Ready to rip it up---in the comfort of my cool apartment!!
For all the intro stuff, please refer to the Men's Preview!
But basically, events are in the order of the CURRENT schedule of finals!
All times given are Pacific!
I give the Meet Record, and its chances of being broken!
I give MY top picks for Podium spots, plus a few other names to watch, if it's warranted!
Onward!
June 22nd
5:00 p.m. Javelin Throw
When you have a veteran in the field, who's had some okay throws this year (but nothing spectacular!), you go with her.
So put Kara Winger at the head of the class!
But don't discount Hannah Carson.
Ariana Ince is another to watch!
Winger's Meet Record of 218-8 from 2010 is also the American Record!
20-80 for it to go!
6:20 p.m. Triple Jump
One name!
Keturah Orji---at Age 21, has been the leading US Tripler for years!!
No one else is close! The ONLY question is--Does she break the MR of 46-8.75?
It's 14 years old!
It's GONE---90-10 odds!
Andrea Geubelle is having a good year, and could PR, but would still fall a foot or more short of Orji!!
Tori Franklin is another who should make the team---if she has the WC standard!
6:50 p.m. Discus Throw
Two Super Vets are in the field--Stephanie Brown Trafton and Gia Lewis Smallwood!
Put GLS in the top end with Whitney Ashley and Valerie Allman!
SBT isn't quite there, so set her among Kelsey Card and Liz Podomenick as probable finalists!
The MR is 221-9, and gets 30-70 odds!
9:27 p.m. 10000
Having the Women run 25 laps 42 minutes before the Men might not seem like much!
But with temps going down slow, it might still be a few degrees hotter for the ladies at the start!!
Whatever the actual numbers are, expect a SLOW race--with the MR of 30:59.97 safe until at least 2018!
Yes, even with a BEAST like Shalane Flanagan in the field!
Molly Huddle and Emily Sisson have the wheels--and the courage!--to stay with her!
But keep your eyes on Natosha Rogers, Emily Infeld, and Kim Conley, the latter of whom will have her local family and friends out as her personal cheering section!!
June 23rd
5:40 p.m. High Jump
This event has a LOT of questions!
Has age & THREE children caught up with Chaunte Lowe?
Is Brigetta Barrett ready for WAR?
Can 19 year old Vashti Cunningham make 2.00 (6-6.75) look easy?
The MR is 6-8.25, and should survive!
If any of the Top Trio falters, look for Liz Patterson, Inika McPherson, and Madeline Fagan to fill the gap!
7:52 p.m. 100
I wrote down all my picks---for TeamUSA spots, AND for their probable back-ups, a day BEFORE T&FN posted their final formcharts!
And it's AMAZING how close we are in our choices!!
Normally, we're poles apart, as I tend to make more "shock" picks than they do!
Not this time!
We're about an 80% MATCH up and down the line!
Even in this unpredictable event!
So put Tori Bowie, English Gardner, and Morolake Akinosun on YOUR list too!
Add Tianna Bartoletta, Deajah Stevens, and Aleia Hobbs as solid threats!!
The MR is 10.71, and would need a solid (legal!) wind to break it!
8:46 p.m. 5000
As with ALL the distance events, expect the MR's to survive!
This one (14:51.75) is no different!
But here's a little puzzle thrown in the stew!
Shannon Rowbury has declared for the 1500 AND this event!
But she's said she favors the 1500--for now!
Remember when Jenny Simpson ran the 5K after winning the 1500 in 2013?
She ran the longer race just to RUN it!
I'm seeing Rowbury's intentions the same here!
That said, the 3 leaders should be (besides Shannon!) Shelby Houlihan, Molly Huddle, and Emily Sisson!
Watch also for local gal Kim Conley!
BTW, Huddle, Conley, and Sisson---among other intended doublers here--might also opt for just ONE distance in London!!
June 24th
12:30 p.m. Shot Put
Seems the Women---in several events!--have a deeper field of contenders for Team spots than the Men do!
Michelle Carter---Shot Diva to you peons!!--sits head & shoulders above the rest.
She owns the MR of 66-5, and is the one most likely to break it!
Give her 50-50 odds---LEANING towards 51-49!!
But will that huge (but many times unpredictable!) talent--Raven Saunders--be ON??
If she is, put her ON the team!!
Dani Bunch has been having a good year, so give her top billing too!
But don't forget Brittany Smith, Jeneva Stevens, and Felicia Johnson!!
12:45 p.m. Long Jump
As usual, Tianna Bartoletta will be sprinting as well as LJ'ing!
And should do well in both!
But you can stamp Brittney Reese's London passport right now!
She's ready!
