That Week Before Texas

Yep, it's THAT week, folks!
Last week (See a previous post!) was pretty noisy, if you're into VERY early list-making marks!
But while this weekend hasn't exactly been catatonic, the decibel count was reduced noticeably!!
That said---with the Texas (and Florida!) Relays almost upon us---we DID see a few marks well worth a mention!

The Pole Vault was both a HIGHlight and a LOWlight!
For example, the Arkansas meet had Lexi & Tori Weeks in it, plus Desiree Freier & Ariel Voskamp--the so called (by me!) Arkansas PV Factory!
(If you recall, one Sandi Morris was a member of this exclusive club, and still serves as a key mentor & friend to its current team!)

Anyway, the weather was near freezing, and so the Vault was affected--negatively!
Voskamp, Freier, and Tori Weeks NH'ed at 13-3.50!
Lexi made that height, then another, on 1st try, and went on to clear 13-11.25 on 2nd attempt!
But she could go no farther, as she XXX'ed out at 14-5.25!

Then there's Sydney Clute!
The Indiana Vaulter PR'ed at 14-11, becoming the weekend's best PV'er!
She's now 9th A-T Collegiate.
She misses the US list by just 2 inches!

Sam Kendricks led the Men with 19-0.75, the first OUTdoor 19 footer of 2017!

Out of Australia comes the report of a 14 year old boy Vaulting 16-1.75--for a WORLD Age 14 record!!
Sasha Zoya was born June 25, 2002!!
This was part of the National Junior Championships,being held in concordance with the Adult version!!
In fact, Liz Parnov led the Women with a PR of 14-9.50!!
This meet is a multi-day meet, with Sunday being its opening day!

Might as well finish off my PV news here!
Colleen Clancy got up to 13-7, missing my HS list by 1 inch!
Carson Dingler rose to 13-10, but it's not a PR!

Also under the heading of PV News comes the report that Nikoleta Kiriakopoulou is pregnant, and will miss the entire 2017 season!

Tobi Amusan---Her 1st name is MUCH longer, but thankfully, she calls herself Tobi!!--sped an altitude-aided 100H time of 12.63, becoming the first Collegiate sub-13 time!
(Wind was 1.3.)
This is the Soph Class record, breaking the mark set last year by Jasmine Camacho-Quinn!
It's also the World Age 19 record, erasing another JCQ mark!
She is 9th A-T Collegiate!
She's from Nigeria, but Gloria Alozie holds their National Record at 12.44!

Trey Cunningham ran a non-PR 13.51 over the 110H!

In other speedster news---
South Africa--minus both Wayde Van Niekerk & recent 9.95 man Thando Roto--did a 4X100 Relay in 38.47!
With those 2--plus Simbine--can they reach the mid-37's?
Watch out, Jamaica and the US!!
Ashley Henderson sped an 11.10 100 to lead all Collegiates!
She misses the Collegiate DDD by 0.02  seconds!
Wind was 1.8.
Just'N Thymes sped a 200 in 20.24, but had a slight wind-aid of 2.1.

Thomas Burns ran a fast 300H recently (See an earlier post!), but has already improved on it!
His opening 36.12 has moved to 35.81, now making him 0.51 faster than ANYone ran in all of 2016!!
I don't keep 300H lists, but he'd be around 16th or 17th A-T HS now!
He's a Junior!

Symone Mason and Candace Hill continue their fine seasons!
For Mason (the amateur), she's now run the 400 in 52.42, missing my HS DDD by 0.24 seconds!
(Remember, she's also sped a 100 in 11.24, and a 200 in 23.00!!)

 Hill--normally thought of as a 100-200 person--seems to be running a LOT of "over" distance stuff this year--starting with her INdoor 300's and a 400 or two!
OUTdoors, she's chopped her HS PRO (& HS PRO Senior Class) 400 records down to 52.70!!
Is is possible she could be better at 400 than at 100?
Or are these just a series of rust-busters?

Tripp Piperi has reached 74-11.50 with the SP!
He moves from 7th A-T HS, tied with 1 other, to 5th!

In other "Throws" news---
Killian Knibb has thrown the Discus a non-PR of 199-7!
Maggie Ewen couldn't quite match her incredible opening HT of 238-6 (See my earlier post!), but her 235-3 wasn't exactly an embarrassment!
She added a DT of 196-3, missing the Collegiate list by 1 foot, 2 inches!!

Gabe Oladipo--He'd opened his DT season with a 211 foot shot!--reached 215-3, making him 10th All-Time HS!
BTW, his mark was listed as 215-2.50, so I made it 215-3!
I don't have any other mark in this event with fractions in it, so I "gave" him half an inch!!

