Solid "Tempo" Week

Yes, we saw a High School Record (See below), some really exciting competitions (Especially in Jamaica!), but if you read this post, you'll see that, for the most part, it was what one could call a "tempo" run through the time leading up to Pre, Rome, the NCAA, USATF, Brooks PR & the NBN!!
Perhaps not much to "knock your socks off"--but maybe a little something to tickle the footsies!

Enough!

Alyssa Wilson, already holder of the INdoor HSR in the SP, has now taken control of the event, as her 57-1.75 breaks the last of Raven Saunders's HSR's!
Wilson also gets the Senior Class record, and moves from 2nd to 1st on the A-T HS list!!
Can she improve even more THIS season??

Sorry I missed it, but HS Soph Kelsey Chmiel ran 3200 meters in 9:59.62 a week ago at the Glenn Loucks Games!
Even if a full Two Miles, she wouldn't have broken Hannah DiBalsi's 9:55.05 Soph Class record for the Deuce!!
But a solid run nonetheless!
Jacqueline Gaughan, an 11th Grader, was second in 10:05.71.

But Chmiel did herself one better THIS weekend!
Her 9:18.04 over 3000 meters IS the new Soph Class record for that distance!!
The old mark was that of Julia Stamps--a truly historic name in HS Girls T&F!!--whose 9:21.99 from 1995 is no more!!
Chmiel is now 13th A-T HS!!
And she's---even as just a Soph--now faster than Emily Sisson, Aisling Cuffe, Jordan Hasay, or Molly Huddle ran while a HS'er!!
(Stamps's HS PR was 9:19.63 in 1996!)

The Tucson Throwers meet produced some startling results!
Competing against the Pro's--but using the HS weight implement!--Turner Washington extended his PR in the DT to 227-10!!
This moves him from 6th A-T HS to 4th!!
BTW, Garry Hill says it's okay for HS'ers to compete in the same event as Pro's while using a different weight implement!!

Joe Kovacs exploded out to 74-0.75 in the SP---one of his "usual" early season stompers!!
While a PR of one-half inch, he remains 4th A-T US, and 8th A-T World!

Jillian Weir, a Canadian, improved her HT PR to 237-10, but doing Ms Weir one better was Olympian DeAnna Price, who set sail to her ball & chain a tremendous 244-1!!
Price moves from 7th A-T US to 3rd!!
Heavin Warner (LOVE that name---Could be seen as HEAVE-in her implement---or being in HEAVEN because of her PR!!) threw 225-11, missing the US DDD by one single inch!!

Kibwe Johnson edged out Sean Donnelly in the Men's HT--243-11 to 243-7!
Donnelly missed his PR by 4 inches!

Even though it was a "throwers" meet, Tucson had some track races!
The best was the Women's 400H, where Georgeanne Moline sped her way to the World Leader--a 54.10!!

Other good Tucson marks---
Monique Riddick sent her SP out to 61-0.25, making her 21st A-T US!
Brittany Crew nabbed the National Record of Canada with her 60-11.50 in 2nd!!
Tom Walsh took the main SP event with his 71-0.
Darrell Hill's 69-8.25 took 2nd, with Ryan Whiting's 68-5 taking 3rd!

The Jamaica meet had "the NAMES"---and even some decent results!!
For Jamaicans---and maybe for the World--Elaine Thompson was everyone's focus!
And she produced, essentially striding to a co-World Leading 22.09 in the 200.
(All the events were well inside the wind-legal status!!)

The 100 had Allyson Felix--but she wasn't seen as the favorite!
(In fact, 1 hour PRIOR to the race, I said--on the T&FN MB--to "watch for Morolake Akinosun"!!)
Ahem, cough, cough, but I was RIGHT!!!
Akinosun leaned best, her 11.06 just nipping the 11.06 of Michelle Lee-Ahye, and the 11.07 of Felix!!

The Women's 400 was stacked!
But it was 35 year old cancer survivor Novlene Williams-Mills who won!!
Not only the win, but NWM's 50.54 also broke the Age 35 record!!
(Although Jearl Miles-Clark ran 50.27 at Age 36, leaving Novlene a solid target in 2018!!)
Phyllis Francis was 2nd in 50.66.

Natasha Hastings--who was 3rd--produced a "slumber party" live video of her, Jenna Prandini, and Sharika Nelvis answering people's questions---and just generally having a great time chatting & laughing--on Facebook!
It lasted 65 minutes, and is probably available for viewing on Natasha's FB page!!

Who the heck is Kyron McMaster?
In a previous post, I believe I mentioned he'd won the Tom Jones meet in 48.69 or so!
Well, forget THAT!!
He SMASHED his PR by a full 0.89 seconds--his 47.80 breaking his own British Virgin Islands National Record!
But he misses the World list by 0.08 seconds!!
His "victims" included Jaheel Hyde, who also PR'ed with his 48.52 in 2nd, and Bershawn Jackson, who ran 48.63.

Other Jamaica events---
Aisha Praught-Leer took the 3-woman 3000SC race in 9:31.86.
Melissa Bishop won the 1500 in 4:10.30--not a PR.
Charlene Lipsey beat Natoya Goule in the 800 with her 2:01.09.
Yohan Blake showed some spark of old with his 9.93 winner in the 100!!
Ronnie Baker PR'ed in 2nd with his 9.98!
Mike Rodgers was 3rd in 10.02!
Sharika Nelvis (See above!) won the 100H in 12.64, just edging Jasmin Stowers's 12.68.
Sam Kendricks easily won the PV with 19-0.25.
Andre De Grasse took the Men's 200 in 20.14.

