 3rd time this year--in the 4:15+ range!
WHAT is WRONG with this now 19 year old woman?
SOMEthing is!
After Leo Manzano won the first section of the 1500, the storm---NOT normal in SoCal!!--hit with a vengeance!
Torrential rain, plus thunder and lightning, first delayed the meet, then forced (??) the organizers to cancel it.
That meant that some other VERY fast 1500 guys, and a few VERY good 5000 folks didn't get to race!!
Among them were Galen Rupp and Buze Diriba!
Cam Levins and Kara Goucher, among many others, also didn't get to race!
(And I have no idea if Alberto Salazar had his NOP crew do a post-meet hard workout, as is their normal routine!! LOL)
Well, let's end this post with another new mark, my usual Kayla Montgomery report, plus some "old" news.
The new mark is the 1:48.07 HS 800 time by Donavan Brazier.
This makes him 8th A-T HS.
Word is he negative split the race, passing 400 in 55+!!
Kayla finished her 2nd ever 10000, but it was about 2 whole minutes slower than her PR of 35:49.
At the Atlantic Sun Conference meet, she finished 6th in 37:53.20.
But she was leading after about 6 laps!
Then something happened, as her steady 80+ laps ended with a 107 second lap!!
Whatever caused her to slow that much ended, as she returned to speedier laps---but in the 90's, not 80's!--and scored 3 points for her team! (Two other Lipscomb runners finished ahead of her!)
I'm still a HUGE fan of this remarkable young lady!!
At the Sun Belt Conference meet a few days ago, Clayton Vaughn sprinted the 100 in 9.93 (wind of 1.7).
He's suddenly now 4th A-T Collegiate, tied with 2 others.
And he makes the US list too, in 17th, tied with 3 others!
Bria Matthews TJ'ed 43-5.50 to become 7th A-T HS.
Deakin Volz PV'ed an OUTdoor PR of 17-8, which moves him from 16th A-T HS, tied with 2 others, to 15th, tied with 1 other!
Remember me mentioning SEVENTH Grader Katelyn Tuohy?
She'd run a 1200 leg of a DMR in 3:36.09.
Well, it turns out she's run a pretty fair Mile too!
Her 4:58.40 MILE time (NOT 1600!!) in the NY State meet (She finished in 5th place!!) breaks Mary Cain's 7th Grade NY State record!
I didn't even know Cain was RUNNING in the 7th grade!
I thought she was still on the SWIM team !!
Anyway, Tuohy is certainly one to watch!!
Before I end this, I have some corrections to make!
It wasn't Eleanore Thompson who ran that 10.92 earlier this year.
It was Elaine Thompson!
And her time wasn't 10.94 in last week's Jamaica meet, it was 10.97.
Well, that concludes Part ONE of my trilogy from this weekend.
I'll probably have Part 2 sometime tomorrow--after the end of the PAC-12 Conference meet.
(All the other major conferences end today!)
That post will have ALL the great records and marks from the College scene!!
The 3rd part will probably come either late Sunday or early Monday, and will feature the Shanghai DL, plus whatever I might miss from the other venues!
Yes, it's a SUPER Weekend---and this report is just the beginning!!
There's TWO Diamond League meets, one already done!
And ALL the MAJOR Collegiate Conferences, their 1st day or two in the bag!
There's some BIG High School State meets.
And there was that STORMY Hoka One One affair!
Because I already have--as of this morning, BEFORE the start of today's activities--more than 4 full pages of GREAT records and marks to report, I decided to break up the weekend into 3 parts.
The first part--this one--will cover the Doha DL, the Hoka 1-1 meet, the first day or 2 of most of the big College Conference results, plus whatever else I found!
The second part will cover the Collegiate scene, with the Conferences' final days results in detail!
The third part will cover the Shanghai DL, plus whatever was left out of the first 2 parts!
Whenever a MAJOR Record is set---meaning either a WR, US Record, CR, or HSR--I must lead with that, no matter how great the other marks are!
And Sandi Morris--half of that Dynamite Duo of female Collegiate PV'ers, the other half being Demi Payne---well, she's done it again!!
In this bouncy game of CR trading, Morris is the latest to take the lead.
In the always exciting SEC meet--which ain't over!!--Morris broke Payne's OUTdoor CR with her vault of 15-5.75.
She was all alone after 14-6, and proceeded to make 15-1.75, then the record height.
It's the SEC Meet Record, the former record held by former CR holder Tina Sutej!
It's the OUTdoor Collegiate Senior Class record.
She moves from 2nd to 1st on the Collegiate list.
She moves from 9th to 4th on the A-T US list.
AND she finally enters the WORLD list in 17th place, tied with 2 others!!
Let's stick to that SEC meet for a bit.
In the Women's HJ, a great battle took place between Leontia Kallenou and Jennelle Scheper.
In the end, Scheper prevailed, her winning height of 6-5 also the SEC Meet Record.
She moves from 6th A-T Collegiate, tied with 5 others, to 5th, tied with 1 other.
Kallenou's 6-4 jump doesn't change her place on the Collegiate list (She's still 15th!), but she's no longer tied with anyone!
The SEC Multis produced 2 great marks!
Maicel Uibo improved his Decathlon PR to 8326 points, winning VERY easily!
It's the SEC Meet Record.
And it moves him from 11th to 4th on the A-T Collegiate list!
Erica Bougard had her Day of Days in the Heptathlon, scoring 6250 points for the relatively easy win over Kendell Williams, who came within 15 points of her PR with 6003 points.
Bougard's mark is also the SEC Meet Record.
And she moves up a whopping 19 (!!) places on the A-T Collegiate list, from 23rd to 4th!
And she moves onto the US list, placing 17th there.
Big 10 Conference Meet Records were set by Chuk Enekwechi in the HT, his mark being 238-9.25, and by Stephanie Richartz, who PV'ed 14-4.
Shelbi Vaughan got a solid PR in the Discus Throw, her mark being 211-8.
While she remains 6th A-T Collegiate, her mark moves her from 14th to 11th on the A-T US list!
Never heard of her---or at least can't remember her name--but Carolina Carmichael improved her PV up to 14-9 at the American Athletic Conference, a meet also unknown to me!!
Anyway, she moves from 21st A-T Collegiate, tied with 6 others, all the way to 6th, tied with 4 others!
And assuming she's an American citizen (Haven't had time to research it---will change this later, if needed!), she's now 20th A-T US, tied with 6 others!!
What a year for the PV!!
Brooke Pleger inched up (literally!!) the Collegiate HT list....sort of.
