Strong 2016 Continues

This weekend was probably seen as just the "weekend before Penn".
You know, relatively quiet, everybody getting ready to REALLY show their stuff at the Penn or Drake Relays, or for distance runners, at the Payton Jordan meet, a week hence.
But no, those antsy little Collegians had to go and start the party early!

So this "quiet" weekend EXPLODES with a Collegiate Record in the 400!
Courtney Okolo broke her own CR, running away from  Chrisanne Gordon's 51.03 with a blazing 49.71, becoming the first Collegiate Woman to run under 50 seconds!
She also gets the Collegiate Senior Class record.
She moves from 20th to 13th on the A-T US list as well!
Besides Gordon, Felicia Majors ran 52.19 to finish ahead of Georgeanne Moline's 52.39!
Okolo also ran anchor on Texas's 3:27.29 4X400 Relay.
Gordon ran the 2nd leg, while Zola Golden started it off, and Morolake Akinosun ran the 3rd leg!

Other good 400's abounded!
At the Tom Jones meet, Michael Cedeno's 44.79 beat David Verburg's 45.11, and Arman Hall's 45.17.
Back in 8th place was Belgium's Jonathan Borlee's 45.87!
Verburg also ran a 20.85 over 200 meters!
Also at Tom Jones, Italy's Libinia Grenot's 51.63 beat Shakima Wimbley's 51.75.
At the LSU Alumnai meet (where Okolo ran her CR!), Vernon Norwood's 45.01 beat Michael Cherry's 45.17.
Wil London, a Baylor Frosh, ran 45.28.
The Michael Johnson meet winner was Jeremy Wariner's 45.72.
A fairly slow time, but still a winner!
Phyllis Francis ran a solid 50.80 to beat Jamaica's Patricia Hall, who ran 51.64.
Remember Strymar Livingston?
In HS, he was best known for running fast 600's INdoors!
Well, he doubled at the Kansas Relays, running an 800 in 1:49.83, and a 400 in 46.17.
The leading Collegiate 800 man--Shaquille Walker--ran a good 400 in 46.68!

The Collegiate Women's PV scene keeps rising higher--literally speaking!
Megan Clark started things off by PR'ing at 15-2.25 at the Duke Invite--her home turf!
This moved her from 7th A-T Collegiate to 3rd!
It also moved her from 19th A-T US, tied with 2 others, to 9th, tied with 1 other.
She missed her 3 attempts at 15-5.75!

But wait!
Just hours later, the action at the McDonnell Invite placed Clark's mark on the back burner!
Lexi Weeks broke her own Frosh Class record by soaring over 15-2.75!
(Reminiscent of the 2015 INdoor season, when then-Razorback Sandi Morris broke the CR with her 15-1.75, only to see Demi Payne go 15-2.25 the very next day!)
Weeks moves from 8th A-T Collegiate to 3rd--ahead of Clark (See above!) who fell to 4th!
On the A-T US list, it gets even better!
Lexi moves from 23rd A-T US, tied with 1 other, all the way to 9th!!

The aforementioned Ms Morris didn't do too shabby either!
She added a quarter inch to her OUTdoor PR, her 15-9.25 winning the event.
She remains 3rd A-T US.
But she improves her A-T World standing from 11th, with 2 ties, to 11th, but with no ties!

Also doing well was Lexi's twin sibling--Tori--who got her OUTdoor PR up to 14-5.25.
She missed 3 tries at 14-9.
BTW, Morris took 3 tries at 16-2!!
Desiree Freier, competing unattached--probably redshirting!--got over 14-0.50!

Other good PV marks included Rachel Baxter's 14-3, a one inch PR!
It improves her own HS Junior Class record!
It also moves her from 4th to 3rd on the A-T HS list!!
Andrea Willis improved to 13-9, moving her from 19th A-T HS, tied with 2 others, to 13th, tied with 4 others!
Morgann LeLeux improved to 14-9.50!
She went all the way from 23rd A-T Collegiate, tied with 1 other, into 9th!!
She misses the US list by just a half inch!!
The Weeks girls arent't the only Collegiate Frosh having a good year!
Mackenzie Shell added a few inches to her PR, reaching 14-5.50!
A year or two ago, that mark would have gotten her on the Collegiate DDD.
But now she'll need to add another 1.25 inches to make the list!
And she'd better hurry, as Katie Nageotte's 14-6.75 from 2013 will be next to leave the list, making 14-7.25 the new 24th place standard!!

