Jenn made SUHR this weekend would be hard to forget!
This young lady (She turns 34 on February 5th!) astonished everyone--and no one!--by clearing a bar set at 5.03 on the metric scale, and 16-6 on its Western equivalent, thus breaking her own World, United States, and Age 33 records in the Pole Vault!
But that announcement--first seen by me on Twitter--came relatively late on a weekend stretch of about 30 hours--already overflowing with an incredulous array of Records and Marks!
Yes, this has been one of those "Where do I begin??" times people keep hoping for, but rarely see!
With TWELVE PAGES of notes about what I'm about to report, I'd say--Let's start with Jenn's World Record!
As per normal she opened high, making 15-1 on 2nd try, then nailing 15-9.75 on her first, before needing 3 tries at the WR!
Six jumps==one World Record!
Not a bad day's work!
As noted, she broke her own WR, American Record, and Age 33 records.
Another PV record fell to Alana Boyd of Australia.
She too broke her own National Record--hers set in 2012--by one-half inch.
Her mark of 15-7.75 keeps her in 14th place on my World list, but now she's not tied with anyone!
Oh yes--this was OUTdoors!!
(Remember, it's summer in Australia!)
The Weeks twins went 1-2 in the Razorback Invitational--a really GREAT meet--much more from there throughout this report!--with Lexi beating Tori 14-6.25 to 14-2.50.
For Tori, it was her best mark as a Collegiate Frosh!
There were several other Collegiate 14 footers by Women, with Megan Clark's 14-5.25 leading the remainder.
Kristina Owsinski reached 14-2
Carolina Carmichael went over 14-0.75, while Lindsay Murray also got 14-0.75.
Competing unattached, Demi Payne went over 15-3.
Katie Nageotte also reached at least 15 feet--her new PR of 15-1.50 moving her from 22nd A-T US, tied with 4 others, all the way to 9th, where she's tied with 2 others!
Leslie Brost reached 14-3.25.
For the Men, Sam Kendricks reached 18-8.75, while Mark Hollis could do just 18-2.50.
High School Senior Drew Hunter wasn't expected to beat recent MoBot conqueror Garrett Heath.
And he didn't.
What he DID do was beat the Exalted King Edward Cheserek---figuratively speaking!
In the Camel City 3000, Heath sprinted away from Lawi Lalang, winning in 7:48.48 over Lalang's 7:50.07.
Back in 5th--after having slowed a bit off sub-8:00 pace--Hunter sprinted a sub-30 final 200, finishing in 5th with a new High School Record time of 7:59.33!!
This crushes Cheserek's mark from 2013 by 6.13 seconds!
(It's also slightly faster than the OUTdoor HSR!)
AND it was run on a FLAT track!!
It also gives him the Senior Class record, and moves him from 9th A-T HS to the Top!!
Several Women ran good 3000's.
Morgan Uceny beat Emily Lipari--9:04.87 to 9:10.20 in Boston.
Angel Piccirillo ran 9:06.39 at Penn State's meet.
Two Collegiate Frosh (and former HS stars) she beat were Audrey Belf (9:21.13) and Tessa Barrett (9:21.30).
The Camel City race was good, with surprise 1500 WC runner Keri Gallagher winning in 8:56.52 over Rachel Schneider's 8:58.84.
About 9 seconds behind Schneider came Katie Mackey and Alexi Pappas, running 9:07's and 9:08's.
Two others ran well, but need special mention!
In 7th place was HS'er--I should say 19 year old Junior Class HS'er!!--Weini Kelati, with a time of 9:19.19.
Normally, I'd be excited about this, as the time would place her VERY high on the A-T HS list.
But Age 19 as an 11th Grader?
I'm NOT listing her on my HS DDD!!
(If I should change my mind, I will list her---with an asterisk!!)
The other Woman?
I'll talk about HER a bit later!
(As I will a few others!! Can't wait??)
Galen Rupp jogged a 7:57 and change at the House of Track meet (number 3).
He just wanted to get the USATF qualifier!
Jordan Williamz won Penn State in 7:59.08.
CORRECTION!
Erase that 8:59.44 I said Leah O'Connor ran (in a previous post).
She ran that time for 3000 meters, but it was on an Oversize Track!
(More on my favorite subject in a few! LOL)
The Women's Collegiate Pentathlon is getting a workout this season!
I already reported (last week) on Akela Jones's excellent mark of 4643 points!
Well, Kendell Williams took a fair shot at that mark---AND her own Collegiate Record of 4678 points!
In the Arkansas meet, Williams was 32 points ahead of CR pace after the 3rd event.
But her LJ, while solid, went just 20-10.25, and kicked her back to 16 points down on her own CR pace..
She needed a PR 800 to get it, but alas, she fell several seconds short, ending with 4558 points, still an excellent Collegiate mark!
Taliyah Brooks took 2nd, getting a BIG boost up to 4457 points!
This makes her 8th A-T Collegiate, and 11th A-T US!!
Also scoring big were Alex Gochenour and Xenia Rahn, with 4229 and 4212, respectively!
Garrett Scantling missed his PR by 48 points, winning with 6020 points in the Heptathlon!
Maicel Uibo reached 5854 points behind Scantling.
Raven Saunders has done it AGAIN!!
Yes, she beat her old PR by a FOOT (not mere inches!!) for the umpteenth time since December 2013!
Remember my report on her 61-3 recently?
Forget that one!
She's added 12.25 inches to that--her new Collegiate Soph Class Record being 62-3.25!!
This moves her up one spot on the A-T Collegiate list, from 4th to 3rd.
It also raises her place on the A-T US list--from 14th to 13th!
AND--she is now LEADING the WORLD in this exciting INdoor season!
More news from the Throws---both the SP and the Weight.
Jordan Geist is another Putter on a HOT streak!
Recently, he got some big marks--one already reported--but this time, he cleared a significant barrier too!
70 feet.
And 71.
His throw of 71-2 moves him from 9th A-T HS to 5th!
(BTW, that other recent Big Throw? A toss of 69-11.50!)
In the Vanderbilt meet--where Saunders got her latest PR--Jeneva Stevens finished 2nd in 60-8.75, while Jessica Ramsey was 3rd in 59-11.75, also a PR.
Ramsey is now 22nd A-T US.
Three OLD marks came in---or were discovered by me!--recently.
All HS Women.
Sophie Rivera threw the ball out 52-0.
This moves her from 19th A-T HS to 13th!
Nickolette Dunbar has a mark of 51-0.25, making her 18th A-T HS.
And Kathleen Young's 50-8 makes her 19th A-T HS!
Oh yes!
Removed FROM my HS list were 2 venerable names--Ancient Warriors both!
Do the names Lynette Matthews or Lynn Graham ring any bells?
They should!
In the 60's and 70's, they were 2 of America's best!
But now OFF my list--Matthews's 49-7.75 from 1971, and Graham's 49-7.25 from--1965!!
The Men--besides Mr Geist!!--weren't too quiet either!
Stephen Mozia increased his PR to 69-3.25.
And Reese Hoffa keeps on keeping on!
His SP of 67-3.25 gains him the Age 38 record!!
The Weight Throw produced several good marks, with the deepest competition coming at the Vanderbilt meet, where Raven got her SP win.
In the WT, Gwen Berry won with a toss of 78-9.75!
This is an Age 26 Record!!
Jeneva Stevens came next at 76-11.25.
Next came Jessica Ramsey (See SP report above!!) with a throw of 76-2.25!
She's now 8th A-T US--and 11th A-T World!!
(She's 24 years old, and has been unknown to me until this weekend!)
Nicole Chavis was the first Collegian in this meet--her mark of 71-10.25 missing my Collegiate DDD by---about 5 inches!!
And back in 5th--with yet another WT PR--came Saunders, her new best being 66-4.25!
(She'd thrown it 65-5 last week! See my previous post!)
Amber Campbell LOST one of her MANY Age Records recently!
Well, not to fear!
She got a replacement!!
Her toss of 77-4.50 at Camel City is the Age 34 Record!!
Felicia Johnson got out to 72-6.50.
For the Men, Brad Saur (??) tossed it 72-4.50.
Let's talk the Short Stuff for awhile!
You know--the 60 and the 60H (and the 200!).
Lots of good stuff.
Maybe the most significant came from Europe!
Ewe Swoboda, long a teenage phenom, is still at it!
Now age 18, she sprinted 60 meters in 7.13, which is the new National Record of Poland!
(That's the OVERALL National Record, not just for teens!)
Also from that Romantic continent, Germany's Julian Reis ran 6.53 to tie the National Record!
On the Collegiate front, Shayla Sanders now leads the way, her Razorback winner being 7.17.
Jasmine Todd was 2nd in 7.20, while new Duck-mate Hannah Cunliffe ran 7.29.
For Sanders, this makes her 19th A-T Collegiate, tied with 1 other.
John Teeters won the Arkansas race in 6.54.
He beat World Class LJ'er Jarrion Lawson, who ran 6.62.
Michelle Lee-Ahye ran 7.19, beating 400 specialist Natasha Hastings, who sped 7.31 in the heat race at Houston.
Hastings didn't run the final, which Ahye took in 7.12!
Also in Houston, Chevaughn Walsh nipped Mike Rodgers, both timing 6.59's.
Warren Fraser ran 6.59 also, at the Vanderbilt meet.
Muna Lee sped a 7.27.
Good Men's 200's were run in Boston and New Mexico.
Lalonde Gordon beat Cameron Williams in Boston, 20.78 to 20.88.
Ronnie Baker's 20.60 took the New Mexico race from Parker Bluth's 20.73.
In another race, Devin Jackson beat Kenzo Cotton, 20.77 to 20.78.
In 3rd was former HS phenom Rai Benjamin, who ran 21.17.
Kyra Jefferson now leads the Collegiate Women, having run 22.72.
It wasn't a PR.
Susanna Kallur, best known as the WR holder in the 60H, has run her 1st comeback race--but without hurdles!
Her 60 dash time was 7.42.
A couple of slightly old HS hurdle times were found.
Tonea Marshall and Chanel Brisset both timed out in 8.28.
They're each 9th A-T HS, tied with each other!
Dawn Harper--but NOT listed as Harper-Nelson!!--ran the 60H in 8.14 in Seattle.
Brianna Rollins sped the final (after a heat time of 8.06) in 7.95.
Among those she beat were Nia Ali (8.03), Kristi Castlin (8.04) , Lolo Jones (8.17), and HS'er Anna Cockrell (8.24)!
Ashton Eaton ran the fastest heat time--a 7.70.
Aleec Harris ran 7.76.
But Harris ran faster in the final--a 7.65.
These races were in the Camel City meet!
In CC's short dash heats, Dezerea Bryant ran 7.23, while Ramon Gittens ran 6.67.
Sasha Wallace took the Razorback race in 8.05.
Sharika Nelvis won the Vanderbilt race in 7.99.
Christina Manning ran 8.00!
Alexandria Anderson took the 60 flat in 7.22.
At a slightly longer distance, the Lyles Brothers are fast becoming Track's version of the Righteous Brothers!
(Their sprinting gives you that "loving feeling"--heh heh!)
Noah beat Josephus in a FANTASTIC 300--33.18 to 33.26!
Noah is now 3rd A-T HS, while his brother is 6th!
At 400 meters, Seren Bundy-Davies ran what is reportedly the 2nd fastest British INdoor 400--ever!--with her 51.60.
In the LJ, Grant Holloway is now BMOC (Big Man On Campus, for all you cultural nerds!)!
He leapt out to 25-11.50, making him THIRD All-Time HS!!
Kate Hall got what I THINK is the Collegiate Frosh Class record--her 21-5.50 taking 2nd to Chanice Porter's 21-7.25.
And THAT mark--Porter's--misses my Collegiate DDD by a mere inch!!
Jarrion Lawson measured one out 26-9.75.
In Houston, Funmi Jimoh LJ'ed 21-5.50.
Tired of this yet?
(Or just tired?)
Well, take a break--eat something, nap, watch a movie--then return for MORE!!
(Pause.)
Hi everyone---again!!
Let's turn to the middle and long distances!
And a few answers to what I wrote about in my previous post!
The Camel City meet had fast Miles.
NOP-mates Shannon Rowbury and Matthew Centrowitz were the expected winners, in non-PR's of 4:26.01 and 3:54.02, respectively!
Centro had Cory Leslie on his tail until the last 200, when he sprinted away from Leslie's 3:56.25.
Stephanie Garcia got an 0.50 PR over a recent race--her 4:28.47 taking 2nd to Rowbury.
She moves from 21st A-T US to 17th, where she's tied with 1 other.
Kate Murphy, another HS phenom, ran 4:43.87--a lot slower than I thought she'd run, based on her recent 1000 time of 2:45.36.
She's now 14th A-T HS!
(Speaking of that mark, did you know T&FN's latest list STILL doesn't have that mark in their US list?? I'd told them about it, and it's still NOT on their list!!)
Murphy's inclusion on the Mile list REMOVES one Polly Plumer FROM the DDD, her 4:45.9 from 1982 now gone!!
BTW, Plumer is still the OUTdoor HSR holder for the Mile--4:35.24, also from 1982!
In the Boston race, Chris O'Hare beat Justyn Kniight, 3:56.00 to 3:56.87.
Knight just misses my Collegiate DDD--by 0.04 seconds!
BUT--he makes the Collegiate 1500 list, based on his enroute time of 3:41.79.
He's 23rd A-T Collegiate!
Arkansas's races went to Ed Cheserek's 3:57.38 and Kaela Edwards's 4:32.14.
Edwards is now 16th A-T Collegiate!
Taken OFF the list was another icon--LeAnn Warren, her 4:33.26 dating from 1982!
Blake Haney was 2nd to Ches--timed in 3:59.10.
Back in 12th place---LAST!!--was Matthew Maton's 4:17.52!
Abbey D'Agostino basically solo'ed to a good Mile of 4:31.50.
Remember me saying how good Tilastopaia is?
Well, they somehow got what seems to be official 1500 splits from the NB Games Mile (the one where Kim Conley ran 4:27.88).
Two of them make my A-T US list!
Kate Grace's 4:09.76 is 17th, while Stephanie Garcia's 4:09.97 is 21st!
Another enroute 1500 is Conor Lundy's 3:51.20--from his recent 4:08.25 Mile!
He's now 11th A-T HS!
Brenda Martinez ran 4:32.05 to win the House of Track race!
Also at the H of T meet, Boris Berian sped the 800 in 1:46.00, making him 7th A-T US!!
Carlton Orange joined the elite Collegiate Freshman class of 800 runners, with his 1:47.38 at Camel City!
A slightly old HS 600 time was discovered--Rodney Agyare-May's 1:18.94 making him 11th A-T HS!
Also at Camel City, the Women's 800 was won by Melissa Bishop, time of 2:02.10.
She beat Laura Roesler's 2:03.27 and Phoebe Wright's 2:04.72.
At Penn State, Brannon Kidder ran 1:47.01 to win the 800.
Olivia Baker took the Women's race in 2:04.10.
Tori Gerlach won the Mile in 4:37.83.
Some fast DMR's came from the Penn State meet.
In fact, the hometown Men took their own race--their 9:27.70 just nipping Stanford's 9:27.77, with both Brannon Kidder and Sean McGorty running the 1600's in 3:55's!
Georgetown was next--in 9:29.28, while Mississippi took 4th in 9:30.48.
Ole Miss became the 19th best School , while Stanford's team now ranks them 4th A-T, after having moved up from 6th!
The Women's race was another sizzler!
Stanford just edged Georgetown, 10:54.58 to 10:54.77.
Georgetown's time was a School PR, but they remain in 6th place A-T.
In another meet, Oklahoma State's Women's team ran 11:01.15.
(Kaela Edwards reportedly ran the anchor in 4:31.)
They move from 21st A-T School to 18th!
Remember---long ago and far away!---when I mentioned the Women's 3000 race at Camel City?
I said I'd bring it up later--and answer a question.
Well, I have answers to a FEW questions I spoke of in my last post!
When I asked why such people as Mary Cain, Alexa Efraimson, and Wesley Frazier--among several others!--weren't racing, or even hadn't been heard from at all in recent months!!
Well, here's some answers!
Wesley Frazier is BACK!!
Now a Soph at North Carolina State, she sped 9:01.26 behind a couple of Pro's at CC.
This makes the former HS WonderGirl 23rd A-T Collegiate!!
Welcome back, Wesley!
Mary Cain is also back.
Well, let';s say she's back running races again.
Not QUITE in Frazier's league---yet!
In an unexpected--and unannounced!--appearance in a NYRR meet at The Armory, Cain won easily, her 3000 time of 9:23.38 lapping runners!
But her reported splits of 3:02, 3:09, then ending with 3:12---are NOT promising!
We'll wait and see!
And Efraimson?
She's BACK too--but with an asterisk!
Yes, she WON the Mile in a good time of 4:34.35.
Yes, she beat Jamie Cheever's PR of 4:35.92.
(As well as 5 other runners with sub-4:40 times!)
BUT---BUT!!!!---it was on the OT in Seattle!!
S--T, F--K, Piss and Moan!!
Even WORSE---FAR worse!!-- are the results of the Women'/s 5000 race in Seattle!!
OFF ALL LISTS---locked in the DUNGEON of OT HELL---are two of the best-ever 5000's ever run in the United States!!
Kim Conley won easily, running 15:09.31.
And in 2nd came that AMAZING Alaskan woman, Allie Ostrander---surely a prime candidate for Collegiate Freshman of the Year!.
But Ostrander's wonderful time of 15:21.85 might as well have been run on an OUTdoor DOWNhill track made of Grizzly Bear fur!!
It's WORTHLESS for Record and List purposes!!
Sad, sad, sad!!
Also from Seattle are illegal 800's from Mark Wieczorek (1:45.36), Shaq Walker (1:45.79), and Natalie Puliusina (2:01.00).
Sorry, folks!
On another OT is the 4:35.83 Mile run by Chelsea (Reilly) Sodaro, as well as Jeff See's 3:58.36.
I'll end this Magnum Opus---or is it Magnum DOPE-us??---with a bit of news.
As everyone on Planet Earth probably already knows, Galen Rupp announced he's going to RACE the Olympic Trials Marathon!!
(Place your bets!!)
BTW, he ALSO plans to try for the WC team in the 3000, as well as the OG team for the 10K!
OUT of the same race---sadly!--is Aaron Braun, who said he has an injury problem, and lost too much training!
Finally, Blanka Vlasic is---sadly too!---out of the WC!
She said she wants to treat an injury--not make it any worse--and to concentrate on going to Rio!
She recently HJ'ed 6-4.75!
Thank you---all 3 of you!--for hanging with me throughout this rather brief (HAHAHA!) post!
What will next weekend bring?
Another INCREDIBLE weekend??
Wait and see!
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Monday, January 25, 2016
Thoughts & Questions
The 2016 INdoor T&F season is heating up. (See last 2 or 3 posts!)
But what's been happening ON the tracks & fields of the world pales when set forth against the internecine scandals hitting our sport on an almost daily basis!
And like with Watergate, it's reached the highest levels of T&F--the IAAF!
So let this post begin with them!
With "preppie" Seb Coe--a Lord no less!--becoming its President, it seemed the housecleaning needed at the IAAF was going to happen!
And it might---someday!
He in fact HAS formed committees or whatever to find solutions!
Drugs?
Lamine Diack a felon?
Ban important nations from the Olympics?
Check, check, check!
But however fast Coe seems to be moving---as fast as he used to run?--it's still not fast enough to keep the IAAF from attacks on all fronts!
Do we really need this organization to survive?
Should Coe go?
In the US, we went from the AAU to TAC to USATF
And at each juncture, change seemed warranted, and welcomed!
But look at where USATF is at today!
A fair comparison?
Elsewhere on the IAAF front---and maybe symbolic of the entire mess--the protocol for gaining access to yearly lists on IAAF's site has changed.
IMO, for the worse!
I won't go into detail--See for yourself!--it's a MESS!
You know those phone calls you make where the "voice" says "Press 1 for..." or "Press 6 for...", and you're swearing at each "Press.."?
Well, the added steps to be able to see the current INdoor lists have turned me AWAY from these lists as a source I'll be using!
Instead, I've "found" Tilastopaia!!
What?
It's a GREAT site dedicated to providing deep lists---AND totally current (to the HOUR!!) lists!