Her own MR of 23-7.25 (from 2011) could go---give it 60-40 odds!
But who's the 3rd TeamUSA member gonna be?
Believe it or not, T&FN picked recent HS graduate Tara Davis for that spot!
I would LOVE that if it happened!
BUT I just don't feel she'll be able to deal with the pressure, going up against Veteran Professionals for a World Championships team spot!!
Prove me wrong, Tara!!
So I see Quanesha Burks coming through for that desired 3rd spot!
But include Davis among your group of finalists---where anything can happen!!
Kate Hall and Sha'Keela Saunders are 2 others to watch!
1:22 p.m. 400
No SRR--No Fran McCorory--No Allyson Felix--despite the fact she'll be running the Lap race in London!!
But this could still be a fantastic RACE!!
Look for Vet Natasha Hastings to duel with Courtney Okolo for the lead!
Flip a coin!
Phyliis Francis has solid wheels, but don't discount top recent Collegiates, such as Kendell Ellis and Shakima Wimbley!
Quanera Hayes has a sub-50 in her logbook, but not from 2017!
She could still threaten, however!
The MR of 49.27 should remain after it's over!
2:12 p.m. 1500
Here's yet another LOADED field!
Except that Brenda Martinez has stated she's racing the 800 only!
You can say Signed, Sealed, and Delivered for Shannon Rowbury and Jenny Simpson!
(Even though Simpson has NOT been super sharp this season---so far!!)
Kate Grace is Martinez's "replacement" here.
She's an 800 gal with the necessary kick to challenge the lead pair!
Alexa Efraimson is always right there---until the final 200 or so!!
Can she stay up front till the end this time?
Heather Kampf is good, and Amanda Eccleston recently ran a good time in Europe!
The MR of 4:01.63 is doable, but maybe not with 100+ temps!!
30-70 odds!
2:24 p.m. 3000SC
Emma Coburn will win, and even in these hot temps, could challenge her own MR of 9:15.59!
(Those Colorado girls are TOUGH!)
But her Back-Up Crew has some questions!
Especially Stephanie Garcia, who hasn't shown much this season!
So play it safe, and put Colleen Quigley and Courtney Frerichs on the Team!!
Garcia has solid street cred!
Two possible surprises could be Marie Lawrence and Emily Oren!!
(There's at least FIVE Oiselle members in this field--including Lawrence & Oren!!)
2:54 p.m. 100H
Do you have a few HOURS for me to list all the TOP contenders for TeamUSA in this event?
Even with Brianna Rollins out on a USADA ban, and Lolo Jones doing---SOMEthing!!---and with Dawn Harper Nelson just turned 33---this field has TOO MANY contenders!!
But once again, T&FN and I agree on the first 3---Sharika Nelvis, Jasmin Stowers, and Kendra Harrison!!
While Rollins's MR of 12.26 should remain, watch for some serious challenges for the top spots!
Queen Harrison, Nia Ali, and DHN are my picks as the solid threats!
June 25th
6:46 a.m. 20000 Walk
As with the Men, we have a solid threesome to vie for the Team!!
Maria Michta-Coffey should lead the way, with Miranda Melville her "Tonto"-like sidekick--and 50K Veteran Erin Taylor-Talcott a solid threat!
No MR---and no times even approaching MMC's AR!!
11:15 a.m. Hammer Throw
The American Record holder---twice over (See my first post from today!!)--Gwen Berry-- should win!
Amanda Bingson's MR of 248-5 should be under an Alamo-type siege!!
Maggie Ewen got the Collegiate Record recently---and could make this squad!!
Bingson--the famous ESPN Body Issue lady!--should be right there too!
In fact, this could be a 5 or 6-way attack on the Podium--with Amber Campbell, Jeneva Stevens, and Rio Olympian DeAnna Price not far removed---if at all---from the leaders!!
12:00 p.m. Pole Vault
One of our 16 footers is MIA---Demi Payne!
But the 2 others are here, and ready to mix it up!!
Sandi Morris and Jenn Suhr---despite some recent inconsistency---seem LOCKS for London!!
It's that 3rd spot that has me---in Twitterese--SMH!!
Will Rio Olympian Lexi Weeks repeat her magic from 2016?
Thus far, she has NOT!!
So I'm going with Katie Nageotte for that 3rd spot!
Keep Weeks (AND twin sister Tori!!) in your sights, however!
Kristin Hixson is another with solid credentials!
The MR (by Suhr) of 16-0.50 could fall---if the BAR doesn't!!
LOL
1:28 p.m. Heptathlon (the 800)
Barbara Nwaba is not here!
So make this a real serious competition between Erica Bougard and Kendell Williams!!