She did improve her PR to 228-8.75, but it doesn't change her Collegiate list status.
It DOES move her up one place on the US list, however, from 18th to 17th!
The Atlantic Coast Conference got 2 new MR's.
Continuing the onslaught of Women's Collegiate 6000+ scores in the Heptathlon this year, Xenia Rahn scored 6057 points for the ACC MR.
It also makes her 14th A-T Collegiate!
Irena Sediva got the other ACC Meet Record, her JT of 192-5 spearing the mark....so to speak! LOL
She moves up a place on the A-T Collegiate list, from 10th to 9th.
It also breaks her own Collegiate Soph Class record!
Kaitlin Petrillose, who WAS having a pretty rough year, got the Big 12 MR with her PV of 14-6.
Quanesha Burks surprised Keturah Orji in the SEC Long Jump, not only winning, but jumping 22-5.25 for 6th place on the A-T Collegiate list!
It's also the Collegiate Soph Class record!
And it ties the one and only Britney Reese's SEC Meet Record!!
Hannah Carson threw the Javelin 184-11 for 21st A-T Collegiate!
She's finally making up for those dreary HS years she had!
Well, those College kids weren't the only ones making history this Wild Weekend!
The Professionals---1 or 2 of "College age"--were also in the game!
The initial DL meet of 2015, in Doha, Qatar, gave us LOTS of GREAT marks, and a shock or two (or 3!).
Jasmin Stowers.
What a FANTASTIC year she's having!
I've dubbed it a "Brianna Rollins 2013-style" year.
Remember?
Well, Stowers is well on her way to matching--or surpassing!--what Rollins did 2 years back!
She won the Doha 100H race in a blazing 12.35.
It's the Meet Record!
It's the Age 23 record, breaking her own mark!
She moves from 5th to 3rd on the A-T US list.
And she moves from 11th A-T World, tied with 2 others, to 7th!
Not to mention she beat--among others!--2012 Olympic Champion Sally Pearson!
BTW, 2nd in this race was Sharika Nelvis, who is ALSO having a good year!
Her time of 12.54 is a BIG PR, and makes her 17th A-T US, tied with 1 other!
Dawn Harper-Nelson inexplicably finished LAST in this race, in 13.24!!
I didn't see the race, so have no idea what happened to her!
It seems no matter how fast he runs, Justin Gatlin just can't out-run controversy!
His 100 time of 9.74 notwithstanding, he continues to be subjugated to hate-filled remarks.
One Twitter person said (paraphrased) that "50% hate him, and 50% despise him"!
Nice.
Anyway, that 9.74 easily won the Doha 100, setting the Meet Record!
It's also the Age 33 record.
But his placings on the US (2nd) and World (5th) lists remains the same!
Personally, I think this hatred of Gatlin should STOP!
He's done the time, so back off!!
He's a good person who did something bad....and paid for it with 4 years off his career!
I like the guy!
Kim Collins continues to rock and roll....and sprint fast!
He ran 10.03 in the 100 to DESTROY Troy Douglas's Age 39 record!!
The Triple Jump doesn't get much love.
But the Battle Royal that ensued in Doha in the Men's event brought a LOT of love their way!
Pablo---or is that Pedro?---Pichardo is from Cuba.
But that didn't keep him from his MISSION in Doha.
He hopped, skipped & jumped out 59-3, for the longest leap in years!
But he almost didn't win!
Because Christian Taylor, who lives in Florida, just across some water from Cuba, almost got him with his PR of 59-2.25!!
Pichardo's 59-3 is the Age 21 record!
He breaks his own National Record of Cuba.
It's the Doha Meet Record!
And he moves from 6th to 3rd on the A-T World list!
Taylor's 59-2.25 moves him from 3rd to 2nd on the A-T US list!
He's just two inches from the American Record!!
He remains in 5th place on the A-T World list!
Allyson Felix ran one of her fastest 200's--especially for this early in the year!.
Her 21.98 shattered the Doha Meet Record.
She beat Muriele Ahoure, and 17 year old new American HS Pro Kaylin Whitney (who finished in 8th place, time of 23.24, in her first International race as a Pro!), among others!
I'm not sure if there's anyone else who has done this, but Felix now holds THREE Doha Meet Records!!
Her 100 from 2012, and her 400 from 2008, plus this year's 200, are all Doha MR's!!
Does anyone know if anyone else---male or female---holds this distinction??
Bershawn Jackson's 48.09 in the 400H is the new Doha MR.
Luiza Gega's non-winning (Dawit Seyaum won in 4:00+!) 4:02.63 is the National Record of Albania.
Reese Hoffa nabbed his own Age 37 record in the SP, hitting 69-10.75.
Shara Proctor tied her own National Record of Great Britain with her Long Jump of 22-10.
(Tianna Bartoletta won the event!)
That Hoka One One Distance Festival---formerly the Oxy High Performance meet---was SO promising!!
The fields the sponsor had collected were, in some cases, equal to or better than some seen at the USATF meets!!
The list of GREAT American (and a very few foreign!) names was practically endless!
And all of them wanted--at the very least!--to get Qualifying times for the USATF meet and/or the WC's!!
Then the skies opened up and the God of Thunder roared!
But that only excuses what happened in the latter part of the meet.
(More on that in a minute!)
The first few races, while okay by "normal" standards, were quite inferior when you consider the athletes raison d'etre for being there!!
That said, a few good marks evolved.
But the only Meet Record was set by Stephanie Garcia in the 3000SC.
Her winning time was 9:37.19.
She was in the 4th Section of the 800 (Supposed to be the slowest, with the least speedy runners!), but HS Professional Alexa Efraimson WON that section with a time faster than in Section 3!
But her time of 2:03.23, while a PR by 0.03 seconds, does NOT break Mary Cain's HS Pro 800 record!!
Alexa looked like she could have held her own in the 2 faster sections, running very strongly, with a very good kick!!
Maggie Vessey beat Jenny Simpson in Section 2 (Why were they in Section TWO???), 2:00.70 to 2:00.79.
Vessey wore a white--and rather BRIEF--uniform, but while beautiful and fashionable, she's also having a good solid year so far!
Simpson kicked from back in the pack to ALMOST beat her!
Treniere Moser of NOP won the "fast" section....in 2:01.67!!
And she was the ONLY NOP person to perform well.
Shannon Rowbury didn't win either of her two races, the 800 or 1500.
And Mary Cain?
Oh God!
Remember this meet in 2013, when it was the Oxy High Performance meet?
Remember the Women's 1500, won by Katie Mackey in 4:04.60?