People on the T&FN Message Board had been advising me to seek them out---for awhile!
Ever the rebel, I'd rejected their advice!
But the new IAAF list protocols have made me a fan of this hard-to-spell site!
They DO charge a fee---too expensive for me!---BUT they DO have some stuff offered FREE!!
Including that current INdoor list (Top 20 for all events!) I mentioned!
(In my next results post, I'll report on 3 "new" marks I found---on Tilastopaia!)
But back to the IAAF's uglier headline grabbers!
Details---and final decisions--have yet to emerge, but it seems IAAF meets (Championships, NOT Diamond League meets---I think!) might lose Adidas as a key sponsor.
IF---a HUGE if!--IF this happens, everyone is saying this lets Nike attain a larger degree of control--financial and otherwise!--on T&F!
Don't they ALREADY OWN our sport?
Seems to me that Nike has become---always was?---the "Walmart" of T&F.
Taking over meets and venues and athletes--while grinning (sneering?) at the demise of smaller "mom & pop" outfits!
So what happens?
Guys (and gals!) start signing with "upstarts" like Hoka One One, Skechers, Puma, ASICS, and (OMG!!) Oiselle!
Then modern day Prefontaine's, like Nick Symmonds, decide to FIGHT BACK against Nike's autocratic rule!
Which leads me to my next "thought"!
I LOVE that Symmonds (as represented by his Run Gum company) is SUING both the USOC and USATF!!
He wants for athletes to be able to advertise their sponsors brands on their uniforms!
This is similar to what he did last summer---except he stopped short of the courtroom then!
Is Symmonds just some megalomaniacal asshole out to promote himself--at everyone else's expense?
NO!
I fully support his lawsuit!
(I wish he'd filed one last year--to FORCE the powers-that-be to allow him to run in Beijing's WC!)
That the righteous flower named Lauren Fleshman supports Nick should be applauded--LOUDLY!
All this Corporate/CEO crap too serious for you?
Yeah, me too!
So let's move on to some more "mundane" matters, shall we?
Like--the ban on Russia!
In brief, I am "agin'it".
Let's do an analogy.
The United States is found to be neck deep in drug scandals!
A scandal that would put the Justin Gatlin affair to shame!
So the IAAF says it's going to BAN the good old US of A from not only Rio, but its own Portland World Championships!!
ALL athletes, not just all those "drug users"!
Every report and article I've seen say that 3 top Russian athletes are clean!
And have always been!
They are Anna Chicherova, Sergey Shubenkov, and Yelena Isinbayeva!
No doubt there's several others, but these 3 are the biggest names!
Should THEY be banned too!
Because that's what the IAAF decision does!
(Imagine if this had happened in 2013, prior to the WC that year---scheduled for MOSCOW!!)
Russia is fighting back!
Yes, they're "cleaning up their act"--supposedly.
But they're also saying "Let us compete!".
And they ARE competing---albeit in small home meets.
Isi was supposed to open her season in mid-February.
Will she still do so?
And what happens if she breaks the World Record?
Right now, the IAAF will NOT accept Russian marks as valid!
Some sources are listing their marks separately--if at all!
Well here goes my "rebel" side again!
This blog WILL honor whatever marks occur from Russia's athletes!
I will report the best of them, as I do for every other nation!
They WILL make my Top 24 lists---if they're good enough!
And what happens if, say, Isinbayeva performs well enough to be considered for Athlete of the Year?
I WILL consider her!
So let it be written, So let it be done!
Speaking of this blog, did you know that, in SOME aspects, it's better than what you get from the vaunted eTN from T&FN??
Really!!
Two examples.
My lengthy post from yesterday--filled with results--came out BEFORE the latest eTN---by a few hours!
And my report highlighted MORE marks than did the eTN!
Reasons?
I concentrate on mainly (only?) the BEST marks, so I don't waste time or space listing EVERY result!
My DDD's extend 24 deep, not 10 deep, as eTN does!
And I make sure to tell you if someone runs, jumps, or throws even a 24th best mark!!
(And occasionally, even marks that come CLOSE to making one of my lists!)
Sooooo---this blog, IMHO, is faster, more complete, and deeper (in detail) than the eTN!
But don't read this the wrong way!
I still honor and respect---and LOVE!---the eTN---and T&FN!
Always have, always will!
Do all (or even some!) of you PAY for the services provided by Flotrack, Runner Space, and Mile Split?
Flotrack charges about $20/month to watch their livestreams.
Two problems---or maybe 3.
Not all of their livestreams work!
Or at least not 100%!
The meets they livestream aren't always the best!
(Of course, that's not always their fault, as the biggest meets go to ESPN, NBC, and such!)
And the announcing--for the most part---isn't always on a par with, say, that of Tim Hutchings and Carrie Tollefsen---or even those British mateys who sometimes SEEM on a par with---Flotrack!
Same goes for the "PRO" sides of Runner Space and Mile Split.
Used to be FREE, but they too now charge---for videos, livestreams, and---lists!
Uh-uh, folks!
Wherefore art thou, Mary Cain?
And Alexa Efraimson, Wesley Frazier, Sarah Baxter, Elise Cranny, and even Kaylin Whitney?
On the male side, what about Yohan Blake, Bogdan Bondarenko, Grant Fisher, Matthew Maton, Andre De Grasse, and even Usain Bolt??
Sure, SOME of them have been in the news---with results from races and meets---or with articles about their 2016 goals!
We KNOW that Bolt never runs INdoors.
But what about Blake, once considered Bolt's heir apparent?
Still injured?
Retired?
Mutaz Barshim will compete at the Asian Championships in about 3 weeks--and maybe before.
But where is Bondarenko?
Cranny was supposed to compete at the recent Seattle meet--along with Aisling Cuffe!
Neither showed!
Why?
Efraimson?
Last summer, she ran PR's at both 800 and 1500, and seemed poised for a great 2016.
Her 4:03.39 even beat Cain's HSR---although Alexa's time qualified as a HS PRO record ONLY!
The last time she tweeted was August 10th!
She lives and trains between Portland and Seattle!
Why didn't she run in that Seattle meet---even if in just rust-busting fashion!---or in one of those Portland meets where they're using the track to be used for the WC?
Convenient for her!
In her backyard, practically!
Same for Cain!
She's now living near NYC---and The Armory and Staten Island's Ocean Breeze facility!
Again, convenient--in her backyard!
No need to travel 6000 miles round-trip to Seattle or Portland!
She even SAID she'd have a big INdoor season!
Except, in the past, her forthcoming races were announced beforehand!
This year?
No word---nothing!
Which leads one to ask questions--and wonder!
But for every Bolt, Blake, Cain and Cranny that's MIA, a few are BACK!!
Chaunte Lowe finally appears to be in shape---opening as she did with a 6-3.50!
Brigetta Barrett--who had been missing for almost 2 years!---jumped 6-0.50 in her "rust-buster"!
And Lolo Jones---who was shown "heavily sedated" in a video she produced last year just after hip labrum surgery, is back too!
Beginning just a week ago with an 8.32, she quickly (sic!) put that slowpoke jog to rest, running an 8.00 in the final on Saturday, after a heat in 8.19.
At the same time, news came---sadly--of an injury to Bernard Lagat!
Don't know how bad yet, but bad enough he had to withdraw from this week's Camel City meet!
He's been replaced by another who wasn't around much in 2015---Lawi Lalang!
Finally, one more question.
When will Alexi Pappas's "TrackTown" movie be released?
Last I heard, it was in post-production---almost finished---and was being offered to Sundance and such!
But no word on exact date of first showing---or more important to me---its DVD release date!!
See you all soon!
But what's been happening ON the tracks & fields of the world pales when set forth against the internecine scandals hitting our sport on an almost daily basis!
And like with Watergate, it's reached the highest levels of T&F--the IAAF!
So let this post begin with them!
With "preppie" Seb Coe--a Lord no less!--becoming its President, it seemed the housecleaning needed at the IAAF was going to happen!
And it might---someday!
He in fact HAS formed committees or whatever to find solutions!
Drugs?
Lamine Diack a felon?
Ban important nations from the Olympics?
Check, check, check!
But however fast Coe seems to be moving---as fast as he used to run?--it's still not fast enough to keep the IAAF from attacks on all fronts!
Do we really need this organization to survive?
Should Coe go?
In the US, we went from the AAU to TAC to USATF
And at each juncture, change seemed warranted, and welcomed!
But look at where USATF is at today!
A fair comparison?
Elsewhere on the IAAF front---and maybe symbolic of the entire mess--the protocol for gaining access to yearly lists on IAAF's site has changed.
IMO, for the worse!
I won't go into detail--See for yourself!--it's a MESS!
You know those phone calls you make where the "voice" says "Press 1 for..." or "Press 6 for...", and you're swearing at each "Press.."?
Well, the added steps to be able to see the current INdoor lists have turned me AWAY from these lists as a source I'll be using!
Instead, I've "found" Tilastopaia!!
What?
It's a GREAT site dedicated to providing deep lists---AND totally current (to the HOUR!!) lists!
People on the T&FN Message Board had been advising me to seek them out---for awhile!
Ever the rebel, I'd rejected their advice!
But the new IAAF list protocols have made me a fan of this hard-to-spell site!
They DO charge a fee---too expensive for me!---BUT they DO have some stuff offered FREE!!
Including that current INdoor list (Top 20 for all events!) I mentioned!
(In my next results post, I'll report on 3 "new" marks I found---on Tilastopaia!)
But back to the IAAF's uglier headline grabbers!
Details---and final decisions--have yet to emerge, but it seems IAAF meets (Championships, NOT Diamond League meets---I think!) might lose Adidas as a key sponsor.
IF---a HUGE if!--IF this happens, everyone is saying this lets Nike attain a larger degree of control--financial and otherwise!--on T&F!
Don't they ALREADY OWN our sport?
Seems to me that Nike has become---always was?---the "Walmart" of T&F.
Taking over meets and venues and athletes--while grinning (sneering?) at the demise of smaller "mom & pop" outfits!
So what happens?
Guys (and gals!) start signing with "upstarts" like Hoka One One, Skechers, Puma, ASICS, and (OMG!!) Oiselle!
Then modern day Prefontaine's, like Nick Symmonds, decide to FIGHT BACK against Nike's autocratic rule!
Which leads me to my next "thought"!
I LOVE that Symmonds (as represented by his Run Gum company) is SUING both the USOC and USATF!!
He wants for athletes to be able to advertise their sponsors brands on their uniforms!
This is similar to what he did last summer---except he stopped short of the courtroom then!
Is Symmonds just some megalomaniacal asshole out to promote himself--at everyone else's expense?
NO!
I fully support his lawsuit!
(I wish he'd filed one last year--to FORCE the powers-that-be to allow him to run in Beijing's WC!)
That the righteous flower named Lauren Fleshman supports Nick should be applauded--LOUDLY!
All this Corporate/CEO crap too serious for you?
Yeah, me too!
So let's move on to some more "mundane" matters, shall we?
Like--the ban on Russia!
In brief, I am "agin'it".
Let's do an analogy.
The United States is found to be neck deep in drug scandals!
A scandal that would put the Justin Gatlin affair to shame!
So the IAAF says it's going to BAN the good old US of A from not only Rio, but its own Portland World Championships!!
ALL athletes, not just all those "drug users"!
Every report and article I've seen say that 3 top Russian athletes are clean!
And have always been!
They are Anna Chicherova, Sergey Shubenkov, and Yelena Isinbayeva!
No doubt there's several others, but these 3 are the biggest names!
Should THEY be banned too!
Because that's what the IAAF decision does!
(Imagine if this had happened in 2013, prior to the WC that year---scheduled for MOSCOW!!)
Russia is fighting back!
Yes, they're "cleaning up their act"--supposedly.
But they're also saying "Let us compete!".
And they ARE competing---albeit in small home meets.
Isi was supposed to open her season in mid-February.
Will she still do so?
And what happens if she breaks the World Record?
Right now, the IAAF will NOT accept Russian marks as valid!
Some sources are listing their marks separately--if at all!
Well here goes my "rebel" side again!
This blog WILL honor whatever marks occur from Russia's athletes!
I will report the best of them, as I do for every other nation!
They WILL make my Top 24 lists---if they're good enough!
And what happens if, say, Isinbayeva performs well enough to be considered for Athlete of the Year?
I WILL consider her!
So let it be written, So let it be done!
Speaking of this blog, did you know that, in SOME aspects, it's better than what you get from the vaunted eTN from T&FN??
Really!!
Two examples.
My lengthy post from yesterday--filled with results--came out BEFORE the latest eTN---by a few hours!
And my report highlighted MORE marks than did the eTN!
Reasons?
I concentrate on mainly (only?) the BEST marks, so I don't waste time or space listing EVERY result!
My DDD's extend 24 deep, not 10 deep, as eTN does!
And I make sure to tell you if someone runs, jumps, or throws even a 24th best mark!!
(And occasionally, even marks that come CLOSE to making one of my lists!)
Sooooo---this blog, IMHO, is faster, more complete, and deeper (in detail) than the eTN!
But don't read this the wrong way!
I still honor and respect---and LOVE!---the eTN---and T&FN!
Always have, always will!
Do all (or even some!) of you PAY for the services provided by Flotrack, Runner Space, and Mile Split?
Flotrack charges about $20/month to watch their livestreams.
Two problems---or maybe 3.
Not all of their livestreams work!
Or at least not 100%!
The meets they livestream aren't always the best!
(Of course, that's not always their fault, as the biggest meets go to ESPN, NBC, and such!)
And the announcing--for the most part---isn't always on a par with, say, that of Tim Hutchings and Carrie Tollefsen---or even those British mateys who sometimes SEEM on a par with---Flotrack!
Same goes for the "PRO" sides of Runner Space and Mile Split.
Used to be FREE, but they too now charge---for videos, livestreams, and---lists!
Uh-uh, folks!
Wherefore art thou, Mary Cain?
And Alexa Efraimson, Wesley Frazier, Sarah Baxter, Elise Cranny, and even Kaylin Whitney?
On the male side, what about Yohan Blake, Bogdan Bondarenko, Grant Fisher, Matthew Maton, Andre De Grasse, and even Usain Bolt??
Sure, SOME of them have been in the news---with results from races and meets---or with articles about their 2016 goals!
We KNOW that Bolt never runs INdoors.
But what about Blake, once considered Bolt's heir apparent?
Still injured?
Retired?
Mutaz Barshim will compete at the Asian Championships in about 3 weeks--and maybe before.
But where is Bondarenko?
Cranny was supposed to compete at the recent Seattle meet--along with Aisling Cuffe!
Neither showed!
Why?
Efraimson?
Last summer, she ran PR's at both 800 and 1500, and seemed poised for a great 2016.
Her 4:03.39 even beat Cain's HSR---although Alexa's time qualified as a HS PRO record ONLY!
The last time she tweeted was August 10th!
She lives and trains between Portland and Seattle!
Why didn't she run in that Seattle meet---even if in just rust-busting fashion!---or in one of those Portland meets where they're using the track to be used for the WC?
Convenient for her!
In her backyard, practically!
Same for Cain!
She's now living near NYC---and The Armory and Staten Island's Ocean Breeze facility!
Again, convenient--in her backyard!
No need to travel 6000 miles round-trip to Seattle or Portland!
She even SAID she'd have a big INdoor season!
Except, in the past, her forthcoming races were announced beforehand!
This year?
No word---nothing!
Which leads one to ask questions--and wonder!
But for every Bolt, Blake, Cain and Cranny that's MIA, a few are BACK!!
Chaunte Lowe finally appears to be in shape---opening as she did with a 6-3.50!
Brigetta Barrett--who had been missing for almost 2 years!---jumped 6-0.50 in her "rust-buster"!
And Lolo Jones---who was shown "heavily sedated" in a video she produced last year just after hip labrum surgery, is back too!
Beginning just a week ago with an 8.32, she quickly (sic!) put that slowpoke jog to rest, running an 8.00 in the final on Saturday, after a heat in 8.19.
At the same time, news came---sadly--of an injury to Bernard Lagat!
Don't know how bad yet, but bad enough he had to withdraw from this week's Camel City meet!
He's been replaced by another who wasn't around much in 2015---Lawi Lalang!
Finally, one more question.
When will Alexi Pappas's "TrackTown" movie be released?
Last I heard, it was in post-production---almost finished---and was being offered to Sundance and such!
But no word on exact date of first showing---or more important to me---its DVD release date!!
See you all soon!
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Prepping for final 8 weeks
This is how you feel when, at a big meet, you watch as the best athletes are introduced, knowing you're about to see a GREAT event happen, and waiting for those long intros to end, and for the REAL action to begin!
Okay, a bit overdone.
There HAVE been some pretty fine races, jumps, and throws already, starting a bit over 2 months ago!
But come on, guys & gals, let's get this show STARTED!!
As a maybe incomplete indication of where the 2016 INdoor season is at, I did a count of how many 2016 marks are on my 4 DDD's.
As long-time readers of this blog know, there are normally between 300 and 400 marks that make my World, US, Collegiate, and HS Top 24 Performers lists (DDD's) each INdoor season.
Well, here's the current numbers, which might be slightly UNDERcounted!
World----------Men (2), Women (3)
US-------------Men (2), Women (11)
Collegiate------Men (5), Women (7)
HS------------Men (10), Women (7)
Totals---------Men (19), Women (28)
Grand Total (47)
Waiting on the next 300---or so!
But here's what happened this past week!
The Roads provided 2 important races.
In the Houston Half-Marathon, Mary Wacera ran 1:06:29, the fastest Half on US soil!
Cynthia Limo was 2nd in 1:06:41, with Mare Dibaba 3rd in 1:07:55.
First American was Sara Hall in a PR time of 1:10:07.
She was 5th overall.
40+ Jen Rhines finished in 1:14:57!
Lelisa Desisa took the Men's race in 1:00:37.
Second was Mosinet Geremew in 1:00:43.
First US finisher was Luke Puskedra in a PR of 1:01:29!
Good OT Marathon prep for both Hall and Puskedra!
(Reminder: The Olympic Trials race is 3 weeks from yesterday!!)
The other big Road affair was the Dubai Marathon, which began at 6:30 a.m., about 20 minutes before daylight!!
Tesfaye Abera, in just his 2nd Marathon, crushed his PR by 5:22 (!!), winning in 2:04:24.
This is the Age 23 record!
It makes him 10th A-T World!
(My list includes the Boston Marathon!)
Hayle Berhane took 2nd in 2:04:33, with Asefa Mekonnen 3rd in 2:04:46.
This makes Berhane 16th A-T World, and makes Mekonnen 18th A-T World!
The 30K point was reportedly hit in a "WR" time of 1:27:20!
The pace slowed dramatically once the rabbits left the course somewhere around 25 or 30K!
Tirfi Tsegaye joined the sub-2:20 club, winning in 2:19:41.
Amere Beriso took 2nd in her debut 26.2, timing 2:20:48.
Meselech Melkamu took 3rd in 2:22:29.
Tsegaye's time makes her 12th A-T World, tied with 1 other!
BTW, the livestream was excellent!!
(Except that splits for the Women were not as complete as for the Men!!)
Now onto Track and Field!
Akela Jones came THIS close to breaking Kendell Williams's Collegiate Record in the Pentathlon, scoring 4643 points.
Her HJ wasn't up to par, and her 800 was a bit too slow.
But her LJ tied her PR of 21-9.50!
For the Pent, it's the Senior Class record!
It's also the National Record of Barbados.
And it moves her from 11th to 2nd on the A-T Collegiate list!
Looks like Williams has a "new" rival to replace Erica Bougard!!
In a separate meet, Karli Johonnot joined the Collegiate "elite", scoring a PR of 4282 points!
This makes her 23rd A-T Collegiate!
But she just missed the US list--by 7 points!!
Besides Jones tying her 2015 PR, the Collegiate LJ saw other good marks.
Topping the list was Quenesha Burks, whose 22-0.25 is now 9th A-T Collegiate, tied with 2 others.
She's also now 14th A-T US, tied with 1 other!
Sha-keela Saunders jumped 21-5.25.
The Pro's hopped in too.
Marquis Goodwin led the Men with 26-2.75, while Janay DeLoach topped the Women with 22-1.75.
