Best & Worst--The US Trials

I like doing these B&W's, because I get to slay dragons with my opinionated potty mouth!!
Besides, after this meet ended, I (like many other T&F geeks) went through the DT's, having NO T&F to watch, no NBC "coverage" to cringe over, no blog with detailed results to put together!
What a bitch!!

But oh this blessed forum to soothe my wounded soul!
So hang on to (something!!), I'm about to let LOOSE!!
My Best & Worst of the 2016 United States Olympic Track and Field Trials!

Best Events, Based on Marks Only
Men
Long Jump (While many of the best marks were windy, it's rare the US has 7 men jumping 27 or more feet in one meet on the same day!!  Much more than I expected!!)
Decathlon (While Ashton Eaton's score was actually BELOW average for him, there was good depth, with 3 guys over 8400 points, with another over 8200--and 2 of them scored big PR's!)
1500 (TWO men ran faster than the 36 year old Meet Record of the venerable Steve Scott!!  How rare is an MR in a race longer than 200 meters??  Now, if EVERY distance race were run like that!!)

Women
100 (10.74 for English Gardner, with a couple of 10.78's, plus several more in the 10's, and many of them legal!!  Sure, it's expected in Hayward's wind tunnel, but still....!!)
3000SC  (Okay, so Emma Coburn tempo ran her race---so what??  But just look at the two behind her!  Two solid PR's--even though 1 had already PR'ed this year, and the other was running her first SC of the year, due to injury!  Plus, you had a few others under 9:40, most of whom PR'ed!!)
HJ  (Yes, the HJ!!  We had a 32 year old with 3 children, and a "child" of 18, both of whom jumped higher than anyone has these past 2 years!!)
SP (Shot Diva's not alone anymore!!  In fact, the shot circle's kind of crowded now, with 5 throwing 62 feet or more, plus a few others over 60!  Valerie, watch your back!!)
Heptathlon (Just like the Men, this event had depth!  Three over 6400, with 2 of them scoring big PR's!!  And several more over 6000!!)

The Worst Events, Based on Marks??
Oh, how I hate to do this!!  (Why do I punish myself??)
For the Men, there were several!
Start with the 5000, where they ran their first 1000 SLOWER than the Women did!!  Who cares that 41+ Bernard Lagat ran his last lap in 52!!  I've said this too many times---If I wanted to watch a 400 race, I'd watch the 400!!)
The HJ!!  UGH!!
While Erik Kynard bounded over at 7-6, and the crowd loving his showboating, 3rd place was just 7-3!!  There have been HS meets better than that!!
20K Walk (Need I comment?)
400H  (Remember the days when the US had 2 or 3 guys running sub-48's, and Edwin Moses was  winning 100+ consecutive races--against all comers??  Yeah, I know, hard to remember!!)

For the Women, that's easy!
The JT, on a tear this year in the Collegiate ranks, sank to the bottom here, even with all the top Collegians here!
The 200!  Look at the times--especially when compared to the 100, or the Men's 200!!
Discus Throw!  No one came close to matching their early season marks!!

Best Events, Based on Competition
The Men's LJ, as noted above--for the same reasons!!
The 200!  Gatlin vs Merritt, with two HS'ers aiming to shock!
19.75 to 19.79,  20 flat, then a HSR, and another HS speedster!
The Women's SC, but only for the 2nd & 3rd placers!
That 1500 final for the Ladies--who were anything but dainty & genteel!!
The 100H!!  That's ALWAYS a battle, and this was no different!
And I'm talking about the Heats, Semi's, AND the Final!!

Worst Events, Based on Competition?
As noted, the Men's HJ!!
The Men's 400.  Merritt ran solo!!
The 110H.  Devon Allen blew away all the vets!!  (Look again at the title of this award!)
For the Women, the 200!
Felix was 0.30 behind Tori Bowie, never in the game!

Best Dive for the Tape?
A tie, between Amanda Eccleston and Jenna Prandini.
While both Eccleston and Martinez hit the track, Brenda stumbled, so can't be counted as a dive!
Prandini also stumbled, and it was THOUGHT to be a dive--but it wasn't!
So maybe I should change HER award title to "Best Flailing Bod that APPEARS to be a Heroic Dive to Win"!!

