Record Book-Smashing Tsunami

The first Record attacked without warning!
Then, close behind, came another---and another!
With a seemingly unending trail of Records following in close order--from venues across America!
You would expect such a torrent in a couple of weeks, maybe, when Millrose, the IAAF World Tour, the Collegiate Conference season, then the NCAA & NBIN in March, not forgetting USATF and the WC's--are happening!!
But not now, the 3rd weekend of January!!
Here's some numbers---
2 World Records
2 American Records
2 Collegiate Records
4 High School Records
Yes, TEN Major Core Group Records fell inside a period lasting less than 48 hours!!

In my INdoor Records Preview in November, I wrote--"With Christian Coleman on the rise, the 60 WR of 6.39 just might have a chance!  40-60 odds."
Shoulda given it better odds!!  LOL

Because, at the incredible Clemson Invite, Mr Coleman realized a humongous portion of his potential, as he blasted down the straight, through the tape, till becoming a fly(er) on the padded wall ahead--after stopping the clock at a World Record time of 6.37!
Mo Greene's pair of 6.39's (from 1998 & 2001) had been erased!!

He'd run a fast heat of 6.47, but this was in another universe!
Besides the World and American Records, he got the Age 21 Record too!
He moved from 4th A-T US, tied with 4 others, to 1st!
On the World list, he moved from 6th A-T, tied with 7 (!!) others, to the Top!!
Tevin Hester's good 6.57 seemed to be in a separate race!

Taking the Records in the order they were reported, next came the Virginia Showcase showdown between HS 11th Grade phenoms Tyrese Cooper and Brian Herron!!
This was over 300 meters of banked track, and Cooper--despite the December heroics of Herron (See earlier post!)--was the favorite!
His own HSR of 32.87 was on the line!

But as they rounded the 2nd curve, it was Herron--one lane inside of Cooper--who had already made up the stagger.
When he stretched his stride over the last 100, Cooper had no response!
In what could be termed an upset, Herron's 32.64 took down Cooper's HSR!
He also claimed the Junior Class and Age 17 Records!
He is 12th A-T US!
And 21st A-T World!!

It was Eric Allen, NOT Cooper, who came in 2nd!
His 32.84 nabbed the Senior Class Record.
He moves from 13th A-T HS to 2nd!
He's also 19th A-T US!!

Cooper ran a good 33.12--great for most--but not for this young phenom!
BTW, Cooper later won the 500--time of 1:03.18.
And in an interview, said he wants to run an 800 this year--probably OUTdoors!

After 2017--when the 600 Records took a beating (WR and CR--twice each!!)--you'd think the 600 event could relax, enjoy a year of relative quietude!
HA!
Tell that to Michael Saruni, a Kenyan running for UTEP!
He reached the 1st of 3 laps (in Albuquerque's altitude!) in 24.2, then hit 400 in 49.7.
Not super fast if you're thinking WR!
But he tore through the ultimate lap in just under 26 seconds, hitting the tape in a WR and CR time of 1:14.79!
It's also the Soph Class Record, the Age 22 Record, and the National Record of Kenya!!
If you recall, he'd recently run an 800 in 1:45.92 on an Oversize Track!

Unless you follow the Walk scene, you might have missed this next Record!
Especially since it happened at Goshen College---that beacon of Elite Athletic accomplishment!!
(Pardon my SARC!!)
But I know you've heard of the athlete who shattered a HSR most never heard of, or don't care about!

Taylor Ewart had broken Records before!
(The Frosh Class INdoor Record for the Mile Walk, for example!)
She was also a good RUNNER---running XC and Track!
So when I heard she Walked 3000 meters in 13:45.0--taking down the old HSR of 14:17--I wasn't surprised!
But when I saw that the old mark had belonged to Maria Michta (Coffey), it suddenly became significant beyond the Record Book!!
While Michta-Coffey continues as America's premier Walker (Male or Female!), she's now 31--and needs someone to follow her!
It might be Ewart--and Lauren Harris!

