Saturday, February 20, 2016

Millrose Distances rewrite Lists

In a sensational series of races--ranging from the 800 to the 5000--my DDD lists (Top 24 Performers lists, INdoors) were rewritten, to a scope and depth maybe unheard of from one Invitational meet--ever!
I WAS planning to cover ALL of Millrose--AND Glasgow, plus whatever else went down in the past 2 days.
But so many incredible results came out of The Armory Middle and Long Distance events, that I've opted to do a post covering ONLY those races!

Molly Huddle watered down her intent to break the 5000 meters American Record in an interview yesterday.
But the RACE that developed instead perhaps made for better results overall.
(Many rabbited WR or AR attempts are reduced to ONE runner, and her or his record try--many of which result in failure!)

A rabbit led Huddle and Betsy Saina--as well as Huddle's 2015 WC nemesis, Emily Infeld!--with Marielle Hall, Abbey D'Agostino, and Shelby Houlihan also forming a tight 6-woman pack--through 3000 meters in about 9:01--too slow to seriously chase Shalane Flanagan's AR of 14:47.62.
Most were still together at 4K, with Houlihan and Abbey D falling back a few meters..

Huddle's not a sprint-kicker---she tends to run hard over several laps instead.
So when she began moving, it was no surprise that Saina and Infeld stayed close.
But in the final 800, it was Molly leading Betsy by a few hairs.
When Saina kicked, Huddle tried, but just couldn't power past her---although some lapped runners got in her way on the final lap---a HUGE NO-NO in the "ethics" of track racing!!
When lapped, you move out to the 2nd, or even 3rd lane--you don't force the leaders to run AROUND you!!
That said, the first NINE finishers all helped rewrite my lists!!

Saina's 14:57.18 winner ranks her 14th A-T World!
It's also the Millrose Meet Record!

Huddle's 14:57.31 makes her 15th A-T World!
She moves from 3rd to 2nd on the US list!

Infeld's time of 15:00.91 makes her 17th A-T World!
She's now 3rd A-T US!

Hall's 15:06.05 makes her 21st A-T World!
And she's now 4th A-T US!!

Houlihan's 15:06.22 is now 22nd A-T World, and she ranks 5th A-T US!

Abbey's 15:24.44 is an improvement on her Collegiate best of 15:28.11, and moves her from 13th A-T US to 11th.

Laura Thweatt's 15:35.24 makes her 16th A-T US.
Chelsea Sodaro's 15:36.73 makes her 18th A-T US.
And Liz Costello's 15:37.82 makes her 20th A-T US.
Finishing last (10th place!)--no PR--was Jordan Hasay, in 15:46.45!

Cut OFF my World list were--Uta Pippig, Zahra Ouaziz, Olga Yegarova, Marla Runyan, and Emily Sisson!
OFF my US list are--Gina Procaccio and---Jordan Hasay!!

To make my World Top 24 list now requires a time of 15:06.52---down (up??) from 15:13.72!!

The longest Men's race---the 3000---also cut a deep swath through my Record Book!

In a spirited final lap battle, Ryan Hill nipped past Hassan Mead at the tape, by a mere 0.03 seconds!

Hill's 7:38.82 got the Millrose Meet Record.
However, it wasn't a PR!

Mead's 7:38.85 moves him from 12th to 6th on the A-T US list!

Eric Jenkins kicked into 3rd, his 7:39.43 moving him all the way from 22nd A-T US to 8th!!

Evan Jager's 7:40.10 in 4th also wasn't a PR.
But Mo Ahmed's 7:40.11 JUST got Kevin Sullivan's National Record of Canada--by 0.06 seconds!

Ed Cheserek led at one point, but fell back some, still running a good time of 7:40.61.
So good, in fact, that he's now 2nd on the A-T Collegiate list!!

Kemoy Campbell's 7:40.79 broke his own National Record of Jamaica--by about 6 seconds!