The Women's TJ saw a great "bound" forward by Venezuelan Yulimar Rojas, who improved from 14.20 to 14.69--or from 46-7.25 to 48-2.50!!
This is the new Age 20 record!
Also the National Record of Venezuela.
Plus, it gets her on my Top 24 World list---in 24th!
Keturah Orji TJ'ed for the first time this season--hitting a solid 44-5.50!
Titiana Marsh continues her rise in the HS ranks, her 41-8.75 making her 17th A T HS!!
The Women's 60H saw some interesting results.
Kendra Harrison's PR of 7.83 led the way.
She moves from 19th to 9th on the A-T US list.
She misses the World DDD by 0.01 seconds!!
Her heat time was 7.86!
Janay DeLoach ran 7.94, after a heat in 8.08.
And not far behind was one Lolo Jones, whose 8.00 in the final wasn't bad, after returning from surgery last week with a rust-busting 8.32! (See previous post!)
Lolo ran 8.19 in her heat!
And Brianna Rollins had a good meet.
Running 3 events, her 60H time was 7.99.
She also did the 200 (23.64) and 60 (7.29, in a heat)!
She didn't run the final in either the 60 or 60H!
Brigetta Barrett is BACK----or maybe that should be in lower case, as her HJ of 6-0.50 was good, considering it was her first competition since 2014 (??), but won't shake the world!
She made all her marks (1.70, 1.75, 1.78, and 1.81) on 1st try, but needed 2 to make the 1.84.
She missed all 3 tries at 6-1.50.
Randall Cunningham got the leading Collegiate HJ of 2016--leaping over a bar set at 7-5.
The Throws had some good stuff.
Raven Saunders was short of her week-old PR in the SP--by 4.25 inches!
Her winning Put of 60-10.75 led a series which included 2 other 60-plus throws!
She did PR (again!) in the WT, hitting 65-5!
Filip Mihaljevic had a SP of 67-10.75.
This makes him 21st A-T Collegiate!
Konrad Bukowiecki got the Age 18 record with his 67-1.50!
Ashley Jenkins threw the Weight out 71-0.50, for a good Collegiate mark.
What to say about the Pole Vault?
After the Circus of great marks so far this season, the event "merely" held steady the past week!
Which ain't exactly rotten moldy cheese!!
Here's the line-up!
In Renaud Lavillenie's 1st meet of 2016, he lost to Raphael Holzdeppe's 19-2!
Both Lavillenie and Shawn Barber made 18-8.25.
Changnui Xue got the Chinese National Record with his height of 19-0.75!
OUTdoors, Eliza McCartney continues to rack up New Zealand National Records!
Her latest was 15-3!
Nikoleta Kiriakopoulou made 15-5.50 (INdoors).
Melinda Withrow jumped 15-1.50.
This makes her 9th A-T US, tied with 1 other!
She then missed 3 tries at--15-7!!
Kylie Hutson took 2nd with 14-11
New Mexico's meet saw a good competition.
Mary Saxer won with 14-9.
Following her were---
Lexi Weeks (14-5.25)
Katie Nageotte (14-5.25)
Kaitlin Petrillose (14-1.25)
and Tori Weeks (13-7.25)!
More 14-plus vaults by female Collegiates--
Jessie Johnson rose to 14-1.75.
Alysha Newman hit 14-0.
On the Track---the one set to be used at the WC--the 2nd of 4 open meets produced some decent marks.
Paul Chelimo outkicked Eric Jenkins in a 3000, 7:44.68 to 7:45.14.
William Kincaid, also the Collegiate 5000 leader, ran the leading Collegiate time of 7:48.89!
He beat, among others, Cam Levins of NOP, who ran 7:52.67.
For Kincaid, this makes him 18th A-T Collegiate!
Andrew Wheating's winning time of 3:39.83 in the 1500 missed my US Top 24 list by just 0.08 seconds!
He beat Trevor Dunbar's 3:40.78, and Will Geoghegan's 3:41.08.
Jenna Prandini opened her Pro INdoor career with a winning time of 7.28 in the 60.
Octavious Freeman was 2nd in 7.35, while Brittney Reese ran 7.52.
Laura Roesler ran her fastest 800 of 2016--a 2:04.04 for the win!
Sheila Reid won in an okay 1500 time of 4:18.27.
She then ran 2:09.08 in the 800 an hour later.
A Collegiate 1000 saw Andrea Keklak's 2:42.76 beat Tori Gerlach's 2:43.15.
Keklak is now 11th A-T Collegiate, while Gerlach is 14th.
In the 600, Isaiah Harris's 1:17.74 makes him 23rd A-T Collegiate!
Lalonde Gordon improved to 20.77 in the 200.
In the NB Games in the Armory, he also won the 300 in 32.83.
Trayvon Bromell took over the World lead in the 60 with his PR of 6.54.
He misses the US list by 0.03 seconds.
Cameron Burrell was 2nd in 6.60.
Shayla Sanders ran 7.25 for the 60.
Nathaneel Mitchell-Blake, from Great Britain, ran a Collegiate-leading 200 of 20.57.
Felicia Brown leads the Collegiate Women with her 22.88.
Age 39 Kim Collins ran a rare OUTdoor 60--in Jamaica--in 6.53!!
The "elite" portion of the snow-delayed NB Games saw some good marks.
The best was the Women's Mile, won by Kim Conley.
Her 4:27.88 wasn't a PR, but was enough to beat the PR by Kate Grace, whose 4:28.30 moves her from 19th to 14th on the A-T US list.
Stephanie Garcia's 4 second PR of 4:28.97 makes her 21st A-T US.
Cory McGee followed with a good 4:30.93.
Conor Lundy ran his 2nd great race of the season!
He'd opened with a solid 3000 in 8:22.06, a HS leader!
He moved from 18th A-T HS, tied with 1 other, to 15th!
In the NB Mile, his 4:08.25 (also a HS leader!) makes him 19th A-T HS!!
He ran against the Pro's, the race won in 4:01-plus.
Sammy Watson doubled, running 39.34 and 1:32.25 in the 300 and 600.
On Staten Island, Marielle Hall beat Ajee Wilson in the Mile, 4:43.61 to 4:50.22!
Slow, but interesting nonetheless!!
Hall also ran the 3000 in 9:07.46!
Leah O'Connor ran a 3000 in 8:59.44.
Oversize Tracks saw some good marks DEFEATED by the size of the tracks!!
But I'll report them anyway!
Erin Finn ran a mile in 4:40 and change.
Anna Rohrer didn't win, but her 3K time of 9:17-plus was promising.
On a different OT, Florida's Women's 4X400 team ran 3:30.51, while their Men's team beat Baylor's, 3:05.57 to 3:05.90!
Finally, from "banned" Russia comes some good marks!
Mariya Kuchina HJ'ed 6.4.
Aleksey Fyodorov TJ'ed 54-10.
And Anzhelika Sidorova PV'ed a great 15-7!!
I'll expand on the following news items in a future post, but here in brief--
Chris Derrick is NOT going to run the OT Marathon!
Nick Symmonds and his Run Gum company are suing both USOC and USATF about whether athletes can advertise their brands on their uniforms!
(Many support this suit, including Lauren Fleshman---and myself!!)
Symmonds also said his INdoor career is done!!
No USATF--or World Championships!!
Lastly---WHEW!!!---I must make a CORRECTION!!
I made a MAJOR GOOF in a recent post!
I stated that Bralon Taplin's great 400 of 45.20 made the US list!!
Well, guess what?
He's from GRENADA!!!
So he's OFF my US DDD, and Steve Lewis's 45.53 from 1992 is back ON!!
Apologies to everyone!
See you soon---with a post of---"thoughts" on a variety of topics!
Okay, a bit overdone.
There HAVE been some pretty fine races, jumps, and throws already, starting a bit over 2 months ago!
But come on, guys & gals, let's get this show STARTED!!
As a maybe incomplete indication of where the 2016 INdoor season is at, I did a count of how many 2016 marks are on my 4 DDD's.
As long-time readers of this blog know, there are normally between 300 and 400 marks that make my World, US, Collegiate, and HS Top 24 Performers lists (DDD's) each INdoor season.
Well, here's the current numbers, which might be slightly UNDERcounted!
World----------Men (2), Women (3)
US-------------Men (2), Women (11)
Collegiate------Men (5), Women (7)
HS------------Men (10), Women (7)
Totals---------Men (19), Women (28)
Grand Total (47)
Waiting on the next 300---or so!
But here's what happened this past week!
The Roads provided 2 important races.
In the Houston Half-Marathon, Mary Wacera ran 1:06:29, the fastest Half on US soil!
Cynthia Limo was 2nd in 1:06:41, with Mare Dibaba 3rd in 1:07:55.
First American was Sara Hall in a PR time of 1:10:07.
She was 5th overall.
40+ Jen Rhines finished in 1:14:57!
Lelisa Desisa took the Men's race in 1:00:37.
Second was Mosinet Geremew in 1:00:43.
First US finisher was Luke Puskedra in a PR of 1:01:29!
Good OT Marathon prep for both Hall and Puskedra!
(Reminder: The Olympic Trials race is 3 weeks from yesterday!!)
The other big Road affair was the Dubai Marathon, which began at 6:30 a.m., about 20 minutes before daylight!!
Tesfaye Abera, in just his 2nd Marathon, crushed his PR by 5:22 (!!), winning in 2:04:24.
This is the Age 23 record!
It makes him 10th A-T World!
(My list includes the Boston Marathon!)
Hayle Berhane took 2nd in 2:04:33, with Asefa Mekonnen 3rd in 2:04:46.
This makes Berhane 16th A-T World, and makes Mekonnen 18th A-T World!
The 30K point was reportedly hit in a "WR" time of 1:27:20!
The pace slowed dramatically once the rabbits left the course somewhere around 25 or 30K!
Tirfi Tsegaye joined the sub-2:20 club, winning in 2:19:41.
Amere Beriso took 2nd in her debut 26.2, timing 2:20:48.
Meselech Melkamu took 3rd in 2:22:29.
Tsegaye's time makes her 12th A-T World, tied with 1 other!
BTW, the livestream was excellent!!
(Except that splits for the Women were not as complete as for the Men!!)
Now onto Track and Field!
Akela Jones came THIS close to breaking Kendell Williams's Collegiate Record in the Pentathlon, scoring 4643 points.
Her HJ wasn't up to par, and her 800 was a bit too slow.
But her LJ tied her PR of 21-9.50!
For the Pent, it's the Senior Class record!
It's also the National Record of Barbados.
And it moves her from 11th to 2nd on the A-T Collegiate list!
Looks like Williams has a "new" rival to replace Erica Bougard!!
In a separate meet, Karli Johonnot joined the Collegiate "elite", scoring a PR of 4282 points!
This makes her 23rd A-T Collegiate!
But she just missed the US list--by 7 points!!
Besides Jones tying her 2015 PR, the Collegiate LJ saw other good marks.
Topping the list was Quenesha Burks, whose 22-0.25 is now 9th A-T Collegiate, tied with 2 others.
She's also now 14th A-T US, tied with 1 other!
Sha-keela Saunders jumped 21-5.25.
The Pro's hopped in too.
Marquis Goodwin led the Men with 26-2.75, while Janay DeLoach topped the Women with 22-1.75.
The Women's TJ saw a great "bound" forward by Venezuelan Yulimar Rojas, who improved from 14.20 to 14.69--or from 46-7.25 to 48-2.50!!
This is the new Age 20 record!
Also the National Record of Venezuela.
Plus, it gets her on my Top 24 World list---in 24th!
Keturah Orji TJ'ed for the first time this season--hitting a solid 44-5.50!
Titiana Marsh continues her rise in the HS ranks, her 41-8.75 making her 17th A T HS!!
The Women's 60H saw some interesting results.
Kendra Harrison's PR of 7.83 led the way.
She moves from 19th to 9th on the A-T US list.
She misses the World DDD by 0.01 seconds!!
Her heat time was 7.86!
Janay DeLoach ran 7.94, after a heat in 8.08.
And not far behind was one Lolo Jones, whose 8.00 in the final wasn't bad, after returning from surgery last week with a rust-busting 8.32! (See previous post!)
Lolo ran 8.19 in her heat!
And Brianna Rollins had a good meet.
Running 3 events, her 60H time was 7.99.
She also did the 200 (23.64) and 60 (7.29, in a heat)!
She didn't run the final in either the 60 or 60H!
Brigetta Barrett is BACK----or maybe that should be in lower case, as her HJ of 6-0.50 was good, considering it was her first competition since 2014 (??), but won't shake the world!
She made all her marks (1.70, 1.75, 1.78, and 1.81) on 1st try, but needed 2 to make the 1.84.
She missed all 3 tries at 6-1.50.
Randall Cunningham got the leading Collegiate HJ of 2016--leaping over a bar set at 7-5.
The Throws had some good stuff.
Raven Saunders was short of her week-old PR in the SP--by 4.25 inches!
Her winning Put of 60-10.75 led a series which included 2 other 60-plus throws!
She did PR (again!) in the WT, hitting 65-5!
Filip Mihaljevic had a SP of 67-10.75.
This makes him 21st A-T Collegiate!
Konrad Bukowiecki got the Age 18 record with his 67-1.50!
Ashley Jenkins threw the Weight out 71-0.50, for a good Collegiate mark.
What to say about the Pole Vault?
After the Circus of great marks so far this season, the event "merely" held steady the past week!
Which ain't exactly rotten moldy cheese!!
Here's the line-up!
In Renaud Lavillenie's 1st meet of 2016, he lost to Raphael Holzdeppe's 19-2!
Both Lavillenie and Shawn Barber made 18-8.25.
Changnui Xue got the Chinese National Record with his height of 19-0.75!
OUTdoors, Eliza McCartney continues to rack up New Zealand National Records!
Her latest was 15-3!
Nikoleta Kiriakopoulou made 15-5.50 (INdoors).
Melinda Withrow jumped 15-1.50.
This makes her 9th A-T US, tied with 1 other!
She then missed 3 tries at--15-7!!
Kylie Hutson took 2nd with 14-11
New Mexico's meet saw a good competition.
Mary Saxer won with 14-9.
Following her were---
Lexi Weeks (14-5.25)
Katie Nageotte (14-5.25)
Kaitlin Petrillose (14-1.25)
and Tori Weeks (13-7.25)!
More 14-plus vaults by female Collegiates--
Jessie Johnson rose to 14-1.75.
Alysha Newman hit 14-0.
On the Track---the one set to be used at the WC--the 2nd of 4 open meets produced some decent marks.
Paul Chelimo outkicked Eric Jenkins in a 3000, 7:44.68 to 7:45.14.
William Kincaid, also the Collegiate 5000 leader, ran the leading Collegiate time of 7:48.89!
He beat, among others, Cam Levins of NOP, who ran 7:52.67.
For Kincaid, this makes him 18th A-T Collegiate!
Andrew Wheating's winning time of 3:39.83 in the 1500 missed my US Top 24 list by just 0.08 seconds!
He beat Trevor Dunbar's 3:40.78, and Will Geoghegan's 3:41.08.
Jenna Prandini opened her Pro INdoor career with a winning time of 7.28 in the 60.
Octavious Freeman was 2nd in 7.35, while Brittney Reese ran 7.52.
Laura Roesler ran her fastest 800 of 2016--a 2:04.04 for the win!
Sheila Reid won in an okay 1500 time of 4:18.27.
She then ran 2:09.08 in the 800 an hour later.
A Collegiate 1000 saw Andrea Keklak's 2:42.76 beat Tori Gerlach's 2:43.15.
Keklak is now 11th A-T Collegiate, while Gerlach is 14th.
In the 600, Isaiah Harris's 1:17.74 makes him 23rd A-T Collegiate!
Lalonde Gordon improved to 20.77 in the 200.
In the NB Games in the Armory, he also won the 300 in 32.83.
Trayvon Bromell took over the World lead in the 60 with his PR of 6.54.
He misses the US list by 0.03 seconds.
Cameron Burrell was 2nd in 6.60.
Shayla Sanders ran 7.25 for the 60.
Nathaneel Mitchell-Blake, from Great Britain, ran a Collegiate-leading 200 of 20.57.
Felicia Brown leads the Collegiate Women with her 22.88.
Age 39 Kim Collins ran a rare OUTdoor 60--in Jamaica--in 6.53!!
The "elite" portion of the snow-delayed NB Games saw some good marks.
The best was the Women's Mile, won by Kim Conley.
Her 4:27.88 wasn't a PR, but was enough to beat the PR by Kate Grace, whose 4:28.30 moves her from 19th to 14th on the A-T US list.
Stephanie Garcia's 4 second PR of 4:28.97 makes her 21st A-T US.
Cory McGee followed with a good 4:30.93.
Conor Lundy ran his 2nd great race of the season!
He'd opened with a solid 3000 in 8:22.06, a HS leader!
He moved from 18th A-T HS, tied with 1 other, to 15th!
In the NB Mile, his 4:08.25 (also a HS leader!) makes him 19th A-T HS!!
He ran against the Pro's, the race won in 4:01-plus.
Sammy Watson doubled, running 39.34 and 1:32.25 in the 300 and 600.
On Staten Island, Marielle Hall beat Ajee Wilson in the Mile, 4:43.61 to 4:50.22!
Slow, but interesting nonetheless!!
Hall also ran the 3000 in 9:07.46!
Leah O'Connor ran a 3000 in 8:59.44.
Oversize Tracks saw some good marks DEFEATED by the size of the tracks!!
But I'll report them anyway!
Erin Finn ran a mile in 4:40 and change.
Anna Rohrer didn't win, but her 3K time of 9:17-plus was promising.
On a different OT, Florida's Women's 4X400 team ran 3:30.51, while their Men's team beat Baylor's, 3:05.57 to 3:05.90!
Finally, from "banned" Russia comes some good marks!
Mariya Kuchina HJ'ed 6.4.
Aleksey Fyodorov TJ'ed 54-10.
And Anzhelika Sidorova PV'ed a great 15-7!!
I'll expand on the following news items in a future post, but here in brief--
Chris Derrick is NOT going to run the OT Marathon!
Nick Symmonds and his Run Gum company are suing both USOC and USATF about whether athletes can advertise their brands on their uniforms!
(Many support this suit, including Lauren Fleshman---and myself!!)
Symmonds also said his INdoor career is done!!
No USATF--or World Championships!!
Lastly---WHEW!!!---I must make a CORRECTION!!
I made a MAJOR GOOF in a recent post!
I stated that Bralon Taplin's great 400 of 45.20 made the US list!!
Well, guess what?
He's from GRENADA!!!
So he's OFF my US DDD, and Steve Lewis's 45.53 from 1992 is back ON!!
Apologies to everyone!
See you soon---with a post of---"thoughts" on a variety of topics!
Sunday, January 17, 2016
A Wild Weekend
As you might have surmised, if you read my post about the Pole Vault, this weekend has been CRAZY!
In fact, it's hard to believe it's only January 17th!
While the Professionals--with 1 or 2 exceptions--are still in their rust-busting phase, the younger athletes have already made a TON of noise--in the guise of all kinds of Records and Top 24 Marks, normally reserved for 2 or 3 weeks later on the calendar!
So, with the exception of the Pole Vault---Been there, Done that!--let's see what damage has been done to the Record Books these past 48 hours!
We'll start with a new Collegiate Record in the Men's 1000 meters!
Brannon Kidder ran away from his "competition"--Robby Creese finished over 3 seconds behind!--stopping the clock at 2:18.26 for the CR.
It's also the Collegiate Senior Class Record!
He's now 7th A-T US, tied with 1 other!
In the same range of events, Donavan Brazier exploded onto the INdoor 800 scene with a mind-numbing "solo" (2nd was several seconds back!!) run of 1:45.93!
We knew he was talented---He had the fastest HS time last year!--but 1:45.93??
In his first Collegiate 800 race??
Anyway, it's the Collegiate Frosh Class Record!
He's now 5th A-T Collegiate.
And he's 6th A-T US!!
Sticking to Records for a bit, let's turn to the HS'ers!
Tyrese Cooper, born in THIS century, broke TWO Frosh Class Records--in one meet, in the space of a few hours!
It was just a week ago that I reported the breaking or tying of the Frosh Class records for the 200 and 400.
Times of 21.84 and 48.76.
Well, you can erase those week-old marks!
