This is our 2nd week of the at the women's LetsRun.com Mid-d Rankings (last week's rankings here). Here we break down the 800 and 1,500.

The ranking are based on current form and are supposed to reflect how we think they'd end up if you lined them up and had them race right  now..

Our stats came from a combination of TrackandFieldNews.com US leaders lists, USATF.org's leaders, our own adjustments, and incredible individual stats at tilastopaja.org.

Email us at letsrun@letsrun.com with any comments you have.. If anyone has some photos they'd like us to use, please email us.

Women's 1500 - Hardly Any Movement
The women's 1,500 is extremely deep in this Olympic year. The entire top 10 in our rankings are all capable of hitting the Olympic A standard of 4:07.00. The crazy thing is the 1,500 has a number of studs who seemingly are on the IR (injured reserve) list this year. If they were all healthy, it would be quite a log jam just to make the final at USA. Those on the IR include Tiffany McWilliams and Shayne Culpepper and Nicole Teter.

Changes this week: A few people switched spots but really there was very little movement in the rankings this week. 

Dropping Out: Jenelle Deatherage who ran a 4:18 at the Reebok Grand Prix.

Previous ranking appears in (). Big movers have arrows.

#1 (1) Shannon Rowbury - DOB: 9/19/1984 PB: 4:01.61 (2008) 2008 Best: 4:01.61 2007 Best: 4:34.94 mile
Coming into the year Rowbury might not have been in anyone's top 10. Now she is everyone's #1. The only way she loses to another American is if she is tripped.  How can we be so confident?  Rowbury ran a 4:01.61 at the adidas Track Classic in LA in May.  Her first time under the Olympic A standard of 4:07.00.  4:01 is REALLY GOOD for an American. To put it in perspective, one needs to realize that only four Americans have ever run faster and two of them are convicted drug cheats(Regina Jacobs and Mary Slaney). The last time that a non-drug cheat ran faster than 4:01.61 was September 8th, 2002 when Suzy Favor Hamilton ran 3:59.43.

Rowbury is certainly on fire in 2008 as her PR has come down almost 11 seconds (her PR coming into the year was 4:12.31 from 2006). She's also come down more almost four seconds in the 800 (2:01.03 versus 2:04.96).

#2 (3) Christin Wurth Thomas - DOB: 7/11/1980 PB: 4:04.88 (2008), 2008 Best: 4:04.88 2007 Best: 4:07.86
The runner-up at last year's nationals has been running well in 2008. Indoors, she was the US champ at 1,500 before running an indoor pr of 4:10.56 in the rounds of worlds where she didn't advance. Outdoors, she PR'd at adidas with a 4:04.94. 4:04 is way ahead of what most of her other American rivals have run. So while she is way, way behind Rowbury, she's got to feel good about going to the Olympics. At Prefontaine, she PRd in 4:04.88 and finished 3rd - nearly 3 seconds ahead of Donohue.

#3 (2) Shalane Flanagan - DOB: 7/8/1981 PB: 4:05.86, 2008 Best: -- Last Race: -- (30:34 10k) 2007 Best: 4:05.86
Remember this isn't a ranking of the top 10 best season's in the 1,500 in the US. This is a ranking of who would beat who if they raced - right now. Don't let the fact that Flanagan smashed the American record in the 10k earlier in the year make you think that she wouldn't run a good 1,500.

She's got good speed. Remember, her indoor 3k American record of 8:33.25 comes out to two 4:16 1,500s back to back. If she can run two Olympic Trials qualifiers back to back, she can certainly run a single fast 1,500 if she needed to.

Last year, she ran 4:05.86 - good for 4th fastest in the USA. But the key thing to remember is that her 4:05.86 came early in the year - at the Prefontaine Classic. In that race, she crushed many of the top 1,500 rivals - defeating the US Champ Clement by almost a full second. Look below to see who she beat below.

Flanagan is world class in the 10k. She's certainly national class in the 1,500. We'll take her talent. We could very easily see someone ranking her #3 but no lower than that.

#4 (4) Erin Donohue - DOB: 5/8/1983 PB: 4:05.55 (2007), 2008 Best: 4:07.65, 2007 Best: 405.55
Donohue had a monster year in 2007 when brought her PR down from 4:14.57 to 4:05.55 and finished 3rd a the US champs to earn a spot on the world championship team. She also PRd in the 800 (2:01.12). In 2008, Donohue won the 800 at the adidas meet in LA in 2:02.04 and then ran 4:07.65 in her 1,500 opener at Prefontaine.  Her two training partners (Flanagan and Rowbury) are basically unbeatable in the US so she's probably got a lot of confidence because of that.