Chris Nilsen got over 17-6.50, making him 22nd A-T HS, tied with 3 others!
Scott Houston got over 18-6.50.
So did Chase Wolfle--in a different meet.
Behind Wolfle was Dylan Bell's 18-2.50!
Wolfle is a Texas A&M Senior!

Before leaving this historic event, I should mention a tweet from Jenn Suhr.
In it she was terse--her tweet reading "4.95 today.  Awesome!".
That was it!!
I didn't see any result or comments or tweets that backed Suhr's message up!
Did she or didn't she Vault 16-2.75??
I saw her name listed as an entrant in some meet---for the life of me, I can NOT remember which meet it was!--I searched for it, but couldn"t find it again!
However, that same meet's results later said she was a DNS--a non-starter!
Then a couple of hours later came her mysterious tweet!
I PM'ed PoleVaultPower about it, but as of a couple of hours ago, she hadn't replied yet!
So until I get some definitive answer to this, I will hold off revising my Record Book!!

The sprint events saw some good activity.
Dafne Schippers opened her OUTdoor season with her fastest opener--by 0.38 seconds!!--in the Tom Jones meet in Florida.
Her 22.25 (against an 0.2 wind!) in the 200 tells the World she's ON for Rio.
One comment I saw suggested that since her season opener was 0.38 better than all her others, that she might also improve her PR this year by 0.38!
That would make her the WR holder--with a time of 21.25!!
(Anybody wanna place bets??)

Speaking of Schippers--but especially her homeland of the Netherlands--there's a bit of confusion as to whether her nation broke its 4X100 Relay record at the TJ meet.
A team listed as "Unattached A" ran 42.22.
In the same results, the Netherlands team is shown as running just 44.89.
BUT--several sources say that 42.22 was actually the Netherlands team, as Schippers ran 2nd leg!
I'm sure the answer will emerge soon, but for the time being, I'll accept it as their new National Record.
It moves them from 13th to 11th Nation on the World list!

Femi Ogunode tied his PR--and his National Record of Qatar--with his 9.91 winner at Tom Jones!
Isaiah Young was 2nd in 10.03, with Nickel Ashmeade getting the same time in 3rd.
Marquis Dendy was 12th (among all the sections!) with 10.34--which appears to be a PR!
The wind for Ogunode was 0.6.
Trayvon Bromell opened his OUTdoor season with a 10.04.
On Twitter, he lamented always opening in the 10's!
(Oh woe is me--eh??!!)
Richard Kilty ran the 200 in 20.60, while Ronnie Baker--in a separate heat--ran 20.64.
Blessing Okagbare fought a wind of 0.3 to run 22.82.
Morolake Akinosun rode a breeze of 3.5 (!) to go sub-11--time of 10.97!
She's having a good year, so it wouldn't surprise me to see her run a legal 10.97--or faster!
In the TJ meet, Simone Facey's 11.00 beat Murielle Ahoure's 11.06, Candyce McGrone's 11.13, and back in 6th, HS PRO Kaylin Whitney's best season opener ever, her 11.24!
Wind was just 0.4.
For Whitney,it's the HS PRO record, as well as the HS PRO Senior Class record!
Quinera Hayes, who recently ran 49.91 in the 400 (See a previous post!), was 8th in that 100, time of 11.27.
She added a 200 in 22.89!
The LSU Men's 4X400 Relay team ran a Collegiate-leading time of 3:00.38!

