MEN'S STEEPLE
Overall: Event Analysis: The event is pretty deep at the back end as there are a lot of guys that seemingly have a chance at cracking our top 10 and running between 8:25 and 8:30.

This week's action/changes: Defending national champ Josh McAdams got a convincing victory at the Prefontaine morning meet in 8:29. A few other guys moved up in the 2008 descending order list. McAdams figures answers the question marks about him and moves him up the most to #3 in our rankings. Jacques Salberg  dropped out of the rankings after his 8:44 at the Pre race.

(Last week's ranking in (), big movers and shakers with the arrows):

10) Ben Bruce (NR)- DOB: 9/10/1982 PB: 8:32.68 ('08), 2008 Best: 8:34.79 Last Race: 8:34.79 2007 Best: 8:32.74

USA Men's Steeple Meter Stats
2008 Top Times (changes this week in bold) 8:24.34 Anthony Famiglietti adidas 8:28.21 Steve Slattery Nike 8:29.95 Josh McAdams New Balance Pre Meet 6/8 8:30.19 Jake Morse Unattached 8:32.12 Andy Smith Reebok 8:32.17 Dan Huling Reebok 8:32.47 Jacques Salberg Run With Us 8:32.65 Brian Olinger Reebok 8:34.79 Ben Bruce Pre 6/8 8:35.75 Lyle Weese   Pre 6/8  8:35.95 Max King Pre 6/8 8:36.31 Lucas Meyer  Pre 6/8 8:36.44 -Billy Nelson Colorado 8:36.69 Jordan Fife Brooks Indiana 8:36.87 Ben Bruce unattached 8:37.21 Luke Watson adidas 8:37.73 Jonathan Pierce Pre 6/8 8:37.74  Jordan Desilets 8:38.19 Lyle Weese unattached 8:38.52 -Kyle Alcorn (AzSt) 8:38.72 Max King Oregon TC
2007 USATF Finals 1 Joshua McAdams New Balance 8:24.46 2 Aaron Aguayo Arizona State 8:27.01 3 Thomas Brooks Oregon TC 8:27.34 4 Anthony Famiglietti adidas 8:27.64 5 Daniel Lincoln Nike 8:28.32 6 Michael Spence Asics 8:31.65 7 Benjamin Bruce Asics 8:33.12 8 Max King Oregon TC 8:33.63 9 Kevin Davis California 8:35.37 10 Corey Nowitzke E. Michigan 8:38.18 11 Tom Chorny unattached 8:43.28 12 Kyle Alcorn unattached 8:48.34 -- Anderson Smith Reebok DNF - - Steve Slattery Nike DNF	2007 Top 10 Seasonal Bests 8:15.69     Steve Slattery Nike 8:19.29     Brian Olinger Reebok  8:20.34     Aaron Aguayo AzSt 8:21.36     Josh McAdams New Balance 8:27.34     Tom Brooks OregonTC 8:27.64     Anthony Famiglietti  8:28.32     Daniel Lincoln Nike 8:31.26     Max King OregonTC   8:31.65     Michael Spence Asics 8:32.74     Ben Bruce Asics

Bruce is most known at letsrun.com for falling on the final lap in his prelim on the water jump at NCAAs in 2005 bouncing up and still making the finals, looking great doing it. He moves into the rankings at #10 with his second place finish at the Pre morning meet. He was well beaten by McAdams but is running well heading into the Trials.

9) Dan Huling (9)- DOB: 7/16/1983 PB: 8:27.11 ('06), 2008 Best: 8:32.17 Last Race: 8:32.17 2007 Best: none After missing the 2007 outdoor season, the Miami of Ohio grad seems to be back to the form that earned him a 3rd place showing at USAs in 2006. Huling was the 3rd American at the Reebok meet (behind Slattery and Morse) in 8:32.17.

8) Andy Smith (8)- DOB: 8/1/1982 PB: 8:29.66 ('05), 2008 Best: 8:32.12 Last Race: 8:32.12 2007 Best: 8:35.16 The former NC State star seems in good form early in the Olympic year. His only race so far was his best debut ever.