Best NASCAR Moment?
Guess!
(With all due apologies to Alysia, Brenda, and Molly L!!)

Best Name for a Great Pun
Kate Grace!
Her 800 win was a, heh, coupe de Grace!!
Jenn Suhr
SUHRly you jest!
That's for SUHR!
I SUHR wish you'd quit making "jokes" about this stud's name!!
Okay, SUHR!!

Best Hair
Shelby Houlihan!!
Not much of a fan of colored hair (meaning Day-Glo colors, not just dyes!!), but Shel sure stands out!!
Easy to spot her in the pack!
I'd say Evan Jager for the Men, but I don't care for his bun.
I preferred his hippie look!!
Speaking of which, give this Men's award to Ben Blankenship!!

Best Performance by an athlete wearing Prescription Glasses
Rudy Winkler!
Don't see many people wearing REAL glasses---just shades!
Especially not in the Hammer Throw!!

Worst Performance by an athlete wearing Prescription Glasses
Sad to say, it was Shamier Little.
In the Semi's, when it was raining, she had to protect her glasses from the rain until she got down in the blocks!
You know what happened.

Best LiveStreamed Event
ANY of the field events shown during the time BEFORE the regular NBC crew took over!
EVERY jump, EVERY throw shown!!
Reminded me of the World INdoor PV this year!!

Best NBC Announcers
Sorry, I should have removed the "s" from Announcers!!
Sanya Richards-Ross, hands, feet, legs, and everything else DOWN!!
Fire that whole damn mob, and HIRE Sanya to do the ENTIRE show!!

Also, Tom Feuer, who announced the pre-NBC parts!  (See above!)
One complaint, however!
He went on and on and on and on.....just like ME!!

Worst NBC Announcers
Everyone except Sanya!  (See above!)

Best Post-Event Interview
I enjoyed the ones Flotrack did on the sneak!!
Meaning, they were banned from the "Mix Zone" because they'd supposedly violated some copyright rule---or something!!  BullSHIT!!
Individually, I liked the one with Kate Murphy best!
She's that speedy Miling HS Junior.
She was answering questions, trying to be serious, but people (off camera) kept making her laugh!
So you'd see her talking about her race, and she'd suddenly start guffawing--then attempt to return to her straight face!!
Funny---and endearingly cute!!

Worst Post-Event Interview
This is a decades-old complaint, but why have those brief "interviews" immediately post-race??
And why ask the same old tired questions?
How did it feel to win?
Well, duhhhhh, it felt LOUSY, you dumb jerk!!
(I sure wish someone would say THAT!!)

Best Crier
I bet you thought I was going to say Alysia Montano's Oscar-winning performance down the final straight of the 800 final!
I could, I suppose!
But nope, gotta give this award to Deanna Price, who made the HT team!
She got a PR, and a podium spot!
She was sobbing (in delirious joy!) for MINUTES afterward!
One of the others---Was it Gwen Berry or Amber Campbell??--hugged her, and told her--"Stop crying, Girl, stop crying!".
Runner-up goes to Shelby Houlihan, who knelt on the track after the 5000, hands on head, crying tears of joy and disbelief--getting consoled by Emily Infeld!!

Best Nude ESPN Body Issue Athlete
Emma Coburn??
NO!!
(This will seem like a trick question, maybe!)
I choose Amanda Bingson!
She also posed nude for that issue--except for the 2015 edition!
Coburn is in this year's edition!!
Yes, I think Bingson's photos were sexier than Coburn's!!

Best PR (Meaning Personal Record, NOT Public Relations!)
Lots of them!
Start with the Multi's folks, both sex's!
Kendell Williams added 177 points to her previous best!
Heather Miller-Koch gained over 150!
Zach Ziemek and Jeremy Taiwo both gained over 100 points!
Delilah Muhammad broke her earlier best by 0.95 seconds!
Devon Allen improved 0.13 in the 110H---a big jump for that event!
Many other PR's were smaller, but came at the most opportune moments, all helping them get on the Rio team!
Courtney Frerichs and Colleen Quigley in the 3000SC, Sydney McLaughlin in the 400H, Rudy Winkler in the HT, Kate Grace and Clay Murphy in the 800's, and on and on!

