A WR? From WHO?

Yes, a totally unexpected World Record from an even MORE unexpected source topped this weekend's T&F action!
But that was just the beginning!
It's exciting to realize that this INdoor season has yet to see a REALLY important meet---which will (hopefully) be next week's Boston IAAF World Tour opener!
Let's take a look at what HAS happened in these "lesser" meets!
Hold on to your (whatevers)!!

Emmanuel Korir began his Frosh year at UTEP with an Oversize Track 800 of 1:46.50, which WOULD have been the 2017 Collegiate leader IF run on a legal 200 meter track!
So maybe his 1:14.97 in a 600 at a meet in Albuquerque wasn't TOTALLY shocking!
But when you attach the "WR" initials to it, then it gains TONS of weight!!
Yes, Nico Motchebon's 1:15.12 WR, run in 1999, is no more!

This is also the Collegiate Record!
And the Collegiate Frosh Class record!
I have no idea his actual age, so I can't give him his due Age record!
(I will, if & when I discover his birthdate!)
It's also the National Record of Kenya, as he hails from Iten!

Also running fast in this race (Korir didn't take the lead until after 400 meters!!) were--
Jonah Koech, his 1:17.24 in 2nd making him 15th A-T Collegiate!
Tre Hinds, his 1:17.29 in 3rd making him 16th A-T Collegiate!

ANOTHER World Record popped up from an unexpected source this week!
I've written before about wanting an OFFICIAL 50,000 meter Walk for Women!
Well, the IAAF has now officially accepted a WR for this event!
Ines Henriques of Portugal Walked the distance in 4:08:26 to knock about 2 minutes off the old WR---even if THAT record wasn't considered official!
Her 25K splits were 2:02:07 and  2:06:19!!
This of course is the National Record of Portugal, as well as an (unknown to me!) Age record!!
BTW, the Men's race was won with a time just 4 seconds faster than Ms Henriques!!

The Women's 600 gave up two BIG marks!

Sammy Watson's 1:28.67 took down the HSR in a race where she was unchallenged!
This is also the Senior Class record, as well as the Age 17 record (based on my records!).
She moves from 3rd to 1st on the A-T HS list!
She also becomes 23rd on the A-T US list!!

Ajee Wilson also ran a "solo" race, as her 1:25.23 dominated the field!
She is now the Age 22 record holder!
She moves from 19th A-T World to 5th, tied with 1 other!
She remains 2nd A-T US!

Kendra Harrison improved her 60H PR by just 0.02 seconds, but her 7.75 ties the Age 24 record!
It moves her from 3rd to 2nd on the A-T US list!
And she moves from 12th A-T World, tied with 1 other, to 8th, tied with 2 others!
She'd run her heat in 7.85!

In other 60H news---
Trey Cunningham's 7.59 is the HS leader, and moves him from 8th A-T HS to 3rd, tied with 1 other!
Olivia Friedrich also becomes the HS leader, her 8.20 ranking her 8th A-T HS!!
And finishing 3rd in the Kendra Harrison race was Pedrya Seymour's 7.98, which makes her 19th A-T Collegiate, tied with 4 others!!
Knocked OFF my Top 24 list were two iconic names!!
Lolo Jones's 8.00 dates from 2004!
She went on to run the American Record of 7.72!
Susanna Kallur's 8.00 dates from 2002!
She went on to break the World Record with her 7.68!!
(Akela Jones's 8.00 from 2016 was also erased!!)

