Boston-Atlanta-Lievin-UAE & More

 2020 became a Season for the Ages in late February--and it wasn't limited to INdoors!
They put on a Record breaking distance show at Boston's "Last Chance" meet!
Atlanta had the Olympic Trials Marathon!
Lievin's "World INdoor Meet" was superb!
The United Arab Emirates RAK Half Marathon gave us a World Record!
And soooo much more!!

I felt Shelby Houlihan could go sub-8:30 in the 3000, based on her OUTdoor PR of 3:54.99 in the 1500!
In fact, IMHO, sub-8:20 wouldn't be entirely out of the question!
And I knew Karissa Schweizer had entered the Pro ranks with a BANG in 2019.
But I did NOT think Karissa had any chance to outkick the best kicker this nation (and the World?) has right now!
Thus, when Ms Schweizer did just that over the final half lap, I was stunned!!

Schweizer's 8:25.70 took 7.6 seconds off Shalane Flanagan's American Record in topping Houlihan's 8:26.66!!
Whether Shelby just wasn't in her best shape, or it's Schweizer who now heads the A-list of US distance runners, but this result was an absolute SHOCKER!!

Karissa gets the AR, and is now 5th A-T World!!
Shelby is 7th A-T World!, and 2nd A-T US!
Colleen Quigley also mixed it up, timing 8:28.71.
She ranks 9th A-T World, and 3rd A-T US!
Shalane is suddenly FOURTH A-T US!!

They were all timed at 2000 meters enroute, and THAT list got several revisions!
As noted, Houlihan led early, so her 5:40.33 at 2K makes her 14th A-T World, and 2nd A-T US!
Schweizer's 5:40.57 gets her 15th A-T World, and 3rd A-T US!
Quigley timed 5:40.81 at 2000, and is 18th A-T World, and 4th A-T US!
Their rabbit--Kate Grace--was timed at 2K also, so her 5:41.87 makes her 7th A-T US!!

BTW, in another 3000 race. 2nd placer Grace Forbes of Rice ran 8:56.82.
She gets the Frosh Class Record, and is 18th A-T Collegiate!
Back in 6th, Mary Cain ran her best race of 2020, timing 9:07.51!

In the Women's 5000, Konstanze Klosterhalfen's 14:30.79 gave her Germany's National Record, the Age 23 Record, and makes her 4th A-T World!

This was a great race for Americans!!
Vanessa Fraser took 2nd with her 14:48.51.
This makes her 2nd A-T US, and 10th A-T World!
Emily Infeld was 3rd in 14:51.91.
She's 3rd A-T US, and 14th A-T World!
Courtney Frerichs ran 15:02.91, so ranks 7th A-T US, while acting as caboose on my World DDD!
Gwen Jorgenson timed 15:10.98, and ranks 12th A-T US!
Jessica Tonn ran 15:12.33, and is 15th A-T US!
Then there's Erica Kemp's 15:14.78, which ranks her 17th A-T US!!
Incredible!!

Boston gave a "Last Chance" to the Men also!
Josh Thompson sprinted to a 1500 in 3:34.77.
This is 2nd A-T US, and misses the World list by a mere 0.01 seconds!!
Brannon Kidder's 3:36.51 makes him 11th A-T US!
Abe Alvarado's 3:36.82 makes him 13th A-T US!

In 4th, Oregon's James West got the Collegiate Record (taking it away from ex-Duck Ed Cheserek!), his 3:36.93 also being the Senior Class Record!
Sam Tanner finished 6th with his 3:39.99, which makes him 10th A-T Collegiate!

In the Mile, Charlie Hunter won it in 3:55.41.
This makes him 13th A-T Collegiate!
Cooper Teare was close behind, his 3:55.50 making him 15th A-T Collegiate!
Cut OFF my Collegiate list was the late great Tom O'Hara, whose 3:56.4 dated from 1964!!

Lopez Lomong took the 3000 in 7:37.79!
He's now 6th A-T US!
Ryan Hill's non-PR was next, followed by Evan Jager's 7:38.35, which ranks him 7th A-T US!
Grant Fisher's 7:39.99 makes him 13th A-T US!

In the 5K (!!), we saw Shadrack Kipchirchir race to a 13:08.25 time!
This makes him 7th A-T US, and 21st A-T World!
Great Britain's Marc Scott ran 13:08.87.
This gives him his National Record, and 23rd A-T World!