(Mackey won this year too, but about 3 seconds slower!)
Remember seeing Mary Cain, then just barely 17 years old, sprint from 6th or 7th on the final curve to get 2nd in the HSR of 4:04.62??
Well, THAT Mary Cain is NOT THIS Mary Cain!!
Nowhere near!!
She went immediately to the back of the 12 woman pack.....and remained there, just barely edging out Cory McGee to avoid LAST place!!
Her time was AGAIN---for the 3rd time this year--in the 4:15+ range!
WHAT is WRONG with this now 19 year old woman?
SOMEthing is!
After Leo Manzano won the first section of the 1500, the storm---NOT normal in SoCal!!--hit with a vengeance!
Torrential rain, plus thunder and lightning, first delayed the meet, then forced (??) the organizers to cancel it.
That meant that some other VERY fast 1500 guys, and a few VERY good 5000 folks didn't get to race!!
Among them were Galen Rupp and Buze Diriba!
Cam Levins and Kara Goucher, among many others, also didn't get to race!
(And I have no idea if Alberto Salazar had his NOP crew do a post-meet hard workout, as is their normal routine!! LOL)
Well, let's end this post with another new mark, my usual Kayla Montgomery report, plus some "old" news.
The new mark is the 1:48.07 HS 800 time by Donavan Brazier.
This makes him 8th A-T HS.
Word is he negative split the race, passing 400 in 55+!!
Kayla finished her 2nd ever 10000, but it was about 2 whole minutes slower than her PR of 35:49.
At the Atlantic Sun Conference meet, she finished 6th in 37:53.20.
But she was leading after about 6 laps!
Then something happened, as her steady 80+ laps ended with a 107 second lap!!
Whatever caused her to slow that much ended, as she returned to speedier laps---but in the 90's, not 80's!--and scored 3 points for her team! (Two other Lipscomb runners finished ahead of her!)
I'm still a HUGE fan of this remarkable young lady!!
At the Sun Belt Conference meet a few days ago, Clayton Vaughn sprinted the 100 in 9.93 (wind of 1.7).
He's suddenly now 4th A-T Collegiate, tied with 2 others.
And he makes the US list too, in 17th, tied with 3 others!
Bria Matthews TJ'ed 43-5.50 to become 7th A-T HS.
Deakin Volz PV'ed an OUTdoor PR of 17-8, which moves him from 16th A-T HS, tied with 2 others, to 15th, tied with 1 other!
Remember me mentioning SEVENTH Grader Katelyn Tuohy?
She'd run a 1200 leg of a DMR in 3:36.09.
Well, it turns out she's run a pretty fair Mile too!
Her 4:58.40 MILE time (NOT 1600!!) in the NY State meet (She finished in 5th place!!) breaks Mary Cain's 7th Grade NY State record!
I didn't even know Cain was RUNNING in the 7th grade!
I thought she was still on the SWIM team !!
Anyway, Tuohy is certainly one to watch!!
Before I end this, I have some corrections to make!
It wasn't Eleanore Thompson who ran that 10.92 earlier this year.
It was Elaine Thompson!
And her time wasn't 10.94 in last week's Jamaica meet, it was 10.97.
Well, that concludes Part ONE of my trilogy from this weekend.
I'll probably have Part 2 sometime tomorrow--after the end of the PAC-12 Conference meet.
(All the other major conferences end today!)
That post will have ALL the great records and marks from the College scene!!
The 3rd part will probably come either late Sunday or early Monday, and will feature the Shanghai DL, plus whatever I might miss from the other venues!
Yes, it's a SUPER Weekend---and this report is just the beginning!!
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Calm before the storm? Really??
In just 5 days, the Diamond League season begins in Doha, with the Shanghai version 2 days later.
Even before that, the Hoka One One distance affair has me salivating, with its incredible list of entrants!
It's scheduled for the day before Doha!
(Which explains why the entry lists for the DL's are missing most American distance people!)
Anyway, THIS weekend has been anything but calm!
We have 2 MAJOR records to report, as well as lots of other great marks!
Madison Wiltrout's story is fascinating!
She's a HS Soph, and just shattered the HSR in the Javelin Throw.
But listen to this!
She only took up the Javelin in 2014!!
That's right--last year!
She threw it 151-1, which is good for a frosh, though not the Class Record.
Know how she learned how to throw it?
Her Mom looked up the How-To on You Tube!
Well, she learned VERY quickly.
A week or so ago, she upped her PR to 168-5--which I reported, of course!
But now she's added 17 feet 3 inches to that mark, as she got a spectacular first throw out to 185-8 for the HSR, breaking Haley Crouser's 181-2 from 2012.
This is also the Soph Class Record!
She moves from 11th A-T HS, tied with 1 other, to 1st.
If she were in College, and not just a 10th Grader, she'd rank 20th A-T Collegiate!!
But it gets better!
Because she DOES rank 21st All-Time United States!!
Have I already said she's just a High School Sophomore??
LOL
Well, leave it to Demi Payne not to be one-upped by such a toddler!
She broke her own OUTdoor Collegiate PV record with 15-5.50 at her Conference meet!
It's also the Collegiate Senior Class record.
She moves from 6th to 4th on the A-T US list.
AND--she becomes 19th A-T World, tied with 3 others!!
But the good news doesn't stop there!
Matthew Maton, who just turned 19 a month ago, became HS'er Number 6 to break 4:00 for the Mile!
At the Oregon Twilight, he finished 3rd in 3:59.38, to become the 3rd fastest HS'er of A-T!
All that said, I need to comment on this!
Sorry.
But the majority of T&FN and Let's Run MB commentors agree with me.
He's 19, an age when about 99% of athletes are well into their Frosh year at College---and a few are even Sophs!!
Jack Shepard's HS Track book lists Age Records for HS'ers.
It says a LOT that he includes Ages 14 through 18---ONLY!!
While I congratulate him on running so fast, his mark should be measured in perspective.
It's the weakest of all the HS sub-4's!
In the same race, UO's Eric Jenkins and Will Georghegan made my A-T Collegiate Mile list!
Jenkins ran 3:57.09, making him 20th A-T Collegiate.
Georghegan ran 3:57.53 for 22nd A-T Collegiate!
The Mile--sadly!--isn't run much OUTdoors by Collegians anymore.
Besides the 2 new Ducks, only 5 other Collegians are on my list from this century!
And there's several marks from the 1960's on there, as well as the 70's and 80's!
Pedro Pichardo of Cuba TJ'ed out to 58-10.25 to become 6th A-T World!
