Things to Consider (& some marks)

You're probably wondering--Why a report on the weekend, and it's only Friday?
Well, you'd be somewhat right to ask.
I DO have some marks to report, BUT they're from LAST weekend, not this one!!
I just want to clear the decks before I get any new marks to report!!
And there are a few questions I want to opine on!!
Shoot me!

As always, marks first!!

Some additions and corrections from Millrose--
Sam Ellison finished 3rd in that AR setting 800.
His time of 1:46.13 makes him 15th A-T US, tied with 1 other!
Natoya Goule's-1:59.13 in the Women's 800 is the Jamaica National Record!!
Oliver Hoere,finished 7th in that ALMOST record breaking Mile!
His iime of 3:54.83 makes him 6th A-T Collegiate.
As well, his enroute 1500 time of 3:39.30 makes him 9th A-T Collegiate, tied with 1 other!!
And Morgan Smalls HJ'ed 6-1, making her 4th A-T HS, tied with 2 others!!

In other venues and meets--
Robbie Wilson's 2:02.65 earlier this year makes her 20th A-T Collegiate, tied with 1 other!
Obi Igbokwe's 45.35 for 400 meters makes him 19th A-T Collegiate, tied with 1 other.
It's a PR, but he remains 21st A-T US!!
Daniel Roberts sped the 60H in 7.52, making him 7th A-T Collegiate, tied with 2 others!!

Taher Tuku's (??) 55-9.25 in the TJ ranks him 19th A-T Collegiate!
Jonathon Jones's 45.38 in the 400 not only makes him 21st A-T Collegiate, but is the National Record of Barbados!!
Jordan Geist's 69-1.25 was a good SP matk, but wasn't a PR!
Emmanuel Wells's 6.53 over 60 meters makes him 22nd A-T Collegiate, tied with 2 others!

Michaela Morgan's 15-7 PV ranks her 18th A-T World, tied with 3 others!
She also broke Angelica Bengtsson's National Record of Sweden!!
Jasmine Moore added a quarter inch to her INdoor TJ best, her 43-0 making her 6th A-T HS!!
Finally (in the marks department!), Jakub Ingebrigtsen's 3:36.21 over 1500 meters is the National Record of Norway!!
Yes, young Jakub has run faster INdoors than his older brothers, Filip & Henrik!!

Okay, take a deep breath or two--we're about to enter Aaron K's Opinion World!!
(As if we ever leave it!!  LOL)

Caster Semenya
Long time readers of my blog know where I stand on Ms (??) Semenya--as well as Margaret Wambui and Francine Niyonsaba on a slightly lesser scale!
I don't feel she belongs in any all-women's events!
She may be female in the eyes of most--and she (??) probably is!
But her basic make-up sets her FAR apart from her "normal" female opponents!
Thus I ignore every single mark she runs, and deny her any record, including those of South Africa National Records!

In recent days (See discussion and article on the T&FN website and Message Board!), it's been rumored that IAAF is ready to ban her from competing against WOMEN, and probably take away all her medals, and give them to their rightful owners!!

I'm not the only one who holds this opinion!
While many may have not publicly stated what they  think, my guess is that most of the Women who have competed against Semenya--at any distance, but mostly in the 800--feel just as (if not more!) strongly on this matter!!

Let her still run and race!
But as with Wheelchair racers, give them their own category!
After all, it wouldn't be fair if a Wheelchair racer were given a lane on the track against runners who run on their feet!!
(Put Tatyana McFadden up against Eliud Kipchoge, and guess who wins---every time!!)
I just hope CAS comes in line with IAAF's latest opinions!!

There are a pair of runners who are having incredible INdoor seasons in 2019!!
They are Yomif Kejelcha and Athing Mu!

As we all know (if you read my Millrose report last week, and earlier posts) these two have been running super fast times, and will probably run even faster!!