Cooper blasted those distances in 21.54 and 47.97.
In HEAT races!!
Breaking records in short races by 0.30 and 0.79 seconds is some SERIOUS record-breaking!!
Speaking of HS prodigies, Candace Hill ran her first race as a Professional!
Her 60 meter time of 7.32 will qualify as a HS PRO record ONLY!!
(She'd run her heat in 7.34.)
It's also the HS PRO Junior Class record!
It's the first HS PRO record--INdoors or Outdoors--at a distance shorter than 800 meters!
(Keep in mind that the Age 17 INdoor 60 record is Ewe Swoboda's 7.20 from last year! Hill only turns 17 on February 11th, so will have until February 10th of 2017 to chase that mark!!)
Another Class Record went down yesterday!
Raven Saunders, now a Soph at Ole Miss, PR'ed in the SP with her first round throw of 61-3, or 18.67 metric.
(She had another good throw--measuring 60-9.50!)
Yes, it's the Collegiate Soph Class Record, making this the 3rd Class Record Saunders owns---the HS Senior Class, and the Frosh and Soph Collegiate marks!
While she remains 4th on the A-T Collegiate list, she moves up one spot on the US list, from 14th to 13th!
She also PR'ed in the WT, her best measuring 64-4.
BTW, Jeneva Stevens--a Pro--finished 2nd in the SP with her 59-4!
More SP & WT marks to report.
An old mark I missed is Bobby Colantonio's 82-0.50 in the WT.
This moves him from 11th to 7th on the A-T HS list!
Amanda Bingson threw the Weight 69-2.50--not a PR.
Jeneva Stevens nabbed the Age 26 Record with her WT toss of 77-9.50.
This was in the same meet where she lost to Raven Saunders in the SP!
Dani Bunch PR'ed in the SP, her 60-8.50 moving her from 19th A-T US, tied with 1 other, up to 15th!
Three Men had good SP openers.
Stephen Mozia got the longest toss--69-0.
Nick Scarvelis threw the ball out 66-9.75.
And Ryan Crouser hit the floor at 65-8.25!
Greg Skipper threw the Weight 70-9.75.
Turning to the dashes, there wasn't any Record activity, but several athletes had decent rust-busting times.
Teahna Daniels eked out a win from Morolake Akinosun in the 60, both timed in 7.26.
Daniels is a Collegiate Freshman!
Akinosun also had a 200 of 23.47.
Rai Benjamin opened his Collegiate career with a 200 in 21.28.
Cameron Burrell ran the 60 in 6.55--after a heat in 6.63.
Christian Coleman was a watch tick slower--not the same race!--running 6.56.
John Teeters ran the distance in 6.60.
And newbie Professional Trayvon Bromell opened in 6.59.
Besides Ms's Hill, Akinosun, and Daniels, the Women had a bunch of good sprint openers.
Michelle Lee-Ahye ran 7.17, with her heat in 7.26.
In the Seattle meet, Jasmin Todd sped the 60 in 7.24.
She beat, among others, Octavious Freeman (7.27), Hannah Cunliffe (7.31), and LJ'er supreme Brittney Reese (7.40).
Todd ran her heat in 7.31, Reese ran 7.35, while Freeman and new Oregon Duck Cunliffe both ran 7.37's.
Running a good 200--but his time negated by the size of the track!!--was Brycen Spratling, whose 20.96 was lost to Lexington, Kentucky's 290 meter oval.
On a legal track Bryce Robinson ran 20.86.
Danyel White made my HS DDD with her 23.76.
In a heat, no less!
She's now 21st A-T HS.
Cut OFF that list was one Candyce McGrone, whose 23.79 from 2008 was erased!
Felicia Brown ran a good 300, time of 37.22.
Bralon Taplin rocked the 400 world with his runaway win in 45.20.
He's now 8th A-T US.
And 13th on the World list!
Another Big Name erased from my US DDD list was Steve Lewis, whose 45.53 dated from 1992!!
Aliyah Abrams ran a solid 53.21.
She's an Alabama Frosh.
A couple of other good Women's 400 times came in.
Jaide Stepter, a Senior at Southern Cal, ran 53.18.
And one Brianne Thiesen-Eaton ran a solid (for a Heptathlete!) time of 53.87!
(She finished 3rd in that race!)
Too bad they were run on Seattle's 307 meter track!
Goodbye, those times!!
But perhaps the greatest loss to the Demon Gods who created OT's was the fantastic 600 time run by Oregon's Raevyn Rogers!
She sped the distance in 1:26.34--which just happens to be faster than the best time run by Ajee Wilson!!
Except that Wilson's time is legal!
I won't go into all the high places on All-Time lists, or all the various Records she would have engendered--had the race been run on a track measuring 200 meters!!
(For one, though, let me mention she lost a new Collegiate Record!! Enough said!!)
Also losing out from that race were Brook Feldmeier's 1:28.21, and Olivia Baker's 1:29.08.
A legal 600 was run by 600 specialist Erik Sowinski--time of 1:16.67.
Another good one was a time of 1:29.11, by Bethany Praska.
Moving up in distance, Seattle offered a few more sad tales.
Kim Conley was supposed to DNF the Seattle 3000--she was the designated pacer!
But with 2 or 3 laps remaining, she decided to finish--and she won it in 9:01.51.
Nicole Sifuentes followed in 9:05.01.
BTW, Stanford's Dynamic Duo of Aisling Cuffe and Elise Cranny were supposed to race in Seattle, but didn't.
Don't know the reason!
Back a bit in that 3K was Amanda Eccleston, who finished in 9:10 & change.
She was doubling back after winning the Mile in 4:36.13.
Alli Cash finished 2nd in the mile in 4:37.26.
Erin Teschuk ran a legal Mile in 4:37.49.
A couple of good 800's came from Kaela Edwards--2:03.60--and Laura Roesler, in her first race back from injury--a 2:05.25.
Trevor Dunbar won a Mile in 4:01.41.
Dusty Solis followed close behind in 4:01.48.
Dunbar also won the 3000 in 8:00.68!!
Charles Jones ran a 600 in 1:18.03.
Stephanie Brown opened 2016 with a 1000 in 2:41.68.
In The Armory, Infinite (!!) Tucker ran 600 in a HS leading 1:20.54.
A couple of good 500's came from Clemson Soph Olivia James--a 1:11.37--and Tennessee Frosh Ari Cogdell--a 1:02.47.
A few Nike Oregon Project runners did some rust-busting on the track that will be used for the World Championships!
Jordan Hasay won the Mile in an snail-ish 4:49.88.
But she returned to pace Shannon Rowbury part way to a time (for Rowbury) of 8:53.52 over 3000 meters.
Also running a 3K was Matthew Centrowitz, who timed out in 7:55.25.
Laura Muir ran an 800 somewhere in this world--her time of 2:01.13 a World Leader---so far!
And in a Road Mile in Bermuda, the Queen of Road Miles--Heather Kampf--did it again!
Her time of 4:42 was a Course Record, and beat, among others, Jamie Cheevers, who finished third!
A couple of Long Jump marks to report.
Harrison Schnage jumped 24-11.25.
This makes him 18th A-T HS.
Andrea Geubelle had a jump measuring 21-1.25.
The High Jump welcomed a solid performance by Chaunte Lowe!
She (and Laverne Spencer!) jumped 6-3.50.
Apparently, Lowe had a good try at 6-5!!
(She's back??!!)
Kyle Landon reached 7-4.25.
Avion Jones went a quarter inch higher, hitting 7-4.50.
A Texas foursome ran a good 4X400 Relay--their time of 3:33.80 beating the Texas A&M group, who ran 3:35.64.
Texas had Courtney Okolo on anchor, while A&M ran Shamier Little on 2nd leg!
I'll finish off this LONG report of Records & Marks (except for the Pole Vault--see my post from a few hours ago!) with a few Women's 60H times.
Sharika Nelvis ran 8.18.
Nia Ali beat Sasha Wallace in Seattle--8.12 to 8.19.
(Of course, 60's & 60H's are legal---even in Seattle!!)
Ali had run her heat in 8.17, while Wallace ran her's in 8.23.
Two who ran heats only (but not in Seattle!) were Jasmin Stowers and Lolo Jones!
Stowers ran 8.37, while Jones's time was 8.32.
Keep in mind that Lolo had hip labrum surgery just a few short months ago!!
I don't know why they didn't run the final.
My guess is that they just wanted to get a race in--and both did just that!
Some sad news from the Hurdles front!
Dior Hall suffered an injury in a December workout, and underwent ACL surgery on January 5th.
She'll be out all of 2016!
Ending his career of Record-setting races and exhausting years of disappointment is Ryan Hall.
He said he suffers from a low level of testosterone, brought on by over-training!
He'll remain as wife Sara's coach.
Not forgetting that, whatever people might think of his recent failures, he remains the ONLY American to break One Hour for the Half-Marathon--59:43 in the 2007 Houston race--and 2:05 in the 26.2 Mile race--in 2:04:58 in the Boston race of 2011.
He could be a GREAT coach!!
A few Appearance Announcements!
The Armory Track Invitational will feature a unique INdoor event.
Both the Women and Men will race the 4X200 Relay!
And it will pit Jamaica against the United States!
Other teams will include Trinidad & Tobago, the British Virgin Islands, Guyana, Antigua, Canada, and France!!
(I assume they'll run 2 or 3 teams in each heat! Unless they want to turn it into a Roller Derby!!)
Also announced for the Armory meet are--
Nicole Tully, Sarah Disanza, and Sheila Reid in the 3000
Morgan Uceny in the Mile
Robby Andrews in the 800
Ajee Wilson and Laura Roesler in the 800
And, already noted, Drew Hunter will be gunning for Alan Webb's HSR of 3:59.86 in the Mile!
The Millrose meet has added Brenda Martinez and Ajee Wilson to their 800, and Erik Kynard and Derek Drouin for their High Jump!
Finally, Karlsruhe will feature high-end sprint match-ups.
The Women will toss Dafne Schippers up against Dina Asher-Smith.
The Men will pit Mike Rodgers against 39 year old Kim Collins!
Also, Raphael Holzdeppe will challenge Renaud Lavillenie in the PV!
(Will Shawn Barber show up??)
Speaking of iconic match-ups--it appears the IOC and IAAF have agreed to change the Olympic schedule---so Allyson Felix can attempt the 200-400 double!
One possible pitfall!
There are women named Dafne, Elaine, and Shaunae--not to mention Sanya, Shelly, and Francena, who might alter that dream scenario somewhat!!
Well, this was quite a weekend!
It necessitated my putting out TWO lengthy posts!!
Hope you enjoyed them, and I'll see you soon with more of the same!!
In fact, it's hard to believe it's only January 17th!
While the Professionals--with 1 or 2 exceptions--are still in their rust-busting phase, the younger athletes have already made a TON of noise--in the guise of all kinds of Records and Top 24 Marks, normally reserved for 2 or 3 weeks later on the calendar!
So, with the exception of the Pole Vault---Been there, Done that!--let's see what damage has been done to the Record Books these past 48 hours!
We'll start with a new Collegiate Record in the Men's 1000 meters!
Brannon Kidder ran away from his "competition"--Robby Creese finished over 3 seconds behind!--stopping the clock at 2:18.26 for the CR.
It's also the Collegiate Senior Class Record!
He's now 7th A-T US, tied with 1 other!
In the same range of events, Donavan Brazier exploded onto the INdoor 800 scene with a mind-numbing "solo" (2nd was several seconds back!!) run of 1:45.93!
We knew he was talented---He had the fastest HS time last year!--but 1:45.93??
In his first Collegiate 800 race??
Anyway, it's the Collegiate Frosh Class Record!
He's now 5th A-T Collegiate.
And he's 6th A-T US!!
Sticking to Records for a bit, let's turn to the HS'ers!
Tyrese Cooper, born in THIS century, broke TWO Frosh Class Records--in one meet, in the space of a few hours!
It was just a week ago that I reported the breaking or tying of the Frosh Class records for the 200 and 400.
Times of 21.84 and 48.76.
Well, you can erase those week-old marks!
Cooper blasted those distances in 21.54 and 47.97.
In HEAT races!!
Breaking records in short races by 0.30 and 0.79 seconds is some SERIOUS record-breaking!!
Speaking of HS prodigies, Candace Hill ran her first race as a Professional!
Her 60 meter time of 7.32 will qualify as a HS PRO record ONLY!!
(She'd run her heat in 7.34.)
It's also the HS PRO Junior Class record!
It's the first HS PRO record--INdoors or Outdoors--at a distance shorter than 800 meters!
(Keep in mind that the Age 17 INdoor 60 record is Ewe Swoboda's 7.20 from last year! Hill only turns 17 on February 11th, so will have until February 10th of 2017 to chase that mark!!)
Another Class Record went down yesterday!
Raven Saunders, now a Soph at Ole Miss, PR'ed in the SP with her first round throw of 61-3, or 18.67 metric.
(She had another good throw--measuring 60-9.50!)
Yes, it's the Collegiate Soph Class Record, making this the 3rd Class Record Saunders owns---the HS Senior Class, and the Frosh and Soph Collegiate marks!
While she remains 4th on the A-T Collegiate list, she moves up one spot on the US list, from 14th to 13th!
She also PR'ed in the WT, her best measuring 64-4.
BTW, Jeneva Stevens--a Pro--finished 2nd in the SP with her 59-4!
More SP & WT marks to report.
An old mark I missed is Bobby Colantonio's 82-0.50 in the WT.
This moves him from 11th to 7th on the A-T HS list!
Amanda Bingson threw the Weight 69-2.50--not a PR.
Jeneva Stevens nabbed the Age 26 Record with her WT toss of 77-9.50.
This was in the same meet where she lost to Raven Saunders in the SP!
Dani Bunch PR'ed in the SP, her 60-8.50 moving her from 19th A-T US, tied with 1 other, up to 15th!
Three Men had good SP openers.
Stephen Mozia got the longest toss--69-0.
Nick Scarvelis threw the ball out 66-9.75.
And Ryan Crouser hit the floor at 65-8.25!
Greg Skipper threw the Weight 70-9.75.
Turning to the dashes, there wasn't any Record activity, but several athletes had decent rust-busting times.
Teahna Daniels eked out a win from Morolake Akinosun in the 60, both timed in 7.26.
Daniels is a Collegiate Freshman!
Akinosun also had a 200 of 23.47.
Rai Benjamin opened his Collegiate career with a 200 in 21.28.
Cameron Burrell ran the 60 in 6.55--after a heat in 6.63.
Christian Coleman was a watch tick slower--not the same race!--running 6.56.
John Teeters ran the distance in 6.60.
And newbie Professional Trayvon Bromell opened in 6.59.
Besides Ms's Hill, Akinosun, and Daniels, the Women had a bunch of good sprint openers.
Michelle Lee-Ahye ran 7.17, with her heat in 7.26.
In the Seattle meet, Jasmin Todd sped the 60 in 7.24.
She beat, among others, Octavious Freeman (7.27), Hannah Cunliffe (7.31), and LJ'er supreme Brittney Reese (7.40).
Todd ran her heat in 7.31, Reese ran 7.35, while Freeman and new Oregon Duck Cunliffe both ran 7.37's.
Running a good 200--but his time negated by the size of the track!!--was Brycen Spratling, whose 20.96 was lost to Lexington, Kentucky's 290 meter oval.
On a legal track Bryce Robinson ran 20.86.
Danyel White made my HS DDD with her 23.76.
In a heat, no less!
She's now 21st A-T HS.
Cut OFF that list was one Candyce McGrone, whose 23.79 from 2008 was erased!
Felicia Brown ran a good 300, time of 37.22.
Bralon Taplin rocked the 400 world with his runaway win in 45.20.
He's now 8th A-T US.
And 13th on the World list!
Another Big Name erased from my US DDD list was Steve Lewis, whose 45.53 dated from 1992!!
Aliyah Abrams ran a solid 53.21.
She's an Alabama Frosh.
A couple of other good Women's 400 times came in.
Jaide Stepter, a Senior at Southern Cal, ran 53.18.
And one Brianne Thiesen-Eaton ran a solid (for a Heptathlete!) time of 53.87!
(She finished 3rd in that race!)
Too bad they were run on Seattle's 307 meter track!
Goodbye, those times!!
But perhaps the greatest loss to the Demon Gods who created OT's was the fantastic 600 time run by Oregon's Raevyn Rogers!
She sped the distance in 1:26.34--which just happens to be faster than the best time run by Ajee Wilson!!
Except that Wilson's time is legal!
I won't go into all the high places on All-Time lists, or all the various Records she would have engendered--had the race been run on a track measuring 200 meters!!
(For one, though, let me mention she lost a new Collegiate Record!! Enough said!!)
Also losing out from that race were Brook Feldmeier's 1:28.21, and Olivia Baker's 1:29.08.
A legal 600 was run by 600 specialist Erik Sowinski--time of 1:16.67.
Another good one was a time of 1:29.11, by Bethany Praska.
Moving up in distance, Seattle offered a few more sad tales.
Kim Conley was supposed to DNF the Seattle 3000--she was the designated pacer!
But with 2 or 3 laps remaining, she decided to finish--and she won it in 9:01.51.
Nicole Sifuentes followed in 9:05.01.
BTW, Stanford's Dynamic Duo of Aisling Cuffe and Elise Cranny were supposed to race in Seattle, but didn't.
Don't know the reason!
Back a bit in that 3K was Amanda Eccleston, who finished in 9:10 & change.
She was doubling back after winning the Mile in 4:36.13.
Alli Cash finished 2nd in the mile in 4:37.26.
Erin Teschuk ran a legal Mile in 4:37.49.
A couple of good 800's came from Kaela Edwards--2:03.60--and Laura Roesler, in her first race back from injury--a 2:05.25.
Trevor Dunbar won a Mile in 4:01.41.
Dusty Solis followed close behind in 4:01.48.
Dunbar also won the 3000 in 8:00.68!!
Charles Jones ran a 600 in 1:18.03.
Stephanie Brown opened 2016 with a 1000 in 2:41.68.
In The Armory, Infinite (!!) Tucker ran 600 in a HS leading 1:20.54.
A couple of good 500's came from Clemson Soph Olivia James--a 1:11.37--and Tennessee Frosh Ari Cogdell--a 1:02.47.
A few Nike Oregon Project runners did some rust-busting on the track that will be used for the World Championships!
Jordan Hasay won the Mile in an snail-ish 4:49.88.
But she returned to pace Shannon Rowbury part way to a time (for Rowbury) of 8:53.52 over 3000 meters.
Also running a 3K was Matthew Centrowitz, who timed out in 7:55.25.
Laura Muir ran an 800 somewhere in this world--her time of 2:01.13 a World Leader---so far!
And in a Road Mile in Bermuda, the Queen of Road Miles--Heather Kampf--did it again!
Her time of 4:42 was a Course Record, and beat, among others, Jamie Cheevers, who finished third!
A couple of Long Jump marks to report.
Harrison Schnage jumped 24-11.25.
This makes him 18th A-T HS.
Andrea Geubelle had a jump measuring 21-1.25.
The High Jump welcomed a solid performance by Chaunte Lowe!
She (and Laverne Spencer!) jumped 6-3.50.
Apparently, Lowe had a good try at 6-5!!
(She's back??!!)
Kyle Landon reached 7-4.25.
Avion Jones went a quarter inch higher, hitting 7-4.50.
A Texas foursome ran a good 4X400 Relay--their time of 3:33.80 beating the Texas A&M group, who ran 3:35.64.
Texas had Courtney Okolo on anchor, while A&M ran Shamier Little on 2nd leg!
I'll finish off this LONG report of Records & Marks (except for the Pole Vault--see my post from a few hours ago!) with a few Women's 60H times.
Sharika Nelvis ran 8.18.
Nia Ali beat Sasha Wallace in Seattle--8.12 to 8.19.
(Of course, 60's & 60H's are legal---even in Seattle!!)
Ali had run her heat in 8.17, while Wallace ran her's in 8.23.
Two who ran heats only (but not in Seattle!) were Jasmin Stowers and Lolo Jones!
Stowers ran 8.37, while Jones's time was 8.32.
Keep in mind that Lolo had hip labrum surgery just a few short months ago!!
I don't know why they didn't run the final.
My guess is that they just wanted to get a race in--and both did just that!