While Super-Vet Sharon Day-Monroe is here, I'm going with Taliyah Brooks as the top pair's main challenger!
But do NOT discount Day-Monroe!!
While JJK's MR of "only" 6979 is 100% safe, watch for possible scores exceeding 6500 points!!
Lindsay Schwartz and Payton Stumbaugh could PR here, but even if they do, they won't make the team!!
1:46 p.m. 400H
This is one I've been WAITING to do---and scared shitless to do!!
The reason is named Sydney McLaughlin, and she won't be 18 until August 7th!!
You know what this Teen Phenom can do---54.03 HSR--49.85 400 Relay leg!!
But can she handle the pressure--and the rounds??
She'll have some SERIOUS competition too, as this has been a GREAT year for Americans in this event!!
But put her on the plane to LondonTown!!
Her seat-mates?
Shamier Little and Ashley Spencer look good.
But so do---EQUALLY!!--Georgeanne Moline and Kori Carter!!
And what about the one with the fastest PR--Delilah Muhammad??
Oh my!!
Give the MR of 52.97 a 55-45 chance of going down---and YES, McLaughlin is one of those who could do it!!
2:06 p.m. 800
While pregnant (AGAIN!!) Alysia Montano is declared for this race---but only about 18 weeks along, not 34!!--the serious contenders should be Brenda Martinez, Raevyn Rogers, and the USADA/USATF-attacked Ajee Wilson!!
(See my first post from earlier today!!)
But this event has some interesting stories awaiting their denouement's!!
Is Laura Roesler ready to rock & roll?
Will Wilson's friend & training partner, Charlene Lipsey, beat her??
And can HS phenom Samantha Watson follow Mary Cain (4 years later) into the World of HS sub-2:00 Two Lappers??
The MR of 1:58.33 is given 65-35 odds of falling!!
2:43 p.m. 200
This could be another Race for the Ages!
Allyson Felix--as noted earlier--will do the 100 & 200 here!
But put Tori Bowie as your winner, with Felix and Deajah Stevens as her main challengers!
New Collegiate Record holder Kyra Jefferson could lead the others, which includes two who have worn the Oregon Ducks uniform--Jenna Prandini and Ariana Washington!!
The MR of 21.88--dating from 1983!!--could fall with a strong (legal) wind!!
As I did with the Men, here's some names to watch in the USATF Junior meet!!
Here, however, I have names to offer for EVERY event!
100 has Candace Hill & Symone Mason!
200 has Mason!
400 ALSO has Mason (!!), as well as Shae Anderson!
800 has Samantha Watson LISTED, but she's also in the Senior 800! Caitlin Collier is also here.
1500 has Clare Martin, Gabrielle Wilkinson, and Jessica Drop.
3000 has Taylor Werner.
5000 has Judy Pendergast.
(NOTE: Why no 10000 for Women?? The Men run it!! SEXIST!!!)
3000SC has Sarah Edwards, Eliza Rego, and Alexandria Harris.
10000 Walk has Lauren Harris AND HS Frosh sensation Taylor Ewart!! Could be the BEST race of the Junior meet!!
100H has Tara Davis & Tia Jones! Davis is also in the Senior 100H!!
400H has Brandee Johnson
HJ has Jelena Rowe!
LJ has Tara Davis listed! She's also in the Senior meet's LJ!!
TJ has Jasmine Moore!
PV has Rachel Baxter and Carson Dingler!
SP has Alyssa Wilson, Kathleen Young, and Elena Bruckner!
DT has Wilson and Ashley Anumba.
JT has Madison Wiltrout and Katelyn Gochenour.
HT has Wilson here too!!
Heptathlon has Ariel Okorie and Lauren Taubert!!
Check with your cable company and/or T&FN website for livestreaming/television schedules & availability!!
And---Heh!---stay WARM!!
Happy birthday......Jeff Beck!
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, and also that other guy -- the one who writes the outstanding track and field blog.
Why, thank you!
DeleteMy sister (She's 78,,born same date as Norman Mailer--January 31--but 16 years later!) sent me a card yesterday---with a $100 check inside!! Blew me away!
Back in my hippie days---I'm embarrassed to say I went to my rich conservative sister for needed funds now and then---and she reluctantly came through---now and then!!
So I wrote her (on her Facebook chat) thanks, and told her "Times have changed. I have my income--outgo under control now!" As for Jeff, still love him best when he was in the Yardbirds! "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" is still my favorite Yardbirds song!! (But I love all their hits!!) Hope you're enjoying this meet! The distances are turning out FAR better than I thought they would!! But I was VERY put off by Christian Taylor's thing in the TJ!! Fouling his one attempt, then passing the rest! Athletes--especially PRO athletes---have a certain (I hesitate to call it---) obligation to their fans, and to the sport they represent on TV and other media! It's not to sell themselves---or their shoe companies & other sponsors! It's to PERFORM at a PROFESSIONAL level!! Especially at their NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS!!
