How come Colorado's success doesn't translate to the track (men)?

I was at the PAC outdoor championships last spring, and Colorado didn't even show up as far as I could tell. Not sure the reason behind it though.

Last year they had two guys sub 13:40

Bosshard 13:38.19 USAs (7th at NCAA 10000 and 13:34 in 2011)

Pearson 13:38.92 Payton Jordan

10th and 11th on the NCAA list

Indoor 3000

Hursyz 7:50.50 MPSF (13:38 in 2012)

Bosshard 7:50.86 MPSF

Saarel 7:52.61 Husky

Theroux 7:54.76

3rd, 5th, 13th and 21st on the NCAA list

Ah

So they've had the best XC program the past two years. I understand you don't need the absolute best individuals to have a championship team,

But when was the last time they put together top 6 5k/10k

Think about it. If you have 5 guys who can run 13:40-13:50 for 5k, you have a good shot to win xc nationals. But that's probably not going to get you anywhere when track season comes around. It doesn't mean your athletes are better at xc than track, or you coach is better at coaching xc than track, it's just the nature of the sport. That said, I think Colorado's guys will drop some fast times on the track this year.

How did they do at track nationals? Indoor or outdoor. Doesn't matter where they sit on the list. What matters is where they stand on the podium.

Last year they had two guys sub 13:40

Bosshard 13:38.19 USAs (7th at NCAA 10000 and 13:34 in 2011)

Pearson 13:38.92 Payton Jordan

10th and 11th on the NCAA list

Indoor 3000

Hursyz 7:50.50 MPSF (13:38 in 2012)

Bosshard 7:50.86 MPSF

Saarel 7:52.61 Husky

Theroux 7:54.76

3rd, 5th, 13th and 21st on the NCAA list[/quote]

Work on that kick wrote:

How did they do at track nationals? Indoor or outdoor. Doesn't matter where they sit on the list. What matters is where they stand on the podium.

Saarel was 3rd in the 3k at NCAA indoor nationals

He also finished 3rd in the 1500 at PAC 12s

Saarel & Hursyz qualified for NCAA outdoors in the 1500.

CU also placed several in the 10k at NCAA outdoor championships. I believe Bosshard earned all american honors there.

Also had a steeple qualifier to outdoor nationals I believe.

Also, if you look at the history of their program, when they've had the real front running studs those guys also did pretty well on the track at CU.

Goucher, Ritz, Torres for example.

I think Whetmore is a good track coach, but he is an unbelievable xc coach. Thus, many of their guys overachieve during xc (especially at nationals) and then come back to earth a bit during track.

CU is incredibly skilled at pacing, and the altitude training (and Wetmore's overall philosophy) favors endurance slightly more than speed, so it makes sense that they would overachieve on a cross country course and over a longer distance than most track races.

In track, it's easier for teams that aren't as good at pacing to pace properly, because it's flat and there are constant time checks. I also think when it comes to the 1500 and 3000, altitude training doesn't help quite as much, because for speed workouts, it's advantageous to be at sea level.

Wetmore can obviously coach track, or does the #1 1500m runner in the world and #2 steepler in the world not count?

Oh now wrote:

Wetmore can obviously coach track, or does the #1 1500m runner in the world and #2 steepler in the world not count?

QFE

bigtool05 wrote:

Think about it. If you have 5 guys who can run 13:40-13:50 for 5k, you have a good shot to win xc nationals. But that's probably not going to get you anywhere when track season comes around. It doesn't mean your athletes are better at xc than track, or you coach is better at coaching xc than track, it's just the nature of the sport. That said, I think Colorado's guys will drop some fast times on the track this year.

Swerve +2

Lol at you

Alfred the cereal box wrote:

bigtool05 wrote:

Think about it. If you have 5 guys who can run 13:40-13:50 for 5k, you have a good shot to win xc nationals. But that's probably not going to get you anywhere when track season comes around. It doesn't mean your athletes are better at xc than track, or you coach is better at coaching xc than track, it's just the nature of the sport. That said, I think Colorado's guys will drop some fast times on the track this year.

Swerve +2

This ^^^

I think they just so happen to have 5 guys 13:40-13:50's, and that most likely won't get you anywhere when it comes to placing top 6 at NCAA's, BUT it will get you somewhere in a sport like XC where 5 guys are needed to score....

Ask yourself, how many teams have a 13:45ish 5k team average? Colorado, maybe Stanford...

Stanford had a solid 5k average, and they ended up 2nd...

It's not that their not good at track, they just have depth, and the range of depth is 7:50-7:52 and 13:40-13:50's, and the only one who was a real up front contender was Ben Saarel last year in the 3k indoors, and Bosshard in the 10k outdoors...

XC is won with very good runners doing a good job in the lead pack. So, a group that can get one or two in the top 15 and three more in top 25 stands a good chance of winning it all.

Track is a bit more elitist - being the 9th. or 10th. at NCAAs garners zero points.

Although Colorado easily handled Oregon in team XC, Oregon's 1-2 of Chesorek and Jenkins will triple Colorado's entire team score come NCAA track season. It's the nature of the beast.

Because track success also counts sprints, hurdles, throws, jumps....

baaaahh hummmm buuug. wrote:

Because track success also counts sprints, hurdles, throws, jumps....

When did any distance runner need to sprint, hurdles, throw, or jump?

Didn't Ammar Moussa run 3:42 last year? Not a surprise that he finished top-10 this year.

Perrin, a FR, ran 3:42ish as well.