Some sad news from the Hurdles front!
Dior Hall suffered an injury in a December workout, and underwent ACL surgery on January 5th.
She'll be out all of 2016!
Ending his career of Record-setting races and exhausting years of disappointment is Ryan Hall.
He said he suffers from a low level of testosterone, brought on by over-training!
He'll remain as wife Sara's coach.
Not forgetting that, whatever people might think of his recent failures, he remains the ONLY American to break One Hour for the Half-Marathon--59:43 in the 2007 Houston race--and 2:05 in the 26.2 Mile race--in 2:04:58 in the Boston race of 2011.
He could be a GREAT coach!!
A few Appearance Announcements!
The Armory Track Invitational will feature a unique INdoor event.
Both the Women and Men will race the 4X200 Relay!
And it will pit Jamaica against the United States!
Other teams will include Trinidad & Tobago, the British Virgin Islands, Guyana, Antigua, Canada, and France!!
(I assume they'll run 2 or 3 teams in each heat! Unless they want to turn it into a Roller Derby!!)
Also announced for the Armory meet are--
Nicole Tully, Sarah Disanza, and Sheila Reid in the 3000
Morgan Uceny in the Mile
Robby Andrews in the 800
Ajee Wilson and Laura Roesler in the 800
And, already noted, Drew Hunter will be gunning for Alan Webb's HSR of 3:59.86 in the Mile!
The Millrose meet has added Brenda Martinez and Ajee Wilson to their 800, and Erik Kynard and Derek Drouin for their High Jump!
Finally, Karlsruhe will feature high-end sprint match-ups.
The Women will toss Dafne Schippers up against Dina Asher-Smith.
The Men will pit Mike Rodgers against 39 year old Kim Collins!
Also, Raphael Holzdeppe will challenge Renaud Lavillenie in the PV!
(Will Shawn Barber show up??)
Speaking of iconic match-ups--it appears the IOC and IAAF have agreed to change the Olympic schedule---so Allyson Felix can attempt the 200-400 double!
One possible pitfall!
There are women named Dafne, Elaine, and Shaunae--not to mention Sanya, Shelly, and Francena, who might alter that dream scenario somewhat!!
Well, this was quite a weekend!
It necessitated my putting out TWO lengthy posts!!
Hope you enjoyed them, and I'll see you soon with more of the same!!
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Pole Vault Special--2016 INdoors
Consider this Part One of my Weekend Results Blog.
Or see it as a paean to an event that is fast becoming THE Event of the 21st Century!
And yes, I WILL be presenting ALL of the fantastic marks that spilled forth from several venues in the past 30 hours or so!
When Women first started Vaulting--seriously--Sergey Bubka was at the end of a career that saw him break literally DOZENS of Records---many of which he still holds!
World, National, Meet, Age, you name it!
So when Renaud Lavillenie took away Bubka's INdoor WR on February 15, 2014, jumping 6.16, or 20-2.50, one "era" ended, and another was born!
The name given to this new era was narrowed down to the "Year of the Vault".
Except in 2014, the "other" vertical jump, the High Jump, took that moniker as its own!
Then 2015 began.
And in the space of 24 hours (more like 16!!), the Women's INdoor Collegiate Record was broken, then broken again!
Sandi Morris, then in her Senior year at Arkansas, jumped over 15-1.50.
Then Demi Payne (of Stephen A Austin) removed that mark with her 15-2.25.
It happened with a couple of High School Men too!
One minute, you had Deakin Volz jumping a HSR of 17-10.50, removing Devin King's mark.
Then, in whipsaw fashion, the HSR belonged to Paulo Benavides's 17-11.
(Which, ironically, Volz took back with his current HSR of 17-11.50!)
I won't detail all the OTHER exchanges of the Women's CR or what happened OUTdoors!
Suffice to say, 2015 became THE "Year of the Vault".
(It became a bit Dali-esque when Shawn Barber up-ended Lavillenie in the OUTdoor WC in Beijing last summer!)
Well, here we go again!!
"2016" INdoors began in early December of 2015.
That was when I reported a clearance of 15-9 by Jenn Suhr, the highest leap EVER in December!!
Then, later last month--after Christmas--Suhr vaulted 15-5--twice, in meets 2 days apart!
In 2016 itself, Shawn Barber opened HIS campaign with a leap of 19-3.50--half an inch higher than he'd opened in 2015!
It was looking like a good year for this popular event!
And that, dear readers, is pretty much THE understatement of the year, and maybe the century!!
It began in Arkansas (again!!) for the Women!
With Morris graduated, and a Pro, it became a question of who might take her place!
We knew that Tori and Lexi Weeks had signed on to become Razorbacks.
But, however good they were--both HSR holders!!--they'd be Freshmen--and Frosh are unpredictable.
Fear not, Arkansas fans (AND Women's Collegiate PV fans!)!
In her very first Collegiate meet, Lexi (or Alexis, as TFRSS and the meet's results page referred to her!--they also called twin sister Tori, Victoria!!), hit a PR bar set at 14-9!
She was perfect at 4 heights, from 13-1.25 through 14-1.25.
She then passed 14-3.25, and was perfect again at 14-5.25.
And at 14-9, it was another first-attempt clearance!
Then she tried 15-1, or 4.60.
Three misses, but to be a First Year Collegiate Woman, and to even TRY to clear 15-1, is simply unheard of!
Her sister cleared "just" 13-9.25.
In light of what Lexi did, Tori's mark pales!
But--prior to yesterday, the highest Women's Collegiate PV was--13-7.25!
There but for her sister....!!
Lexi Weeks is now 8th A-T Collegiate, tied with 5 others!
She's also 21st A-T US, tied with 4 others!
And it's the Collegiate Frosh Class Record!!
The Pole Vault Summit in Reno, Nevada.
That is the scene for the next Act of this Award-Winning drama!
Shawn Barber is the OUTdoor HSR holder at 18-3.50 in 2012.
That was just after he'd graduated from a Texas HS, and we all believed we had the next great American Vaulting star!
Then he announced he'd be competing for Canada, where he was a dual citizen!
He has simply DEMOLISHED the PV Record Book for his "new" home nation!
OUTdoors and INdoors!
And in Reno, he took his attack to new levels--raised the bar, so to speak!
He BEGAN at 5.77 (18-11), then cleared 19-1.50.
With the bar set at what would become his overall PR--19.5.75--he cleared that easily!
Thus he broke his own Canadian National and Age 21 Records!
(Remember, he'd jumped 19-5 last summer--when the event was held INdoors during the OUTdoor meet!)
But he wasn't done--yet!
With the bar now at the iconic height of 6.00 meters (19-8.25), Barber cleared cleanly.
Again, he broke the National Record of Canada, and the Age 21 Record!
His FIRST new Record--the 19-5.75--moved him from 13th A-T World to 11th--no ties.
The 6.00 moved him from 11th A-T World to 6th, where he's tied with 3 others!
Another National Record fell--to Saito Yamamoto, as his 18-11 becomes the Japanese NR!
The Women's event in Reno was a doozie!!
THREE Women cleared 15-5.50, or 4.71.
For two of them, it was an INdoor PR (or a tie of one).
Mary Saxer tied her 2014 best, but finished 3rd, because of more misses.
Ekaterina Stefanidi finished 2nd with her 15.5.50.
And Sandi Morris took the top spot, with HER 15-5.50.
She moves from 6th A-T US to 5th, tied with 1 other.
She's also now 19th A-T World, tied with 3 others.
They all missed their attempts at 4.81 (15-9.25).
In 4th was Kylie Hutson, who got a 14-9.
Three more cleared 14-5.25!!
They were Melinda Withrow, Melissa Gergel, and Leslie Brost!
In the HS portion of this important meet, the most amazing--albeit not very shocking!!--mark came from Sophomore Phenom--on a WORLD Class level!!--Mondo Duplantis!!
(Like Barber, he's another American who can--and does!--compete for another nation--in his case, Sweden!)
In my last post, I reported his destruction of the Soph Class record--his 17-2.25.
If you recall, I said he missed his tries at 17-6.
Not this time, folks!!
He made that height, and made it with room to spare!!
Then he tried 17-10---and ALMOST made that height too!!
But the 17-6, besides being the new Soph Class Record, also moves him from 18th A-T HS to 9th, where he's tied with 2 others!
Chris Nilsen finished 2nd, his 17-2 making him 19th A-T HS, tied with 2 others!
Three Women cleared 13-4 in the Reno HS event.
Andrea Willis has a higher PR (See a previous post!!), but Rachel Baxter and Laura Marty got new PR's.
They're now both 24th A-T HS, tied with 4 others each, including each other!
Before leaving High School PV'ing behind, let's return to the saga of Erica Ellis.
She's that 9th Grader who cleared 12 feet for the first time this year.
(She'd done 11-9.75 in one of those December meets with Jenn Suhr!)
Well, she raised that to 12-1, and again last week to 12-4.
According to one report, she again cleared 12 feet (exactly??), and was VERY close to topping 12-7!!
Remember, the Frosh Class Record is 12-9.50!!
Speaking of Ms Suhr, guess what SHE jumped this weekend?
Only 16-1.25--in a meet in Kent, Ohio!
She entered at 4.61 (15-1.50), clearing on first attempt.
Then she cleared, on 2nd try, 4.81, or 15-9.25.
She made the 4.91 on her 3rd attempt.
Then, she missed 3 tries at a World INdoor Record height of 16-6, or 5.03 meters!!
And she was disappointed she missed!
WOW!
(She of course set the current INdoor WR of 16-5.50 at the 2013 USATF meet!)
Had enough?
Well, go take a break, grab a snack, because I've got MORE---from just the Pole Vault!!
Demi Payne still has 2016 eligibility at SA Austin--for the OUTdoor season upcoming!
So without INdoor eligibility, she's competing unattached this season!
And she's about where she was when 2015's season ended!
She easily made 15-3, then missed 3 tries at a new PR of 15-7.25!
We can expect the fierce rivalry between Demi & Sandi Morris to continue--especially once Payne turns Pro after her OUTdoor season ends!
Meanwhile, whatever their status, they are assuredly HUGE factors on the American Women's PV scene!
(You can be SUHR about that!! Heh.)
Beyond the truly elite levels---in any of my 4 main groups (World, US, Collegiate, HS)--there were LOTS of other good marks worth reporting.
Since this special post is already too long, I'll just list them--without too much comment!
Megan Clark opened at a solid 14-3.25 in her Senior year at Duke.
Mackenzie Shell, now a Frosh at Oklahoma, reached the height of 14-0.50, making the list of FROSH Collegiate Women clearing at least 14 feet this season a rather extended one!!
(And it's still only the middle of January!!)
Another one with a PR is Annie Rhodes, whose 14-3.50 misses my Collegiate DDD list by half an inch!!
I mentioned Devin King and Deakin Volz as MALE HS PV'ers.
Well, Mr King is now a Soph in college, while Volz is a Frosh.
King cleared 17-9, while Volz reached 17-11, both decent early season jumps!
What can we expect in the remaining 8 weeks of INdoors 2016?
Well, I already mentioned that Lavillenie will Vault in 7 meets, with his initial outing coming next week!!
I have no doubt he'll be challenged to the utmost by Barber.
Suhr said she will NOT try for TeamUSA at the USATF meet Trials for the Portland WC.
Maybe.
Maybe not!
But if she stays away, the US won't be without WORLD Class level competitors on the Women's side.
Challenging whomever the Rest of the World throws out there will be Ms's Morris, Payne, and Saxer--among others!
(But don't expect the Weeks sisters to try, as their NCAA meet is the same weekend as the USATF!!)
One thing's for---um, SURE (HaHa!)--we CAN expect 2016 to be another Year of the Vault!!
Stay tuned to this blog for all the amazing Records & Marks yet to come!
(And you can expect my report on all the OTHER events in a few hours!!)
Or see it as a paean to an event that is fast becoming THE Event of the 21st Century!
And yes, I WILL be presenting ALL of the fantastic marks that spilled forth from several venues in the past 30 hours or so!
When Women first started Vaulting--seriously--Sergey Bubka was at the end of a career that saw him break literally DOZENS of Records---many of which he still holds!
World, National, Meet, Age, you name it!
So when Renaud Lavillenie took away Bubka's INdoor WR on February 15, 2014, jumping 6.16, or 20-2.50, one "era" ended, and another was born!
The name given to this new era was narrowed down to the "Year of the Vault".
Except in 2014, the "other" vertical jump, the High Jump, took that moniker as its own!
Then 2015 began.
And in the space of 24 hours (more like 16!!), the Women's INdoor Collegiate Record was broken, then broken again!
Sandi Morris, then in her Senior year at Arkansas, jumped over 15-1.50.
Then Demi Payne (of Stephen A Austin) removed that mark with her 15-2.25.
It happened with a couple of High School Men too!
One minute, you had Deakin Volz jumping a HSR of 17-10.50, removing Devin King's mark.
Then, in whipsaw fashion, the HSR belonged to Paulo Benavides's 17-11.
(Which, ironically, Volz took back with his current HSR of 17-11.50!)
I won't detail all the OTHER exchanges of the Women's CR or what happened OUTdoors!
Suffice to say, 2015 became THE "Year of the Vault".
(It became a bit Dali-esque when Shawn Barber up-ended Lavillenie in the OUTdoor WC in Beijing last summer!)
Well, here we go again!!
"2016" INdoors began in early December of 2015.
That was when I reported a clearance of 15-9 by Jenn Suhr, the highest leap EVER in December!!
Then, later last month--after Christmas--Suhr vaulted 15-5--twice, in meets 2 days apart!
In 2016 itself, Shawn Barber opened HIS campaign with a leap of 19-3.50--half an inch higher than he'd opened in 2015!
It was looking like a good year for this popular event!
And that, dear readers, is pretty much THE understatement of the year, and maybe the century!!
It began in Arkansas (again!!) for the Women!
With Morris graduated, and a Pro, it became a question of who might take her place!
We knew that Tori and Lexi Weeks had signed on to become Razorbacks.
But, however good they were--both HSR holders!!--they'd be Freshmen--and Frosh are unpredictable.
Fear not, Arkansas fans (AND Women's Collegiate PV fans!)!
In her very first Collegiate meet, Lexi (or Alexis, as TFRSS and the meet's results page referred to her!--they also called twin sister Tori, Victoria!!), hit a PR bar set at 14-9!
She was perfect at 4 heights, from 13-1.25 through 14-1.25.
She then passed 14-3.25, and was perfect again at 14-5.25.
And at 14-9, it was another first-attempt clearance!
Then she tried 15-1, or 4.60.
Three misses, but to be a First Year Collegiate Woman, and to even TRY to clear 15-1, is simply unheard of!
Her sister cleared "just" 13-9.25.
In light of what Lexi did, Tori's mark pales!
But--prior to yesterday, the highest Women's Collegiate PV was--13-7.25!
There but for her sister....!!
Lexi Weeks is now 8th A-T Collegiate, tied with 5 others!
She's also 21st A-T US, tied with 4 others!
And it's the Collegiate Frosh Class Record!!
The Pole Vault Summit in Reno, Nevada.
That is the scene for the next Act of this Award-Winning drama!
Shawn Barber is the OUTdoor HSR holder at 18-3.50 in 2012.
That was just after he'd graduated from a Texas HS, and we all believed we had the next great American Vaulting star!
Then he announced he'd be competing for Canada, where he was a dual citizen!
He has simply DEMOLISHED the PV Record Book for his "new" home nation!
OUTdoors and INdoors!
And in Reno, he took his attack to new levels--raised the bar, so to speak!
He BEGAN at 5.77 (18-11), then cleared 19-1.50.
With the bar set at what would become his overall PR--19.5.75--he cleared that easily!
Thus he broke his own Canadian National and Age 21 Records!
(Remember, he'd jumped 19-5 last summer--when the event was held INdoors during the OUTdoor meet!)
But he wasn't done--yet!
With the bar now at the iconic height of 6.00 meters (19-8.25), Barber cleared cleanly.
Again, he broke the National Record of Canada, and the Age 21 Record!
His FIRST new Record--the 19-5.75--moved him from 13th A-T World to 11th--no ties.
The 6.00 moved him from 11th A-T World to 6th, where he's tied with 3 others!
Another National Record fell--to Saito Yamamoto, as his 18-11 becomes the Japanese NR!
The Women's event in Reno was a doozie!!
THREE Women cleared 15-5.50, or 4.71.
For two of them, it was an INdoor PR (or a tie of one).
Mary Saxer tied her 2014 best, but finished 3rd, because of more misses.
Ekaterina Stefanidi finished 2nd with her 15.5.50.
And Sandi Morris took the top spot, with HER 15-5.50.
She moves from 6th A-T US to 5th, tied with 1 other.
She's also now 19th A-T World, tied with 3 others.
They all missed their attempts at 4.81 (15-9.25).
In 4th was Kylie Hutson, who got a 14-9.
Three more cleared 14-5.25!!
They were Melinda Withrow, Melissa Gergel, and Leslie Brost!
In the HS portion of this important meet, the most amazing--albeit not very shocking!!--mark came from Sophomore Phenom--on a WORLD Class level!!--Mondo Duplantis!!
(Like Barber, he's another American who can--and does!--compete for another nation--in his case, Sweden!)
In my last post, I reported his destruction of the Soph Class record--his 17-2.25.
If you recall, I said he missed his tries at 17-6.
Not this time, folks!!
He made that height, and made it with room to spare!!
Then he tried 17-10---and ALMOST made that height too!!
But the 17-6, besides being the new Soph Class Record, also moves him from 18th A-T HS to 9th, where he's tied with 2 others!
Chris Nilsen finished 2nd, his 17-2 making him 19th A-T HS, tied with 2 others!
Three Women cleared 13-4 in the Reno HS event.
Andrea Willis has a higher PR (See a previous post!!), but Rachel Baxter and Laura Marty got new PR's.
They're now both 24th A-T HS, tied with 4 others each, including each other!
Before leaving High School PV'ing behind, let's return to the saga of Erica Ellis.
She's that 9th Grader who cleared 12 feet for the first time this year.
(She'd done 11-9.75 in one of those December meets with Jenn Suhr!)
Well, she raised that to 12-1, and again last week to 12-4.
According to one report, she again cleared 12 feet (exactly??), and was VERY close to topping 12-7!!
Remember, the Frosh Class Record is 12-9.50!!
Speaking of Ms Suhr, guess what SHE jumped this weekend?
Only 16-1.25--in a meet in Kent, Ohio!
She entered at 4.61 (15-1.50), clearing on first attempt.
Then she cleared, on 2nd try, 4.81, or 15-9.25.
She made the 4.91 on her 3rd attempt.
Then, she missed 3 tries at a World INdoor Record height of 16-6, or 5.03 meters!!
And she was disappointed she missed!
WOW!
(She of course set the current INdoor WR of 16-5.50 at the 2013 USATF meet!)
Had enough?
Well, go take a break, grab a snack, because I've got MORE---from just the Pole Vault!!
Demi Payne still has 2016 eligibility at SA Austin--for the OUTdoor season upcoming!
So without INdoor eligibility, she's competing unattached this season!
And she's about where she was when 2015's season ended!
She easily made 15-3, then missed 3 tries at a new PR of 15-7.25!
We can expect the fierce rivalry between Demi & Sandi Morris to continue--especially once Payne turns Pro after her OUTdoor season ends!
Meanwhile, whatever their status, they are assuredly HUGE factors on the American Women's PV scene!
(You can be SUHR about that!! Heh.)
Beyond the truly elite levels---in any of my 4 main groups (World, US, Collegiate, HS)--there were LOTS of other good marks worth reporting.
Since this special post is already too long, I'll just list them--without too much comment!
Megan Clark opened at a solid 14-3.25 in her Senior year at Duke.
Mackenzie Shell, now a Frosh at Oklahoma, reached the height of 14-0.50, making the list of FROSH Collegiate Women clearing at least 14 feet this season a rather extended one!!
(And it's still only the middle of January!!)
Another one with a PR is Annie Rhodes, whose 14-3.50 misses my Collegiate DDD list by half an inch!!
I mentioned Devin King and Deakin Volz as MALE HS PV'ers.
Well, Mr King is now a Soph in college, while Volz is a Frosh.
King cleared 17-9, while Volz reached 17-11, both decent early season jumps!