7) Tom Brooks (7)- DOB: 1/10/1978 PB: 8:27.34 (2007), 2008 Best: 8:46.65 Last Race: 8:46.65 2007 Best: 8:27.34
Brooks was one of the bigger surprises of the US champs last year when he got 3rd. Those who look up and see his 2008 SB is only 8:46 probably think he has no chance in 2008. They would be wrong.

Last year, Brooks's seasonal best this time of year was only 8:47.54. He ran 8:28 at Prefontaine and then 8:27 at USAs.

6) Jake Morse (5)- DOB: 4/17/1985  Personal Best: 8:30.19 ('08) 2008 Best: 8:30.19 Last Race:  8:30.19 2007 Best: 8:51.93
Coming into the year, Morse was a guy with an 8:41 PB who only ran 8:51 in 2007. But the Univ. of Texas Longhorn has had a great 2008 (Morse is 23, but has another year left at Texas and is redshirting this spring, unless we're mistaken). He was a surprise 2nd in the mile at indoor NCAAs. He followed that up with a big PR at Reebok and took quite a few scalps, including Olinger's.

5) Kyle Alcorn (4)- DOB: 3/18/1985 Personal Best: 8:35.71 (2007) 2008 Best: 8:36.74 Last Race: 8:36.74 2007 Best: 8:35.71
Alcorn was the biggest surprise of the 2007 NCAA indoor meet as he anchored his team to a 2nd place showing in the DMR before being the surprise winner of the 3k. NCAAs was the perfect culmination of a great indoor campaign for Alcorn as he also broke 4:00 in the mile for the first time (3:59.82) and set a solid PR in the 3k (7:55.63).

He's coached by Louis Quintana, who did a great job getting Aguayo ready for USAs last year after NCAAs. It looks like he's doing the same thing this year as after indoor NCAAs, Alcorn didn't race until May 4th when he got thumped in the steeple at Stanford. Since then though, he hasn't lost and seems poised to go under 8:30 if pressed at NCAAs.

We're giving the nod to Alcorn over Morse as Alcorn's indoor campaign was slightly better in our minds.

4) Brian Olinger (3)- DOB: 1/19/1982 PB: 8:19.29 (2007), 2008 Best: 8:32.65 Last Race: 8:49.63, 2007 Best: 8:19.29
Anyone who went to the Reebok Grand Prix will probably question how we could possibly rank Olinger #3 given the fact he laid a goose egg in New York when he was way back in 8:49.63. Well, Olinger had been running very well early in 2008 as he put up a PR in the 5k (13:31) at Mt. Sac and then had the fastest opening steeple of his career (8:32).

Thus he's fit and his PR is way better than the other guys just behind him on our rankings. Therefore we are ranking him #3. Everyone is entitled to one bad race.

He is hoping to become an Olympian like his coach Robert Gary, who was a two-time Olympian. Hard to believe that Olinger's PR is better than Gary's. It just shows you much US distance running has progressed in the last decade.

3) Josh McAdams (6)DOB: 3/26/1980 PB: 8:21.36 (2007), 2008 Best: 8:29.98 Last Race: 8:29.98 2007 Best: 8:21.36
The defending national champ (and Pan Am Games Champ) McAdams was a question mark heading into this week. He had opened at Stanford with an 8:40 win then followed that up with an 8:44 for 5th at Jesse Owens. He hadn't raced in a while but he responded by running on the early morning program at Pre. He won the race in 8:29.98 and appears to be rounding into form at the right time. With his surprise national win last year, he has shown he knows how to peak when it counts

.2) Steve Slattery (2)- DOB: 8/14/1980 PB: 8:15.69 (2007), 2008 Best: 8:28.21 Last Race: 8:28.21, 2007 Best: 8:15.69. Slattery had a strong year in 2007 as he ran the two fastest US times of the year, led by his 8:15.69 PR after DNFing at USAs due to injury.

2008 had been a disaster (a 14:30 5k and 2 DNF 5ks) up until his 2nd place showing at the Reebok Grand Prix when he beat a slew of his top US rivals.

1) Anthony Famiglietti (1)- DOB: 11/8/1978 PB: 8:17.91 (2004), 2008 Best: 8:24.34, Last Race: 8:24.34, 2007 Best: 8:27.64
It pleases us a great deal to put Fam #1 as he used to be Wejo's roommate out in Flagstaff. Before he had much of a contract, Fam painted Wejo a painting istead of paying rent (When Wejo left Flagstaff he left the painting and told his roommates not to lose it. Of course they then moved out of the place and left it behind). Fam has been an artist this year on the track as he has run two races virtually all alone faster than anyone else in the US. Fam ran a PR in the Trials 4 years ago to get 2nd. He seems to be a lock for the team this year. The question shouldn't be, "Does he make the team?," rather it should be, "Can he win his 2nd US title?"