Andy Bayer's 7:42.33 makes him 17th A-T US.
Lopez Lomong moves from 22nd A-T US to 20th with his time of 7:43.01.
Then came Cam Levins, Donn Cabral, and Trevor Dunbar, all in the 7:45 to 7:47 range.

I'll do the Women's 800 next, as there were actually FIVE Mile races, 4 of which produced list (and Record!) altering results!!

And what a race that 800 was!!
When Ajee Wilson took the lead, Brenda Martinez turned her wheels HARD---but didn't have enough track left to catch her---not that she would, IF!!!

The result showed Wilson with the win--and Meet Record--time of 2:00.09!
She moves from 13th A-T US to 11th, tied with Chanelle Price!

Brenda's 2:00.14--in her first-ever INdoor 800!!--gives her 13th spot on the A-T US list!

A VERY healthy Laura Roesler was next, time of 2:00.49!
She's now 15th A-T US!

Following the FORMER Oregon Duck was a CURRENT Quacker--Raevyn Rogers, who missed the Collegiate Record by just 0.15 seconds!!
Her 2:00.90 is now 2nd on the A-T Collegiate list.
She is 18th A-T United States!
And she gets the Collegiate Soph Class record too!!

Then came Lynsey Sharp's not bad 2:01.55, followed by a slower Phoebe Wright and Natoya Goule!

The Men's 800 was a good battle, but not too fast.
Duane Solomon edged Brannon Kidder by 0.07 seconds, 1:47.52 to 1:47.59.

Now let's look at the damage done by those Mile races!
There were 2 HS Miles--with everyone in them a HS student.
The Men's race saw a good RACE--but no list changes!
Isaac Coats's 4:09.87 nipped Noah Affolder by just 0.01.
Aidan Tooker took (sic!) 3rd, in 4:10.20.

The Women's HS race was a runaway for Kate Murphy, who negative split to a 4:41.84 Mile!
Her halves were about 2:24 and 2:17, with a final 400 of about 66!
She moves from 14th to 9th on the A-T HS list!
AND--she was timed at 1500 in 4:24.22, which makes her 8th A-T HS!!
Her final 109 meters was 17.62.

But it was the "Armory Elite" Mile which gave us the best HS time.
Would you believe Drew Hunter's SECOND High School Record in less than one month!
Not to mention his SECOND HSR at 1500 meters also!!

In a race won in 3:56.57 by Johnny Gregorek, Hunter ran smartly in mid-pack for the first three quarters.
Then--despite having a lingering cold--bashed out a solid kick to finish in the new HSR time of 3:57.81!
Enroute, he got the 1500 HSR too--time of 3:41.93!!
It's also the new Senior Class records for both, breaking his own records!!
Hunter's last 109 meters was a fast 15.88!

One other good result came from this Mile.
Thomas Awad, of Penn, passed through his 1500 in 3:41.53, which ranks him 22nd A-T Collegiate!

While Shannon Rowbury's American Record try ended over 4 seconds shy of her target, her 4:24.39 was enough for a clear victory over a quality (mostly!) American field!
She was timed at 4:07.30 at the 1500 enroute, also not a PR.

But apres moi le deluge!!
(Sorry for not having the proper accent marks!!  LOL)

Oiselle's Kerri Gallagher led the herd, her 4:26.18 Mile making her 7th A-T US.
Her 1500 time of 4:08:53 makes her 12th A-T US.
(NOTE:  Some 1500 times don't match the sequence of Mile times, as there was a lot of movement in the last 109 meters!  More on that in a bit!)

Amanda Eccleston produced another fast time, her 4:26.63 keeping her 9th A-T US.
However, her 1500 time of 4:09.12 makes her 16th A-T US!

Heather Kampf used her "Queen of the Road Mile" chops on The Armory's 200 meter banked oval, running a PR of 4:27.26, while hitting her 1500 split in 4:09.54.
The Mile gives her 12th spot on the A-T US list.
Her 1500 makes her 20th on that list!