Keturah Orji had opened her season with a 2nd in the LJ--See an earlier post!
But as the 4th placer in the Rio Olympic Games, she is much better known as America's Top Triple Jumper!
In her first round effort, she smashed her own American and Collegiate Records!!
Measuring 47-8 (14.53), it also made her holder of all 4 Collegiate Class Records, as she now had the Senior Class mark!!
(She's tied for the Soph Class Record, however!)
After 2nd & 3rd round jumps of 46-10.25 and 46-0.75, she passed her last 3 rounds!
She misses the World list by 6.75 inches!!
(Matching her OUTdoor AR of 48-3.25 would get her on that DDD!!)
Yanis David took Silver with her non-PR of 44-7.50!

It's back to the Virginia Showcase meet for the last pair of Major Records!!

The Bullis HS (MD) 4X200 Relay 4-some got a classic 2-for-1.
Their 1:35.40 not only defeated the legendary St Jago team from Jamaica, but it got them the HSR!!
That's an average 200 of 23.85--not bad for ONE 200 in an open race!!
The Jam's were far back--time of 1:38.05!

The Men's team from Bullis also won--their 1:27.44 defeating Nansemond River's 1:27.74!

But it was maybe the final Record of this weekend (??) which most impressed this ancient observer of all things Mercurial in T&F!!
(With ALL due respect to the others--detailed above!!)

Katelyn Tuohy--after a XC season which saw her DESTROY Course Records and her "opposition"--had told people she wanted the HSR in the 5000--and that she would use the Virginia Showcase meet in which to do it!!

As lead-up, she merely ran a 3000 in 9:05.26--just 0.75 seconds slower than Mary Cain did in her 2013 INdoor campaign (against Professionals!!)!
In Tuohy's race, she ran against only HS'ers--none of whom were anywhere close to her in latent ability!!
That race laser-beamed the Track World's focus on the VA meet's final event!
Again, she would have nominal HS-only "competition"!
(She wound up lapping the 2nd place runner THREE times--and the others even more!!)

In an astounding use of pace judgment--and running much of the latter half of the race in the 2nd, or even 3rd, lane!!--Tuohy utterly OBLITERATED all kinds of Records in this incredible display of INdoor Track racing!!

In a virtual time trial, Tuohy ran her first 200 in 35, and her first 400 in 72.
She was moving at a pace where her end time would be 15:00!!
Of course, she slowed down!
But when she hit the 800 in 2:26, then the first K in 3:03, she was still on 15:15 pace!
(If you remember, in her HSR 5000 at the NBIN in 2016, Weini Kelati had also gone out in 3:03!!)
She hit 1600 in 4:54.
Apparently, no times were taken at the One & Two Mile points!!
She reached 2000 in 6:08!
(Her pace was now that needed for 15:20!!)

At 3000 meters, her time of 9:16 was just 11 seconds off her earlier run--something only an extremely courageous--and supremely confident--athlete would venture to undertake!!
Katelyn Tuohy IS such an athlete!!
Not even the Beast that WAS Mary Cain didn't take those kinds of chances!
Her Coach--Alberto Salazar--wouldn't allow it!
His leash kept Cain from even greater HSR's!!

But Tuohy had no such inhibitors working against her!
She just had the fearlessness of a hearty 15 year old Girl--and the iron & steel strength of a Woman 10 years older!!

She hit 3200 in 9:54.
IF she'd been timed at Two Miles, her probable time of 9:57 would have put her VERY close to 4th A-T HS--with almost 9 full laps left to run!!
She did slow--to a 4th K of 3:11 (12:27).
But she picked it up--just a bit--to a 3:10 final kilometer--and an end time of 15:37.12!!

It's the HSR (by 18 seconds), the Soph Class Record (by over one full minute!!), and the World Age 15 Record!!
She even makes the All-Time US list--in 23rd place!!
(She is currently 4th on the 2017-2018 INdoor list--for the WORLD!!!)

She said she wants to break 4:40 in her next race--the Millrose HS Mile!
(Suffice to say, IF she ran in the Wanamaker Mile instead, she could challenge Cain's HSR's of 4:11.72 and 4:28.25!  And what, if anything, will she run at NBIN?  Also, will she take on the OUTdoor 10000 HSR of 32:52.5, dating from 1979??)

Do you think that's all I have??
Think again!!
Wanting to tell you as much about the above Records as I could, I didn't leave room for all the OTHER Records & Marks that came to me in a tsunamic wave as I tried to keep up!!

Check back in a few hours for Part Two!!
I guarantee--you will NOT be disappointed!!