Gwen Berry Hammered a 236-0 HT (sic!) this weekend!
Raven Saunders got her SP out to 60-8.75, which would have her leading the WORLD!!
(She led the WORLD INdoors too, lest you've forgotten!!)
But Raven's quite the Throws lover!
She also had a DT of 180-2, and a HT of  182-5!!

A trio of High Jumpers made headlines!
Vernon Turner, who HJ'ed 7-4.50 last OUTdoor season, has added a half-inch, his 7-5 moving him from 8th A-T HS, tied with 5 others, to 5th, tied with 2 others!!

United States High School Women might have another Amy Acuff or Vashti Cunningham in the making!!
Aged 14 (Born July 20th, 2002!), Kamiya Dendy has reached 5-10!!
Now don't get TOO excited, as she got over the same height in 2016 too!!
But she was an 8th Grader then, and that mark was her SEASON high!
She just jumped a 5-10 in MARCH!!
The Frosh Class record is Cunningham's 6-0.25 from 2013!!

Then there's Jelena Rowe!
In a LATE INdoor meet held last week (March 22nd), Ms Rowe topped her previous (INdoor) season best of 6-0 by an inch!
Her 6-1 moves her from 10th A-T HS, tied with 7 (!) others, to 4th, tied with 1 other!
Remember, this was an INdoor meet!

Not much distance stuff to report, outside of the World Cross Country meet in Uganda.
(See below!)

Biggest item is probably that Steepler Bridget Franek has announced her retirement!!

At the Raleigh Relays, Allie Buchalski ran the 5000 in 15:35.55!
In 4th came Ryen Frazier's 16:02 and change!
Alyson Churchill, a HS Frosh, ran a 3200 (UGH!) in a decent 10:23.81.
Claudia Lane ran the same distance in 10:12.
Don't know her Grade!

The INdoor Marathon WR's--both genders!--were broken over the weekend, as was the American Women's record!
In The Armory--in what is now an Annual event, and VERY popular!!!--Chris Zabloski ran 2:21:48 for the Men's WR!
Laura Menninen ran it in 2:42:31 for the Women's World Record!
In 2nd (She said "I was 2nd of 2! in an interview!!  LOL) came Kate Pallardy, whose AR is now 2:44:11.
She gave birth to her 3rd (Or 2nd??) child about a year ago, and hadn't reached her full training level of 90 miles per week yet!
She said she can run sub-2:40, and actually led the first half of the "race"!!
She wants elite-level athletes to give it a try!!
(They reverse direction every 30 laps (6K)--to save their hips!!)

As expected, the Kenyans dominated the World XC Championships this year!
Taking the 1st six places in the Men's race, Geoff Kamworor emerged the winner, running 28:24!
Len Barsoton took 2nd (28:36), Abadi Hadis 3rd (28:43), Jamal Yimor 4th (28:46), Aron Kifle 5th (28:49), and Muktar Edris 6th (28:56)!

The first 4 Americans were Kenyan-born--to complete the "Kenyan" domination!!
Leading the US was Sam Chelanga's 29:12 in 11th!
Len Korir, Shadrack Kipchirchir, and Stan Kebenai followed several places back!

The Women's Senior race was taken by Irene Cheptai's 31:57!
Alice Aprot was 2nd---after leading from the gun!--in 32:01, with Lilian Renyenuk 3rd in 32:11, Hyvin Jepkemoi 4th in 32:32, Agnes Tirop 5th, also in 32:32, with 6th placer Faith Kipyegon getting to the finish in 32:49!
Top American was Aliphine Tuliamuk's 33:43 in 15th.
Stephanie Bruce and Natosha Rogers were 21st & 22nd, about a minute behind Tuliamuk!

I thought of doing a separate post about this, but decided against it!
Nonetheless, the death of legendary American shot Putter Brian Oldfield deserves a VERY SPECIAL mention!!
Reportedly ill for a few years, he died this weekend at Age 71.

He was a GIANT of his event--and of the sport of Track & Field--in EVERY sense of the word!
Not only were his Records & Marks great--He threw the first 75-0 SP!!--but his personality would EASILY have won my Personality of the Year awards, if I'd been doing that then!

He wore patriotically designed "speedos", and a photo of him wearing them appeared on Sports Illustrated's cover!

He smoked cigarettes--a lot--and DURING a performance!!

He ate prodigious meals--even more than other Throwers did!!

He was one of those who appeared as a "Pro" in those ITA meets (International Track Association) in 1973 and 1974!

In an event where being a "character" was almost part of the job requirement--Brian was a CHARACTER!!

He was controversial, but he was LOVED!!
A fantastic athlete, and a totally intriguing PERSON, Brian Oldfield will be greatly missed!!

Rest in Peace, Brian!