What can we expect in the remaining 8 weeks of INdoors 2016?
Well, I already mentioned that Lavillenie will Vault in 7 meets, with his initial outing coming next week!!
I have no doubt he'll be challenged to the utmost by Barber.
Suhr said she will NOT try for TeamUSA at the USATF meet Trials for the Portland WC.
Maybe.
Maybe not!
But if she stays away, the US won't be without WORLD Class level competitors on the Women's side.
Challenging whomever the Rest of the World throws out there will be Ms's Morris, Payne, and Saxer--among others!
(But don't expect the Weeks sisters to try, as their NCAA meet is the same weekend as the USATF!!)
One thing's for---um, SURE (HaHa!)--we CAN expect 2016 to be another Year of the Vault!!
Stay tuned to this blog for all the amazing Records & Marks yet to come!
(And you can expect my report on all the OTHER events in a few hours!!)
Sunday, January 10, 2016
Faster Week, Slower Mo
Yes, Mo Farah LOST!!
Or, looked at from a bit different perspective, Garrett Heath WON!
(Basically, he kicked Farah's ASS!!)
The Senior Men's 8K race went off on a muddy puddly hilly course in Edinburgh, Scotland, with Farah doing what he normally does--heading to the rear, letting his water bearers do all the sweaty work.
He gradually moved up, but never led, and never opened any gaps.
Heath--whose PR's of 3:34 & 13:16 (1500-5000) are nowhere near Mo's (3:28 & 12:53)--took the lead with maybe 2000 to go, but also never opened a gap.
We were all waiting for Mo's last 400, when he'd blast away from the Mere Mortals!
And we waited.
And waited!
Then it was the bearded Heath who started kicking--AWAY FROM Mo!!
Mo finally gave up about 50 meters from the finish, when he saw there was no chance to catch Heath!
(To be fair, Mo was gracious in losing, never making excuses!)
The Women's 6K race went to Kate Avery, who had loads of XC experience from her NCAA days at Iona!
She did what she always does--went to the lead early, and said, "Catch me!".
They couldn't!
Fionnela McCormack (nee Britton) was 2nd, with Gemma Steel 3rd.
Amy Van Alstine was top American, in 6th.
The Junior races (4K for Women, 6K for Men--Fair??) were taken by Yee (Don't have 1st name!) of Great Britain in 19:25, and Bobby Clay, also British, in 14:10.
Top Americans were Phil Rocha and Katie Rainsberger, both finishing 5th!
Well, folks, the 2016 INdoor T&F season just got a bit more interesting!
And it was still on the non-Pro levels--meaning HS & Collegiate--where most (but not all!!) of the action took place!
Remember my previous post--with TWO High School Class Records being reported?
Well, there's two MORE for this post!!
Mondo Duplantis continues his record-shattering streak--which his IN & OUT 2015 seasons were FILLED with!!
In apparently his first meet of the new season, Mondo DESTROYED Jake Davis's Soph Class Record of 16-9 (from 1994!), jumping over the bar set at 17-2.25!
Yes, in his first 2016 meet, he breaks the Class Record by 5.25 inches.
He missed his 3 attempts at 17-6.50!
(Davis still owns the OUTdoor Soph Class best, with a 17-6!)
This puts him on my Top 24 HS list, in 18th place!
You get the feeling that Duplantis is just getting cranked up!
Stay tuned for more from this phenom!
Another Class Record went down---and went down HEAVY!--when precocious 11th Grader Kate Murphy led from the gun in the new Staten Island arena, winning the 1000 meter race in the Number Two A-T HS time of 2:45.36!
(Mary Cain has 2 times faster--but run as a HS PRO!)
Only the HSR holder--Sarah (Bowman) Brown--is faster among non-Pro HS'ers!
And it was basically a solo run! She won by 9 seconds!
Her final 200 was about 32 seconds, as she appeared to negative split.
Expect MUCH more from her too!
(She'll be running in the Open Mile at the Camel City meet on January 30th!)
Want more?
How about Jordan Geist blasting the SP 12 pounder out 69-6.50?
This makes him 9th A-T HS INdoors!
He's still almost 2 feet from Nick Vena's Junior Class Record, however.
Tripp Piperi opened with a solid 66-9.25 SP, but misses the Top 24 by 2.75 inches!
Another top HS mark came from Keshun Reed, as he blasted over 400 meters in 47.09.
He's now 10th A-T HS, tied with one other.
Second in that race was Champion Allison (Real 1st name!!), who ran 47.31.
This makes him 17th A-T HS!
Kaitlyn Neal ran a good 3000, time of 9:40.04.
She's now 16th A-T HS.
Andrea Willis PV'ed over a bar set at 13-6.25.
This moves her from 15th A-T HS, tied with 1 other, up to 12th, where she's also tied with 1 other!
In a Mixed race at the BU Mini-Meet last week (See my previous post!), Viraj Deokar ran 3000 in 8:24.12.
This makes him 16th A-T HS.
In a race over 3200 meters, recent 4:09.38 Miler Aidan Tooker ran a solid time of 8:54.22.
Too bad the Race Organizer couldn't have extended the distance another 18 meters!
Danyel White ran a strong 200 time of 23.91.
In a heat.
Noah Lyles opened his 2016 campaign with fast times of 6.28 in the 55, and 21.25 in the 200.
Look for MUCH faster times from this guy!!
A SEVENTH Grader (!!) ran 400 meters in 55.79--in a heat!
But she (Jeana Griffin) admitted her age, so wasn't allowed to run in the final--age limits!!
BTW, she also ran the 200 in 24.68!!
Finally (in the HS realm!), the La Salle Academy (RI) team had 3 boys run Miles in 4:15 or 4:16, taking the top 3 places in the race!
Not super fast times, but THREE guys from the SAME school??!!
Imagine what they might run in a 4XMile or 4X1500 Relay!
With the 3 improving by 3-5 seconds each in the next two months, and with a 4th guy capable of a 4:25 or so, a HSR at the NBIN is assured!!
In Akron, Ohio, Shawn Barber topped out short of his usual 19-plus feet, but won easily!
Ekaterina Stefanidi didn't have it so easy!
Her winning height of 15-5.50 was matched by Demi Payne (competing unattached), but the Greek had fewer misses!
Mary Saxer was 3rd with 14-9.
Back to Staten Island for a minute!
Lalonde Gordon ran 200 meters in 20.99.
And Christina Epps TJ'ed 44-9.50.
This mark (remarkably!, sic!) makes her 22nd A-T US!!
But maybe even more significantly, it pushes OFF the Top 24 list a TJ icon--of sorts!
You see, in the late 1980's, the event was just beginning--and the US women were leading the way!
And Wendy Brown was one of the best!
Her mark of 44-8--dating from 1987--is gone!!
Dani Bunch got a good SP mark--her 60-1.75 making her 19th A-T US, tied with 1 other!
Chuk Enekwechi got a couple of solid--but not PR--marks in the SP and WT--63-4.25 & 78-0.75!
Other good openers included--
Regina George's 600 time of 1:30.72
Kerri Gallagher's Mile in 4:38.25
Michigan's Shannon Osika running the Mile in 4:42.10 for the top Collegiate Mile of the season
Erin Finn (also of Michigan) doing 3000 in a solo 9:13.41
(She also paced the Mile!)
Chaunte Lowe began with a 5-11.50 HJ, then missed 3 tries at 6-2
And Morgan Lake BEGAN a Pentathlon with a 60H PR of 8.74.
But her normally HIGH High Jump wasn't--her best being just 1.78 (She has a 1.94 PR!).
She had a good SP, but felt a "niggle" while LJ'ing, so DNF'ed!
Some other news of possible interest--
Renaud Lavillenie announced he'll compete in 7 meets, including Karlsruhe, Berlin (ISTAF)--AND the World Championships!!
Tirunesh Dibaba said she'll run in 1 or 2 INdoor meets, but didn't specify which ones!
Footlocker winner Weini Kelati has been added to the Camel City OPEN 3000!!
Brigetta Barrett--returning from injury--will return to the HJ wars.
But she says it will be ONLY in the US of A.
(This is GREAT news, as the US is woefully bereft in the Women's HJ!!)
The 20K Walk IAAF Championships will be in Rome on May 7th & 8th!
And the World Junior Championships will go to Bydgoszez, Poland from July 19th to the 24th!
They HAD been scheduled to be held in Russia!
Speaking of that "banned" nation, they're still competing!
INdoors.
In Russia!
Nothing startling (read: questionable!) yet, but still, some okay stuff.
Some Women's 1000's in the 2:42-2:44 range, a Men's 1500 in 3:42, and some average field event marks.
I'm still hoping Yelena Isinbayeva, Sergey Shubenkov, and Anna Chicherova will ignore the ban, and compete--even if only inside Russia!!
Finally, a MAJOR name in Track and Field Journalism has retired!!
Jon Hendershott--who wrote for Track and Field News for 48 years (!!)--said he's retiring!!
On a personal note, having read EVERY word of T&FN since 1957, I'm sure I've read every word Jon Hendershott wrote for the magazine!
He will be missed!!
Next week's series of Collegiate meets SHOULD see a veritable EXPLOSION of great marks from the Collegiate front!
Of course, many of these will be so called "rust-busters", but we should still expect the quality level to be raised several notches!
And don't think there won't be a shocker or 2 or 3 from the HS'ers and the Profeshes, as Phoebe Wright likes to call those Money Makers of the sport!!
See you soon!
Or, looked at from a bit different perspective, Garrett Heath WON!
(Basically, he kicked Farah's ASS!!)
The Senior Men's 8K race went off on a muddy puddly hilly course in Edinburgh, Scotland, with Farah doing what he normally does--heading to the rear, letting his water bearers do all the sweaty work.
He gradually moved up, but never led, and never opened any gaps.
Heath--whose PR's of 3:34 & 13:16 (1500-5000) are nowhere near Mo's (3:28 & 12:53)--took the lead with maybe 2000 to go, but also never opened a gap.
We were all waiting for Mo's last 400, when he'd blast away from the Mere Mortals!
And we waited.
And waited!
Then it was the bearded Heath who started kicking--AWAY FROM Mo!!
Mo finally gave up about 50 meters from the finish, when he saw there was no chance to catch Heath!
(To be fair, Mo was gracious in losing, never making excuses!)
The Women's 6K race went to Kate Avery, who had loads of XC experience from her NCAA days at Iona!
She did what she always does--went to the lead early, and said, "Catch me!".
They couldn't!
Fionnela McCormack (nee Britton) was 2nd, with Gemma Steel 3rd.
Amy Van Alstine was top American, in 6th.
The Junior races (4K for Women, 6K for Men--Fair??) were taken by Yee (Don't have 1st name!) of Great Britain in 19:25, and Bobby Clay, also British, in 14:10.
Top Americans were Phil Rocha and Katie Rainsberger, both finishing 5th!
Well, folks, the 2016 INdoor T&F season just got a bit more interesting!
And it was still on the non-Pro levels--meaning HS & Collegiate--where most (but not all!!) of the action took place!
Remember my previous post--with TWO High School Class Records being reported?
Well, there's two MORE for this post!!
Mondo Duplantis continues his record-shattering streak--which his IN & OUT 2015 seasons were FILLED with!!
In apparently his first meet of the new season, Mondo DESTROYED Jake Davis's Soph Class Record of 16-9 (from 1994!), jumping over the bar set at 17-2.25!
Yes, in his first 2016 meet, he breaks the Class Record by 5.25 inches.
He missed his 3 attempts at 17-6.50!
(Davis still owns the OUTdoor Soph Class best, with a 17-6!)
This puts him on my Top 24 HS list, in 18th place!
You get the feeling that Duplantis is just getting cranked up!
Stay tuned for more from this phenom!
Another Class Record went down---and went down HEAVY!--when precocious 11th Grader Kate Murphy led from the gun in the new Staten Island arena, winning the 1000 meter race in the Number Two A-T HS time of 2:45.36!
(Mary Cain has 2 times faster--but run as a HS PRO!)
Only the HSR holder--Sarah (Bowman) Brown--is faster among non-Pro HS'ers!
And it was basically a solo run! She won by 9 seconds!
Her final 200 was about 32 seconds, as she appeared to negative split.
Expect MUCH more from her too!
(She'll be running in the Open Mile at the Camel City meet on January 30th!)
Want more?
How about Jordan Geist blasting the SP 12 pounder out 69-6.50?
This makes him 9th A-T HS INdoors!
He's still almost 2 feet from Nick Vena's Junior Class Record, however.
Tripp Piperi opened with a solid 66-9.25 SP, but misses the Top 24 by 2.75 inches!
Another top HS mark came from Keshun Reed, as he blasted over 400 meters in 47.09.
He's now 10th A-T HS, tied with one other.
Second in that race was Champion Allison (Real 1st name!!), who ran 47.31.
This makes him 17th A-T HS!
Kaitlyn Neal ran a good 3000, time of 9:40.04.
She's now 16th A-T HS.
Andrea Willis PV'ed over a bar set at 13-6.25.
This moves her from 15th A-T HS, tied with 1 other, up to 12th, where she's also tied with 1 other!
In a Mixed race at the BU Mini-Meet last week (See my previous post!), Viraj Deokar ran 3000 in 8:24.12.
This makes him 16th A-T HS.
In a race over 3200 meters, recent 4:09.38 Miler Aidan Tooker ran a solid time of 8:54.22.
Too bad the Race Organizer couldn't have extended the distance another 18 meters!
Danyel White ran a strong 200 time of 23.91.
In a heat.
Noah Lyles opened his 2016 campaign with fast times of 6.28 in the 55, and 21.25 in the 200.
Look for MUCH faster times from this guy!!
A SEVENTH Grader (!!) ran 400 meters in 55.79--in a heat!
But she (Jeana Griffin) admitted her age, so wasn't allowed to run in the final--age limits!!
BTW, she also ran the 200 in 24.68!!
Finally (in the HS realm!), the La Salle Academy (RI) team had 3 boys run Miles in 4:15 or 4:16, taking the top 3 places in the race!
Not super fast times, but THREE guys from the SAME school??!!
Imagine what they might run in a 4XMile or 4X1500 Relay!
With the 3 improving by 3-5 seconds each in the next two months, and with a 4th guy capable of a 4:25 or so, a HSR at the NBIN is assured!!
In Akron, Ohio, Shawn Barber topped out short of his usual 19-plus feet, but won easily!
Ekaterina Stefanidi didn't have it so easy!
Her winning height of 15-5.50 was matched by Demi Payne (competing unattached), but the Greek had fewer misses!
Mary Saxer was 3rd with 14-9.
Back to Staten Island for a minute!
Lalonde Gordon ran 200 meters in 20.99.
And Christina Epps TJ'ed 44-9.50.
This mark (remarkably!, sic!) makes her 22nd A-T US!!
But maybe even more significantly, it pushes OFF the Top 24 list a TJ icon--of sorts!
You see, in the late 1980's, the event was just beginning--and the US women were leading the way!
And Wendy Brown was one of the best!
Her mark of 44-8--dating from 1987--is gone!!
Dani Bunch got a good SP mark--her 60-1.75 making her 19th A-T US, tied with 1 other!
Chuk Enekwechi got a couple of solid--but not PR--marks in the SP and WT--63-4.25 & 78-0.75!
Other good openers included--
Regina George's 600 time of 1:30.72
Kerri Gallagher's Mile in 4:38.25
Michigan's Shannon Osika running the Mile in 4:42.10 for the top Collegiate Mile of the season
Erin Finn (also of Michigan) doing 3000 in a solo 9:13.41
(She also paced the Mile!)
Chaunte Lowe began with a 5-11.50 HJ, then missed 3 tries at 6-2
And Morgan Lake BEGAN a Pentathlon with a 60H PR of 8.74.
But her normally HIGH High Jump wasn't--her best being just 1.78 (She has a 1.94 PR!).
She had a good SP, but felt a "niggle" while LJ'ing, so DNF'ed!
Some other news of possible interest--
Renaud Lavillenie announced he'll compete in 7 meets, including Karlsruhe, Berlin (ISTAF)--AND the World Championships!!
Tirunesh Dibaba said she'll run in 1 or 2 INdoor meets, but didn't specify which ones!
Footlocker winner Weini Kelati has been added to the Camel City OPEN 3000!!
Brigetta Barrett--returning from injury--will return to the HJ wars.
But she says it will be ONLY in the US of A.
(This is GREAT news, as the US is woefully bereft in the Women's HJ!!)
The 20K Walk IAAF Championships will be in Rome on May 7th & 8th!
And the World Junior Championships will go to Bydgoszez, Poland from July 19th to the 24th!
They HAD been scheduled to be held in Russia!
Speaking of that "banned" nation, they're still competing!
INdoors.
In Russia!
Nothing startling (read: questionable!) yet, but still, some okay stuff.
Some Women's 1000's in the 2:42-2:44 range, a Men's 1500 in 3:42, and some average field event marks.
I'm still hoping Yelena Isinbayeva, Sergey Shubenkov, and Anna Chicherova will ignore the ban, and compete--even if only inside Russia!!
Finally, a MAJOR name in Track and Field Journalism has retired!!
Jon Hendershott--who wrote for Track and Field News for 48 years (!!)--said he's retiring!!
On a personal note, having read EVERY word of T&FN since 1957, I'm sure I've read every word Jon Hendershott wrote for the magazine!
He will be missed!!
Next week's series of Collegiate meets SHOULD see a veritable EXPLOSION of great marks from the Collegiate front!
Of course, many of these will be so called "rust-busters", but we should still expect the quality level to be raised several notches!
And don't think there won't be a shocker or 2 or 3 from the HS'ers and the Profeshes, as Phoebe Wright likes to call those Money Makers of the sport!!
See you soon!
Monday, January 4, 2016
Two HS Class Records (& a Book Review)
The Book Review of the title is for "World's Greatest in Athletics".
(MUCH) more on that in a few.
But when an athlete breaks (or ties) TWO Class Records in the first week of January---in ONE MEET!!--you have to lead with that!
Brian Herron (Decatur GA) broke one Class Record, and tied another, making for an incredible "rust-busting" day!
His 48.76 for 400 tied one of the more venerable Freshman Class records--that being William Reed's from 1985!
Herron also broke Michael Grant's 200 mark of 21.95 from 2001, running a pretty fair time of 21.84.
If this is what he does in his FIRST meet of the year, what can we expect from him the rest of the way?
As I said in my Class Records Predictions posts, Frosh Class records are the most difficult to predict, since this blog doesn't cover the Middle School grades--or just an occasional name or two!
But now we HAVE some data to work with.
So I'll go out on a limb---albeit a pretty safe one--and say I can see times of 21.6 or 21.7 in the 200, and a sub-48 in the 400---THIS INdoor season!--for Herron!
BTW, he also ran the 60 in 6.99!
(The Frosh Class record for the 60 is 6.78!)
Other good marks came in recently.
Shawn Barber again opened his INdoor campaign with a solid Vault--this year, it being 19-3.50 (5.88).
(Last year, if you recall, he opened half an inch lower!)
In the same meet, Demi Payne also opened good, reaching 14-10.
(Keep in mind that in 2015, she entered the year as a SUB-14 foot PV'er!! A bit of an improvement, yes?)
Keeping with the PV for a second more, let's return to the Jenn Suhr Saga!
Her 15-5 (4.70) Vault WAS apparently 15-5, and NOT 15-7, as some sources first reported.
That said, if I find out anything different, I'll be sure to let you know.
Her season best remains her 15-9 from early December!
One thing I CAN tell you is that the Freshman girl I mentioned as Vaulting 11-9.75 in Suhr's meet (Erica Ellis), improved to 12-1 a couple of days later!
She's now 8.50 inches from tying the Frosh Class record!
A Half-Marathon in Jacksonville FL produced a slough of OT Qualifying times, with maybe the most significant being Chris Derrick's 1:03:41--in his FIRST race at the distance!
He's contemplating doing the Trials race!
Jonathon Grey won the Men's division in 1:02:47, with Fernando Cabada 2nd.
The Women's winner was Stephanie Dinius, time of 1:13:41.
And 43 year old Kevin Castille also Q'ed for the OT's with his 1:04:33!!
In Mixed races at BU's 3rd Mini-Meet, Abbey D'Agostino showed she's back, hitting a PR of 0.03 seconds for 3000, time of 8:51.88.
