Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Late Start Not a False Start!

Maybe it's 3 months late--maybe we're socially distanced & quarantined--maybe this whole freaking world has gone apocalyptic--but what the f--k do we care?--
Our Sport is BACK!!

Yes, the INdoor NCAA and NBIN  and WC's were cancelled!
Yes, we had no early Relay season--Texas, Florida, Penn, Kansas, Drake all gone!
London Marathon postponed, Boston Marathon cancelled!
No Doha and Shanghai or Pre DL's!

So what DID we get??
Well, let me tell you!

NOTE--
The following report covers the period from around June 10 to July 4th!
At this writing, I have no reason to believe that any of these Records and Marks will not be ratified or accepted due to the strange ways they were presented and conducted!
No crowds, limited events per meet, Covid tests as well as drug testing, some "intra-squad" competitions, you name it!
But these athletes must have done some things right during the 3 month hiatus, as you will discover below!
Enjoy!

It began at the truncated Bislett Games--now called the "Impossible Games"!
What??!!
And it was the Ingebrigtsen family (and one other Norwegian!) who set the Oslo track afire!!
Filip set a Norway National Record with his 1000 of 2:16.96!
Then younger brother Jakob tore around the oval 5 times, blazing a 2000 in 4:50.01 for yet another Norway NR!!
I don't have a list for the 2K, but it's 7th A-T World!!
His brothers followed, with Henrik timing 4:53.72, then Filip doubling back with 4:56.911!

Similar to when the Pre meet held their Distance Friday a few years ago, and they had a 10000 AND a 30000 meter race--separate races!!--both of which produced super fast times!--
Sondre Moen ran 62 and a half laps (25K) in the World Record time of 1:12:46.5!!
It's also the NR of Norway--obviously!
It may be rarely run, but it's a GREAT time!!

Oh, BTW, Karsten Warholm also got into the WR action, running the 300H in 33.78, crushing the old mark by about seven tenths of a second!!

Mondo Duplantis continued his strong season--a bit belated!--with his OUTdoor opener of 19-3.75!1
Some days later, he cleared 19-5.75, getting the Age 20 Record!!

Other PV news--
In Mexico, 2 Americans got PR's, both clearing 19-4.25.
Jake Wooten beat Matt Ludwig, both now ranking 11th A-T US, and tied with each other!!
In 3rd came another PR, Audie Wyatt's 19-1.

Remember Wilma Murto?
A teen prodigy, I hadn't seen her name in results the past year or more!
She went over 15-1 in a meet in Finland!
Michaela Meijer got a World Leader with her 15-5.75 in Sweden!

High School PROBABLY saw the OUTdoor HSR being broken!
Even though the eTN says it was SECOND best!!
Leah Pasqualetti topped the bar set at 14-8.25 in a California meet!!
By MY records, this is the HSR!!
I believe T&FN said it was 2nd because they include INdoor marks on their "absolute" lists!
I do NOT!!
Thus, if you believe the INdoor and OUTdoor seasons are 100% separate and distinct--with 100% separate and distinct lists and Records--then Pasqualetti is the new OUTdoor HSR holder!!
She also gets the Senior Class Record!
Paige Sommers was a solid Silver with her 14-1.75!!

Not a HS mark--actually a MIDDLE School mark--
One Veronica Vacca went over a bar measuring 12-0 in New Jersey!
According to the eTN, this is the Age 13 Record AND the 7th Grade Record!
And she shattered her previous best by "just" 14 inches!!
A female Mondo in the making??

Amanda Moll--another HS'er--cleared 13-9, missing the Frosh Class Record by a quarter inch!!
Anthony Meacham went over 17-0.75 early.
Finally, getting back to the World scene, Tina Sutej broke her own Slovenia NR with her 15-7.
She misses my World DDD by that same quarter inch!!

The Distances (besides those great Norway times!) got off to a quick start!
Rose Almanza ripped off a couple of speedy 800's--1:59.83, then 1:58.92--in separate meets!

In the HS world, John Lester ran the 800 in 1:48.26, ranking 20th A-T HS!
Cruz Culpepper took 2nd in 1:48.50!
Then in a livestreamed one-off race against the clock, Leo Daschbach became the latest sub-4 guy, timing 3:59.54!
He's 8th A-T HS, tied with 1 other!
His 1500 split of 3:44.6 ranks him 15th A-T HS, tied with 2 others!
Cole Sprout took 2nd with a fine 4:02.42!