#5 (5) Lauren Fleshman - DOB: 9/26/1981 PB: 4:05.62 (2007), 2008 Best: 4:09.43 2007 Best: 4:05.62

In our first rankings, we said it was hard to rank Fleshman as she's more of a 5k runner, but our ranking her #5 - ahead of Mortimer and behind Donohue proved to dead on as she finished 5th at Prefontaine - ahead of Fleshman and behind Mortimer.

All of the 5k training has paid off last year with huge PRs in the 1,500 for Fleshman, proving once again STRENGTH = SPEED. In the 1,500 in 2007, Fleshman ended up #2 on the US list with her PR of 4:05.62. A fantastic year for her at the shorter distance because prior to the year her PR was 4:11.27. Even more impressive, her pr at the end of 2005 was 4:13.63.

Indoors, she ran one mile at the Boston Reebok meet and she finished 2nd in 4:33.46 - defeating 5 women who finished in the top 10 of the 1,500 at the 2007 USATF outdoor meet in the process (McWilliams, Hall, Gallo, Mortimer and Shadle).

#6 (7)Amy Mortimer - DOB: 8/16/1981 PB: 4:06:55 (2006), 2008 Best: 4:07.62  2007 Best: 4:07.23
The former Kansas State star is always a player in the women's 1,500 in the US. This year Mortimer seems to be doing well yet again as she ran 4:07 two weeks in a row but hasn't gotten the Olympic A standard of 4:07.00 that she so desperately wants. She ran a third straight 1,500 last week at Pre in search of the A stnadard but ended up 6th in 4:09. She'll have to reset up and hope the A standard comes at the Trials.  At Reebok, she beat Gallo so we're moving her ahead of her.

4 years ago, Mortimer ran a PR of 4:11 to finish 9th in the Trials. If she PRs this year, she might just end up on the Olympic Team. She finished 3rd at the 2005 USA but lacked the A standard.

#7 (6) Lindsey Gallo - DOB: 11/29/1981 PB: 4:05.75 (2005), 2008 Best: 4:08.43 2007 Best: 4:09.60
The former Michigan star ran 4:08.43 at adidas which puts her at #4 on the 2008 US list. She's certainly in the hunt for an Olympic birth. Last year, Gallo was 6th at USAs - just ahead of Mortimer thus it's appropriate that the two are right near each other on our list. We gave her the edge over Mortimer in our first rankings because Gallo beat her when she got third at Stanford on May 4 in 4:13, but Mortimer returend the favor at Reebok.

#8 (8) Brie Felnagle - DOB: 12/09/1986 PB: 4:08.54, 2008 Best: 4:08.54 Last Race: 4:08.54 2007 Best: 4:09.93
The collegiate leader has really had a strong 2008 campaign to follow up a great sophomore year last year. A 4:20 performer in HS, Felnagle struggled as a freshman as UNC (4:28 sb) but ran 4:09 last year to win NCAAs. She has already pr'd (4:08.54) this year in a race where second place was 4:16. With each passing week, she seems to be proving herself to be the Maria Sharapova of women's running as compared to her Anna Kournikova impersonation freshman year. She bombed in the final of the NCAA regionals, but supposedly she was sick and she was doubling.

#9 (9) Treniere Clement - DOB: 10/27/1981 PB: 4:03.32 (2006), 2008 Best: 4:11.87 2007 Best: 4:05.68
How can we rank the reigning 3-time US champ so low? Well  her early season results haven't done anything to impress us.  Last year, she ran an 800 on May 12th in 2:01.50. This year she ran 2:05.25 on May 3rd in a race that was won in 2:02.40. Then she only managed at 2:03.91 at Reebok in the 800. At Prefontaine, she was dead last in the 1500 in 4:11.87. Something's not right.

