5th Ave Mile Livens Season's End

Maybe it was expected.
It was an Olympics year, after all.
But with four post-OG DL's, I thought (hoped??) we'd see better stuff coming from these "Olympians".
Especially when one of those DL's---the one just passed--is called "Weltklasse"---or "World Class".
And that meet--the Zurich affair--HAS been just that.
But not so much this year!
Thus the delay in posting the results from there.
Luckily, today's Fifth Avenue Mile in NYC saved the day---and my ass!!
So let's begin there!

The Women's race had 5 athletes who had competed in Zurich just 2 days prior.
Consider a flight to NY and the ensuing jet lag, and we maybe shouldn't have expected such a fantastically deep & fast race!

With $1000 on the line for the leader at halfway--it appeared that Morgan Uceny sprinted ahead just before that point, although it was hard to tell from the camera's angle.
From that point, Jenny Simpson and Laura Muir battled it out almost side by side, with Muir a step behind.
Muir has been the dominant figure in the Women's 1500 on the circuit, but Simpson had just run two of her fastest times also!
Simpson just edged Muir at the tape, their times 4:18.3 and 4:18.5.
And coming on strong at the end was "Queen of the Road Mile" Heather Kampf, who also dipped under 4:20 with her 4:19.8.
If the course is accurate, that's Kampf's fastest race ever---over a Mile or 1500!!
Next came perennial 4th placer Amanda Eccleston, who also probably ran her fastest--4:20.7.
Kate Grace--normally an 800 gal--was 5th in 4:22.7, also worth faster than her 1500 PR!!
Shelby Houlihan, Nicole Sifuentes, Katie Mackey, and Emma Coburn all were under 4:24!!

If you thought the Women's race was close (and a bit of an upset!), the Men shocked the crowd even more.
The Olympic 1500 Gold winner Matthew Centrowitz was favored, but he'd have to deal with 800 man Clay Murphy.
Bearded Ben Blankenship won the Grand at the Half, and then fell back a bit, with Centro just ahead!
Then Colby Alexander gave chase, running to Centro's left.
It appeared to be a two-man dash for the cash!
In fact, Centro--in the lead--checked his left side-view mirror right before the line.
He was going to beat Alexander.
And he did!
BUT---he shoulda looked to his RIGHT!!!
Sprinting like Usain Bolt, Eric Jenkins swept past him on the OTHER side, his 3:49.5 nipping Centro's 3:49.6.
Believe me, they weren't even a tenth apart!!
Alexander finished in 3:50.3!
Murphy was another 2 seconds back--3:52.3, with Charles Philibut-Thiboutout next in 3:52.8.
Then came Chris O'Hare, Ford Palmer, Blankenship, and Leo Manzano, all sub 3:55.

Well, let's see what Zurich DID have to offer!
The Women's PV was held in the train station the night before--so was an INdoor event!!
Holly Bradshaw and Sandi Morris both reached 15-7.25, with Bradshaw the winner!
The Men's PV was held OUTdoors the next day!
Sam Kendricks and Renaud Lavillenie both jumped 19-4.25, Kendricks the winner.
Both missed their tries at 19-8.50!
Thiago Braz Da Silva was 3rd with 19-2.

Another close contest came in the Women's LJ, with Brittney Reese's 22-9.75 prevailing over Ivana Spanovic's 22-9!

Sandra Perkovic won the DT with a good 224-6.
Ruth Beitia again took the HJ with a 6-5 mark.
She then tried 3 times at 6-7.50!!

Shamier Little found a little (sic!) bit of redemption with her 53.97 win in the 400H over Sara Petersen's 54.22.

The Men's 5000--promoted as a VERY fast race--was a disappointment!
They flew the first 1000 in 2:34, then started jogging.
Hagos Gebrhiwet won in 13:14.82.
Paul Chelimo and Evan Jager were 2nd and 3rd, with Ageless Bernard Lagat a decent 6th in 13:19.73!
Ryan Hill was 9th a second or so behind Lagat!

Tom Walsh continued his hot streak, again breaking his own National Record of New Zealand in the SP--mark of 72-10.
He moves from 23rd A-T World, tied with 1 other, to 17th, where he's tied with 2 others!
Ryan Crouser's 72-2.25 wasn't bad in 2nd!

The Women's 200 was a doozy--NOT a snoozer!!
Waiting for the gun were 3 of the best ever--Allyson Felix, Dafne Schippers, and Elaine Thompson!
Schippers appeared ahead coming off the curve, with Thompson right there, and Felix looking good.
But ET stretched her legs just a bit more--edging Schippers for the win--21.85 to 21.86!!
Felix ran strong, her 22.02 in 3rd not an embarrassment!!
This one has been, and will be talked about through the winter doldrums!!