The Weight Throw got revved up quite a bit---as per usual!!
 A bit dated mark---about a week or two?---is Makenti Forrest's 59-11.75, which places her 16th A-T HS!
Annette Eckdunwoke (Somewhat similar tongue-twister to that of Chuk Enechwechi??  LOL) threw it out to 73-11, making her 14th A-T Collegiate, tied with 1 other.
She's also 17th A-T US!
AND she ranks 20th A-T World, tied with 1 other!
Johnnie Jackson's throw measured 77-3.75.
This makes him also 14th A-T Collegiate, except for the Men!
He's also 17th A-T US, matching Ms Eckdunwoke's mark, but for the other gender!
And he ranks 24th A-T World!
DeAnna Price, the Rio Olympian, finally took her talents INdoors in a serious way, her 75-10.25 making her 10th A-T US, and 12th A-T World!!
Jeneva Stevens, another Pro, got a good throw, but her 77-7.25 was NOT a PR!
(She also threw the SP out 60-10!)
Jacob Wickey followed his HS list-leading 76-10 with a good 76-5!
Second to Wickey was Brent Fairbanks, whose 75-6 misses my HS DDD by 9.50 inches!
Raven Saunders had another great SP series, getting 3 over 60 feet, her longest being 61-4.75!
But she fouled 3 times in the WT, not getting her final 3 throws!
Erin Farmer threw the SP out to 58-4.75.
This makes her 22nd A-T Collegiate, tied with 1 other!

The PV continued producing, but nothing in the "eyes wide open" realm!
Tori Weeks (Lexi did NOT compete!!) fraction-inched her way up the charts, her 14-6.25 improving last week's (sic!) PR by a quarter-inch!!
She remains 22nd A-T Collegiate, but has removed the 2 she was tied with, so she's now 22nd with NO ties!
She took 3 tries--said by sources to be "good" tries!--at 15-0!!

Alysha Newman improved to 15-3, which gave her the National Record of Canada!!

Victor Weinrich got over a bar set at 18-8.25, which fell 4 inches short of making the US Top 24 Performers list!!
Allison Koressel and Kortney Ross both topped 14-7.25!
But Oiselle's newest signee--Megan Clark--No-Heighted in this competiton!
Annie Rhodes jumped 14-5.25, missing the Collegiate DDD by 0.75 inches!
She missed 3 times at 14-9!
Deakin Volz climbed over 18-1 for one of the better 2017 Collegiate marks!
Finally--in the PV world!--Becky Arbiv's 13-5.75 gives her 17th on the A-T HS list!!

In other jumps--
Keturah Orji opened her 2017 INdoor TJ season--she'd previously LJ'ed!--in good fashion, her 45-9.25 winning easily!
She had two other 45 foot jumps!
The INdoor Collegiate and American records await her next competitions!!
Madeline Fagan HJ'ed 6-2.75, but missed the Collegiate DDD by a quarter-inch!
She took 3 tries at 6-4.25!!
Grant Holloway became the 2017 Collegiate leader in the LJ, his 26-5 missing my Collegiate list by 3.50 inches!
He also missed the Collegiate Frosh Class record by 2.75 inches!!
(He also ran a 60H in 7.77.)
Kendell Williams LJ'ed 21-4.75.
She also did the 60H--time of 8.07!

And----from Russia!!--comes two more World leading marks in the HJ!!
Mariya Kuchina reached 2.00--or 6-6.75--but it missed her 2014 PR by 0.25 inches!
She just turned 24 years old!
Ivan Ukhov upped his season's (and World-leading) best to 7-8.50!!

I'll lead off the Mile-1500 news with an announcement!
Genzebe Dibaba---Who else??---said she'll be chasing her own INdoor 1500 WR on February 10th in the Torun IAAF World Tour meet!!
Ready to bet??
LOL

In other middle-distance news--
Drew Hunter WON his first Pro INdoor race, his 3:58.92 outkicking Julian Oakley's 3:59.04!
But in 3rd came a High School kid!!
DJ (David) Principe improved on his December time of 4:04.47 by just a bit!
Closing fast, he missed breaking 4 minutes, but his 4:00.97 still moved him from 6th to 3rd on the A-T HS INdoor list--behind Mr Hunter and a certain Mr Webb!!
And he was officially timed at 1500 meters, so his 3:44.52 makes him 3rd A-T HS, with the same pair ahead of him!
His final 109 meters was a solid 16.45 seconds!!
Andy Bayer ran the Mile in 3:59.24.
In the 500, Bershawn Jackson sped 1:01.41.