#10 (11) Jenelle Deatherage - DOB: 9/25/1977 PB: 4:07:87 (2004), 2008 Best: 4:08.84 Last Race: 4:08.84 2007 Best: 4:10.57 Looking at the stats, one might think the 30 year old Deatherage has little shot of making the Olympics. After all, she is 30 and hasn't PR'd since 2004. However, in 2004, she hadn't PRd since the previous Olympic year and she had an amazing OlympicTrials as she took her PR from 4:13.49 to 4:07.87. This year, Deatherage had a strong indoor campaign as she was 2nd at USAs. Outdoors, the good running continued as she was 5th at adidas, one spot behind Gallo in 4:08.84 but a 4:18 DFL at Reebok didn't help things.

Dropping Out:
Sara Hall (10) - DOB: 4/15/1983 PB: 4:08:99 (2007), 2008 Best: 4:14.15 2007 Best: 4:08.99
Hall is a rarity in the pro ranks - someone who actually has moved down to the mile. Last year, she ran 4:08.99 and it looked like the move down was a good idea but she has struggled so far in 2008..Her inexperience in the mile showed as she went with the suicidal rabbit at the adidas Track Classic (61 first 400) and ended up dead last in 4:25. Then she only ran 4:15 at Reebok. Prior to that, she finished ahead of Mortimer and behind Gallo at Stanford. She also has set an 800 PR this year.

Women's 800 - A New #1 & Nicole Teter Moves Up
The top 3 in the women's 800 (Hazel Clark-Riley, Alysia Johnson and Alice Schmidt) seem to have a gap on their pursuers but there are some interesting subplots that could change things as Nicole Teter's form seems to be returning to form and Chanelle Price is a high school phneom.Since we last ranked them, there has been a ton of movement in the top seasonal times.

The Olympic qualifying standard is 2:00.00.

Changes this week: Food poisoning really hurt Hazel Clark at Reebok but she bounced back with a better performances at Prefontaine. As a result, we are moving up Schmidt to the #1 spot based on her 2:00.01 at Pre and her win over Clark.

Depending on how Johnson looks at NCAAs, she may regain her top ranking. The biggest mover this week was Nicole Teter who jumps up to #5 from #9. 

Dropping Out: Kameisha Bennett-Martin who ran 2:05 and was last at Reebok as well as Trenire Clement. 

Previous ranking appears in ().  Big movers have arrows.

#1 (3) Alice Schmidt - DOB: 10/3/1981 PB: 1:58.75 (2007), 2008 Best: NA 2007 Best: 1:58.75
Schmidt has yet to run the 800 this year but that must be a deliberate attempt to peak later in the year. Last year she ran a 1:58.75 pr at Pre and then only broke 2 minutes twice the rest of the year. Nonetheless, she's one of the big 3 in US 800m running and when she steps on the track at 800 (next week at Pre?) we think she'll be ready.

#2 (2) Alysia Johnson - DOB: 4/26/1986 PB: 1:59.29 USAs (2007), 2008 Best: 2:00:57, Last Race: 2:00:57 2007 Best: 1:59.29
The NCAA and USATF champ last year appeared to not be as sharp in 2008, but maybe she was delaying her peak a little later in the season as now she is rounding into fine form at the right time. She got beat at NCAA indoors, then hadn't broken 2:05 outdoors, until she threw down a 2:00.57 at Pac 10s. The battle at USAs should be close between the top 3, but right now Johnson has the nod over Schmidt because she is race sharper.

#3 (1) Hazel Clark-Riley - DOB: 10/3/1977 PB: 1:57.99 (2005), 2008 Best: 1:59.82 Last Race: 1:59.82 2007 Best: 1:59.07
Her family has dominated the US 800 ranks for quite a while and doesn't appear to be stopping any time soon. Hazel is a 3 time US champ and a 2 time Olympian. Her 1:59.82 win the last time out and undefeated season show she'll be a force at the Trials in a month. Her experience and her US leader put her rightfully atop the US ranks - for now - as Johnson appears to be the future of this event in the US.

#4 (5) Shannon Rowbury - DOB: 9/19/1981 PB: 2:01:03  2008 Best: 2:01:03 Last Race: 2:02.76 2007 Best: NA
Rowbury has been the breakout sensation in the US ranks at 1500 with her 4:01 this year. In her first 800 she ran 2:02.76. Then she ran 2:01.03 at Pre, meaning her PR has come down by almost 4 seconds this year (2:04.96 previous PB).