He missed the Age 21 record by 1 inch!!
But it's the new National Record of Cuba!
Michael Lihrman is getting better in the HT, after his VERY successful INdoor season with the WT.
He improved to 247-0, which moves him from 17th to 11th on the Collegiate list!
And he becomes 15th A-T US!!
At the Jamaica Invitational, Jasmine Stowers showed her 12.40 100H wasn't a one-off fluke.
She ran 12.39, winning easily.
It breaks her own Age 23 record.
She remains 5th A-T US.
But she moves from 13th A-T World to 11th, tied with 2 others!
The wind was the 2.0 max!
Also in Jamaica, Shaunae Miller beat SAFP, among others, in the 200, running the Bahamas National Record time of 22.14.
In an IWC meet in Japan, the Women's JT produced 2 great marks!
Liz Gleadle broke her own Canada National Record, throwing the spear 212-8.
And Brittany Borman was right behind her.
Her 212-5 moves her from 3rd to 2nd on the A-T US list!!
It was a 9 foot improvement on her PR!
There were several other GREAT marks from the 2 International meets.
While none of them make any of my lists, or break any records, they're all interesting and worth reporting.
Asafa Powell beat Ryan Bailey in the 100, running the super fast time of 9.84.
Well, super fast, considering it happened on May 9th!
Eleanor Thompson proved her 10.92 wasn't a fluke, as she won the Jamaica 100 in 10.94, beating, among others, Allyson Felix, who ran 11.09.
Sanya Richards-Ross got under 50, winning the Jamaica 400 in 49.95.
Of course, she had that World Relays leg of 48.79!!
Fran McCorory ran just 50.73 in 2nd!
(She'd split 49.27 in the Bahamas!)
In the Japan meet, Sally Pearson won her first non-Australian meet of 2015 in 12.66, beating Queen Harrison's 12.75.
Bogdan Bondarenko missed his 3 tries at 2.41 (7-10.75), but won at 2.37 (7-9.25), the best so far in 2015.
LaShawn Merritt was beaten in the 400 by Al-Masrahi, 44.59 to 44.80.
Catherine Ibarguen's TJ of 48-9.50 won the day, and best mark of 2015.
Aisha Praught finished just 3rd in the Japan 1500, but her PR time of 4:05.52 bodes VERY well for a BIG improvement in the 3000SC, which I assume will remain her specialty!
Besides Wiltrout's and Maton's marks, High Schoolers produced other good stuff!
Matt Katnik improved his SP best out to 72-3.
He moves from 14th to 10th on the A-T HS list.
Candace Hill had a solid day, sprinting the 100 in a non-PR time of 11.34, then running a PR of 23.05 in the 200.
She becomes 23rd A-T HS, tied with 1 other!
She's not yet a High Schooler.
In fact, she's not yet an 8th Grader!!
SEVENTH Grade phenom Katelyn Tuohy ran the 1200 meter opening leg of a HS team's DMR, being clocked in the official split of 3:36.09.
That's basically sub-4:50 Mile pace!
In the SEVENTH Grade!!
And Mikey Brannigan won a 3200 in 8:42.92.
If the race had been just 18 meters longer, his Two Mile time would make my A-T HS list!
Too bad it does NOT!
Back to the Collegiate scene for a bit.
Darrell Hill improved his SP best to 68-5.25.
He moves from 20th to 18th on the A-T Collegiate list.
And Kayla Montgomery had a poor day at the "office".
Her 3000 time of 10:25.73 got her just 12th place--in a field of 14!
Her Conference meet is next week, where I think she'll be running the 10000, though I'm not certain of this.
Whatever she DOES run, I will report it here!
In the Manchester (England) Road 10K, Bernard Lagat finished 3rd, running the Age 40 Road record of 27:48.
Stephen Sambu won the race in 27:30.
Betsy Saina won the Women's race in a close battle with Gemma Steel and Edna Kiplagat.
Their respective times were 31:48, 31:55, and 31:57.
If Lagat had run the same time on a TRACK, he would have DESTROYED Martti Vainio's Age 40 WR of 28:30 by a full 42 seconds!!
(I tweeted him saying that, and he favorited my tweet!! LOL)
As noted at the beginning of this post, NEXT weekend's schedule is HUGE!!
TWO DL's, plus the Hoka One One meet, which PROMISES to be incredible!!
Not to mention all the MAJOR Collegiate Conference meets (Big 12, Big 10, PAC 12, and SEC, for starters!!), and several HS State meets!
I have a feeling it may take MORE than one post to cover it all!!
See you soon!!
Even before that, the Hoka One One distance affair has me salivating, with its incredible list of entrants!
It's scheduled for the day before Doha!
(Which explains why the entry lists for the DL's are missing most American distance people!)
Anyway, THIS weekend has been anything but calm!
We have 2 MAJOR records to report, as well as lots of other great marks!
Madison Wiltrout's story is fascinating!
She's a HS Soph, and just shattered the HSR in the Javelin Throw.
But listen to this!
She only took up the Javelin in 2014!!
That's right--last year!
She threw it 151-1, which is good for a frosh, though not the Class Record.
Know how she learned how to throw it?
Her Mom looked up the How-To on You Tube!
Well, she learned VERY quickly.
A week or so ago, she upped her PR to 168-5--which I reported, of course!
But now she's added 17 feet 3 inches to that mark, as she got a spectacular first throw out to 185-8 for the HSR, breaking Haley Crouser's 181-2 from 2012.
This is also the Soph Class Record!
She moves from 11th A-T HS, tied with 1 other, to 1st.
If she were in College, and not just a 10th Grader, she'd rank 20th A-T Collegiate!!
But it gets better!
Because she DOES rank 21st All-Time United States!!
Have I already said she's just a High School Sophomore??
LOL
Well, leave it to Demi Payne not to be one-upped by such a toddler!
She broke her own OUTdoor Collegiate PV record with 15-5.50 at her Conference meet!
It's also the Collegiate Senior Class record.
She moves from 6th to 4th on the A-T US list.
AND--she becomes 19th A-T World, tied with 3 others!!
But the good news doesn't stop there!
Matthew Maton, who just turned 19 a month ago, became HS'er Number 6 to break 4:00 for the Mile!
At the Oregon Twilight, he finished 3rd in 3:59.38, to become the 3rd fastest HS'er of A-T!
All that said, I need to comment on this!
Sorry.
But the majority of T&FN and Let's Run MB commentors agree with me.
He's 19, an age when about 99% of athletes are well into their Frosh year at College---and a few are even Sophs!!