Fans came there to see Taylor TRIPLE JUMP---perhaps even at WR levels---not to run through the sand like a little boy with pail and shovel!! Luckily, they got quite a show from Claye!! They're not prisoners, but they should FEEL a certain sense of "duty"---yes, obligation!!---to perform at their best---REAL injury or illness their ONLY excuse not to!! Even 18 weeks pregnant Alysia Montano got out there and PERFORMED!!! I may write another editorial about this soon! It really pissed me off!! (And you get all this from wishing me a Happy Birthday!!) LOL
1) Have a great day! 73 is a prime number -- a good year!
ReplyDelete2) Jeff Beck is my favorite rock guitarist. I love his Yardbirds stuff, but even more things he's done since then, including recently. He's kept fresh and innovative while many others of his era, if they're around at all, just play on their early fame and nostalgia.
3) I agree with you 100% about Taylor, who I liked a lot more until now. He IS a great triple jumper but if he wasn't injured, he really blew it with me in this meet. When I first saw his result, I assumed he got injured on his first jump, which would have been a big bummer. (I didn't see it and didn't know he had just run through -- the results just indicated a foul.) He not only failed in his responsibility to the fans, sponsors, and the sport altogether, but also failed himself. It was obviously great conditions for triple jumping (Claye!) and Taylor has already demonstrated that he's in great form this season. And he's part a great two-man rivalry with Will Claye, who jumped out of his skull here. This would have been a great opportunity for Taylor to put up a HUGE mark -- over 60' and possibly a WR. He really blew it. Claye was magnificent. Now I'm a much bigger fan of Will Claye, and much less of a fan of Christian Taylor!
I'd even go further, and you probably will in your editorial, and make the point much beyond just this one example, and criticize athletes for putting out less than their best in all but the rarest of circumstances. This seems to be a sickness infecting track and field that is not apparent in other sports. Can you imagine Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal going to a big tournament and tanking it and going out in the first round? NO WAY!!!!! (Please don't sue me for copyright infringement for using all the exclamation marks!)
Along the same lines, you know that obnoxious poster in the sprint threads on the T&FN forum, "trackcamp" or whatever? Someone needs to call him out for all his hating on the Jamaican sprinters! He's constantly accusing them of poor sportsmanship by saying they are just "jogging" or giving a "half effort", etc. He thinks he's defending them (when they lose or run slower than expected), but he's actually insulting them by implying that they are poor sports, rob the paying fans of what they came to see, and stealing from the meet promoters by taking money and then not giving their best.
My view is that Elaine Thompson has a lot more character and integrity than trackcamp gives her credit for. She runs her best. Usually that's good enough to win, but not always. That's just the way it is. Trackcamp, in trying to defend her, actually insults and demeans her!
OK, rant over!
Happy Birthday!
Got tons to do with my Record Book after a wild wild day of T&F (in the senior meet---junior meet still going!).
ReplyDeleteLots of revisions!!
Love it!
But quick word to say I love Beck (Jeff), but for blues, tend to turn to old blacks---BB & Albert King, Buddy Guy!!
But Jeff's Truth album was great---one of his first solo's!
Anyway, about Trackcamp2017 (??), he's pretty much despised by everyone on the MB, so I'm pretty sure GH will get around to banning him----again!!
But his tendency to say so & so was jogging is something I've done too---about distance runners----especially Sir Mo & King Ches!!
I understand the vernacular, but with sprinters, I'd say instead something like----Bolt cruised to the line.....or ET eased up with 30 to go.!
I'd say he's a promoter of Jamaicans & a disser of US sprinters!!
Basically a nationalist or jingoist for Jam!
His attacks on Hayward's wind tunnel has some truth to it---but what about Clermont----or Chula Vista for DT'ers??
Times in Sacto (sprints) have been hurt a bit by negative winds---and probably the mid-day heat too.
I once tried running 3 miles (I was traveling to Canada from Arcata CA in 1973---stopped in Seattle--met a girl who wanted to go to Toppenish WA. I went with her, and went 3 miles in 105 degree temps!!! It felt like I was pushing against a wall---the air was so thick with heat!! So I understand the slower sprint times! Anyway, gotta go! Want to follow the rest of today's Jr meet session! After tomorrow's done, I'll put together what's looking to be a THREE post monster----separate genders for the Sr meet, and one for the Juniors! Enjoy!
Sorry for the dumb comments. What was I thinking?
ReplyDelete