Ed Cheserek (13:09.05) and Eric Jenkins (13:10.07) followed!
Willy Fink ended 7th in 13:17.15, and rates 13th A-T US!
Andy Bayer's 13:24.67 rates him 18th A-T US!
Jordan Mann's 13:27.88 ranks him 20th A-T US!
And Jacob Thomson ran 13:28.35 for 24th A-T US position!!

Before her pacing duties, Kate Grace won the 1000 in 2:35.49, making her 5th A-T US--and barely missing the World list!
In the 1500, Heather McClain ran 4:05.29, ranking her 8th A-T US!
Emily Lipari's 4:06.49 makes her 15th A-T uS!
(Believe it or not, HS'ers did well in Boston also, but I'll save those for my HS report a bit later!!

NOTE
As we now know (in October!), the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was postponed until 2021 due to the Pandemic!
That said, I'll still report the bare bones results of the Olympic Trials Marathon, held in the 1996 OG city of Atlanta!!
I haven't seen the details as to whether this "team" will be our reps in Tokyo next year--or whether there will be ANOTHER Trials Marathon!

Galen Rupp's 2:09:20 was the winner!
Jake Riley's 2:10:02 was 2nd, and makes him 21st A-T US!
Ancient Abdi Abdirahman (How's that for alliteration?!  LOL) took the Bronze with his fine 2:10:23!
Left "off" the team was Len Korir, his 2:10:28 JUST missing!!

Aliphine Tuliamuk prevailed in the Women's race, her 2:27:23 beating Molly Seidel by 8 seconds!
The somewhat surprising Seidel timed 2:27:31, which ranks her 21st A-T US!
New Citizen Sally Kipyego was 3rd in 2:28:52!
The Ready Steady Des Linden took the dreaded 4th in 2:29:03!

Wayyyy back--in 76th--came HS Junior Tierney Wolfgram.
Her time was a very decent 2:42:47!!

The World INdoor Tour has been going on, but thus far, I've treated the meets like any other!
But this one--in Lievin, France--was pretty good!

Ronnie Baker sprinted the first of a pair of 6.44's in the 60--the 2nd being later in a meet in Madrid!
Sam Teferi got the World Leader with his 1500 time of 3:35.54!

Both PV's were great!
New WR holder Mondo Duplantis missed 3 tries at another WR, but did go over 19-11.
Sam Kendricks was 2nd at 19-4.25!
Ben Broaders reached 19-0.25 for Belgium's National Record!

Sandi Morris led the Women with her high bar of 15-10.
She needed it to beat HOT Robelys Peinado's 15-8.25!
She'd been beating Venezuela's NR by an inch or less, but this time she WHOMPED it, clearing 15-8.25, to add more than 5 inches to her NR!
It also makes her 17th A-T World, tied with 1 other!!
Yaroslav Silva and Angelica Bengtsson both cleared 15-6.25, and were listed as tied!

In the 3000, Getnet Wale timed 7:32.80, making him 17th A-T World!
Selaman Barega's 7:33.19 makes him 21st A-T World!
Berhanu Yemataw ran 7:34.59 for Bahrain's NR!
Finally (for Lievin!), Lemlem Haila broke her own Age 18 Record in the 1500 with her 2nd place finish in 4:01.57!

At that UAE Half, Yeshanah Ababel got the World Record with her brilliant 64:31!
It's the Ethiopia National Record, and the Age 28 Record!
She beat Brigid Kosgei's 64:49.
This gives the WR holder in the Marathon Kenya's NR, the Age 26 Record, and makes her 2nd A-T World!!
Rosemary Wanjiri was next in 65:34!
But then followed a string of Place bests!!
Y Yalemzerf ran 66:35 for the best 6th Place mark!
M Shauri's 66:37 is the best 7th Place mark!
She also gets Tanzania's National Record!!
Viv Kiplagat ran 66:38 for the best 8th Place mark!
D Azimeraw's 67:02 gets the best 9th Place mark!
While one full minute behind, F Chemutai's 68:02 gets her the best 10th Place mark!!

The Men's race went to Kandie Kibiwott's 58:58.
This makes him 22nd A-T World, tied with 1 other!