Jack Shepard's HS Track book lists Age Records for HS'ers.
It says a LOT that he includes Ages 14 through 18---ONLY!!
While I congratulate him on running so fast, his mark should be measured in perspective.
It's the weakest of all the HS sub-4's!
In the same race, UO's Eric Jenkins and Will Georghegan made my A-T Collegiate Mile list!
Jenkins ran 3:57.09, making him 20th A-T Collegiate.
Georghegan ran 3:57.53 for 22nd A-T Collegiate!
The Mile--sadly!--isn't run much OUTdoors by Collegians anymore.
Besides the 2 new Ducks, only 5 other Collegians are on my list from this century!
And there's several marks from the 1960's on there, as well as the 70's and 80's!
Pedro Pichardo of Cuba TJ'ed out to 58-10.25 to become 6th A-T World!
He missed the Age 21 record by 1 inch!!
But it's the new National Record of Cuba!
Michael Lihrman is getting better in the HT, after his VERY successful INdoor season with the WT.
He improved to 247-0, which moves him from 17th to 11th on the Collegiate list!
And he becomes 15th A-T US!!
At the Jamaica Invitational, Jasmine Stowers showed her 12.40 100H wasn't a one-off fluke.
She ran 12.39, winning easily.
It breaks her own Age 23 record.
She remains 5th A-T US.
But she moves from 13th A-T World to 11th, tied with 2 others!
The wind was the 2.0 max!
Also in Jamaica, Shaunae Miller beat SAFP, among others, in the 200, running the Bahamas National Record time of 22.14.
In an IWC meet in Japan, the Women's JT produced 2 great marks!
Liz Gleadle broke her own Canada National Record, throwing the spear 212-8.
And Brittany Borman was right behind her.
Her 212-5 moves her from 3rd to 2nd on the A-T US list!!
It was a 9 foot improvement on her PR!
There were several other GREAT marks from the 2 International meets.
While none of them make any of my lists, or break any records, they're all interesting and worth reporting.
Asafa Powell beat Ryan Bailey in the 100, running the super fast time of 9.84.
Well, super fast, considering it happened on May 9th!
Eleanor Thompson proved her 10.92 wasn't a fluke, as she won the Jamaica 100 in 10.94, beating, among others, Allyson Felix, who ran 11.09.
Sanya Richards-Ross got under 50, winning the Jamaica 400 in 49.95.
Of course, she had that World Relays leg of 48.79!!
Fran McCorory ran just 50.73 in 2nd!
(She'd split 49.27 in the Bahamas!)
In the Japan meet, Sally Pearson won her first non-Australian meet of 2015 in 12.66, beating Queen Harrison's 12.75.
Bogdan Bondarenko missed his 3 tries at 2.41 (7-10.75), but won at 2.37 (7-9.25), the best so far in 2015.
LaShawn Merritt was beaten in the 400 by Al-Masrahi, 44.59 to 44.80.
Catherine Ibarguen's TJ of 48-9.50 won the day, and best mark of 2015.
Aisha Praught finished just 3rd in the Japan 1500, but her PR time of 4:05.52 bodes VERY well for a BIG improvement in the 3000SC, which I assume will remain her specialty!
Besides Wiltrout's and Maton's marks, High Schoolers produced other good stuff!
Matt Katnik improved his SP best out to 72-3.
He moves from 14th to 10th on the A-T HS list.
Candace Hill had a solid day, sprinting the 100 in a non-PR time of 11.34, then running a PR of 23.05 in the 200.
She becomes 23rd A-T HS, tied with 1 other!
She's not yet a High Schooler.
In fact, she's not yet an 8th Grader!!
SEVENTH Grade phenom Katelyn Tuohy ran the 1200 meter opening leg of a HS team's DMR, being clocked in the official split of 3:36.09.
That's basically sub-4:50 Mile pace!
In the SEVENTH Grade!!
And Mikey Brannigan won a 3200 in 8:42.92.
If the race had been just 18 meters longer, his Two Mile time would make my A-T HS list!
Too bad it does NOT!
Back to the Collegiate scene for a bit.
Darrell Hill improved his SP best to 68-5.25.
He moves from 20th to 18th on the A-T Collegiate list.
And Kayla Montgomery had a poor day at the "office".
Her 3000 time of 10:25.73 got her just 12th place--in a field of 14!
Her Conference meet is next week, where I think she'll be running the 10000, though I'm not certain of this.
Whatever she DOES run, I will report it here!
In the Manchester (England) Road 10K, Bernard Lagat finished 3rd, running the Age 40 Road record of 27:48.
Stephen Sambu won the race in 27:30.
Betsy Saina won the Women's race in a close battle with Gemma Steel and Edna Kiplagat.
Their respective times were 31:48, 31:55, and 31:57.
If Lagat had run the same time on a TRACK, he would have DESTROYED Martti Vainio's Age 40 WR of 28:30 by a full 42 seconds!!
(I tweeted him saying that, and he favorited my tweet!! LOL)
As noted at the beginning of this post, NEXT weekend's schedule is HUGE!!
TWO DL's, plus the Hoka One One meet, which PROMISES to be incredible!!
Not to mention all the MAJOR Collegiate Conference meets (Big 12, Big 10, PAC 12, and SEC, for starters!!), and several HS State meets!
I have a feeling it may take MORE than one post to cover it all!!
See you soon!!
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Ultimates in Distance Relays?
With the 2nd World Relays fresh in our memories, I got to thinking about what the ULTIMATE Relay World Records could be.
It's difficult to guess at Sprint Relay ultimates, for a couple of reasons.
1. You can't really get accurate split times, given the running starts, and each team's varied use of the passing zone.
2. There's the NECESSITY for PERFECT passes, which rarely, if ever....errr....comes to pass!! LOL
So I'm going to take a look, for both Men and Women, at what's possible for the following Relays:
Distance Medley (DMR)
4X1500
4X1Mile
I'll look at this mainly from the POV of the United States, but will offer a guess about a team from, say, Kenya.
Here goes, Men first.
DMR (9:15.50)
Four guys from 1 nation just ran the DMR in 9:15.50.
Could we see---in the next few years---a time of UNDER 9 minutes?
And if so, what would it take?
Matthew Centrowitz 2:45.00 (2:45.00)
LaShawn Merritt 43.50 (3:28.50)
Duane Solomon 1:42.50 (5:11.00)
Leo Manzano 3:48.00 (8:59.00)
Unrealistic?
Sure.
(Well, maybe!)