In Hurdles action--both Highs and Intermediates--
Kori Carter ran 56.54 to beat Turquoise Thompson's 56.64.
Not a great time, but good to see ANY time from Ms Carter!
Jasmine Camacho-Dunn, a Kentucky Frosh, ran the 100H in 12.83 (1.1 wind) to beat the 12,97 of Heptathlete Kendell Williams!
A 2.7 wind helped Phylicia George win in 12.67 over Jackie Coward's 12.74 and Jasmin Stowers's (!!) 12.78!
Ashley Spencer ran a World leading 400H time of 54.70!
She beat Arizona Collegian Nnenya Hailey's 54.98, the Collegiate leader!
Hailey is now 21st A-T Collegiate, tied with 1 other!
Pushed OFF my DDD was a legend--Tonya Buford's 55.12 from 1992!
In a 100H battle between women better known as Heptathletes, Payton Stumbaugh beat Akela Jones, 12.83 to 12.94, with a 1.7 wind at their backs!
Byron Robinson ran the 400H in 49.10.
He's a Collegian at Texas.
Tiffany McReynolds ran 12.88, while vet Ginnie Crawford ran 12.97.
The TJ meet saw Tiffany Porter run 12.72.
Jason Richardson's 13.33 World leader beat Ronnie Ash's 13.47.
Lolo Jones withdrew from the Drake Relays field due to some injury---seriousness unknown--though she appears ready to still try for Rio!

Finally (in the Hurdles category, that is!), 12.97 Jamaican Omar McLeod did NOT race the 110's!
He instead ran what sources say is the fastest 100 by a sub-13.00 110H guy--a 9.99!!
Wallace Spearmon was left far behind in 4th, time of 10.18!
McLeod rode the strongest legal wind available, a 2.0!

Field events weren't exactly on Spring Break either!
Keturah Orji emerged in her first OUTdoor TJ competition with a solid 46-3.50!
Not a PR, but it was backed up with a 46-3.25 jump!!
Also got a 45-7!

Hannah Carson improved her PR in the JT to 198-3, moving her from 13th A-T Collegiate all the way to 3rd!
She also moves from 9th to 5th on the A-T US list!!
Frosh Mackenzie Little had a good 181-10 throw.
She's less than 5 feet from the Frosh Class record of 186-4!
On the HS Javelin scene, Sophia Rivera improved to 180-4, moving her from 6th A-T HS to 3rd!!
Elena Bruckner had a Discus toss of 186-10.
This moves her from 10th A-T HS to 4th!!
I have an old mark to report that I neglected to report earlier!
Tara Novy threw the Discus 200-5 to make her 12th A-T Collegiate!
Frederic Dacres got a World leader in the DT with his 223-2.
Jade Lally of Great Britain threw the Discus 208-8, beating Whitney Ashley's 204-1 and Kelsey Card's 203-9.
However, it was the latter mark that made the most list impact!!
It makes her 11th A-T Collegiate, and 19th A-T US!!
Vet Liz Podomenick threw 202-3!
Jarvis Gotch caught some strong winds (2.7 and 2.3) to LJ 27-4.75 and 27-0!
Chelsea Carrier-Eades had a Heptathlon score of 5930 points!

I'll close with all the Middle and Long Distance news!
Alysia Montano opened HER OUTdoor season with a good 800 of 2:01.27.
Laura Roesler did the Flower Girl one better, running 2:00.72 in a different meet!
Dana Mecke was 2nd in that race, time of 2:02.20.
At Stanford, colorfully-attired Maggie Vessey beat the more nondescript dressers with a 2:02.18.
Sabrina Southerland ran 2:03.81 behind her!
Charlene Lipsey's 2:01.88 beat LSU's Morgan Schuetz's 2:02.29.
Brandon McBride ran a good 1:46.14.
Also in 800 news, World Class 400 woman Novlene Williams-Mills opened her try at 800 in 60, but faded to 2:11.08.
(Might as well use this space to announce that Alexa Efraimson will open her 2016 OUTdoor season in a Payton Jordan 800!!)

Drew Hunter became the 3rd fastest HS'er over 1500 meters, his 3:42.42 at the Larry Ellis Invite good for 3rd in the race!
In a post-race interview, he termed his effort "average"!
HA!!

Nicole Tully ran a good 4:10.13 over 1500.
Henry Wynne's 3:38.05 beat Justyn Knight's 3:39.23.
Mississippi State Senior Marta Freitos ran 4:11.52.
Cale Wallace of Arkansas added a 3:40.67.
At Stanford, Annmarie Schwanz (of Fresno State) won in 4:14.89, with Cardinal Elise Cranny's 4:16.37 taking 5th!
Brannon Kidder used a strong kick to win the 1500 in 3:40.11
Sean McGorty took 3rd with 3:42.22, while Grant Fisher was 5th in 3:42.85!
(Compare the above to Drew Hunter's 3:42.42!!)