A meet NOT in my title produced a World Record and assorted other goodies!1
Madrid was the venue where Yulimar Rojas took a firm grip on her Gold position, Triple Jumping out to a VERY classy 50-7.50!!
It's the World Record, and breaks her own Venezuela National Record, and her own Age 24 Record!!

Behind the 2nd 6.44 of Ronnie Baker (See above!) came Darnell Kemp's 6.48!
He's 16th A-T US, tied with 5 others!
In the 60H, Damien Czykies (sp?) ran 7.48 for Poland's N ational Record!
Juan Echevarria took the World Lead with his 27-7.25 in  the LJ!
Filip Miheljevic's SP landed at 71-4, giving him Croatia's NR, and making him 22nd A-T World!

At the Virginia Tech Challenge, Bridget Guy cleared 15-1.50 in the Pole Vault.
Good enough to make her 14th A-T US, tied with 3 others!
But even more significant (for my Record Book!) is that it sent OFF the list the last sub-15 Vaulter!!
You need a 15-0.25 clearance to make my United States DDD now!!

At LSU, Morgann LeLeux topped 15-5 in the PV, making her 8th A-T uS, tied with 1 other!
Rachel Tanczos sent the WT out 76-5.75, making her 15th A-T US, and 21st A-T World!
Taylor Scaifi's 75-1.25 makes her 19th A-T US, and 24th A-T World!

In a Nebraska meet, Mondo Duplantis lost his short-lived Collegiate Record in the PV!!
Chris Nilsen's 19-5.50 added one half inch to Mondo's 2019 mark!
It's also the Senior Class Record!
It makes him 4th A-T US, tied with 2 others, and 15th A-T World, tied with 3 others!

Robelys Peinado (See above!) had another good mark before Lievin, earlier breaking the Venezuela NR with her 15-3!

OUTdoors, in New Zealand, Valerie Adams had mixed results in the SP!
She lost one--barely--but won her first with a toss of 61-8.50!
At least we know she's in the game!!

Julia Ratcliffe whipped the Hammer out 237-4 for New Zealand's NR!

Back INdoors--
Russia's Anzhelika Sidorova cleared  16-1.75 in the PV, getting the Age 28 Record, and making her 4th A-T World!!

Yaroslava Mahuchikh topped the HJ bar set at 6-7 in the Ukraine!
Mondo (No need for further ID!) cleared 19-8.50 in a good competition!
Renaud Lavillenie took 2nd with 19-5.75, while Sam Kendricks got the Bronze with his 19-3!
Sandi Morris took the Women's event with her 15-9.
Tina Sutej took 2nd with her new Slovenia NR of 15-6.50!

In Belgrade, Filip Miheljevic's SP of 71-8 breaks his own National Record of Croatia!

And finally (Yes, FINALLY!!), here's that promised HS report!!
Jaden Price-Whitehead LJ'ed 25-0, making him 18th A-T HS!
Aaliyah Butler ran a 400 in 53.03, making her 12th A-T HS!

At that Boston meet, HS'ers shone!
Alex Fleury ran the Mile in 4:05.57, making him 9th A-T HS!
Gavin Sherry ran Two Miles in 8:53.25, making him 20th A-T HS!

NOTE
Jack Shepard's HS Track 2019 edition lists the Women's Soph Class Record INdoors as belonging to Mary (Decker) Slaney!
The time given is the SPLIT time of 2:01.8, on her way to an 880 yard time of 2:02.4!
Jack has always listed this mark as the Soph Class Record!
BUT--in an eTN, both of the following times are listed as being the new "Soph Class Record"!!
Based on MY REcord Book--and Jack Shepard's much-respected book--they are NOT!!
But great times nonetheless!!

In Boston, Roisin Willis ran2:03.05, making her 3rd A-T HS!!
Yes, she's a Soph, but does NOT get the Class Record!
Second in that race went to Sophia Gorriaram's 2:03.98!
She's 5th A-T HS, tied with 1 other!

In another race, Juliette Whittaker ran 2:03.01, making HER 3rd A-T HS!!

Last but not least, we go OUTdoors again!!
Prior to this meet, Paige Sommers's PR in the PV was 13-6!!
She topped that by a FULL FOOT--her 14-6 giving her the JUNIOR Class Record, and making her 4th A-T HS!!

Covid's horrors may have been THIS close, but these great athletes made the closing days of "normalcy" a damn fine show!!