So let's look at what it would take for a 9:04.00 time, which would still shatter the WR by 11.50 seconds!
Centro 2:47 (2:47)
Merritt 44.00 (3:31)
Solomon 1:43 (5:14)
Manzano 3:50 (9:04)
Okay, so what about the chances of a Women's team crashing through the 10 minute barrier....a full 36.51 seconds below the recent WR?
I'd say it's CURRENTLY impossible!!
Here's the best current American 4-some, running their best times!
Rowbury 3:08 (3:08)
SRR 48.7 (3:56.7)
Montano 1:57.3 (5:54.0)
Simpson 4:13 (10:07.0)
The time for Rowbury is based on her 2:00 800 speed, combined with her 3:59 1500 PR.
Simpson's time would be an extension of her 3:57 1500, with 16 seconds added for the last 100)
But while not breaking a MAJOR barrier, it still DESTROYS the new WR by 29.5 seconds!!
And BTW, I could create 2 or 3 (or 4 or 5??) US teams---all different from each other---no repeat use of athletes!----and ALL of them would at least break the current WR----easily!!
4X1500 (14:22.22)
That WR was by a pretty loaded Kenyan quartet at the 2014 World Relays.
But can a US team break it?
And could they break through the 14 minute barrier?
I'm saying----right now----NO!!
BUT....they CAN run about 14:06, which would break the WR by 16.2 seconds!
Ben Blankenship 3:33.0 (3:33.0)
Centro 3:31.0 (7:04.0)
Will Leer 3:32.0 (10:36.0)
Manzano 3:30.0 (14:06.0)
Could a top Kenyan team run faster?
AND get through to a 13+ time?
YES!
Ron Kwemboi 3:28.8 (3:28.8)
Caleb Ndiku 3:29.5 (6:58.3)
Silas Kiplagat 3:27.6 (10:25.9)
Asbel Kiprop 3:27.7 (13:53.6)
You could ADD 1.50 seconds per leg (Kwemboi-3:30.3....Ndiku-3:31.0.....Kiplagat-3:29.1....Kiprop-3:29.2) and get a final time of 13:59.60!!
The Women's 4X1500 WR is Kenya's 16:33.58 from the 2014 World Relays.
Everyone said that team could have run MUCH faster, if pushed----which they were NOT!
The US team ran the AR time of 16:55.33.....also a time that could EASILY have been bettered!
But can ANY team get into the 15's---go below 16:00?
YES!
Even a US team made up of CURRENTLY active athletes.
Morgan Uceny 4:00.06 (4:00.06)
Anna Willard 3:59.38 (7:59.44)
Shannon Rowbury 3:59.49 (11:58.93)
Jenny Simpson 3:57.22 (15:56.15)
They could each slow down by 0.84+ seconds, and still go under 16 minutes.
But of course, that's not realistic, right?
So let's see what that same team would need for a 16:04.
Uceny would go out in a 4:02.
Willard might also get a 4:02.
Rowbury and Simpson would then need to run their 1500's in 4:00 each (with maybe Rowbury at 4:01 and Simpson doing 3:59).
Doable, yes.
Probable, no.
But how MANY American teams could break that WR of 16:33?
SEVERAL!
My Top 24 list for the USA lists 10 women with times of 4:04.62 or faster.
I have no idea how many CURRENTLY ACTIVE American women there are with times of at least 4:08.25 (one-fourth of 16:33!!) down to Mary Cain's aforementioned 4:04.62, which is 24th on my list!!
But I'd guess there's enough for maybe FOUR (or even FIVE!!) teams, including the 10 from the Top 24 already mentioned.
But even if you slowed that 4-some down by a full five seconds each, you'd still get a time of 16:16, which would smash the Kenyan WR by 17 seconds!!
Now let's look at the 4XMile.
And YES, there's a listed 4XMile Relay record for Women!!
(I'll get to that in a minute!)
The current WR for the Men is Ireland's 1985 mark of 15:49.08.
That's an average of 3:57.27 per leg!
Come on, folks, how many US teams----let alone Kenyan!----could be created with athletes capable of a 3:57 mile?
Here's my US team, with their current PR's.
(I'm NOT putting Bernard Lagat on this team, even though he's run 3:48.38 as an American citizen. He'd be 5 or 6 seconds slower now!)
(All times are OUTdoor times, so Galen Rupp's INdoor time of 3:50.92 is NOT included here!!)
Andy Wheating 3:51.74 (3:51.74)
Lopez Lomong 3:51.45 (7:43.19)
Leo Manzano 3:50.64 (11:33.83)
Centro 3:50.53 (15:24.36)
That breaks the current WR by 24.72 seconds, or an average per mile of 3:51.09!!!
Could a top Kenyan team break THAT mark?
Yes!
I don't have a lengthy Kenyan All-Time list, so I'll give the first 2 runners times of 3:50.0 each.
Then you add Kiprop and Kiplagat, with their PR's of about 3:48, and you've got a final time of 15:16.0!!
Again, how many US (or Kenyan!!!) teams could be created that would SMASH Ireland's WR to pieces?
MANY!!
Easily!!
So how about the Women?
I had to look it up to find a WR 4XMile by the female gender.
Want to guess what it is?
Based on my research, it is held by a COLLEGIATE team from the University of Oregon.
They ran it in 18:39.58 in 1985....30 years ago!!
And it was done on May 3rd----probably at that year's Oregon Twilight meet, though I'm not sure!---so it's almost EXACTLY 30 years ago!!
Kathy Hayes, Leann Warren, and Claudette Groendaal, three of UO's biggest EVER stars, comprised 3 of the 4 legs.
(Not totally related here, but if you want to see a GREAT movie about that 1985 Women's team----and the 2011 UO Women's team, featuring such athletes as English Gardner and Jordan Hasay, please seek out the DVD of "We Grew Wings". It's available on Amazon, I believe! I own it, and it's WONDERFUL!!)
Anyway, back to WR possibilities for the 4XMile Relay for Women!!
E-A-S-Y!!!
That's just approximately 4:39.89 for each (FULL) Mile leg!
If you made up a team of the 4 best High School Milers from recent years----those still active---you'd get a time of about 18:14 (Maybe Sarah Feeny or Wesley Frazier at 4:39, then Elise Cranny at an estimated 4:28--based on her 1500 PR!--then Alexa Efraimson at 4:24--again based on her 1500 best---then Mary Cain's 4:21---a time based on her 4:04 time at 1500, adding a 17 second last 109 meters!!), which bests the UO time by about 25 seconds!
