how fast is this for a high school 200-meter runner?

who is he? The only 21.01 on this list is a 10th grader.

http://www.dyestat.com/v5index.php?pg=rankings_dyestat_elite&l_query=t&l_season_id=3&gender=b&l_event_id=5

and yes, it is very very fast for a high schooler

Clearly you're talking about Jeff Smith. After watching him run and seeing how much room for improvement he had, there is no doubt in my mind that if he went to a school with a real track program, he could become a big player on the D1 scene. He made a bad decision in choosing BC. Any way he's gonna consider going elsewhere?

He just ran it yesterday.

He is not considering anywhere else. He is taking off soon to enroll in classes this summer to take some of the academic "burden" off during the fall and begin football preparations. I doubt he will run at New England's. He would not have run in the State meet had it not been moved off graduation day.

I have tried to communicate to him on a couple of occassions how incredibly talented he is and the opportunities in track, but I think the allure of big-time college football is far too much. He is getting the opportunity for a good education and the chance to do what he's probably always wanted to, so I can't say I blame him.

I have no idea if the football staff and track and field staff work at all together at BC. I don't even know if Jeff's planning on running in college.

Is he is going to BC to play football, he will not be running track!

21.01 and 10.53 are exceptional sprint times for a high schooler. He definetly has the potential to become quite a contender in the NCAA DI ranks, if what you say is true about his poor start and limited training. If he went to a school with a half-way knowledgebale sprint coach, he could do big things. I don't think Boston College is that kind of place though.

But when you try to persuade him by telling him about the "opportunities in track", to what opportunities are you referring? Even if he got a pro-contract as a sprinter, he would have to be one of the top 4-5 guys in the 100 or 200 to draw a substantial paycheck. This would not be a deterrant to me because I love track and field. But for someone like your friend who doesn't really have a love for the sport, there isn't much incentive. Track is a dying sport in the US. The fanbase and monetary support shrinks by the minute it seems. If he wants to play football, let him play football.

scxc wrote:

http://www.miaa.net/Outdoor-Track-2006-Allstate-Resutls.htm

He just ran it yesterday.

are these the results from the mass. state meet? why didn't he run the 100? and is it just me, or are some of these results weak for a state meet? was this a lower class? please tell me this wasn't the top tier of hs track in mass.

not from a slow state wrote:

scxc wrote:http://www.miaa.net/Outdoor-Track-2006-Allstate-Resutls.htm

He just ran it yesterday.

are these the results from the mass. state meet? why didn't he run the 100? and is it just me, or are some of these results weak for a state meet? was this a lower class? please tell me this wasn't the top tier of hs track in mass.

You can only compete in one individual running at Mass. State meets. Also, it was overall a pretty good meet with some good performances. Massachusetts has never been on the level of a Texas, Florida, Cali, New Jersey, etc. It's a small state and it was a pretty solid meet compared to some years.

You can only compete in one individual running at Mass. State meets. Also, it was overall a pretty good meet with some good performances. Massachusetts has never been on the level of a Texas, Florida, Cali, New Jersey, etc. It's a small state and it was a pretty solid meet compared to some years.[/quote]

that's the stupidest rule i've ever heard. if i grew up in mass, i would beg and plead with my parents to move to another state.

and a state with a city as big as boston should be able to produce better athletes than this. some weak performances -- 6'6'' to win the hj. that's weak!

redmeansdead,

I was not trying to "persuade" him to quit football in favor of track - quite to the contrary. I have congratulated him several times on his admission to BC and wished him luck in football. I will watch every game I can. In fact, I have in no way been persuasive. I wanted to communicate how fast his times were and find out if he had comtemplated running in college.

As to opportunities in track? What would our sprinting corps be like if every 21 flat HS kid went right to football and forgot about track? He has raw talent. That much I am sure of. When you watch him race, you can tell he has much room for improvement. Is he the next Carl Lewis? Almost certainly not of course. There is only one way to find out, however. I said nothing of luxurious lifestyles associated with professional sprinting.

I would imagine many sprinters have competed in football and track, particularly down south, and I wonder if he could do both. I'm getting feedback that is certainly realistic in track, football is much more subjective. At this point in time, it is probably a moot point.

6'5" won the high jump at the VA state meet.. the guy who won was a senior but his first year running track.

VA is pretty weak.. on the guys side atleast (Sarah Bowman is fast enought to be a guy). Last fall the only VA boy in footlocker was Brad Siragusa.. and he got 68th..

VA sucks

not from a slow state wrote:

are these the results from the mass. state meet? why didn't he run the 100? and is it just me, or are some of these results weak for a state meet? was this a lower class? please tell me this wasn't the top tier of hs track in mass.

Really, you think this was a slow meet?

21.01 to win the 200, 48.63 for the 400, 1:53.52 for the 8, 4:14 for the mile, 9:14 for the 2 mile...

Those are all borderline All-American times. At Nike Outdoor Nationals last year, those times would have placed 3rd in the 200, 9th in the 400, 17th in the 800, 12th in the mile, 14th in the 2 mile.

I know what you're going to say - but Nike Outdoor Nationals is a championship meet - maybe those times are slow because it was a tactical race. Well, isn't the Massachusetts all-state meet a championship race too? If anything, the champions of the Massachusetts meet will be pushed harder at the national meet and might run faster.

The kid who won the 2-mile has posted a 9:01. He ran a 63. seventh lap, broke everyone, and coasted.

Overall, I thought the meet was very respectable. How about the girls' triple winner? 42 feet!

I also watched Smith run, and if he needs any type of persuasing, print out this threads results, tell him he's got one of the top 20 (i'm sure..at least) times in the nation (higher individually) and that in the 200 he is 1 second away from being world class. if that doesnt spark something, I dont know what will.

-themack

...he could do big things...

That sums it up for me.

This kid is talented.

Medicore NFL Player = $?

Olympic and World Champion Track Sprint Star = $?