Kejelcha is apparently going to make an attempt on the 1500 World Record at tomorrow's Birmingham stop on the World INdoor Tour!
And in a few more days, he's said he'll try again to break the WR in the Mile!
OUTdoors, he's run 7:28.00 for 3000, and 12:46.79 over 5000 meters!!
So, what IS his potential?
Well, INdoors, I believe he CAN get both WR's--and probably the 3000 and Two Mile WR's as well!!
I'd predict the following OUTdoor times for this young man---
1:44
3:27
3:45
7:20 (Yes, the 3K World Record!!)
7:52 for Two Miles
12:33
26:10
And if he ever tries a Marathon, look out, Eliud!!

As for Ms Mu---BTW, announcers at two different track meets have pronounced Mu as if it were MO!!  Were they wrong??---she has a wide range for a middle distance stud!
Her current INdoor PR's range from 52.55 for 400, to 1:27.36 for 600, to 2:44.43 for 1000!
And I have no doubt she could produce a fast Mile if she chose to!!
She appears tall (5-7 maybe??), and she's lanky (Usain Bolt was lanky during his racing career!), and she's young!!
Also--just like Katelyn Tuohy!--she loves to run for fast times, not just sit and kick!!

So, what are HER future possibles?
(INdoors, in 2019!)
I predict (IF she races these distances!)--
52.00
1:26.00
2:00.00 (or 1:59.9??)
2:40.00
4:15.00
4:33.00

Am I crazy??
(Shut your mouth!!  LOL)

Also on the T&FN MB is a discussion about Mondo Duplantis.
(Knock me over with a feather!)
But this particular component of T&FN's ongoing Mondo obsession is about whether he will--or should--compete in BOTH the NCAA's and European Championships, and the value of each!!

To begin, let me offer the dates of each meet--
The NCs are March 8 & 9!
The Euros are a week earlier--March 1-3!!

So the logistics of his traveling round trip to Scotland a full week before the NC's are eminently doable!!
Pro's travel to Europe and Asia and Australia etc all the time.
Back and forth, sometimes losing their poles at some airport!!
(Just ask Sandi Morris--or ANY PV'er!!  LOL)


Some commenters brought up the fact that his coach at LSU may not want him flying round trip to Glasgow a week before he's due to compete at the NC's!!

Others questioned the relative values of those  meets!
Are the Collegiates more important (to a Collegiate athlete) than the Euros are?
Especially someone like Mr Duplantis, who has an excellent chance at the Gold!!
Why should he have to choose?
And what WILL he choose??

As the entire T&F world knows, Mondo is a WORLD Class athlete, not just a top Collegiate athlete!
We also know he's chosen to compete for LSU for at least one year!

Also, in Europe, he'll have some other World Class Vaulters to compete against--Renaud Lavillenie, Piotr Lisek, Pawel Wojciakowski, and even his fellow Under-20, Sondre Guttormsson!!
(BTW, Guttormsson might also be weighing the value of each, as he's the National Record holder of Norway!!)

I say do both!!
Why not??
He does the Euros, flying over on February 28th?
He flies back no later than the evening of the 3rd!!
He arrives at LSU no later than the 4th!!
That gives him at least 4 days to overcome any jet lag!!

He's apparently in great shape!
And bottom line, IMHO, the Euros are MUCH more valuable to a EUROPEAN athlete's standing (ranking!) in the WORLD than whatever  he or she does in the NCAA's--which despite its strong foreign presence, is still considered an AMERICAN meet!!

Go for both, Mondo!!

I have a couple of Going Pro announcements--
Samantha (Sammy) Watson has said she's going Pro now, but hasn't yet named an agent or a shoe company!
However, she will NOT be competing for the Aggies any longer!

And Elise Cranny---who graduated from Stanford--has signed with Kimbia!!
Good luck to both!!

A Schedule reminder--
USATF is from February 22nd to the 24th.
The Euros, as stated above, go from March 1st to the 3rd!
Also as noted above, the NCAA's are March 8th & 9th!
Finally, the NBIN is from March 8th to the 10th!!

I hope to have Previews of all four!

See you soon!!