Anyway, there's a few DOZEN teams from the US---or at least it's SEEMING that way recently!!---which could run (pun intended!) that record into the ground!!
With a team of Cain, Rowbury, Martinez, and Simpson, you could probably get a time of UNDER 17:20!!!
That's a full one minute and 19 seconds better than UO's mark!!
That's 4:20 per Mile, but their 1500 splits enroute would be "only" about 4:03 each---well within the capabilities of those 4 runners. Well, maybe not Cain----YET!! But you get the picture!!
So there you have it.
Three different Relays---or six, 3 for each gender!---with WR's being an ironclad certainty!!
Before I close, I'd like to correct a couple of athlete identity errors I made in my World Relays report a few days ago!
In the Men's 4X200, the baton pass foul-up did NOT involve Justin Gatlin, as I'd stated!
It happened with the 2nd and 3rd runners, Isaiah Young and Curtis Mitchell.
Gatlin ran a GREAT anchor, even though the US team had already caused a DQ!
Also, it was NOT Gatlin who faced Usain Bolt down the stretch of the 4X100.
It was Ryan Bailey!
(BTW, much has been made of his post-race imitation of Bolt's stance, and him basically dissing The Great One! It's all over the internet and the fine folks at Let's Run!! LOL)
Gatlin ran the 2nd leg of that final!
Here's some other new info from the Bahamas.
Chris Brown, age 36, ran his anchor for the home team in 44.17!!
Jeremy Wariner ran the heat and final for the US 4X400 team.
His times were good---44.87 and 44.80.
Natoya Goule, normally an 800 runner, ran her 400 leg in 51.72.
Watch out for her at the NCAA's!!
Phyllis Francis ran 49.74 in the heats for the US team!
And Nigeria's winning time in that shocking Women's 4X200 was a National Record--their time being 1:30.52.
Before I close, here's more new marks worth noting!
(And one correction!)
The correction is about Jessica Furlan, who ran the 3000SC at Payton Jordan in 9:39.20.
I'd said she was from the US!
She's not.
She's a Canadian, so her time is OFF my US list!!
Conor McCullough threw the Hammer to a PR of 248-11.
He moves from 17th to 7th on the A-T Collegiate list!
And he's now on the US list, at 11th, but tied with 1 other.
Brittany Smith has a new SP best---62-2.50!
She remains 9th A-T US, but she's no longer tied with 2 others!!
Brooke Pleger improved her HT best to 228-0.
She moves from 11th to 9th on the A-T Collegiate list.
And she moves from 21st to 18th on the US list!!
Finally, while NOT a PR, Kara Winger (formerly Patterson!) threw the Javelin 218-1 last weekend!
That's just 7 inches from her American Record!
(And she had 3 more throws at around 207, making this her best-EVER series!!)
Next post will be on Sunday.....or early Monday.
It's difficult to guess at Sprint Relay ultimates, for a couple of reasons.
1. You can't really get accurate split times, given the running starts, and each team's varied use of the passing zone.
2. There's the NECESSITY for PERFECT passes, which rarely, if ever....errr....comes to pass!! LOL
So I'm going to take a look, for both Men and Women, at what's possible for the following Relays:
Distance Medley (DMR)
4X1500
4X1Mile
I'll look at this mainly from the POV of the United States, but will offer a guess about a team from, say, Kenya.
Here goes, Men first.
DMR (9:15.50)
Four guys from 1 nation just ran the DMR in 9:15.50.
Could we see---in the next few years---a time of UNDER 9 minutes?
And if so, what would it take?
Matthew Centrowitz 2:45.00 (2:45.00)
LaShawn Merritt 43.50 (3:28.50)
Duane Solomon 1:42.50 (5:11.00)
Leo Manzano 3:48.00 (8:59.00)
Unrealistic?
Sure.
(Well, maybe!)
So let's look at what it would take for a 9:04.00 time, which would still shatter the WR by 11.50 seconds!
Centro 2:47 (2:47)
Merritt 44.00 (3:31)
Solomon 1:43 (5:14)
Manzano 3:50 (9:04)
Okay, so what about the chances of a Women's team crashing through the 10 minute barrier....a full 36.51 seconds below the recent WR?
I'd say it's CURRENTLY impossible!!
Here's the best current American 4-some, running their best times!
Rowbury 3:08 (3:08)
SRR 48.7 (3:56.7)
Montano 1:57.3 (5:54.0)
Simpson 4:13 (10:07.0)
The time for Rowbury is based on her 2:00 800 speed, combined with her 3:59 1500 PR.
Simpson's time would be an extension of her 3:57 1500, with 16 seconds added for the last 100)
But while not breaking a MAJOR barrier, it still DESTROYS the new WR by 29.5 seconds!!
And BTW, I could create 2 or 3 (or 4 or 5??) US teams---all different from each other---no repeat use of athletes!----and ALL of them would at least break the current WR----easily!!
4X1500 (14:22.22)
That WR was by a pretty loaded Kenyan quartet at the 2014 World Relays.
But can a US team break it?
And could they break through the 14 minute barrier?
I'm saying----right now----NO!!
BUT....they CAN run about 14:06, which would break the WR by 16.2 seconds!
Ben Blankenship 3:33.0 (3:33.0)
Centro 3:31.0 (7:04.0)
Will Leer 3:32.0 (10:36.0)
Manzano 3:30.0 (14:06.0)
Could a top Kenyan team run faster?
AND get through to a 13+ time?
YES!
Ron Kwemboi 3:28.8 (3:28.8)
Caleb Ndiku 3:29.5 (6:58.3)
Silas Kiplagat 3:27.6 (10:25.9)
Asbel Kiprop 3:27.7 (13:53.6)
You could ADD 1.50 seconds per leg (Kwemboi-3:30.3....Ndiku-3:31.0.....Kiplagat-3:29.1....Kiprop-3:29.2) and get a final time of 13:59.60!!
The Women's 4X1500 WR is Kenya's 16:33.58 from the 2014 World Relays.
Everyone said that team could have run MUCH faster, if pushed----which they were NOT!
The US team ran the AR time of 16:55.33.....also a time that could EASILY have been bettered!
But can ANY team get into the 15's---go below 16:00?
YES!
Even a US team made up of CURRENTLY active athletes.
Morgan Uceny 4:00.06 (4:00.06)
Anna Willard 3:59.38 (7:59.44)
Shannon Rowbury 3:59.49 (11:58.93)
Jenny Simpson 3:57.22 (15:56.15)
They could each slow down by 0.84+ seconds, and still go under 16 minutes.
But of course, that's not realistic, right?