The Women's Metric Mile produced a shock winner--and perhaps a DQ-able offence!!
Laura Muir had run 3:55.22, and apart from the dangerous Faith Kipyegon, appeared to be the woman to beat!
When the rabbit left, it was Muir in front, with Kipyegon and Jenny Simpson right there.
Sifan Hassan used the 2nd lane to move up to do battle, while American Record holder Shannon Rowbury hugged the rail.
Off the final curve, Muir drifted wide, leaving the door open for Rowbury's charge, while Simpson and Hassan were back a ways, and Kipyegon was---heh--gone!
Muir stayed ahead until JUST before the line, when Rowbury flew by (Remember Molly Huddle and Emily Infeld in Beijing, except here, Muir wasn't yet celebrating!!).
At that point, Shannon's right arm seemed to jab Muir, and in fact HIT her--seeming to stop Muir in her tracks, while Rowbury was declared the winner by 0.07, 3:57.78 to 3:57.85!!

There's (last I saw!) six pages of commentary on the Let's Run Forum, most of it saying Rowbury should have been DQ'ed!!
Even the more "sane" T&FN MB people agreed, for the most part!
But Muir, having won the DL's $40G's prize, didn't file a protest, so the result remains as is!

Hassan took 3rd in 3:58.43 over Simpson's 3:58.54, and Dawit Seyaum's 3:58.63.
Also finishing in front of Kipyegon's 4:01.86 in 7th was Besu Sado's PR of 3:59.47!

Another race was controversial, but for different reasons.
That Women's 2-lapper!!
The first 3 across the line will remain unnamed!
And you know why--and who they are!

But a great race was happening for the WIN--with Joanna Jozwik's 1:58.21 nipping the solid PR of Kate Grace--1:58.28!
Grace moves from 23rd A-T US to 19th!!
Melissa Bishop, who was the best and most consistent all year, ran 1:58.84!

Ruth Jebet's 9:07.00 win in the 3000SC got her the Meet Record!
Hyvin Kiyeng was 2nd in 9:10.15.
But Emma Coburn wasn't close, even though her 9:17.42 took 3rd.
Colleen Quigley and GenGen LaCaze had bad hair days, running over 15 and 21 seconds slower than their respective recent PR's!!

In other events, Asefa Powell took the 100 in 9.94.
Kerron Clement won the 400H in 48.72.
Kendra Harrison won again, her time a slowish 12.63.
Cindy Ofili and Dawn Harper-Nelson followed in 12.70 and 12.73.
Christian Taylor took the TJ with 58-4.75.
It also got him the Weltklasse Meet Record!!
LaShawn Merritt cruised to the 400 win in 44.64 over Bralon Taplin's 44.70.
Jakub Vadlijch's 286-4 took the Javelin Throw over Thomas Rohler's 284-0.

Jamaica's 41.65 took the meet-ending 4X100 Relay from the United States, who finished well back, in 43.30!
That is, until the Americans were DQ'ed for passing out of the zone!
And it apparently was Allyson Felix's fault!!
More hand-wringing about US Relay disasters!!

Oh, almost forgot!!
Anita Wlodarczyk SHATTERED her own World Record---AGAIN!!!
Ho hum.

Kidding aside, this woman is simply amazing!!
At the Skolimowska Memorial, she set the Hammer sailing out to 272-3, or 82.98 metric!
She also breaks her own National Record of Poland, and her own Age 31 record!
Her series wasn't bad either!
Besides the 272-3, she also threw 263-6, 266-7, AND 268-3!!

Pawel Fajdek returned to form, also winning with a toss of 270-7!!

The Hoka One One Mile in Long Island (NY) were taken by David Torrence in 3:54.99, and Amanda Eccleston in 4:26.87.
Lauren Johnson and Shannon Osika ran in the 4:28's!

Some Young Un's news!
I may have mentioned this in an earlier post---too lazy to check!!--but Ty Cooper continued his HOT season of Frosh Class record-smashing at the AAU Junior Olympics!!
He TRIPLED in 10.36 (a PR, and 0.01 off the Frosh Class record!), 20.62 (breaking his own Frosh Class Record), and 45.23, which simply obliterated his old Frosh Class record by a whopping 0.31 seconds!!
And he apparently ran all three finals within a four hour span of time!!

ADDED hours later---
I DID mention Cooper's triple in an earlier post.
But not completely!
In my Rio post called "Four Fabulous Finals", I said he tripled, and that his 45.23 moved him to 8th A-T HS, and shattered his own Frosh Class record.
But I didn't list his times for the 100 or 200, so those are new!
Sorry for the repeat, but always striving for accuracy!