WOMEN'S STEEPLE

USA Women's Steeple Meter Stats
2008 Top Times (changes this week in bold) 9:37.00     Anna Willard    Nike    05/31   Indiana 9:41.38     Lindsey Anderson    Nike    06/07   Jim Bush 9:41.41     Lindsey Anderson    Nike    05/04   Jordan 9:41.68     Delilah DiCrescenzo Riadha/S4   05/25   Belem GP 9:43.18     Lisa Galaviz    Nike    05/25   Belem GP 9:44.46 Jenny Barringer 5/31/08 Midwest Regionals 9:44.46     Carrie Messner-Vickers  Asics   05/25   Belem GP 9:45.38     Emily Brown Team USA/MN 04/26   Drake R 9:49.92. Nicole Bush, Unattached         5/31 Indiana 9:51.76     Amanda Lorenzen Brooks  05/04   Jordan 9:57.98     Ann Gaffigan    New Balance 04/18   Mt SAC 9:58.56     Bridget Franek  Penn State  05/17   Big 10 9:58.63 Lesley Higgins NYAC  6/7 Saturn 9:59.63     Sariah Long Weber State 05/04   Jordan
2007 USATF Finals 1 Jennifer Barringer Colorado 9:34.64M 2 Anna Willard Nike 9:34.72M 3 Lindsey Anderson Nike 9:40.74 4 Lisa Galaviz Nike 9:43.54 5 Desiraye Osburn New Balance 9:47.24 6 Liz Wort Duke 9:53.20 7 Kristin Anderson Nike 9:53.95 8 Kelly Strong Asics 9:53.99 9 Kara June Asics Aggies 9:59.91 10 Amanda Lorenzen unattached 10:01.82 11 Dawn Cromer Brooks 10:03.23 12 Bridget Franek Penn State 10:10.36 13 Carrie Messner-Vickers Asics 10:15.07 14 Brianna Dahm Oregon TC 10:17.45	2007 Top 10 Seasonal Bests 9:28.75 AR 4 Lisa Galaviz Nike 7/28 Heusden 9:33.95 1 Jenny Barringer Colorado 9/8 Paris 9:34.72 2 Anna Willard Nike 6/23 Indianapolis\ 9:39.95 1 Lindsey Anderson Weber State 4/29 Stanford 9:43.06 3 Carrie Messner-Vickers Asics 7/30 Thessaloniki 9:47.24 5 Desiraye Osburn New Balance 6/23 Indianapolis 9:47.68 1 Kelly Strong Asics 3/31 Stanford 9:51.76 4 Liz Wort Duke 6/8 Sacramento 9:52.10 5 Kassi Andersen BYU 6/8 Sacramento 9:53.24 1 Amanda Lorenzen Unat. 6/10 Hillsdale

This week's action/changes: Lindsey Anderson dominated the Jim Bush steeple running 9:41.38 a seasonal best by .03.  Former NCAA runner-up in the indoor mile while at Colorado, Lesley Higgins won the Saturn Midwest distance solution steeple in 9:59.63. We've knocked Strong out of the #11 spot (10:04 at Jim Bush) and kept a top 10 this week. No other changes in the rankings.

10) Nicole Bush - DOB: 4/4/1986 PB: 9:49.92 ('08), 2008 Best:  9:49.92, Last Race:  9:49.92, 2007 Best: 9:56.68
We almost failed to put the former Michigan State runner in our top 10 as we barely caught the big breakthrough she had last week at the Indiana Invaders meet when she ran a big PR of 9:49.92.

9) Bridget Franek - DOB: 11/8/1987 PB: 9:58.56 (2008), 2008 Best: 9:58.56, Last Race: 10:01.56, 2007 Best: 9:59.21 The 20-year-old Penn State sophomore was 12th at USAs last year. She just ran 10:01 in VERY hot conditions down in Tallahassee at the NCAA East regional and certainly is in PR shape.

