Girma to OSU

great shirt wrote:

Vail? wrote:

How does Vail still have eligibility? He's run four XC seasons already and redshirted once. How is he not done?

It's called a medical redshirt. It's not particularly common, but it happens. CU used it on one of their runners two years ago. Nothing funny. Runners get injured.

That medical redshirt is a BS NCAA rule. You already have 5 years to get in 4 years of competing. The fact that you voluntarily take a redshirt year should not allow you an additional year when injuries occur...they are a part of life. Save the redshirt year as insurance for injuries.

How say u?

PS. CU uses the 6 year rule on all their runners - Nelson, Vaughn, Schoolmeister, Baillie, Torres (Ed).

BYU runners get 7 years.

the sixth year for vail is ridiculous. i know for a fact that the SEC would not allow this as the injury has to be two consecutive years and there is no exception in our league as 2 of my ex teammates attempted this and were denied. funny how ok state and others can somehow get it done? as for girma, watched him win SEC last year as a freshman outkicking tyson david of alabama. they are immediately the clear favorite for ncaa title and no one is close.

Question for Old Bekmar Head. His hometown is listed as Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. What was he doing in Kenya as a refugee? Is there some kind of ethnic cleansing going on in Ethiopia like in Sudan, that none of us know about? I know there was a war between Ethiopia and Eritrea, but that was back in the 80s0s I think...when Meb's family left and came to US. If you know and care to share, I'd be interested to know more about that refugee situation.

fanboy112 wrote:

Reading his bio is interesting, I did not realize he ran Foot Locker or that he (evidently) went to high school here in the US. Where did he go to high school? How long has his family been in the US? Is he a citizen yet?

His Dad's name is Gelan. look like any other name that gets bandied about on here?

Actually, it has to do with Vail running the world junior cross country his frosh year. The ncaa has a loophole about representing the us and getting basically a redshirt year for it.

Girma never liked to talk about Ethiopia much with me. The new Berkmar coach got to coach Girma for a year, so he may know more than I do (Chris, care to comment?).

Girma always just spoke of the violence. I know his family was split up and he hadn't seen his mom in quite some time. He seemed to have fond memories of Kenya when we chatted though where he competed and succeeded in the equivalent of high school races (12k xc in high school!).

There is no doubt he has had a tough life.

I am sorry I couldn't be of more help.

OSU has a chance of putting 5 runners in the top 15 next year. Colby no disrespect, but you as a 5th man on a X-country team,makes that team almost unbeatable. Now the only think that will keep OSU from winning is injury. Let me be realistic: GF 1st, RV 4th, GM 5th, JK 6th, CL 12th...........28 points....................could be lower hHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHaaaa...cry all you want, I'm sorry Oragon will win. NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vail will finish where he finished the last two years, maybe 15th or 22nd. Where was Kosgei last year, 18th? Lowe was 130th. Prentice will be about the same place as Lowe.

What does that add up to so far?

German should be top three, provided he doesn't hang back in last place like a year ago. I think he will run well, hopefully not hanging back in last place, but will not win the final.