Sophia Gorriaram ran the 800 in 2:03.36.
She's a Frosh, and is about one second off the Frosh Class Record set by the great Robin Campbell in 1974!!

Nico Young followed (a few months later!!) his INdoor HSR in the 3000 with a fast 5000 OUTdoors!
He timed 13:50.55, making him 4th A-T HS!
His 3000 split of 8:09.99 makes him 14th A-T HS there!!

In an Oregon race, a pair of ex-Stanford guys went at it, Sean McGorty's 13:11.22 taking the World Lead over the 13:11.68 of Grant Fisher!!

The Women weren't left out!
Shelby Houlihan led things off with her 4:02.37 win in the 1500.
Karissa Schweizer sped a PR of 4:02.81 in 2nd, making her 19th A-T US!!
Cut OFF my US list was the late great Kim Gallagher, her time being 4:03.29 back in 1982!
She tragically died at age 38 from cancer!

Elise Cranny began in HS as a 800-Mile girl.
But she showed a bit of potential over longer distances (She has LOTS of XC experience!!) with her 5000 in 14:48.02!
This makes her 7th A-T US!!
She needed that to beat another "transferee"--she from the 3000SC--Courtney Frerichs's time of 14:50.06!
She's 8th A-T US!
Another SC'er--Colleen Quigley--got a 5K PR with her 15:10.42 in 3rd!

Donovan Brazier took the World Leader position with his 1500 time of 3:35.95!
Chanelle Price returned with an 800 in 2:01.47.
I hadn't seen her name in results of late--but good to have her "back"!

The Throws had some great stuff to offer!
Let's begin there with a High School Record!
Trey Knight began his "season" with a good HT of 243-2.
Then he got serious!
His 261-7 disappeared into the sunset, nailing the HSR and the Senior Class Record in the process!!
A long-developing potential fulfilled!!

Daniel Stahl had meets of 218-3 and a World Leading 230-5 in the Discus Throw!
In Austria, Lukes Weidholdinger (sp ?) threw the DT 225-2.
Kristja Cah got the NR of Slovenia with his opener of 217-6 in the DT.
He then broke his own NR with 225-6 a few days later!

Bence Halasz got a HT of 258-9--a World Leader!
Cheyenne Figueroa whipped her Hammer out 187-5, making her 22nd A-T HS!
Maria Devitz got a good Shot Put mark of 52-1.25--making her 23rd A-T HS!
(Let's not forget that these were isolated events, as the entire HS and Collegiate seasons were cancelled due to Covid!!)
In Arizona, Nick Ponzio lifted his SP to 69-2.
Finally, in China, Huihui Lu got a World Leader in the Javelin Throw with her 221-10!

Other stuff--
Ivana Spanovic's 22-3.75 LJ was a World Leader early on!
Kristja Pulli LJ'ed 27-1.75 for the National Record of Finland!
Andy Diaz got the TJ World Leader with his 56-9.25!
Also in Cuba, Adriana Rodriguez got the Heptathlon World Lead with her score of 6309 points!
Topping Ms Spanovic's mark was Khaddi Sagnia's LJ of 22-4.75!

The Sprints weren't ignored--
Veteran Amantle Montsho must have been prepping for another Olympics when she ran a 400 in the World Leading time of 51.22!
Not quite an Age 36 record, but good!
She turned 37 on July 4th!!

A World Lead in the 100H went to Elvira Herman's 12.73 in Belarus!
Steven Gardiner ran a pair of 300's in different meets--31.95, then the World Leader of 31.83!
Trayvon Bromell ran a fast 100 in Florida (Where else??!!), his time being 10.04!
Kenny Bednarek got the 200 World Leader with his 20.08!
ShaCarri Richardson sped 11.05 for the Women's World Lead!

Shaunae Miller-Uibo was busy--getting the 200 World Leader with her 22.61--following that with a 400 in 50.52.
She beat former HS Sprint phenom Kaylin Whitney, who PR'ed in 2nd with 51.99!!

Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (aka JCQ!) sped a 300 in 36.12.
Finally--REALLY!--Femke Bol ran the 400H in the Netherlands National Record time of 54.47!

So, they said this season was cancelled--and much of it WAS!
But as you just read, these athletes--of all levels of the sport!--weren't just homebound and quarantined 24/7!
Even with the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games being moved to 2021 (!!), action on the Track and Field was pretty darn HOT!!

More to come!!

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