Drew Hunter's coach predicts 3:55/8:2X this spring

So Drew doesn't run by the team's coach?

His mom is his coach. My mom probably thought I could break 4 in high school as well. I came close. She timed me in my backyard on my birthday.

While his parents are the driving force behind his training, Tinman actually created his training plan this season and will most likely in the future. Anyone who would doubt those predictions has not watched Drew run this year.

dipset wrote:

Baffled wrote:

Anyone who would doubt those predictions has not watched Drew run this year.

This is idiocy. Pure idiocy. You, sir, need to stop sucking this young man's **** and understand exactly how good 3:55 is. He might break 4. Might. He won't approach 3:55.

Meh, I could see him running 3:56.high - 3:57... He really is that good. We saw 2 sub 4 miles last year and he's running better than they were at this point.

I feel like these predictions from his coach are damage control after a disappointing race on Saturday. It had to be humbling for Hunter and his coaching staff. I'm pretty sure they were of the opinion that he'd threaten the record at Balboa. His legs just looked dead at the halfway point. Having no one within 15 seconds halfway through the race can be tough... but then again no one has been that close to him all season, including FL South, so that argument doesn't hold water. Maybe he blew his wad a bit at FL South. For Hunter to really be considered one of the all-time greats, he HAS to do something special this spring. Sadly, the 14:55 at Balboa does nothing to help reach this status. (Obviously he's CAPABLE of better than 14:55 on that course if he is in fact going to be in 3:55/8:2X shape in the near future... but that's what makes the race Saturday so perplexing to some.)I'll predict 3:58.4 in some open/collegiate race (indoors or out, doesn't matter), and 8:34 for the 2 mile, matching Fernandez. Possibly a touch faster if he gets in a post-season open/college race like Lukas did. Fernandez ran his 8:34 solo, in a high school-only race, which is arguably just as impressive as Lukas's 8:29 at the Prefontaine Classic.

Interesting stuff wrote:

[quote]dipset wrote:

Meh, I could see him running 3:56.high - 3:57... He really is that good. We saw 2 sub 4 miles last year and he's running better than they were at this point.

Hunter recently closed mile repeats with a 4:13, which is about 5 seconds faster than Fernandez did as a freshman in college xc, and soon after gf ran 3:55i. His coach knows what he can do.

Do people think Hunter could beat Fisher now. I mean Senior Hunter vs. Freshman in college Fisher.

I don't doubt he can do it but why put that type of pressure on him? Will they be disappointed if he runs 3:58 and 8:36?

Put your money where your mouth is. Put up or shut up. Huh. Nit da gritt.

Bell curve wrote:

I feel like these predictions from his coach are damage control after a disappointing race on Saturday.

Agreed.

The so called coach screwed up Drew's race with bad advice, and is showing his ignorance.

markpryor2 wrote:

http://footlockercrosscountry.runnerspace.com/eprofile.php?event_id=14&do=videos&video_id=159121

and sub-4 indoors. thinks he's in 8:34 shape now.

Eeek! You want your coach to believe in you, and Drew has certainly supplied ample evidence for optimism about his future, but 3:55?!? No.Think of all of the massively talented kids who have fallen short of breaking 4. He's saying Drew is on a par with Jim Ryun..... Properly set goals are just out of reach. They should make your palms sweat when you think of them, but they should also seem possible. I don't think these are.

I live in VA and my boys run XC (well the older one graduated last year) so I've gotten to see him in person. He's really really good. I would say he's a bit better than McGorty, who I also saw run many times, but not much better. He's got slightly better top end speed, I think. That said, I do think he'll break 4, maybe even indoors too, but Tinman's predictions are kind of funny. I hope Drew proves me wrong, but I say he finishes high school with 3:58/8:35 PRs - neither of which will be in high school only race.

markpryor2 wrote:

http://footlockercrosscountry.runnerspace.com/eprofile.php?event_id=14&do=videos&video_id=159121

and sub-4 indoors. thinks he's in 8:34 shape now.

