Joe Rosa is faster than Ritz was as a junior in high school

you're wrong wrote:

Rosa is still faster than Ritz was as a junior though. Suck it Ritz. Faster Rosa sub 13:45 next year callin' it.

I'm not claiming one is faster than the other. But Ritz went 8:44 in 2000 against nobody in a meet. His sr year time is also not neccesarily reflective of what he could do. he took one attempt at it, but hten proceeded to focus on teh 5k and went 13:44, which is superior to any 2mile time he ran. Ritz went 8:48 in a 3200 in a 4*800 relay indoors lapping people. There was very few chances for Ritz to be challenged other than his 5k at USATF's.

Again that doesn't mean he could have gone faster. I'm just sayin he didn't really have much comp. MAybe if Webb had raced him over 2 miles we would have seen something special.

Ritz in high school. Now look at the Rosa boys (men). See the difference?

Funny, Joe Rosa's form reminds me a bit of Bekele. Smooth yet assertive.

http://hssn-media.advance.net/NJ.com/news/1a0bcedb1f17cd2fbd1d792630c2024a/1113crosscountry.jpg

And it isn't so much that the Rosa's look older than high schoolers, (they look normal for their age to me), but that Ritz looked extremely young during high school.

If Joe Rosa gets a bronze medal medal at World Junior XC, I might be more impressed. He's fast but he's not so much better than Lukas V where I'm like wow. Its a start though but as was said before Ritz's competition were legends and he finished 2 spots behind Bekele at World Junior XC. He's not near good as Ritz yet. He has fast times though. I don't think he would have beat Lukas at Foot Locker this year though. I think LV was just warming up to break German's record and this year he just wanted to test the pace. Plus, LV didn't have a real track season so I'll give give him a little rope.

Distance runners aren't exactly known for being big burly men

What I want to know is, why hasn't anyone been talking about the (hs) freshman from Washington who ran 9:02 this year?

because hes a freshman and will most likely never run that fast again

I cant believe that thesw twins have already verbally committed to Michigan! Don't they see how Forys has been ruined by Warhurst!

999run wrote:

I don't think he would have beat Lukas at Foot Locker this year though

No, because he got 3rd behind the guy that got 4th behind Lukas.

This was obviously a great performance all-time but you have to consider this is a much better era than the 1980's to 2000 for running. In those days if you were under 8:50 you were likely 5 seconds faster than any one else in the country and had no one to push you after 3 laps. And certainly as a high school junior you didn't have any opportunities to run against national class competition unless by fluke you had someone at that level in your own state.

So comparing Ritz's great run solo to Rosas's doesn't mean much to me.

Its a great thing that running has improved to this level but the great times run in the 1970's by guys like Scharsu and Virgin were done in solo conditions and any other (except for those in open races-Eric Reynolds, Jeff Nelson) were solo efforts. Great race by Rosa! But lets watch the comparisons, they hold little weight in the long run.

How soon we forget the years 1999-2000 were a couple of golden years for distance runners- Ritz, Sage, Logsden, Schneider, et al. Multiple people under 9 minutes pushed Ritz just as people are pushing Rosa. This latest 2 mile wasn't even close to the greatest 2 mile fields we have seen in recent years, although NJ is seeing its greatest depth in history.

hogsfd wrote:

Funny, Joe Rosa's form reminds me a bit of Bekele. Smooth yet assertive.

http://hssn-media.advance.net/NJ.com/news/1a0bcedb1f17cd2fbd1d792630c2024a/1113crosscountry.jpg

And it isn't so much that the Rosa's look older than high schoolers, (they look normal for their age to me), but that Ritz looked extremely young during high school.

Looks like Connan O'Brian x 2

Seriously, Ritz's class was the best of all-time. Ritz, Hall, Webb, Bobby Curtis, Brett Gotcher... 3 AR holders, this was not a bad year by any means.

Rosa looks all mussula and stuff, he might be physically older than other guys in HS

ronner wrote:

hogsfd wrote:

Funny, Joe Rosa's form reminds me a bit of Bekele. Smooth yet assertive.

http://hssn-media.advance.net/NJ.com/news/1a0bcedb1f17cd2fbd1d792630c2024a/1113crosscountry.jpg

And it isn't so much that the Rosa's look older than high schoolers, (they look normal for their age to me), but that Ritz looked extremely young during high school.

Looks like Connan O'Brian x 2

WHO?????????????

Srsly wrote:

Seriously, Ritz's class was the best of all-time. Ritz, Hall, Webb, Bobby Curtis, Brett Gotcher... 3 AR holders, this was not a bad year by any means.

As I recal, a great year with some great top end depth, but it stood out in reference to the years before. The amount of sub 9 3200 guys and sub 4:10 1600 guys in the last several years seems substantially higher now than when Ritz was in high school.

We hear of sub 8:50 guys now and it doesn't really even bring a reaction out of us, in 2000 we were thinking 'ok, this could be the next sub 13 minute hope'. Back then an 8:55 guy was a top recruit, now an 8:55 guy needs to be qualified before he's going to be recruited hard at the top schools. They want to know how much mileage he's been doing, for how long etc. because there are several other options out there for universities.

For a little perspective on the depth today, Lukas V runs 8:58 and people are talking about him being burned out and finished. 8:58 and a guy is toast on his first 2 mile of the season??? 8:58 is about the pace he can come thru for 5K when he's on.

Perspectivation wrote:

Back then an 8:55 guy was a top recruit, now an 8:55 guy needs to be qualified before he's going to be recruited hard at the top schools.

I think you need to qualify what you mean by "recruited hard" because any 8:55 guy is going to be talked to a lot by good schools.

haha, YO (super serial) wrote:

Perspectivation wrote:

Back then an 8:55 guy was a top recruit, now an 8:55 guy needs to be qualified before he's going to be recruited hard at the top schools.

I think you need to qualify what you mean by "recruited hard" because any 8:55 guy is going to be talked to a lot by good schools.

That's kind of what I mean, they are going to be talked to a lot. They are going to qualify you before they offer much in terms of money. When you have a guy recently running 20 seconds faster than that, and guys constantly running at or under 8:50, 8:55 becomes the old 9:10. Colleges are certainly going to send letters and maybe call, but they are not throwing a full ride or in some cases even a substantial scholarship at you just for the 8:55 unless there is more to your story. Why? Because if you lock up a major scholarship on an 8:55 guy and then another guy pops 8:40 or 8:45 the same season or next year, what do you have left to offer him? And that is happening all the time.

Wait, what race did he do this in?