Rust is Busted!

The "real" start to any OUTdoor season--especially here in the US--is generally accepted as the weekend of the Texas & Florida Relays.
Others would say it doesn't begin until after the Boston Marathon, meaning with Mt SAC, followed closely by the Drake and Penn Relays!
THIS weekend falls BETWEEN those periods!
Seen by several athletes as a good time to "rust-bust"--without the often nasty weather of late March-early April, or the pressure to perform well that such iconic meets as Drake and Penn bring about!
Well, when you're done reading my report, you'll agree that some serious rust HAS been busted!!

As ever, I'll start with a "major" record (World, US, Collegiate, HS).
The Great Oak (CA) HS team is coached by Doug Noles, who stays busy in his off-hours on Twitter!
Last week, I tweeted him that I thought his GIRLS team could break the 4XMile Relay record of 19:56.75, set by Suffern (NY) in 2006!
(He favorited my tweet!)
So what happened at the Arcadia Invitational?
His BOYS team broke the 4X1600 Relay record, while his GIRLS team ran well, but lost, not even coming close to the HSR!

Their time of 16:55.85 broke the time listed in HS Track 2016 of 17:04.7, that McCullough of The Woodlands (TX) ran in 1986!
Now, that 17:04.7 is for the 4X1600 Relay, NOT the 4XMile, which record remains the 17:06.6 run by South Eugene (OR) in 1976!!
I've seen that 19:56.75 time listed under BOTH the 4XMile AND 4X1600!
But how can that be, when one race is about 37 meters LESS than the other?

I plan on doing research to see if I can find the BEST time for a HS Girls 4X1600 Relay--which is NOT an adjusted or converted time FROM a 4XMile Relay!!
Meanwhile, that HSR by the Great Oak guys is impressive.
The 1600 splits were (rounded off) 4:19, 4:14, 4:12, and 4:10!

Arcadia--despite constant rainfall both days!--was rampant with great marks.
Rachel Baxter became the 10th HS'er to reach at least 14 feet OUTdoors!
Clearing 12-6, 12-10, 13-2, and 13-6 on 1st tries, she needed all 3 to get 13-10, matching her PR!
She got 14-2 on her 2nd try, then missed 3 times at 14-6!
This moves her from 12th to 4th on the A-T HS list!
It also breaks the Junior Class record, which had belonged to Morgann LeLeux and Lexi Weeks, their 14-0's dating from 2010 and 2014, respectively.
Abby Weiler was 2nd with 13-6, a mark that misses my DDD by 1 inch!

Noah Lyles had a great double, which seemed even better considering it was his OUTdoor opener, and the VERY wet track!
He won the 100 and 200 in 10.17 and 20.48, both wind-legal, and both--literally--runaways!
His brother Josephus had a real RACE in the 400!
He and Michael Norman (45.19 PR from 2015!) ran stride for stride until a few meters into the final straight, when Norman moved ahead, finally prevailing, 45.51 to 45.94.
Not sure how common this is, but having TWO HS guys break 46 in the SAME race is pretty sensational, if you ask me!!
Again, considering the bad weather and that it's still early April!

The usual deep fields in the distance races prevailed again!
I wish they'd run the Two Mile instead of the 3200, but you can't ignore what normally occurs in these races!
The Men's 3200 saw 8 guys break 9:00 (far LESS than normal!!), but Casey Clinger's winning time of 8:50.70 was good.
Three others broke 8:52, while TX Relays doubler Eduardo Herrera (See previous post!) finished 7th in 8:55.
For the Women, Sophomores dominated!
Won by Soph Steeplechaser Rylee Bowen in 10:13.20, Sophs also finished in 2nd and 4th place!!
Tenth Grader Annie Hill was 2nd, and her class peer Rebecca Story was 4th, with vet Hannah Debalsi in 3rd, and Fiona O'Keefe in 6th, all running under 10:18.
My McKinleyville (CA) heroine (See earlier post!), Morgin Coonfield, ran a solid 10:20.38!

In the Women's Mile (NOT 1600!), the time was slow for winner Allie Schadler (4:51), but she split it 2:32 & 2:19, with a 65 last lap!!

Might as well continue with HS material--not all of it from Arcadia!
Lauren Rain Williams, who ran in the rain (Sic!!), won the 200 in 23.37, not a PR!
Kaelin Roberts took the 400 in 53.47.
Not at Arcadia, Sammy Watson sped a quarter in 53.83.
Austin Tamagno ran a quick 2 lapper of 1:50.93.
I mentioned Michael Norman earlier!
He also ran on his Vista Murietta 4X100 Relay squad, who won in 40.63!
Some "old" marks include a 13-7.50 PV by Margaret Ollinger, which makes her 21st A-T HS.
Two HT'ers made my Top 24 list!
Madeline Rabing's 182-6 makes her 21st A-T HS, and Kamryn Brinson's 182-0 makes her 23rd!
Frosh Tia Jones ran a 13.27 in the 100H, making her 20th A-T HS, tied with 1 other!
She's 0.09 from the Frosh Class record, held by Dior Hall from 2011.