That interview is embarrassing.

Yikes` wrote:

markpryor2 wrote:http://footlockercrosscountry.runnerspace.com/eprofile.php?event_id=14&do=videos&video_id=159121

and sub-4 indoors. thinks he's in 8:34 shape now.

That interview is embarrassing.

Only if he doesn't back it up.

Link wrote:

I would say he's a bit better than McGorty, who I also saw run many times, but not much better. He's got slightly better top end speed, I think. .

"Slightly better"?? In which HS race did McGorty approximate closing 8:43 with a **54** last 400 to handily beat the previously undefeated Fisher?

I'm really interested in this "unknown performance" which McGorty must have produced to put him in the same league as Hunter on the track. Maybe he ran 3:59 in practice in a snowstorm?

Yes, I also think Hunter put too much into the FL South region scorching time, and that may have been his peak -- a couple of weeks too soon.

Interesting that Hunter looks like a "shuffler" in his stride, with low leg lift and minimal air time. That is probably the most efficient form for him right now. I also think cross country is probably his worst event. I would be very surprised if he didn't break 4 easily, and get under 8:35 in the two mile.

If his coach really said that about the times, he didn't do Hunter any favors. He's already going to have enough pressure on him as more people expect to see sub 4 etc etc. His coach could have just said, "Drew is right where he should be, He's now national cc champion, and I'm confident he will be very successful in track."

jjjjjj wrote:

Hunter recently closed mile repeats with a 4:13, which is about 5 seconds faster than Fernandez did as a freshman in college xc, and soon after gf ran 3:55i. His coach knows what he can do.

4:13 is about 5 seconds faster than 4:15?

Weird!

Renaulto Casanova wrote:

Link wrote:

I would say he's a bit better than McGorty, who I also saw run many times, but not much better. He's got slightly better top end speed, I think. .

"Slightly better"?? In which HS race did McGorty approximate closing 8:43 with a **54** last 400 to handily beat the previously undefeated Fisher?

I'm really interested in this "unknown performance" which McGorty must have produced to put him in the same league as Hunter on the track. Maybe he ran 3:59 in practice in a snowstorm?

Take that one performance away and what had Drew done to make you think he could run that? Every once in a while an athlete puts it all together and runs out of their minds. Drew did that day.

Look there's no doubt that Hunter is better than McGorty was, but 9 seconds better in the mile? 20 seconds better in the 2?!? No. But like I say I'd love to be proven wrong. We'll see.

I don't think Drew was dead in the race. He said he would have liked to have gotten the record, but knew it was more likely to happen if there had been people pushing him in the middle of the race, which did not happen. Also, he had had some minor upper hamstring soreness that he felt on the downhill and did not think it would be wise to push hard since he was winning at that point and still running a very solid time. It's really interesting how some people here on LR think he had a really great performance and others think he totally tanked. Scratching my head...he is a high school kid, he tried a race strategy that was certainly effective if the goal was to win and run fast. He could have won in a sit and kick too and no one would have criticized that, based on the fact no one criticized Grant last year for doing that every time he raced. Kid tried something demanding and didn't do it up to the armchair critics' expectations.

You really gotta love the Letsrun message boards.

Guy sets a slew of course records, thrashes field at FL by 12 seconds, at one point up by 17, and the reviews range from disappointing , to "worst event".

Also there is plenty of reason to think Hunter will go sub 4 indoors and close to 3:56 or better outdoors in a set up race.

he also does not really have to do anything to be considered an All Time great.

Check out the number of guys that ran 4:02.x mile (not 1600) and 8:42.x two mile (not 3200), that list is pretty friggin short

.And those are his junior times and he is clearly better this year and by a bit.

Webb ran 4:03.xx as a HS Junior. Keep that in mind, Hunter is already 3 seconds faster at two miles than the great time Webb ran Indoors.