Liz Costello also opened good, running 9:01.13.
Cory McGee ran 9:19.13.
Abbey finished behind just 5 men!!
Some news from a couple of Professionals!
Jamie Cheever has signed with Oiselle!
And Alana Hadley now has a shoe sponsor--"On" from Switzerland!
(Never heard of them, but a sponsor's a sponsor!!)
BOOK REVIEW
by Aaron Krohn
"World's Greatest in Athletics" (Jonas Hedman, Richard Hymans, and Peter Matthews) is a book FILLED with Track and Field statistics that will keep you busy perusing it for a LONG time!
Its 832 pages (paperbound) are divided into 3 sections.
1. All-Time Rankings, by event, for Men and Women
2. Deep A-T Lists, many extending to 500 for an event, and covering EVERY event in the sport!
3. Decade-by-Decade Top 10's, most starting at 1900 (although most Women's lists start with the 1930's!)
Let's take a peek at some of the more fascinating (and Controversial??) stuff.
I must give these guys a prize for having the courage to even TRY to rank an athlete from 100 years ago with a currently active athlete!
It's like trying to rank Babe Ruth & Walter Johnson with Albert Pujols & Clay Kershaw in Baseball, or Wilt Chamberlain & George Mikan with LeBron James & Kobe Bryant in Basketball!
Good luck!
Here's some I personally was surprised and/or "dissatisfied" by!
Men
Jesse Owens just Honorable Mention in the 100?
Jeremy Wariner ahead of Lee Evans in the 400? (Were they drunk when they decided?)
Peter Snell just 7th in the 1500? Oh really?
And Jim Ryun 10th!!
How about Roger Bannister rating only Honorable Mention status??
(No swearing, AK!!)
Even worse, Ron Clarke---RON CLARKE!!!--gets just 7th in the 10K, and is nowhere to be found in the 5000!!
(Call 9-1-1, please!!)
One I'm not TOO upset about is that Mo Farah got just HM in the 10K, and is invisable in the 5K.
In field events, you won't find either Bogdan Bondarenko or Mutaz Barshim in the HJ Top 10!
(NOTE: I should have told you before, but their criteria for these selections are Championships won, Marks, and Longevity! With that in mind, SOME of their choices make---sense!)
Bob Beamon ranks only 10th in the Long Jump!
Neither Pablo Pichardo or Christian Taylor are in the TJ rankings.
(Another NOTE: The book's data ENDS at December 31, 2014! So the 2015 season was NOT included in their deliberations in any way!)
Julius Yego ain't in the Javelin!
But here's one that assuredly will lead to HUGE and LENGTHY discussion!
Ashton Eaton gets just Honorable Mention in the Multi's!!
Okay, I understand their criteria of athletes needing long careers to rank (the longevity factor!), but come on!
They couldn't place him SOMEWHERE in the Top 10???
(Author's NOTE: My differences of opinion with the authors are just that--differences of opinion! They in NO WAY take away from the greatness of this magnificent book. In fact, they ADD TO it!! Giving the READER the space & time to make THEIR choices only is given birth by the choices THEY made!)
Well, the Women's Rankings weren't exactly without some controversial choices, so let's take a look!
Flojo ranks only 6th & 7th in the 100 and 200!
Mary Slaney is nowhere to be found--not even an HM!--in the 1500.
(That may be my American bias showing! Sorry!)
But Qu Yunxia--FORMER holder of the 1500 WR!--ranks only 10th in that event!
The only Dibaba listed is--Tirunesh!
In that US stronghold--the 100H--you'll find Dawn Harper-Nelson getting only Honorable Mention!
And Lolo Jones?
The Invisable Woman!
The woman who moved the fledgling Pole Vault past the 15 foot barrier--Emma George of Australia--is ranked just 7th!
Helena Fibingerova gets only 7th in the Shot Put!
You won't find Sandra Perkovic in the DT rankings!
And while, as noted, the 2015 season wasn't included, Anita Wlodarczyk gets just 3rd in the Hammer Throw!
And the Heroine of the 2012 Olympics--Jessica Ennis (-Hill)--is ranked just 6th in the Multi's!
Now here's some fascinating numbers from those VERY long A-T lists.
But first a few NOTES!
As I said, some of the lists are less than 500 deep.
Those are mainly the newer events!
But the book has lists for EVERY event--including such as the 300, 600, 2000, 2000SC, 100 Yards, Two Miles, all of the Relays (except the SMR and the DMR), the 20K and 50K Walk for Men (but just the 20K for Women!), and the Half-Marathon!
It includes lengthy lists of Wind-Aided marks for the sprints and Horizontal Jumps!
One BAD thing---IMHO--is that, for Field Events ONLY, they integrate INdoor marks onto their lists!
This is NOT done for the running events!
Also, please note that this is basically an OUTdoor season book!
There are no lists for such INdoor events as the 60, 60H, or the Weight Throw!
Anyway, here are those stats I spoke of!
The lists for the 100's--legal & windy--take up 16 & 15 pages, respectively, for Men & Women!
300th fastest 100 meters is 10.11, while 500th best is 10.17!
500th best 200 is 20.44 for the Men.
100th fastest 400 is 44.63.
There are 201 sub-45's! (Again, data ends with the 2014 season!)
And 500th best time is 45.38!
For the 800, there are 122 sub-1:44's!
(BTW, I'm talking about Performers, not Performances!!)
300th fastest is 1:45.05, and 500th is 1:45.70!
There's 304 performers with sub-3:35 times in the 1500!
You need to run 3:36.35 to make the top 500!
Evan Jager's 3000 PR of 7:35.16 gets him 101st place!
But this list ends at 352, as they stop at the 7:43 line!
The Two Mile list is 69 deep, or all the sub-8:19's!
In the Mile, you'll see there's 58 sub-3:50 performers!
Jim Ryun? He's 102nd!
But this list too stops short of 500, ending at 3:53.49 in 212th place!
There have been 87 sub-13 minute 5K guys!
Also, a sub-13:10 will get you just 213th place, while 500th best is 13:19.04!
Did you run a 10000 under 27:30?
Then you'd be 189th!
In the 10K, you'll find Steve Prefontaine's 27:43.6 in 366th place!
A 27:51.07 gets you 500th place!
The 500th fastest Half Marathon is 61:14.
For the Full Marathon, 500th is 2:09:03!
Thus, American Icons such as Bill Rodgers and Frank Shorter are NOT included!!
It takes just 8:26.2 in the 3000SC to get you in the Top 500!
The 110H finds 54 sub-13.20 performers!
200th best is 13.42, while 500th is 13.62.
There are 195 Men with times of 48.99 or faster in the 400H.
500th is 49.64!
(NOTE: All of the Field events are listed in Metric ONLY!!)
Have to get out my copy of "The Big Gold Book" here!!
Also, let me remind you that INdoor marks are included in the appropriate Field event lists!
UGH!!
For the HJ, it takes a 7-5.25 (2.27) for 500th place!
In the LJ, the 500th best mark is 26-6.50 (8.09).
Jesse Owens's best mark gets him 372nd!!
There's 315 TJ performers who have reached 17.00 meters (55-9.25)
500th place is 16.77, or 55-0.25!
In the PV, 100th best is 5.81 (19-0.75), while 400th is 5.60 (18-4.50), and 500th dips to 5.55, or 18-2.50!
132 SP'ers have reached 21.00 meters (68-10.75), while 451 have gotten marks of 20 meters (65-7.50).
500th best is at 19.88, or 65-2.75!
232 DT'ers have reached 65.00 meters (213-3), but 500th is just 62.16 (203-11).
The "new" Javelin Throw list sees 316th place reaching 80.00 meters, or 262-5!
Only (??) 102 Hammerers have gotten to the 80 meter mark, while 500th requires just 73.06 (239.8)!
8000 points in the Decathlon would get you just 374th place!!
7902 is needed for the Top 500!
(NOTE! This book gives you EVERY event mark in ALL 500 Decs listed!! IMHO, this is one of the BEST features of the entire book!!)
Well, it's only fair I give you some data for the Women's A-T lists!!
(I know this post--and review--is already too long, but I didn't want to do a separate post for the review!!)
If Candace Hill's 2015 mark of 10.98 were on the 100 list, it would rank 79th!
Kaylin Whitney's 11.10 is ranked 174th!
500th fastest is just 11.28!
There have been 148 sub-22.50 performers in the 200!
500th is only 22.93!
78 women have run sub-50 in the 400!
300th is a 51.17, while it takes 51.65 to rate as 500th!
You've run a sub-1:57 800? Then you'd rank 71st!
Mary Cain's HSR of 1:59.51 finds her in 340th place!
Sub-2:00?? There are 437 women listed in that group!
Cain's 1500 HSR (4:04.62) is 314th!
500th requires a 4:06.71.
Only 100 Milers are listed, and that woman ran 4:26.66!
All 300 women who have run 3000 meters faster than 8:48 are listed!
200th place is an 8:43.08!
There are 149 sub-15 minute 5K runners listed!
300th is a 15:11.78, while 400th (Only 400 listed!) is a 15:17.53.
500th best in the 10K needs just 32:10.57!
73 have run under 31 minutes, while 397 are under 32 minutes!
There are 79 women faster than 9:30 in the 3000SC!
All of the sub-9:55's are listed, with the last of those being in 325th place!
A 70:34 Half-Marathon will get you in the Top 500!
A Full Marathon of 2:26:51 gets you 300th, while 500th is 2:28:47!
NOTE: Boston--and other "downhill" courses-- are on a separate list!!
200th in the 100H needs a time of 12.84!
Dior Hall's HSR of 12.92 is rated 281st!
And Michelle Jenneke's 2015 PR of 12.82 would get her in the Top 200 All-Time!!
500th needs just 13.11 of her time!
The 300th fastest 400H is a 55.85, while 500th is a 56.53!
Maria Michta-Coffey's 20K Walk American Record would rank her 196th!!
400th is 1:34:13!
However, this list stops short of 500, at the time of 1:34:28!
In the Field events, a 2.00 meter HJ (6-6.75) gets you 67 women!
300th is at 1.93 (6-4)
And--with all the ties at 1.90 (6-2.75)--the HJ list has 577 (!!) names on it!!
In the LJ, 69 have reached 7.00 meters (22-11.75).
200th best is at 6.81 (22-4.25), 400th is 6.69 (21-11.50), while 500th is at 6.64 (21-9.50)!
The TJ list ends at 473rd, a mark of 13.70 (44-11.50).
277 have reached 14 meters, or 45-11.25.
Keturah Orji's PR gets her in the Top 200!
The Pole Vault list ENDS at 499th place!!
Why not 500th?
I guess it's because there would be too many tied at the mark that would follow below the 4.20 (13-9.25) that ends at 499th!!
400 are at 4.22 (13-10) or higher, while the Top 200 is a 4.40, or 14-5.25!
77 women have reached 20 meters (65-7.50) in the SP!
300th place is a distance of 18.16 (59-7).
And 500th needs just a 17.45, or 57-3!!
In the Discus Throw, 200th is a 63.66 (208-10).
396 have reached 60 meters, or 196-10.
500th is at 58.88, or 193-2!
For the "new" Javelin, just 277 are listed, or everyone over 57.00 (187-0).
144 have reached 60 meters with the new spear!
200th is at 58.36, or 191-6!
In the Hammer Throw, 99 have reached 70.00 meters, or 229-8!
400th is a 63.07 (206-11), while 500th needs a 61.94, or 203-2!
For the Heptathlon--Again, EVERY event mark is listed for ALL 500 women!!--you need "just" 5895 points to make the list!
201 are at 6200 or better!
Well, I won't keep you much longer---that is, IF you're still with me!!
Just want to remind you that in the Best-by-Decade section, for the Men, most events start at the 1900 decade.
For the Women, most events begin with the 1930's!
And the newest additions to the Women's event menu--the 3000SC, HT, TJ, PV--start from either the 1980's, or as late as the 2000 decade!
This definitive work also has 5 pages of Women's name changes!
It also has a chart of how many marks (for the Top 500 lists) came from each nation!!
For the Men, the US high came in the 200, with 223 performers!
Kenya's high--natch!--is in the Marathon, at 250!!
The US has 154 Men in the SP!!
For the Women, the most US performers comes in the PV, with 164!
And the 100 beats the 100H for the US, 149 to 148!
Surprisingly, the Hammer Throw numbers 132 Americans!!
The Women's Marathon list finds Japan tied with Ethiopia for the lead, with 86 apiece!
Kenyan women?
Only 69 make that list!
The US has but 17!!
OKAYYYYYY!!!!
See you soon---unless reading all this sent you into delirium tremens!!!
LOL
(MUCH) more on that in a few.
But when an athlete breaks (or ties) TWO Class Records in the first week of January---in ONE MEET!!--you have to lead with that!
Brian Herron (Decatur GA) broke one Class Record, and tied another, making for an incredible "rust-busting" day!
His 48.76 for 400 tied one of the more venerable Freshman Class records--that being William Reed's from 1985!
Herron also broke Michael Grant's 200 mark of 21.95 from 2001, running a pretty fair time of 21.84.
If this is what he does in his FIRST meet of the year, what can we expect from him the rest of the way?
As I said in my Class Records Predictions posts, Frosh Class records are the most difficult to predict, since this blog doesn't cover the Middle School grades--or just an occasional name or two!
But now we HAVE some data to work with.
So I'll go out on a limb---albeit a pretty safe one--and say I can see times of 21.6 or 21.7 in the 200, and a sub-48 in the 400---THIS INdoor season!--for Herron!
BTW, he also ran the 60 in 6.99!
(The Frosh Class record for the 60 is 6.78!)
Other good marks came in recently.
Shawn Barber again opened his INdoor campaign with a solid Vault--this year, it being 19-3.50 (5.88).
(Last year, if you recall, he opened half an inch lower!)
In the same meet, Demi Payne also opened good, reaching 14-10.
(Keep in mind that in 2015, she entered the year as a SUB-14 foot PV'er!! A bit of an improvement, yes?)
Keeping with the PV for a second more, let's return to the Jenn Suhr Saga!
Her 15-5 (4.70) Vault WAS apparently 15-5, and NOT 15-7, as some sources first reported.
That said, if I find out anything different, I'll be sure to let you know.
Her season best remains her 15-9 from early December!
One thing I CAN tell you is that the Freshman girl I mentioned as Vaulting 11-9.75 in Suhr's meet (Erica Ellis), improved to 12-1 a couple of days later!
She's now 8.50 inches from tying the Frosh Class record!
A Half-Marathon in Jacksonville FL produced a slough of OT Qualifying times, with maybe the most significant being Chris Derrick's 1:03:41--in his FIRST race at the distance!
He's contemplating doing the Trials race!
Jonathon Grey won the Men's division in 1:02:47, with Fernando Cabada 2nd.
The Women's winner was Stephanie Dinius, time of 1:13:41.
And 43 year old Kevin Castille also Q'ed for the OT's with his 1:04:33!!
In Mixed races at BU's 3rd Mini-Meet, Abbey D'Agostino showed she's back, hitting a PR of 0.03 seconds for 3000, time of 8:51.88.
Liz Costello also opened good, running 9:01.13.
Cory McGee ran 9:19.13.
Abbey finished behind just 5 men!!
Some news from a couple of Professionals!
Jamie Cheever has signed with Oiselle!
And Alana Hadley now has a shoe sponsor--"On" from Switzerland!
(Never heard of them, but a sponsor's a sponsor!!)
BOOK REVIEW
by Aaron Krohn
"World's Greatest in Athletics" (Jonas Hedman, Richard Hymans, and Peter Matthews) is a book FILLED with Track and Field statistics that will keep you busy perusing it for a LONG time!
Its 832 pages (paperbound) are divided into 3 sections.
1. All-Time Rankings, by event, for Men and Women
2. Deep A-T Lists, many extending to 500 for an event, and covering EVERY event in the sport!
3. Decade-by-Decade Top 10's, most starting at 1900 (although most Women's lists start with the 1930's!)
Let's take a peek at some of the more fascinating (and Controversial??) stuff.
I must give these guys a prize for having the courage to even TRY to rank an athlete from 100 years ago with a currently active athlete!
It's like trying to rank Babe Ruth & Walter Johnson with Albert Pujols & Clay Kershaw in Baseball, or Wilt Chamberlain & George Mikan with LeBron James & Kobe Bryant in Basketball!
Good luck!
Here's some I personally was surprised and/or "dissatisfied" by!
Men
Jesse Owens just Honorable Mention in the 100?
Jeremy Wariner ahead of Lee Evans in the 400? (Were they drunk when they decided?)
Peter Snell just 7th in the 1500? Oh really?
And Jim Ryun 10th!!
How about Roger Bannister rating only Honorable Mention status??
(No swearing, AK!!)
Even worse, Ron Clarke---RON CLARKE!!!--gets just 7th in the 10K, and is nowhere to be found in the 5000!!
(Call 9-1-1, please!!)
One I'm not TOO upset about is that Mo Farah got just HM in the 10K, and is invisable in the 5K.
In field events, you won't find either Bogdan Bondarenko or Mutaz Barshim in the HJ Top 10!
(NOTE: I should have told you before, but their criteria for these selections are Championships won, Marks, and Longevity! With that in mind, SOME of their choices make---sense!)
Bob Beamon ranks only 10th in the Long Jump!
Neither Pablo Pichardo or Christian Taylor are in the TJ rankings.
(Another NOTE: The book's data ENDS at December 31, 2014! So the 2015 season was NOT included in their deliberations in any way!)
Julius Yego ain't in the Javelin!
But here's one that assuredly will lead to HUGE and LENGTHY discussion!
Ashton Eaton gets just Honorable Mention in the Multi's!!
Okay, I understand their criteria of athletes needing long careers to rank (the longevity factor!), but come on!
They couldn't place him SOMEWHERE in the Top 10???
(Author's NOTE: My differences of opinion with the authors are just that--differences of opinion! They in NO WAY take away from the greatness of this magnificent book. In fact, they ADD TO it!! Giving the READER the space & time to make THEIR choices only is given birth by the choices THEY made!)
Well, the Women's Rankings weren't exactly without some controversial choices, so let's take a look!
Flojo ranks only 6th & 7th in the 100 and 200!
Mary Slaney is nowhere to be found--not even an HM!--in the 1500.
(That may be my American bias showing! Sorry!)
But Qu Yunxia--FORMER holder of the 1500 WR!--ranks only 10th in that event!
The only Dibaba listed is--Tirunesh!
In that US stronghold--the 100H--you'll find Dawn Harper-Nelson getting only Honorable Mention!
And Lolo Jones?
The Invisable Woman!
The woman who moved the fledgling Pole Vault past the 15 foot barrier--Emma George of Australia--is ranked just 7th!
Helena Fibingerova gets only 7th in the Shot Put!
You won't find Sandra Perkovic in the DT rankings!
And while, as noted, the 2015 season wasn't included, Anita Wlodarczyk gets just 3rd in the Hammer Throw!
And the Heroine of the 2012 Olympics--Jessica Ennis (-Hill)--is ranked just 6th in the Multi's!
Now here's some fascinating numbers from those VERY long A-T lists.
But first a few NOTES!
As I said, some of the lists are less than 500 deep.
Those are mainly the newer events!
But the book has lists for EVERY event--including such as the 300, 600, 2000, 2000SC, 100 Yards, Two Miles, all of the Relays (except the SMR and the DMR), the 20K and 50K Walk for Men (but just the 20K for Women!), and the Half-Marathon!
It includes lengthy lists of Wind-Aided marks for the sprints and Horizontal Jumps!
One BAD thing---IMHO--is that, for Field Events ONLY, they integrate INdoor marks onto their lists!
This is NOT done for the running events!
Also, please note that this is basically an OUTdoor season book!
There are no lists for such INdoor events as the 60, 60H, or the Weight Throw!
Anyway, here are those stats I spoke of!
The lists for the 100's--legal & windy--take up 16 & 15 pages, respectively, for Men & Women!
300th fastest 100 meters is 10.11, while 500th best is 10.17!
500th best 200 is 20.44 for the Men.
100th fastest 400 is 44.63.
There are 201 sub-45's! (Again, data ends with the 2014 season!)
And 500th best time is 45.38!
For the 800, there are 122 sub-1:44's!
(BTW, I'm talking about Performers, not Performances!!)