Morgan Uceny ran her fastest INdoor Mile--a 4:27.99, which moves her from 24th A'T US to 15th!
Her 1500 time of 4:09.21 wasn't a PR.

An Irish-woman came next--In fact, Ciara Mageean is Ireland's new Mile record holder!!
Her time was 4:28.40--the first sub-4:30 by an Ireland female!
She missed her own NR at 1500 (4:08.66), passing that point in 4:09.01.

Katie Mackey and Alexa Efraimson were next--in 4:28.84 and 4:28.91,  respectively.
But both JUST missed my re-written US list by 0.13 and 0.20 seconds!!
However, Efraimson was way ahead of Mackey at 1500, so her 4:09.20 PR  makes her 18th A-T US!!
Mackey's 1500 time was 4:10.69.

The remaining 4 finishers weren't exactly slow!
Just when compared to the 8 women in front of them!!
Heather Wilson ran 4:30.80, with Dominique Scott (4:31.57), Leah O'Connor (4:31.83), and Erin Teschuk (4:34.58) trailing!!
Treniere Moser didn't finish!!

Their 1500 to Mile differentials were, in order of fastest--
Rowbury (17.09)
Eccleston (17.51)
Gallagher (17.65)
Kampf (17.72)
Mackey (18.15)
Uceny (18.78)
Mageean (19.39)
Efraimson (19.71)

Two notable women who got knocked OFF my US list were LeAnn Warren and Emily Infeld's older sister, Maggie Infeld!!

The Men's version of the Wanamaker Mile finished off the meet---and my Middle/Long Distance wholesale list revision with a BANG!!

And it was yet another final lap (Well, 400 meters, or TWO laps INdoors!!) RACE that left the sold-out crowd thrilled!
It was Nick Willis vs Matthew Centrowitz all the way, even though the rest of the runners didn't exactly roll over and play dead!

In the end, after an all-out sprint, Centro prevailed, 3:50.63 to 3:51.06!
Centro moves from 4th to 2nd on the A-T US list!
And he moves up 5 spots on the World list, from 9th to 4th!
His 1500 split time of 3:35.91 moves him from 6th to 4th on the A-T US list!
He also nailed Galen Rupp's (!) Age 26 record for the Mile.

Willis's Mile time broke his own New Zealand National Record.
AND he got the iconic Eamonn Coghlan's Age 32 record, dating from 1985!!
However, his 1500 split of 3:36.12 was shy of his NR!
Willis moves from 10th A-T World to 8th with his Mile!

While Chris O'Hare's 3:52.91 Mile is a slight PR, he remains 24th A-T World!

Robby Andrews's 3:53.16 Mile gives him 9th place on the US list, while his 1500 split of 3:38.09 makes him 11th A-T US.
Cory Leslie's 1500 and Mile times of 3:37.67 and 3:53.87 makes him 9th and 11th A-T US, respectively!
Garrett Heath's 1500 split of 3:38.48 moves him from 18th to 17th on the A-T US list.
But his Mile time of 3:55.10 wasn't a PR.
Cristian Soratos followed in 3:56.05 (with his 1500 in 3:40.47).

But Blake Haney's times of 3:40.09 and 3:56.36 made my Collegiate lists!
The 1500 ranks him 11th A-T Collegiate, while his Mile ranks him 17th on that list!

Centro's final 109 meters was decisive over Willis's, 14.72 to 14.94!
Andrews also had a fast finish, his 109 meters taking just 15.07!

OFF my US 1500 list is Jim Spivey, his 3:39.63 dating from 1987!

And that's a wrap on Millrose's running events longer than 400 meters!
I thought to include ALL of Millrose, but this post is too long already.
So--with regret and apologies--I'm going to make you wait till tomorrow--after the Olympic Trials for the 50000 meter Walks conclude!--to finish my report on this "Pre Classic" of INdoor meets, and to tell you what happened in Glasgow and other venues over the weekend!

It should be LESS than a full day---maybe 15 hours??--until my next Results post!
Hint--There's some GREAT stuff to report!!

See you soon!









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