Another Caribbean meet was in Guadeloupe!
Here's the best results from there--
Jenna Prandini doubled, winning the 100 & 200 in 11.25 & 22.70.
Khalifa St Fort finished 8th in the Century in 11.59!
Sharika Nelvis beat Jasmin Stowers--12.58 to 12.63, with Dawn Harper-Nelson 3rd in 12.81 in the 100H.
Rose Almanza won the 800 in 2:00.26.
Kori Carter won the 400H in 54.53.
LaVern Spencer won the HJ with 6-3.50.
Brigetta Barrett and Chaunte Lowe were 4th & 6th, respectively!
Will Claye and Yulimar Rojas took the tJ's with 57-1 and 48-1.75!
Aleec Harris sped the 110H in 13.18!
Brittney Reese took the LJ with a solid 22-10.75!
Mike Rodgers edged Andre De Grasse in the 100, 10.08 to 10.10.
Ryan Crouser's 71-6 won the SP!
LaShawn Merritt sailed through the 400 in 44.99.
Andy Bayer won the 3000SC in 8:28.89!

Want some good distance news??
Let's check out the results from the Oxy meet---by WHATEVER name it's called now!!

Matthew Centrowitz defeated SIR Mo Farah in the 1500, 3:33.41 to 3:34.19.
It was the sole Men's Meet Record---which HAD been Sir Mo's!!
Chris O'Hare was a good 3rd in 3:34.35, while TrackTown movie cameo star Andy Wheating had his best rust-buster in years with his 3:37.75 in 4th!

An earlier Men's 1500 saw Eric Jenkins win it in 3:36.51 over Christian Soratos's 3:36.73, and Drew Hunter's more-than-3-second OUTdoor PR of 3:38.39!!
Drew was 4th!

Sheila Reid, on the comeback trail after a series of injuries--beat AR holder Shannon Rowbury in the 1500, 4:07.07 to 4:07.17!!
She came from behind on the final straight!!
Violah Lagat and Sasha Gollish also dipped under 4:08!
Alexa Efraimson ran 4:10.12 in 8th, with Kim Conley ending 9th with her 4:11.18.

Another on the comeback road is Natosha Rogers!
And she ALMOST beat Brit Laura Weightman, her 15:08.29 ending just 0.05 behind Weightman!!
It was a 20 second PR for Rogers!!
Lauren Paquette was 5th in 15:19.73.

Brenda Martinez dominated the Women's 800 with her 2017 best of 1:58.78!
It's the Oxy Meet Record!
Jenny Simpson finished 8th in 2:02.32!!

Shadrack Kipchirchir took the Men's 5000 in 13:23.74.
Three Oiselle Women took the 1st three places in the 3000SC, all within the 9:40--9:41 range!
They were Mel Lawrence, Marisa Howard, and Alexina Wilson!
Hillary Bor ran his SC in 8:23.08---BUT it seems the officials were lax in their duties, making the wrong (or NO!) changes to the SC hurdles after the Women's race!
So all London Q's in that race are NIX!!!

A solid 800 for Pro's took place during a HS meet in Georgia!
Alex Amankwah won in 1:44.80, with Drew Windle PR'ing in 2nd with his 1:45.02.
Erik Sowinski, Shaquille Walker, and Jess Garn all followed, and all under 1:46!

This is fairly long, so I'll wrap the rest up in a little bundle for you---
Andreas Hofmann threw the Javelin 291-3, missing the World DDD by 3 inches!
Ariana Ince's JT of 198-10 moves her from 9th A-T US to 7th!!
Eric Edwards sped the 110H in 13.39, making him 14th A-T HS, tied with 1 other!
Cole Riddle PV'ed 17-7, making him 21st A-T HS, tied with 2 others!
Jordan Geist PR'ed in the DT with his 208-7!!

Ruth Jebet, the WR holder in the 3000SC, ran the 5000 in 14:53.41!!
But German star Konstanze Klosterhalfen was a bit faster, as she PR'ed in 14:51.38.
These were separate meets and races!!

Pawel Fajdek had a good HT---270-0!
Sydney McLaughlin got a 200 PR with her 23.46!
Tara Davis was thwarted by the wind gods, but her LJ's of 22-1.50 and 22-3.75 were nonetheless VERY promising!!
Watch out, Kate Hall's HSR of 22-5!!
BTW, Davis was celebrating her 18th birthday!!

I'll close with a couple of disparate, but totally wonderful "human interest" stories!

For the past 2 years (at least!), Great Britain has held their OG/WC qualifying races for the 10000 meters in a special "Night of 10000 PB's"---the livestream being FREE!!
But what makes these races even MORE interesting is that they're partially run through "beer tents"!

These are actual tents---about 40 or 50 meters long on each side of the track---through which the runners pass each of their 25 laps!!
The fans are allowed to watch (from behind a rope!) from the 4th lane, bringing the runners so much closer to their fans than other places!!
In fact, the Men's winner---Andy Vernon in 28:21---was seen high-5'ing the crowd each of his last two laps!!
They sell beer & wine, so the crowd can imbibe as they watch the races!
Beth Potter took the Women's race in 32:04, beating Stephanie Twell's 1st-ever track 10K of 32:16!
Forty-three year old Jo Pavey was 4th in 32:43.

We need to do this in the United States!!

And---what can one say about the startling courage and strength of Gabe Grunewald??
Now battling cancer for the 4th time---and this time it's VERY serious!!---she nonetheless refuses to give in to the disease!!
Opening with a 4:20 in the 1500 (See earlier post!), she improved her 2017 best by 8 seconds with her 4:12.29 in the "B" race at Oxy!!

She is soon to begin treatment, but wants to keep racing as much as she can in 2017!
She may have finished 5th in the race, but she WON everyone's hearts!!
Go, Gabe, Go!!!

Next week is the Prefontaine Classic!
And the Collegiate Regionals---or prelims!
See you then!