#5 (9) Nicole Teter - DOB: 11/8/1973 PB: 1:57.97 (2002), 2008 Best: 2:01.07 2007 Best: 1:59.91
Teter set the running world on fire in 2002 running a 1:58.71 US record indoors, a 1:57.97 pr outdoors, and winning the Paris Golden League 1500. She broke 2 minutes last year outdoors, ran an impressive 2:01.73 indoors this year, and won the US indoors this year. Outdoors, she got things going slowly and thus we were worried she was injuried. A 2:04.46 outdoor opener for a win on May 29th didn't tell us much but her 2:01.07 at Pre shows us she's rounding into form at the righ time. Give her a few weeks and she'll be ranked ahead of Rowbury.

#6 (7) Chanelle Price - DOB: 8/22/1990 PB: 2:01.61 (2008), 2008 Best: 2:01.61 2007 Best: 2:02.38
That date of birth is not a mistake ladies and gentleman. She's a high schooler. Price made the USATF finals last year as a high schooler, led the race for the first 600, and then held on for her 2:02.38 pr. She ran all alone at wone the PS state meet in 2:02.90. At Prefontatine Classic, she had the lead through 600 but had to settle with a 2:01.61 pb - short of the A standard.

#7 (4) Erin Donohue - DOB: 5/8/1983 - PB: 2:01.12(2008) 2008 Best: 2:02.04 2007 Best: 2:01.12
The 1500 is Donohue's top event but she did win the 800 at the adidas earlier this year in 2:02.04 and then beat Uceny at Reebok by running 2:02.04 at Reebok (yes the exact same time) and ran 2:01 last year.

#8 (6) Morgan Uceny - DOB: 3/10/1985 PB: 2:01.75 (2007) 2008 Best: 2:02.17 2007 Best: 2:02.17
The Cornell grad prd when it counted last year (2:01.75) to get 4th at USATFs. She ran 2:02.17 a couple of weeks ago which is faster than she was running this time last year. At Reebok, she was 4th in 2:02.43 and beat Cook, Greene and Clement.

#9 (NR) Nicole Cook - DOB: 2/13/1983 PB: 2:00.75i (2005) 2008 Best: 2:02.79 2007 Best: 2:02.68
Cook is an anomaly as she always seems to do her best running indoors. Her outdoor PR is 2:02.33 but her indoor PR is 2:00.75. This year she was 2nd in the US indoor meet in 2:02. At Reebok, she was 5th - just behind Uceny.

#10 Katie Waits (Erdman) (NR) - DOB: 8/24/1983 PB: 1:59.35 (2007) 2008 Best: 2:03.09 2007 Best:1:59.35 Katie Erdman had a sensational 2007 for Michigan as she broke 2:00 and was the NCAA runner-up for Michigan. Had she not skipped USA instead to get married, she very well might have made the world team.  She's still training with McGuire of Michigan but she has to commute to workouts as she no longer lives in Ann Arbor and the results haven't been nearly as good this year. For most to make the Olympics, running has to be their 100% #1 focus. Commuting to workouts is less than ideal and the results have showed. She did run 2:03.09 at Reebok which was a big improvement on her 2:05 previous sb.

Dropped Out: Kameisha Bennett- Martin thanks to her DFL 2:05 at Reebok as well as Treniere Clement who ran 2:03.9 at Reebok.

Treniere Clement - DOB: 10/27/1981 PB: 1:59.15 (2007), 2008 Best: 2:03.91 2007 Best: 1:59.15
8th at Reebok in 2:03.9 and then DFL at Prefontaine in 4:11. Not sure what is wrong with the winner of the last 3 USA champs in the 1,500 but she's clearly not on her game.

Kameisha Bennett-Martin - DOB: 1/13/1981 PB: 1:59.99 (2005), 2008 Best: 2:02.94 Last Race: 2:02.94 2007 Best: NA
Benett-Martin joined the sub 2:00 club with a 1:59.99 in 2005 and then disappeared from the scene. No results in 2006 or 2007 (A reader has written to say Kameisha disappeared in 2006 and 2007 to get married and have a baby). Now she's back and trying to make up for lost time. She had a big improvement in her last race to get 3rd at the adidas meet. She's running at the Reebok Games in NYC this weekend versus a ton of the woman ahead of her (Teter, Uceny, Donohue,Clement, and Clark) so things could change this weekend.

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

We rushed to put this up and didn't include photos. If anyone has some photos they'd like us to use, please email us.

Note: Our stats came from a combination of TrackandFieldNews.com US leaders lists, our own adjustments, and incredible individual stats at tilastopaja

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