Speaking of the 100H, Kendra (Keni) Harrison might have forgotten her first OUTdoor race was supposed to bust RUST, not  Records!!
She blazed a 12.36 (1.4 wind), becoming 9th A-T World, tied with 2 others!
She moves from 16th to 5th on the A-T US list!
And she misses the Age 23 record (Jasmine Stowers's 12.35 from last year!) by 0.01.
She added a slightly windy (2.3) 200 of 23.01 to her weekend!

Other quality "sprint" category marks were plentiful!
Good 400's were run by Kenya Woodell (52.12), Daye Shon Roberson (52.24), and Elexis Guster, an Iowa Junior who ran 51.85.
The Men were even better!
Bralin Taplin ran a PR of 44.41 in the Sun Angel Classic!
Doesn't make any lists or break any records, but a great time for this early!
He beat Texas A&M's Fred Kerley, whose 45.10 is the Collegiate leader!
Jeremy Wariner won a race at Baylor in 45.70!
A 4X400 team called the Tiger Olympians ran 3:02.49, with team members including Vernon Norwood and Deon Lendore!
LSU was 2nd in 3:04.59!

400H times included the 55.45 of Sage Watson, the 55.91  of Jaide Stepter, Shamier Little's 56.67, as well as Jeshua Anderson's 48.92!
Devon Allen had a busy meet in Eugene.
He ran on the 4X100 Relay, ran his 110H specialty in 13.40, and added the 400H with a 52.25!

In 200's, Andre De Grasse's 20.23 was fastest, run in beating the 20.39 of Texas A&M's Devin Jenkins--0.3 wind.
Trayvon Bromell ran against a wind of 0.3, but managed a 20.30 time!
Taylor Bennett's 22.71 fought a stronger wind--of 1.0!
DeAnna Hill also ran 22.71.
She's a USC Trojan!

A familiar name popped up in the results sheets!
Walter Dix doubled in a wind-legal 200 of 20.25 and a 10.03 100, but the latter lacks any wind info, so for the moment, we'll consider it windy!
Koffi Wilfried, an Ivory Coaster, took his Country's National Record with his 10.01 at Sun Angel!
Ameer Webb was 2nd in 10.03.
Elaine Thompson tied the World Leader with her 11.07.
Slow times, but interesting names!
Octavius Freeman's 11.54 beat Brittney Reese's (!!) 11.68, against a wind of 0.1.
Also slow, with "names", was a 4X100 Relay team called Nike A.
Their 44.53 squad had English Gardner on lead-off, followed by Carmelita Jeter, Mandy White, and anchored by Kim Duncan!

Fast 4X100 Relays abounded!
Two teams from Altis raced at Sun Angel, it's B team breaking the Meet Record with its 38.40, while Altis A team ran 38.95, just ahead of A&M's 39.02!
Both Wilfried and De Grasse run for Altis, but I don't know who ran on which team, as no names were listed!
Oregon's Women broke their school record with their 42.88!
They move from 11th A-T School to 7th!
Their team included Jasmine Todd, Hannah Cunliffe, and Arianna Washington!
Second was USC in 43.59.
This was at the Pepsi Invitational at Hayward Field!
Houston, with Cameron Burrell on anchor, ran 39.14.
Kentucky's women sped a non-PR of 43.28.

Everyone mentions Donavan Brazier as THE spectacular Collegiate 800 "find" of 2016 (despite him running the fastest HS time in 2015!!).
So think of the shock value of hearing that the fastest Collegiate time run since 2012(!!) was NOT by Brazier, but by BYU's Shaquille Walker!!
Walker broke the Sun Angel Meet Record with his fantastic 1:44.99!!
This makes him 13th A-T Collegiate!
(Can't wait for the NCAA Men's 800!!)

Several Women ran good 800's too.
Claudia Saunders's 2:03.73 beat the 2:04.15 of Olivia Baker!
At the Pepsi meet, Raevyn Rogers won easily with a loping 2:03.77.
BYU's Shea Collinsworth ran 2:03.21.
Charlene Lipsey ran 2:02.19.
And the Olympic year saw vet Molly Ludlow return to action with a solid 2:02.04!!

