Robby Andrews ran a horrible final

You don't know that. Wheating went earlier as I predicted on a different thread, but Andrews didn't--or couldn't--cover the move. The time wasn't different from what Andrews ran on Wednesday. It could be that he was stuck in neutral for too long (he's a freshman after all, and you can't expect him to have the race tactics of Kipketer yet). It could be that he just didn't have it after the race he was forced to run in the semis.

Wheating ran away from him the last 100 meters.

Who cares about last 200m splits. The slower you run the first part of the race, the faster they will be. I am not sure if it was bad tactics or that he was tired. I thought he looked like he was struggling a bit more than normal. It will be fun to read what Andrews has to say. If he thought he could make up that amount of gap in the last 200, I hope he learned his lesson

haha, YO (super serial) wrote:

Congrats to Wheating, well placed going into the kick and he did what he should have done. Very good race for him. I'm pretty sure Andrews split faster for the final 200 but he ran like a f***ing moron, you can't be in last place at 600 against the best 8 800 runners in the NCAA and expect to win. He will learn and I'm sure Wheating is going to head over to Europe and run some sick fast times. Both guys are class acts.

Wheating had a good kick, off of a fast pace; Andrews just could not kick off of that pace. Wheating ran smart and forced Andrews to run a fast pace early. Get over it!!!

Don't criticize the young man!!!!!!!!

Wind was pretty bad out there. People were tucking in behind people and crap. Wheating was a man out there and said F that, and went.

haha, YO (super serial) wrote:

I'm pretty sure Andrews split faster for the final 200 .

Nope, Wheating ran EVERY 200 faster than Andrews:

1 Andrew Wheating

Oregon 26.04

(7) 26.04 52.59

(5) 26.56 1:19.49

(4) 26.90 1:45.69

(1) 26.20

2 Robby Andrews

Virginia 26.18

(8) 26.18 53.28

(8) 27.11 1:20.23

(8) 26.96 1:46.83

(2) 26.61

LMAO thinking of the countless posts over the last couple months about how Andrews owns Wheating. I'm laughing in large part because I almost bought into it all and started imagining that Andrews could run 1:43 if Wheating ran 1:43.1.

But to be clear, I'm laughing at posters on this board, not Andrews. He's obviously capable of running better than he did today and he will only get better going forward. It will be exciting to follow his career. And he is a class act by all indications.

But I'm still LMAO.

Andrews splits from Wednesday:

25.14

26.20

27.60

26.60

That pretty much tells the story. He just didn't have it after the semi heat, which he won in a faster time than Wheating's final.

Coach D wrote:

Andrews splits from Wednesday:

25.14

26.20

27.60

26.60

That pretty much tells the story. He just didn't have it after the semi heat, which he won in a faster time than Wheating's final.

His semi doesn't matter. What matters is the final and it reads 1:45.69 to 1:46.38.

Yes he did run faster in the semis, but that is all they were. That is why there is a bit of tactics when you are racing over rounds and not simply racing once. So that maybe displays the greater maturity of Wheating at this point. He advanced by winning as easily as he thought necessary although he did also have the advantage of being in the second heat and knowing what he had to do. If Andrews didn't run how fast he did in the semis...he might not have even advanced to the finals!

Even so, great race by both. Wheating for getting some vindication and Andrews for getting second outdoors as a true frosh. Not bad for both gentlemen.

Wind was awful out there. Wheating goes sub 1:45 without that wind.

Fact checker wrote:

Nope, Wheating ran EVERY 200 faster than Andrews:

1 Andrew Wheating

Oregon 26.04

(7) 26.04 52.59

(5) 26.56 1:19.49

(4) 26.90 1:45.69

(1) 26.20

2 Robby Andrews

Virginia 26.18

(8) 26.18 53.28

(8) 27.11 1:20.23

(8) 26.96 1:46.83

(2) 26.61

Well then Wheating owned today. Very impressive for Wheating. Seeing that makes me think it wouldn't have mattered at all where Andrews was but I think most people with track racing experience will agree that Andrews put himself too far back (considering that Wheating is the guy he should key off, when Wheating is 4th and you are last by a decent bit going into 200 something is wrong)

Again, both guys are great. 1st/2nd for both on places for indoor/outdoor 800. I just feel that today Andrews could have raced a bit smarter but seeing the splits it wouldn't have mattered. Wheating is the man.

Stayed up to 1:45 am in England to watch the race. Great run from Wheating!

Andrews ran a slightly slower last 200m, but the fact he stayed too far back and ran the last bend wide to get past all the others inside him, probably added about 0.5sec to his last 200 split. Meaning there's not much between them in the last 200.

Regardless, Wheating showed greater tactical acumen and deserved to win.

Wheating ran a very smart race as you can see from those splits. Wheating when from 7th to 5th to 4th then finished in front. Andrews 8th at 2,4,and 6 and then moved. I don't think Andrews could have beat him. He looked kind of tired. Maybe had he stayed on Wheating shoulder the whole way he might have been able to fight better at the end and make it closer. Wheating is probably the number 2 american right now and knows what hes doing and should really run well this summer. Andrews ran the race of his life so far in the trials and probably doesn't have anything left this season.

Why do people keep saying Andrews ran a dumb race? He just didn't have it today. When a football kicker comes up short on a 54 yard field goal do you say, "that was stupid of him, he should have put it inside the goal posts. What was he thinking?"?

Ryan Foreman wrote:

Why do people keep saying Andrews ran a dumb race? He just didn't have it today. When a football kicker comes up short on a 54 yard field goal do you say, "that was stupid of him, he should have put it inside the goal posts. What was he thinking?"?

Well I mean his kick at the end did show he had it today. If Andrews had finished 8th, ok, he didn't have it today. But he was 2nd with a hell of a kick. He just put himself in an awful place at 600. Again, seeing Wheatings splits it wouldn't have mattered, Wheating was winning this race no matter what but Andrews could have been closer with a better run race.

And I posted my original post with the assumption that Andrews had actually ran faster for the last 200 than Wheating, that was totally wrong and I'm sorry for that. I still think Andrews could have run a better race but he still would have gotten second because Wheating was so on today so I apologize for my original post.

ha ha - You are a true track fan. No excuses when the facts are there.

I thought his kick was very mediocre compared to what Andrews has shown before. Which tells me that if he had tried to move up on Wheating his kick would have been further compromised. Its not like Andrews got himself boxed in or Wheating made a sudden move that Andrews wasn't paying attention to. Andrews was positioned well behind Wheating on the outside and new where he had to be to be to win in the stretch. He just let Wheating go because he didn't have it today. I think it was probably his smarts and staying within himself that got him 2nd.

haha, YO (super serial) wrote:

Ryan Foreman wrote:

Why do people keep saying Andrews ran a dumb race? He just didn't have it today. When a football kicker comes up short on a 54 yard field goal do you say, "that was stupid of him, he should have put it inside the goal posts. What was he thinking?"?

Well I mean his kick at the end did show he had it today. If Andrews had finished 8th, ok, he didn't have it today. But he was 2nd with a hell of a kick. He just put himself in an awful place at 600. Again, seeing Wheatings splits it wouldn't have mattered, Wheating was winning this race no matter what but Andrews could have been closer with a better run race.