The list of Oversize Track marks will follow!
But first, I should report that Kayla Montgomery continues her comeback from her MS relapse!
Her time (11:10.29 over 3000 meters) or place (13th of 15 finishers) weren't "good" in the "normal" sense!
But she moved up in distance run, and there were Lipscomb runners slower than her!
She IS coming back!
Alll the way??
Maybe!
But that this inspirational girl is running AT ALL is almost a miracle!!

ADDENDUM to a previous post!
I noted that Christian Coleman had sped a 60 in 6.56!
I failed to note that he ran the final FASTER---his 6.54 leading the World!!

Jairaine (sp??) Oliver ran the 60 in 7.18 to take over the Collegiate lead for 2017.
She'd run her heat in 7.19!
But her 7.18 misses my Collegiate DDD by 0.01 seconds!!
Teahna Daniels took 2nd in 7.21.
Fred Kerley improved his season's best in the 200 to 20.74.
But Jereem Richards ran faster, his 20.57 now topping the season list!
Eli Hall-Thompson ran 20.71.

And now for those infamous OT marks!
Put on your mourning hats!

Molly Seidel opened her INdoor season in the Mile--on Notre Dame's 320 meter oval!
And despite the track size, she couldn't run faster than 4:44.75!
She did beat Anna Rohrer, however, Rohrer's 4:53.23 putting her 7th in the race!!
Erin Finn ran 3000 meters--also at ND--in 9:07.24!
Shakima Wimbley and Kendell Ellis ran OT 400's in 51.28 and 51.52, respectively!
Isaiah Harris sped the 800 in 1:46.65!

But the saddest tale of all was that of Aliyah Miller!!
This young lady tweeted that she'd just run what she BELIEVED was the fastest 800 run by a College Freshman---EVER!!
I felt the need to tell her the FACTS!!
(I did congratulate her, however!!  LOL)
Her great time of 2:03.43 is indeed faster than the listed Collegiate INdoor Frosh Class record---that being 2:04.27!!
But it was run on an Oversize Track, thus making it NOT eligible for list or RECORD purposes!!
This girl DOES remain one to watch!!

Speaking of my chief pet peeve, the SEC meet is being held on Vanderbilt's OT this year!!
WHY??
This always-fantastic meet thus will LOSE ALL the marks run over 60 meters!!
Stupid, stupid, STUPID!!!

Finally, the Dubai Marathon!
Ken Bekele--and his coach--had told everyone before the race that he would chase---and get---the World Record of 2:02:57!
And but for a fall, this record might have fallen---sic!!
Right at the start, Bekele got tripped, and fell!
This---he said!---was the cause of him DNF'ing at about the halfway point, or just past!
The Half was reached at WR pace, but with Bekele gone, it faded!
Still Tamirat Tola did break Dubai's Course Record, his 2:04:11 moving him from 24th to 11th on the A-T World list!
Second runner ended over 2:30 later!!
The Women's race went to Worknesh Degefa's 2:22:34!
Shure Demise's 2:22:57 was closer than Tola's nearest challenger, but the two women have VERY different running forms!
Degefa appeears very smooth and fast, her demeanor appearing tireless.
But Demise appeared sluggish and slow, even plodding!
Yet she never really lost any steps in the final few miles!!
So this proves the adage that appearances can be deceiving!!

As noted earlier, next week brings us BOSTON!!!
ALL the events are loaded with stars!
But the best event--as far as I can tell--might be the Women's Distance Medley Relay!
I know who 3 of the 4 runners are, and they are BEASTS!!

Don't know who will run which leg, but here's my guess---
Emma Coburn (!!) will lead off in the 1200.
Followed by "Lady X" in the 400.
Then Brenda Martinez will run her specialty, the 800 leg!
To be anchored by Jenny Simpson!!

Here's my TIME prediction---given those 3 women, plus perfect health, shape, and pacing!!
Coburn will run 3:15
The unknown 400 gal will speed a 54 (total time of 4:09).
Then Martinez will ace her 800 in 2:01 (total time of 6:10)
Simpson will race her 1600 anchor in 4:20, for a "WR" time of 10:30!!
Note that the current INdoor WR is 10:42.57!

See you soon!