In longer stuff, Izaic Yorks won the Pepsi 1500 in 3:41.56.
The Stanford-Cal dual meet saw Sean McGorty's 3:42.11 beat the 3:42.86 of Grant Fisher in 3rd, Thomas Coyle's 3:42.68 between them!
Elise Cranny didn't win, but finished 2nd in a 1500, time of 4:21.17.
(When will we see that promising HS'er Cranny's return to the elite circle??)
And speaking of once-promising former HS studs, Sarah Baxter continues down her mysterious path of "fail", finishing LAST in the Pepsi 5000 in--17:02.92!!
Katie Knight and Tessa Barrett went 1-2 in 16:04 and 16:06.
Yet ANOTHER former HS whiz kid--3000SC HSR holder Brianna Nerud, now with the Ducks--ended 4th in a field of 5, running 31 seconds (!!) slower than  her HSR of 2012!!
(BTW, did I mention in an earlier post that Mary Cain's "rust-buster" will be the Drake Relays 1500??)
Rosie Clarke ran a good 1500 in 4:14.94.

Ed Cheserek was OUTKICKED in the Pepsi 5K!!
When Washington's Cody Gilbert started HIS kick, "King" Ches failed to respond--at all!!
Appearing (to my eyes, at least) a bit overweight and puffy (Was he fighting a cold?), Ches just stood there, watching Gilbert build a 6 second margin of victory in the last lap--something you DON'T bet your last dollar on!!
Times were 13:44 and 13:50, for what THAT is worth!!

Multis held in Athens (Georgia!) added some names to the Collegiate roster for the NCAA's!

Karl Robert Saluri's 8108 Decathlon score beat the 8047 by Zach Ziemak, and the 7928 of Devon Williams!
Saluri's total makes him 23rd A-T Collegiate!
The Women's Heptathlon was won by Quintunya Chapman's 6039.
She beat the 5947 by Kendell Williams, and the 5914 of Georgia Ellenwood!
Elsewhere, Pau Tonnesen scored 7993 in the 10-event discipline!

Field event people busted some rust too!
DeAnna Price improved to 237-9 in the HT, but remained 3rd A-T Collegiate!
Jillian Weir reached 221-9.
Alex Young lobbed the ball and chain out 236-9
Heather Steacy--also someone unknown to me!--had a HT mark of 236-6!!
Shelby Ashe reached 212-4 with the Hammer.
Mason Finley threw the Discus 210-5.
Liz Podominick reached 198-6 with the Discus!

Lavern Spencer HJ'ed 6-3.50, beating the 6-2.25 of Jenelle Scheper!
Erica Bougard HJ'ed 6-1.25.
Christabel Nettey LJ'ed a windy (2.2) 22-7.

Shot Put marks saw some solid early April marks, and a return to form by Raven Saunders!
She threw the ball out 61-1.50, beating the 59-10.25 of Jeneva Stevens!
Tia Brooks, whose INdoor Collegiate Record Saunders broke, got off a good one--measuring 62-1.
Reese Hoffa's 64-9.75 filled the empty Age 38 record slot!
I have no doubt he'll add a few feet to that mark!!
Jordan Clarke threw the ball 66-0.25.
Tanya Suttie (??) reached 58-8!
She was listed as unattached!

The PV--besides what I reported earlier--had some good---and not so good!!--results!
Annie Rhodes stayed steady in the mid-14's, topping off at 14-5.25.
Alysha Newman joined the 15 Foot Club--ending at 15-1.
This broke her own National Record of Canada.
It also moves her from 7th A-T Collegiate, tied with 5 others, to 4th, tied with 1 other!

The  "not so good" news?
Megan Clark--another 15+ foot Collegian--No Heighted--missing 3 times at her opening height of 4.20 (13-9.25)!!

Finally (!!), I have some Marathon news!
The Rotterdam Race was won by Marius Kipselem's 2:06:11, and Letebrham Gebrcellasea's 2:26:15.
They're from Kenya and Ethiopia, respectively!
(Who woulda thought??!!  LOL)

And in The Armory's initial INDOOR 26.2 Mile race--!!!!!--BOTH genders set new World Records!!
Malcolm Richards won the Men's race in 2:21:56!!
And just one week after first even finding out about the race, Allie Kieffer not only decided to enter, but won the damn thing, and broke the WR with her 2:44:44!!
(See a previous post about this INSANE affair!!)
You know how a lot of athletes complain about having to run a 5000 INdoors---its 25 laps seeming like 250??
Well, imagine running 211 laps of The Armory's 200 meter track!!
How much do they pay the Lap Counters??
LOL

See you soon!