So let's see what that same team would need for a 16:04.
Uceny would go out in a 4:02.
Willard might also get a 4:02.
Rowbury and Simpson would then need to run their 1500's in 4:00 each (with maybe Rowbury at 4:01 and Simpson doing 3:59).
Doable, yes.
Probable, no.
But how MANY American teams could break that WR of 16:33?
SEVERAL!
My Top 24 list for the USA lists 10 women with times of 4:04.62 or faster.
I have no idea how many CURRENTLY ACTIVE American women there are with times of at least 4:08.25 (one-fourth of 16:33!!) down to Mary Cain's aforementioned 4:04.62, which is 24th on my list!!
But I'd guess there's enough for maybe FOUR (or even FIVE!!) teams, including the 10 from the Top 24 already mentioned.
But even if you slowed that 4-some down by a full five seconds each, you'd still get a time of 16:16, which would smash the Kenyan WR by 17 seconds!!
Now let's look at the 4XMile.
And YES, there's a listed 4XMile Relay record for Women!!
(I'll get to that in a minute!)
The current WR for the Men is Ireland's 1985 mark of 15:49.08.
That's an average of 3:57.27 per leg!
Come on, folks, how many US teams----let alone Kenyan!----could be created with athletes capable of a 3:57 mile?
Here's my US team, with their current PR's.
(I'm NOT putting Bernard Lagat on this team, even though he's run 3:48.38 as an American citizen. He'd be 5 or 6 seconds slower now!)
(All times are OUTdoor times, so Galen Rupp's INdoor time of 3:50.92 is NOT included here!!)
Andy Wheating 3:51.74 (3:51.74)
Lopez Lomong 3:51.45 (7:43.19)
Leo Manzano 3:50.64 (11:33.83)
Centro 3:50.53 (15:24.36)
That breaks the current WR by 24.72 seconds, or an average per mile of 3:51.09!!!
Could a top Kenyan team break THAT mark?
Yes!
I don't have a lengthy Kenyan All-Time list, so I'll give the first 2 runners times of 3:50.0 each.
Then you add Kiprop and Kiplagat, with their PR's of about 3:48, and you've got a final time of 15:16.0!!
Again, how many US (or Kenyan!!!) teams could be created that would SMASH Ireland's WR to pieces?
MANY!!
Easily!!
So how about the Women?
I had to look it up to find a WR 4XMile by the female gender.
Want to guess what it is?
Based on my research, it is held by a COLLEGIATE team from the University of Oregon.
They ran it in 18:39.58 in 1985....30 years ago!!
And it was done on May 3rd----probably at that year's Oregon Twilight meet, though I'm not sure!---so it's almost EXACTLY 30 years ago!!
Kathy Hayes, Leann Warren, and Claudette Groendaal, three of UO's biggest EVER stars, comprised 3 of the 4 legs.
(Not totally related here, but if you want to see a GREAT movie about that 1985 Women's team----and the 2011 UO Women's team, featuring such athletes as English Gardner and Jordan Hasay, please seek out the DVD of "We Grew Wings". It's available on Amazon, I believe! I own it, and it's WONDERFUL!!)
Anyway, back to WR possibilities for the 4XMile Relay for Women!!
E-A-S-Y!!!
That's just approximately 4:39.89 for each (FULL) Mile leg!
If you made up a team of the 4 best High School Milers from recent years----those still active---you'd get a time of about 18:14 (Maybe Sarah Feeny or Wesley Frazier at 4:39, then Elise Cranny at an estimated 4:28--based on her 1500 PR!--then Alexa Efraimson at 4:24--again based on her 1500 best---then Mary Cain's 4:21---a time based on her 4:04 time at 1500, adding a 17 second last 109 meters!!), which bests the UO time by about 25 seconds!
Anyway, there's a few DOZEN teams from the US---or at least it's SEEMING that way recently!!---which could run (pun intended!) that record into the ground!!
With a team of Cain, Rowbury, Martinez, and Simpson, you could probably get a time of UNDER 17:20!!!
That's a full one minute and 19 seconds better than UO's mark!!
That's 4:20 per Mile, but their 1500 splits enroute would be "only" about 4:03 each---well within the capabilities of those 4 runners. Well, maybe not Cain----YET!! But you get the picture!!
So there you have it.
Three different Relays---or six, 3 for each gender!---with WR's being an ironclad certainty!!
Before I close, I'd like to correct a couple of athlete identity errors I made in my World Relays report a few days ago!
In the Men's 4X200, the baton pass foul-up did NOT involve Justin Gatlin, as I'd stated!
It happened with the 2nd and 3rd runners, Isaiah Young and Curtis Mitchell.
Gatlin ran a GREAT anchor, even though the US team had already caused a DQ!
Also, it was NOT Gatlin who faced Usain Bolt down the stretch of the 4X100.
It was Ryan Bailey!
(BTW, much has been made of his post-race imitation of Bolt's stance, and him basically dissing The Great One! It's all over the internet and the fine folks at Let's Run!! LOL)
Gatlin ran the 2nd leg of that final!
Here's some other new info from the Bahamas.
Chris Brown, age 36, ran his anchor for the home team in 44.17!!
Jeremy Wariner ran the heat and final for the US 4X400 team.
His times were good---44.87 and 44.80.
Natoya Goule, normally an 800 runner, ran her 400 leg in 51.72.
Watch out for her at the NCAA's!!
Phyllis Francis ran 49.74 in the heats for the US team!
And Nigeria's winning time in that shocking Women's 4X200 was a National Record--their time being 1:30.52.
Before I close, here's more new marks worth noting!
(And one correction!)
The correction is about Jessica Furlan, who ran the 3000SC at Payton Jordan in 9:39.20.
I'd said she was from the US!
She's not.
She's a Canadian, so her time is OFF my US list!!
Conor McCullough threw the Hammer to a PR of 248-11.
He moves from 17th to 7th on the A-T Collegiate list!
And he's now on the US list, at 11th, but tied with 1 other.
Brittany Smith has a new SP best---62-2.50!
She remains 9th A-T US, but she's no longer tied with 2 others!!
Brooke Pleger improved her HT best to 228-0.
She moves from 11th to 9th on the A-T Collegiate list.
And she moves from 21st to 18th on the US list!!
Finally, while NOT a PR, Kara Winger (formerly Patterson!) threw the Javelin 218-1 last weekend!
That's just 7 inches from her American Record!
(And she had 3 more throws at around 207, making this her best-EVER series!!)
Next post will be on Sunday.....or early Monday.
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