Also at that meet, Tyra Gittens scored 5337 points in the Heptathlon, making her 12th A-T HS!!

At the USATF Junior Olympics, INdoor Frosh 400 sensation Brian Herron ran a PR of 46.30.
If not for Cooper, that would be BIG news---or at least bigger than it is now!!
Alina McDonald PV'ed 13-10.50, to become 14th A-T HS!

Berlin's ISTAF meet, once a very important Invitational, but now an IWC meet, produced a few decent marks.
Bernard Lagat says he's now retired from track racing, after taking 2nd in the 3000 to Augustine Choge's 7:43.00 winner, his time being a not-bad-for-Age-41, 7:43.63!!
His time was only 0.88 slower than his 2015 Age 40 & over record!!

David Rudisha won the 800 in 1:43.31 over Kipyegon Bett's 1:43.76!
Two nameless people finished in front of Eunice Sum's 1:57.95 winner in the Women's 800!
Joanna Jozwik and Lynsey Sharp were next in 1:58.20 and 1:58.31.

Celliphine Chespol took a sluggish 3000SC in 9:25.49.

Speaking of Ageless Wonders, Kim Collins WON the 100 in 10.07, beating guys 10 and more years younger!!

David Omoregie's 13.24 prevailed over Pascal Martinot-Legarde's own 13.24, separated by hairs!
Cindy Roleder won the 100H in 12.65, beating some good ladies.
Jasmin Stowers took 2nd in 12.72, with Phylicia George next in 12.74, then Dawn Harper-Nelson in 12.76, with Tiffany Porter running 12.79 in 5th!

Johannes Vetter produced a Javelin Throw measuring 293-10, which makes him 16th A-T World!
Julian Weber threw 289-8, while Thomas Rohler was further behind!
Christina Obergfoll's 210-11 took the Women's JT!

Michelle Carter again beat Valerie Adams in the SP, her 64-6.75 beating Val's 64-5.

Well, folks, don't look now, but CROSS COUNTRY has snuck up on us!!
While most of the results I've seen so far haven't included many "names", the San Francisco Invitational was interesting for its list of DNF's!!

While Cal's Trent Brandel was winning the Men's 8K race in 24:21, Sean McGorty, Grant Fisher, and Kai Benedict were listed as being DNF's!
I don't know if they served as "rabbits" for their teammates, or whether they had problems, but a DNF isn't what we expect from guys like these so early in the season!

And the Women's race had an even longer roster of DNF's!!
They included Jordyn Colter, Fiona O'Keefe, Ella Donaghu, Christine Aragon, Sarah Walker, and Hannah DeBalsi!!
WHY???
BTW, Vanessa Fraser and Elise Cranny went 1-2, both given the same time of 20:52.3 for the 6K course.
Right behind them came Charlotte Taylor in 20:52.4.
Bethan Knights of Cal was 4th about 10 seconds later!

A few new faces to watch for MIGHT be---
Karis Joshen, a Senior at Texas A&M, who won a 4.1K race in 13:50.4 by a big margin!
Cameron Villereal (an A&M Senior), who took the Men's 6K in 18:18.1.
Andrew Schille, a Northern Kentucky Soph, who won a 6K in 18:14.8.
And watch also for Lainey Studebaker, who revved her engines (Pardon the lame pun!!) to a 6K win in 20:53.8.

Caroline Alcorta also won easily.
As did Katie Michta!

Wait, Katie MICHTA---the WALKER???
Yes, THAT Katie Michta!

I was so surprised seeing her as the WINNER (She's a Molloy College Junior!) over 4K--that I tweeted her about that.
She replied, laughing, saying she "gets that all the time", and is definitely continuing in RaceWalking, while being a "proud runner" for Molloy!!
(But what are her TRACK times??)

One final XC-related item.
The Belmont Invitational in Tennessee--where Lipscomb College opened their season--did NOT include the name of Kayla Montgomery in its results---where the "entire" Lipscomb Women's squad ran!
I know she had an MS relapse about a year ago.
But last I heard, she had run a road 5000 race--or at least it SEEMED that was the case, based on a Facebook post I saw about it--and was training hard.
She's still on Lipscomb's roster--a Junior now!---so I'm curious why she didn't run!
And whether she WILL compete this year!!
I wish her the very best, and will report anything I find out!

One more Diamond League meet to go---Brussels' Van Damme, 5 days from now!
Almaz Ayana will race the 5000.
She's "expected" to try for the World Record!!
And there's lots of other greats there too!
Hopefully, they'll let it rip for that one final push to keep 2016 OUTdoors a Record-smashing year!!

Will see you then.
I'll also tell you my planned schedule for the remainder of 2016!