8) Amanda Lorenzen - DOB: 11/16/1984 PB: 9:51.76 (2008), 2008 Best: 9:51.76, Last Race: 9:44.46, 2007 Best: 9:53.27 The 24-year-old Concordia University Wisconsin grad was 10th at USAs last year and currently sits at #8 on the 2008 US list so she certainly belongs in our top 10.

7) Carrie Messner-Vickers - DOB: 6/7/1977 PB: 9:39.68 (2005), 2008 Best: 9:44.46, Last Race: 9:44.46, 2007 Best: 9:43.06
The 2005 World Championship team member finished just behind Galaviz and DiCrescenzo in the 2nd meet in Brazil in late May. She appears to be rounding into PR shape but the problem is the steeple is evolving and a PR may not be good enough to make the Olympic team.

6) Lisa Galaviz  - DOB: 11/30/1979 PB: 9:28.75 (2007), 2008 Best: 9:43.18, Last Race: 9:43.18 2007 Best: 9:28.75
Galaviz missed going to Worlds last year after a 4th place showing at USAs, but she used that motivation to break the American record later in the summer. She's ahead of where she was at this point last year as heading into June of last year, her seasonal best was 9:47.57. That's the good news. The bad news is she lost to DiCrescenzo in her last race.

5) Lindsey Anderson - DOB: 5/23/1985 PB: 9:39.98 (2007), 2008 Best: 9:41.41, Last Race: 9:41.41 2007 Best: 9:39.98
Anderson was #3 at USAs last year and she currently is #2 on the US list by time. However, we have her ranked fifth given her lost to DiCrescenzo earlier in the year.

4) Delilah DiCrescenzo - DOB: 2/28/1983 PB: 9:41.68 (2009), 2008 Best: 9:41.68, Last Race: 9:41.68, 2007 Best: 10:07.72.
DiCrescenzo has gone from being a novelty act known for "Hey There Delilah" fame to a legitimate Olympic Team contender. Coming into the year, she had only broken 10:00 once in her life. Now she's sitting near the top of the US list thanks to a 9:41 PB in Brazil which came after another 9:43 in Brazil. Prior to her racing in Brazil, she beat Lindsey Anderson in California.

3) Emily Brown - DOB: 3/31/1984 PB: 9:45.38, 2008 Best: 9:45.38, Last Race: 9:45.38-, 2007 Best: 10:03.77
No doubt that this ranking is going to be the most controversial of all of ours in the women's steeple. But Brown has been running great in 2008. She won the Stanford 5k in 15:19.57. Compare that time to some of her steeple rivals like Carrie Messner-Vickers who ran 16:17.38 in that race. Don't tell us that it was a terrible race for Messner-Vickers as she ran 16:17.39 in the same race last year. Just look at their PBs. Messner-Vickers's is 15:47.37,. Barringer's PB is 15:48, Willard's is 15:53, etc. The steeple certainly isn't a test of pure fitness but if you are that much more fit than everyone else, you should be able to beat them.

2) Jenny Barringer- DOB: 8/23/1986 PB: 9:33.95 (2007), 2008 Best: 9:44.46, Last Race: 9:44.46, 2007 Best: 9:33.95
Barringer was the US champ last year but wasn't even the conference champ in the steeple this year at home in Boulder. But her loss was at altitude and to a Kenyan. Probably just a bit rusty as she didn't race indoors as she was much better her next race out at NCAA Regionals when she ran 9:44.46.

1) Anna Willard - DOB: 3/31/1984 PB: 9:34.72 (2007), 2008 Best: 9:37.73, Last Race: 9:37.00, 2007 Best: 9:34.72
We were shocked when Willard didn't win USAs last year. Why? Because she's got great speed and the steeple ultimately is a very short event. Compare Willard's PRs at the shorter distances to that of Barringer. 800: 2:02.72 to 2:09.37. 1,500: 4:12.34 to 4:17.19. But Barringer has had a great year so far and we certainly know that races don't come down to who has the most speed - it's who has the most speed left.

When we make our predictions for the Trials, we'll have to reevaluate but Willard has run two 9:37 steeples in a row and deserves the #1 ranking.

We're sure we made a few errors as this is our first attempt at this.  Comments, suggestions? Email us at letsrun@letsrun.com