300th fastest is 1:45.05, and 500th is 1:45.70!
There's 304 performers with sub-3:35 times in the 1500!
You need to run 3:36.35 to make the top 500!
Evan Jager's 3000 PR of 7:35.16 gets him 101st place!
But this list ends at 352, as they stop at the 7:43 line!
The Two Mile list is 69 deep, or all the sub-8:19's!
In the Mile, you'll see there's 58 sub-3:50 performers!
Jim Ryun? He's 102nd!
But this list too stops short of 500, ending at 3:53.49 in 212th place!
There have been 87 sub-13 minute 5K guys!
Also, a sub-13:10 will get you just 213th place, while 500th best is 13:19.04!
Did you run a 10000 under 27:30?
Then you'd be 189th!
In the 10K, you'll find Steve Prefontaine's 27:43.6 in 366th place!
A 27:51.07 gets you 500th place!
The 500th fastest Half Marathon is 61:14.
For the Full Marathon, 500th is 2:09:03!
Thus, American Icons such as Bill Rodgers and Frank Shorter are NOT included!!
It takes just 8:26.2 in the 3000SC to get you in the Top 500!
The 110H finds 54 sub-13.20 performers!
200th best is 13.42, while 500th is 13.62.
There are 195 Men with times of 48.99 or faster in the 400H.
500th is 49.64!
(NOTE: All of the Field events are listed in Metric ONLY!!)
Have to get out my copy of "The Big Gold Book" here!!
Also, let me remind you that INdoor marks are included in the appropriate Field event lists!
UGH!!
For the HJ, it takes a 7-5.25 (2.27) for 500th place!
In the LJ, the 500th best mark is 26-6.50 (8.09).
Jesse Owens's best mark gets him 372nd!!
There's 315 TJ performers who have reached 17.00 meters (55-9.25)
500th place is 16.77, or 55-0.25!
In the PV, 100th best is 5.81 (19-0.75), while 400th is 5.60 (18-4.50), and 500th dips to 5.55, or 18-2.50!
132 SP'ers have reached 21.00 meters (68-10.75), while 451 have gotten marks of 20 meters (65-7.50).
500th best is at 19.88, or 65-2.75!
232 DT'ers have reached 65.00 meters (213-3), but 500th is just 62.16 (203-11).
The "new" Javelin Throw list sees 316th place reaching 80.00 meters, or 262-5!
Only (??) 102 Hammerers have gotten to the 80 meter mark, while 500th requires just 73.06 (239.8)!
8000 points in the Decathlon would get you just 374th place!!
7902 is needed for the Top 500!
(NOTE! This book gives you EVERY event mark in ALL 500 Decs listed!! IMHO, this is one of the BEST features of the entire book!!)
Well, it's only fair I give you some data for the Women's A-T lists!!
(I know this post--and review--is already too long, but I didn't want to do a separate post for the review!!)
If Candace Hill's 2015 mark of 10.98 were on the 100 list, it would rank 79th!
Kaylin Whitney's 11.10 is ranked 174th!
500th fastest is just 11.28!
There have been 148 sub-22.50 performers in the 200!
500th is only 22.93!
78 women have run sub-50 in the 400!
300th is a 51.17, while it takes 51.65 to rate as 500th!
You've run a sub-1:57 800? Then you'd rank 71st!
Mary Cain's HSR of 1:59.51 finds her in 340th place!
Sub-2:00?? There are 437 women listed in that group!
Cain's 1500 HSR (4:04.62) is 314th!
500th requires a 4:06.71.
Only 100 Milers are listed, and that woman ran 4:26.66!
All 300 women who have run 3000 meters faster than 8:48 are listed!
200th place is an 8:43.08!
There are 149 sub-15 minute 5K runners listed!
300th is a 15:11.78, while 400th (Only 400 listed!) is a 15:17.53.
500th best in the 10K needs just 32:10.57!
73 have run under 31 minutes, while 397 are under 32 minutes!
There are 79 women faster than 9:30 in the 3000SC!
All of the sub-9:55's are listed, with the last of those being in 325th place!
A 70:34 Half-Marathon will get you in the Top 500!
A Full Marathon of 2:26:51 gets you 300th, while 500th is 2:28:47!
NOTE: Boston--and other "downhill" courses-- are on a separate list!!
200th in the 100H needs a time of 12.84!
Dior Hall's HSR of 12.92 is rated 281st!
And Michelle Jenneke's 2015 PR of 12.82 would get her in the Top 200 All-Time!!
500th needs just 13.11 of her time!
The 300th fastest 400H is a 55.85, while 500th is a 56.53!
Maria Michta-Coffey's 20K Walk American Record would rank her 196th!!
400th is 1:34:13!
However, this list stops short of 500, at the time of 1:34:28!
In the Field events, a 2.00 meter HJ (6-6.75) gets you 67 women!
300th is at 1.93 (6-4)
And--with all the ties at 1.90 (6-2.75)--the HJ list has 577 (!!) names on it!!
In the LJ, 69 have reached 7.00 meters (22-11.75).
200th best is at 6.81 (22-4.25), 400th is 6.69 (21-11.50), while 500th is at 6.64 (21-9.50)!
The TJ list ends at 473rd, a mark of 13.70 (44-11.50).
277 have reached 14 meters, or 45-11.25.
Keturah Orji's PR gets her in the Top 200!
The Pole Vault list ENDS at 499th place!!
Why not 500th?
I guess it's because there would be too many tied at the mark that would follow below the 4.20 (13-9.25) that ends at 499th!!
400 are at 4.22 (13-10) or higher, while the Top 200 is a 4.40, or 14-5.25!
77 women have reached 20 meters (65-7.50) in the SP!
300th place is a distance of 18.16 (59-7).
And 500th needs just a 17.45, or 57-3!!
In the Discus Throw, 200th is a 63.66 (208-10).
396 have reached 60 meters, or 196-10.
500th is at 58.88, or 193-2!
For the "new" Javelin, just 277 are listed, or everyone over 57.00 (187-0).
144 have reached 60 meters with the new spear!
200th is at 58.36, or 191-6!
In the Hammer Throw, 99 have reached 70.00 meters, or 229-8!
400th is a 63.07 (206-11), while 500th needs a 61.94, or 203-2!
For the Heptathlon--Again, EVERY event mark is listed for ALL 500 women!!--you need "just" 5895 points to make the list!
201 are at 6200 or better!
Well, I won't keep you much longer---that is, IF you're still with me!!
Just want to remind you that in the Best-by-Decade section, for the Men, most events start at the 1900 decade.
For the Women, most events begin with the 1930's!
And the newest additions to the Women's event menu--the 3000SC, HT, TJ, PV--start from either the 1980's, or as late as the 2000 decade!
This definitive work also has 5 pages of Women's name changes!
It also has a chart of how many marks (for the Top 500 lists) came from each nation!!
For the Men, the US high came in the 200, with 223 performers!
Kenya's high--natch!--is in the Marathon, at 250!!
The US has 154 Men in the SP!!
For the Women, the most US performers comes in the PV, with 164!
And the 100 beats the 100H for the US, 149 to 148!
Surprisingly, the Hammer Throw numbers 132 Americans!!
The Women's Marathon list finds Japan tied with Ethiopia for the lead, with 86 apiece!
Kenyan women?
Only 69 make that list!
The US has but 17!!
OKAYYYYYY!!!!
See you soon---unless reading all this sent you into delirium tremens!!!
LOL
Friday, January 1, 2016
My New Year's Wish List
Most folks make New Year's Resolutions!
Those are vows to do (or NOT do!) something better/more/less than you did last year!
Okay.
But I prefer to make a Wish List instead!
For the Sport of Track and Field (including Road Racing, Walks, and Cross Country!), here's my Wish List for 2016.
Wish for FULL return from illness, injury, semi-retirement, or pregnancy for--
Stephanie Bruce
Aries Merritt
Lolo Jones
(BTW, it was just announced she'll be racing at the Camel City meet on January 30th!!)
Sarah Brown
Valerie Adams
Tirunesh Dibaba (& Meseret Defar)
Alana Hadley
and maybe especially--Kayla Montgomery!!
(She just posted a GREAT new photo of herself on Facebook, smiling widely, and looking VERY healthy & happy!!)
Wish for a FULL return to action for--
Sarah Baxter
Wesley Frazier
Cayla Hatton
Natosha Rogers
Lisa Uhl
Wish for SERIOUS World Record attempts by--
Genzebe Dibaba (at EVERY distance from the 800 to the 10000!)
Jenn Suhr, Yelena Isinbayeva (even if it's only in local Russian meets!), and Shawn Barber!
(Oh yes, Renaud Lavillenie too!)
Dafne Schippers & Elaine Thompson in the OUTdoor 200
Allyson Felix in the 400!
(Yes, I REALLY believe she can break Koch's WR!)
Wish for--
Maria Michta-Coffey (and Miranda Melville, etc) to bring the Women's US 20K Walk record below 1:30!
And to finish Top 10 in Rio!!
Also Wish for--
Maria & Miranda to Walk a 50,000 Meters race, attempting to break the AR of 4:33, or even the WORLD Record of 4:10!!
(See an earlier post about the Women's 50K WR and AR!!)
Wish for--
Nick Symmonds to make TeamUSA, proudly wearing his BROOKS kit for all the world to see!
Wish for Memoirs (or announcements of same!) from--
Justin Gatlin
Lolo Jones
Mary Cain
Jenny Simpson
Bernard Lagat
Usain Bolt (But including all the JUICY stuff--uncensored!)
Kaylin Whitney
Wish for--
a FREE Flotrack & MileSplit (Insider)!!
Wish for--
Ed Cheserek & Mo Farah to RACE, not jog the first 98% of their events!
Wish for--
Alberto Salazar to finally admit he FUCKED UP at the USATF INdoor in 2014!
Wish for--
all Oversize Tracks to be BANNED as sites to get Qualifying times for Championship meets!
Wish for--
the 1600 and 3200 meter distances to be relegated to the TRASH HEAP of T&F History--NOW!!
(Concomitantly, I Wish for the One & Two MILE to be returned to their FULL GLORY!!)
Wish for--
a return to TOP SHAPE for--
Mary Cain
Chaunte Lowe & Brigetta Barrett
Yohan Blake
Jeremy Wariner
Sanya Richards-Ross
Wish for--
NO BAN for INNOCENT Russians!!
Wish for--
more funny & FUN videos from Sandi Morris (with her snakes, guitar playing & singing, and her WACKYness)!! (Not to mention her BEAUTY!!)
Wish for Track and Field News magazine (and/or Track Newsletter) and website to--
END their "absolute" lists, and COMPLETELY SEPARATE the IN and OUTdoor seasonal lists!!
END their inclusion of "converted" times for the HS Mile & Two Mile lists!
(If they INSIST on honoring the 1600 & 3200, have SEPARATE lists for those distances--APART FROM REAL Miles & 2 Miles!!)
Also--
regarding T&FN & eTN, I Wish for--
a return to a PAPER edition of TN, no matter what it costs me to subscribe!!
returning MONTHLY lists (Top 10 or 15?) for World, US, and Collegiate to the magazine and/or the TN!!
Wish for--
Let's Run to grow a HEART--as in some compassion (and LESS HATE!!) in their Forum!
Let's Run to INSIST on REAL NAMES for their commenters!!
Let's Run to END their SEXIST Double Standards--e.g. when they called ME a "pedophile" for being interested in the ATHLETIC ability of young female athletes, but then turn around and comment on some young girl's being PREGNANT or being "HOT" or on various female body parts, no matter their age!!
Wish for--
a more LIBERAL attitude from Garry Hill on the T&FN Message Board!
Wish for--
the IAAF site to include the Two Mile on their OUTdoor (and INdoor) lists
the IAAF to include the 600 on their INdoor (and OUTdoor) lists
Wish for--
the National Records book I own to become an ANNUAL!!
Ditto the World's Greatest in Athletics book!!
Wish for--
more WILD HAIR colors & styles, as worn by--
Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce
Alexi Pappas
Evan Jager
Will Leer
Wish for more NUDE photos, as we enjoyed from the ESPN Body Issue--
but from ONLY Track & Field athletes
Wish for--
Women to race over 10000 meters in XC, just as the Men do!
Or--have Men AND Women race over 8000 meters in XC!!
(And not just in Championship races!!)
Wish for--
a return of the old NCAA Guide, which, as I remember it, had all kinds of Records and Lists for Collegiate T&F, as well as Rules, etc!
Wish for--
an end to the Diamond League format, to be replaced by meets with VARIED programs (more 10K's, for example!), and MORE events (so athletes don't have to wait a year to find THEIR event)!!
Wish for--
MORE World Relays meets--maybe 3 per year, EVERY year!!
Wish for an--
ANNUAL World Championship!!
(INdoors and OUTdoors!)
And thus, in tandem to the above, I wish for an--
END to the OLYMPIC GAMES as the be all-end all of our sport!!
(Let them continue, but NOT as the CENTERPIECE of T&F! Let them hold an honored presence, but NOT as the pinnacle and ultimate goal of athletes!! We can't have a once-every-four-years meet as THE T&F meet!! Every other sport has ANNUAL Championships--Baseball's World Series, Football's Super Bowl, Horse Racing's Kentucky Derby, the Indy 500, Golf's US Open, etc, Tennis's Wimbledon!! Same should go for T&F!!)
Finally, I Wish for--
this blog to continue all year, "getting better all the time", and to find SOME respect and acknowledgement as a VALUABLE and FUN resource for T&F results, news, and opinion!
(I would LOVE it if T&FN posted my blog on their website, as they do with posts from House of Run, the Daily Relay, and others!)
This is a FREE blog, so I'm not looking for monetary gain--or even fame!!--just some inclusion into the world of SERIOUS T&F blogs and news sources!
Oh yeah, one more!
I Wish for---
No, on second thought, I think I'll keep THIS one to myself!!
Sorry!
See you soon!!
Those are vows to do (or NOT do!) something better/more/less than you did last year!
Okay.
But I prefer to make a Wish List instead!
For the Sport of Track and Field (including Road Racing, Walks, and Cross Country!), here's my Wish List for 2016.
Wish for FULL return from illness, injury, semi-retirement, or pregnancy for--
Stephanie Bruce
Aries Merritt
Lolo Jones
(BTW, it was just announced she'll be racing at the Camel City meet on January 30th!!)
Sarah Brown
Valerie Adams
Tirunesh Dibaba (& Meseret Defar)
Alana Hadley
and maybe especially--Kayla Montgomery!!
(She just posted a GREAT new photo of herself on Facebook, smiling widely, and looking VERY healthy & happy!!)
Wish for a FULL return to action for--
Sarah Baxter
Wesley Frazier
Cayla Hatton
Natosha Rogers
Lisa Uhl
Wish for SERIOUS World Record attempts by--
Genzebe Dibaba (at EVERY distance from the 800 to the 10000!)
Jenn Suhr, Yelena Isinbayeva (even if it's only in local Russian meets!), and Shawn Barber!
(Oh yes, Renaud Lavillenie too!)
Dafne Schippers & Elaine Thompson in the OUTdoor 200
Allyson Felix in the 400!
(Yes, I REALLY believe she can break Koch's WR!)
Wish for--
Maria Michta-Coffey (and Miranda Melville, etc) to bring the Women's US 20K Walk record below 1:30!
And to finish Top 10 in Rio!!
Also Wish for--
Maria & Miranda to Walk a 50,000 Meters race, attempting to break the AR of 4:33, or even the WORLD Record of 4:10!!
(See an earlier post about the Women's 50K WR and AR!!)
Wish for--
Nick Symmonds to make TeamUSA, proudly wearing his BROOKS kit for all the world to see!
Wish for Memoirs (or announcements of same!) from--
Justin Gatlin
Lolo Jones
Mary Cain
Jenny Simpson
Bernard Lagat
Usain Bolt (But including all the JUICY stuff--uncensored!)
Kaylin Whitney
Wish for--
a FREE Flotrack & MileSplit (Insider)!!
Wish for--
Ed Cheserek & Mo Farah to RACE, not jog the first 98% of their events!
Wish for--
Alberto Salazar to finally admit he FUCKED UP at the USATF INdoor in 2014!
Wish for--
all Oversize Tracks to be BANNED as sites to get Qualifying times for Championship meets!
Wish for--
the 1600 and 3200 meter distances to be relegated to the TRASH HEAP of T&F History--NOW!!
(Concomitantly, I Wish for the One & Two MILE to be returned to their FULL GLORY!!)
Wish for--
a return to TOP SHAPE for--
Mary Cain
Chaunte Lowe & Brigetta Barrett
Yohan Blake
Jeremy Wariner
Sanya Richards-Ross
Wish for--
NO BAN for INNOCENT Russians!!
Wish for--
more funny & FUN videos from Sandi Morris (with her snakes, guitar playing & singing, and her WACKYness)!! (Not to mention her BEAUTY!!)
Wish for Track and Field News magazine (and/or Track Newsletter) and website to--
END their "absolute" lists, and COMPLETELY SEPARATE the IN and OUTdoor seasonal lists!!
END their inclusion of "converted" times for the HS Mile & Two Mile lists!
(If they INSIST on honoring the 1600 & 3200, have SEPARATE lists for those distances--APART FROM REAL Miles & 2 Miles!!)
Also--
regarding T&FN & eTN, I Wish for--
a return to a PAPER edition of TN, no matter what it costs me to subscribe!!
returning MONTHLY lists (Top 10 or 15?) for World, US, and Collegiate to the magazine and/or the TN!!
Wish for--
Let's Run to grow a HEART--as in some compassion (and LESS HATE!!) in their Forum!
Let's Run to INSIST on REAL NAMES for their commenters!!
Let's Run to END their SEXIST Double Standards--e.g. when they called ME a "pedophile" for being interested in the ATHLETIC ability of young female athletes, but then turn around and comment on some young girl's being PREGNANT or being "HOT" or on various female body parts, no matter their age!!
Wish for--
a more LIBERAL attitude from Garry Hill on the T&FN Message Board!
Wish for--
the IAAF site to include the Two Mile on their OUTdoor (and INdoor) lists
the IAAF to include the 600 on their INdoor (and OUTdoor) lists
Wish for--
the National Records book I own to become an ANNUAL!!
Ditto the World's Greatest in Athletics book!!
Wish for--
more WILD HAIR colors & styles, as worn by--
Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce
Alexi Pappas
Evan Jager
Will Leer
Wish for more NUDE photos, as we enjoyed from the ESPN Body Issue--
but from ONLY Track & Field athletes
Wish for--
Women to race over 10000 meters in XC, just as the Men do!
Or--have Men AND Women race over 8000 meters in XC!!
(And not just in Championship races!!)
Wish for--
a return of the old NCAA Guide, which, as I remember it, had all kinds of Records and Lists for Collegiate T&F, as well as Rules, etc!
Wish for--
an end to the Diamond League format, to be replaced by meets with VARIED programs (more 10K's, for example!), and MORE events (so athletes don't have to wait a year to find THEIR event)!!
Wish for--
MORE World Relays meets--maybe 3 per year, EVERY year!!
Wish for an--
ANNUAL World Championship!!
(INdoors and OUTdoors!)
And thus, in tandem to the above, I wish for an--
END to the OLYMPIC GAMES as the be all-end all of our sport!!
(Let them continue, but NOT as the CENTERPIECE of T&F! Let them hold an honored presence, but NOT as the pinnacle and ultimate goal of athletes!! We can't have a once-every-four-years meet as THE T&F meet!! Every other sport has ANNUAL Championships--Baseball's World Series, Football's Super Bowl, Horse Racing's Kentucky Derby, the Indy 500, Golf's US Open, etc, Tennis's Wimbledon!! Same should go for T&F!!)
Finally, I Wish for--
this blog to continue all year, "getting better all the time", and to find SOME respect and acknowledgement as a VALUABLE and FUN resource for T&F results, news, and opinion!
(I would LOVE it if T&FN posted my blog on their website, as they do with posts from House of Run, the Daily Relay, and others!)
This is a FREE blog, so I'm not looking for monetary gain--or even fame!!--just some inclusion into the world of SERIOUS T&F blogs and news sources!
Oh yeah, one more!
I Wish for---
No, on second thought, I think I'll keep THIS one to myself!!
Sorry!
See you soon!!
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