Worst Performance vis a vis their PR
Several here too!
Shamier Little's right at the top!!
Any of the No Heighters in the PV's, who shall remain nameless!

Best Fashion Statement
Boris Berian for proudly displaying his New Balance duds in enemy territory!!
All those wearing Oiselle's beautiful racing kit!!

Worst Fashion Statement
Those UGLY strips of tape on several athlete's legs and arms!!
WTF???
Anyone wearing a nose ring!!
Rings are for FINGERS and EARS!!
(I'd say nipple rings too, but luckily, I couldn't see any under all those sports bras!!)

Best Teenager (and/or 20 year old)
There were so MANY of them!
I'm not sure, but I believe the number of HS'ers & Collegiate Frosh & Sophs at this meet set some kind of record!!
For the Men, it's a tie between Noah Lyles and Michael Norman!
Their 200's were not only FAST, but they stole all the thunder from Gatlin, Gay, Spearmon, and all the oldies!!
For the Women, it's Sydney McLaughlin!!
No contest!!
But Vashti Cunningham shouldn't be overlooked, nor should Lexi Weeks, who gets several points, as does Keturah Orji, Raven Saunders, and Alexa Efraimson.
Add Chanel Brissett, who ran 12.95 in her heat of the 100H, becoming just the 4th HS'er to go sub-13!

Best 30 or Over
Bernard Lagat--again, no contest!!
Honorable Mentions to Reese Hoffa, Jenn Suhr, and Justin Gatlin.

Best New Mom Performance
This was a tough one, as there were several "moms" out there.
But "new" was a relative term!
The newEST was Sarah Brown.
While her 4:24 in her heat was poor, it gained a million points when you realize she was still PREGNANT just 4 months earlier!!
That she even RAN was amazing!
(Reminded me a lot of Alysia Montano running the USATF 800 when 8.5 months preggers, back in 2014!)
But for the Best PERFORMANCE, that has to go to Chaunte Lowe!
She's had THREE children, and though her latest was 2 years ago, she's also dealt with injury since then, so her 6-7 HJ was incredible, considering!!

Best Performance by a 110H Guy Sporting a Transplanted Kidney from his Sister
Hmmmm, who should I give this one to??

Best Celebrations
Chaunte Lowe wins this award also!!
Did you see her dance steps on the pads after every make?
Puts Miley's twerks to shame!!
LOVED it!!
Second place goes to another Vertical Jumps Woman--Lexi Weeks!
She was crying, screaming, jumping around, all that good stuff!
Add Deanna Price's poignant sobs after making the Rio squad  (See above!).

Best Performance by a Duck
Quack!  Quack!
Jeez, how MANY Oregon Ducks were there??
Did they have their entire team there?
Seemed that way!!
But, for the Men, Devon Allen wins this!
For the Women, I'll give it to Jenna Prandini.
(Yes, I know Prandini is a FORMER Duck!  But once a Duck, ALWAYS a Duck!!)

Best "Unknown" Award
Who rose from the depths to perform like never before?
And which of those did NONE of us "experts" even CONSIDER as a serious contender--let alone even know who the F--K they were??
Ever heard of Gabrielle Thomas before this meet began?
Yeah, neither had I, and I'm a SERIOUS T&F geek!!
She's a Harvard (!!) Freshman sprinter, who competed very well through the 200 rounds, PR'ing along the way!
And she ALMOST got the award for Best Hair!
(It had thin tight braids down each side, with sort of a shaved look on either side of her swept back flowing locks!)
Not to mention she is one BEAUTIFUL girl!!!

Best NBC Coverage

Worst NBC Coverage
Was there anything GOOD about it??

NOTE:  As I said earlier, the PRE-NBC livestream, with Tom Feuer, was VERY good!!
And that WAS put on by NBC!
But it just didn't SEEM like they had anything to do with it!!

I'll end with a "Most" Award!!
Most Meet Records Broken

The Women broke FIVE, and added a Tie, so there were SIX!!
They were the 3000SC, 400H, LJ, SP, and the HT, as well as a tie in the HJ!

The Men got only THREE--the 1500, PV, and the JT!

See you soon, with my report from the Monaco DL!
That will also include news from the European Championships, which (in case anyone wasn't aware!!) took place from July 6-10, DURING the Trials period!!