In longer stuff, Fiona O'Keefe ran with the Big Girls--meaning Pro's and Collegians!--but held her own, taking 10th out of 22 runners in a 5000, her time of 16:28.35 making her 17th A-T HS!!
Aisling Cuffe was 3rd in that race, time of 16:16.02.
A HUGE name in HS T&F history--Kim Gallagher-- was erased from my DDD by O'Keefe's entry!
Her 16:34.7 from 1979 remains the Frosh Class record!
Sadly, Ms Gallagher--also the former HSR holder in the 800 at 2:00.07, since beaten by Mary Cain--died way too young at Age 38!!

Ashley Higginson ran a fast 3000SC, time of 9:42.18.
It was essentially a solo effort, as 2nd was about 13 seconds back!
In old news, another mark I failed to report was Danielle Winslow's 9:48.81.
Well, I DID report it, but failed to mention it made her 24th A-T Collegiate!!
At the Virginia Challenge meet, Steepler Leah O'Connor ran a good 5000 time of 15:38.23, beating Katrina Coogan's 15:50.51, and fellow Steepler Nicole Bush's 15:51.13!
A good HS 3200 time was run by Judy Pendergast, a 10:07.18.

And that London Marathon!!!
ALMOST a World Record by Men's winner Eliud Kipchoge!!
A crowd of 7--including Dennis Kimetto, Ken Bekele, and Wilson Kipsang!--hit 10K in a blazing 28:37!
Fifteen K was reached in 43:17, and after slowing (!!) a bit, they hit the Half in a record 1:01:24!!
Still on course for the WR after 30K in 1:27:13--a record by itself!!--it became a 2-man race between Kipchoge and Stanley Biwott!
Running side-by-side for a few miles, Kipchoge broke away, stretching his lead to the finish, sprinting hard the final 2K, but falling 8 seconds short of Kimetto's 2:02:57 WR!!
(At the finish, Eliud put his hand to his forehead, indicating strong disappointment at not knowing how close he was to the record!!)
His 2:03:05 moves him from  8th A-T World to 3rd!
(At least on MY list, which includes Boston times!!)
Kipchoge also gets Wilson Kipsang's Age 31 record (Kipsang's former "WR" of 2:03:23)!!
Biwott's 2:03:51 makes him 8th on my list!
Bekele took 3rd in 2:06:37.

The Women's race also started fast--They were at 2:17 pace after their first few kilometers.
But the group of 7--like the Men!--soon slowed to 2:20 pace, then got progressively slower, running a 5:52 mile split around the 30 to 35K part of the race.
The lead group included Florence Kiplagat, Tigist Tufa, Mary Keitany, and eventual winner Jemima Sumgong!
But a multiple-runner stumble--throwing Keitany, Aselefech Mergia, and Sumgong to the London pavement--broke up the group!
Sumgong was seen rubbing her head after regaining entry to the front runners, and was sent to the hospital afterwards for a check-up!
However, that didn't stop her from making a strong breakaway from defending London Champion Tufa, winning in 2:22:58 over Tufa's 2:23:03, and Kiplagat's 2:23:39!
Sara Hall was the lone American elite in the race!
She started great, hitting 13.1 in 1:14:22.
But a couple of 18+ 5K's slowed her to a 2nd half of 1:15:44, and a final time of 2:30:06, still a one-plus minute PR in her 3rd-ever marathon!!
She finished in 12th place!
BTW, Tatyana McFadden won AGAIN!!
In a dead-out SPRINT finish over the final 1000 meters or so!!
(2nd was close enough to hold hands, if they'd wanted to!!  LOL)
Amazing athlete!!
Fantastic PERSON!!

I'll close (FINALLY!!!) with a pretty major announcement!
Genzebe Dibaba had announced she would run a track 10000 in Dubai to qualify for Rio, intending to possibly double in the 5000 and 10000!!
But a day before Saturday's race, she withdrew, her coach saying she sustained a slight injury to a toe, sending her to cross training for 2 weeks.
However, he also said she might race the 10K in the Oslo meet!

See you after Penn and Drake!!
(I'm thinking of doing a separate post for Payton Jordan!)