BYU Qualifies SIX GUYS to NCAA finals in 10,000

Wait, aren’t Kejelcha and Berega 20 years old? Most studies prove that 21 is the peak running age. So BYU is doing very well to have 24 year olds hanging on and embarrasing the younger guys.

nofacetimber wrote:

Missionary positioning wrote:

Cuz nuthin says domination like running 23 and 24 year olds against 19 & 20 y.o.'s in the 10k.

You do know how old Ednah Kurgat is right? Or how old Weini Kelati will be her senior year?

I wouldn't be bashing anyone for their age especially when they are sanctioned and accepted by the NCAA, yet it's the guys who take two years off who you feel the need to deride to debase their accomplishments. Mighty noble of you.

Don't think they are debasing anyone, tenderfoot.

I'd say more like shedding light on the advantage BYU has in exploiting their students built-in double gap year (Missionary) for events like 10k and xc.

Nobody says it's breaking the rules, it's not, but there in lies part of the reason for their dominance, at least as far as times go.

.....Of course, that extra maturity hasn't played out with championship performances for BYU.

BYU domination wrote:

Wait, aren’t Kejelcha and Berega 20 years old? Most studies prove that 21 is the peak running age. So BYU is doing very well to have 24 year olds hanging on and embarrasing the younger guys.

The miler/3k/5k kids??

3:47

7:34 3k

12:46 5k

.....@ 20 years old

= 26:xx 10k when they're 24 years old.

And probably 2:02.xx by 27

Of course, even comparing these two to BYU is not even apples to oranges.

More like apples to wonderbread.

BlowBaseLimber wrote:

Don't think they are debasing anyone, tenderfoot.

I'd say more like shedding light on the advantage BYU has in exploiting their students built-in double gap year (Missionary) for events like 10k and xc.

Nobody says it's breaking the rules, it's not, but there in lies part of the reason for their dominance, at least as far as times go.

.....Of course, that extra maturity hasn't played out with championship performances for BYU.

That's how you interpret those unsubstantial quips? How enlightening! I would think if you actually wanted to make a reasonable case that a significant portion of their success was due to their age advantage you would at the very least bring some food for thought to the table to help make your case. And shed some light on the matter.

It's really not that hard, let me demonstrate.

Two of BYU's most successful and consistent runners over the last two years in both Cross country and Track and field are Rory Linkletter and Connor McMillan. Neither of which served missions.

Did you just use the word consistent to describe Linkletter?

chokey wrote:

Did you just use the word consistent to describe Linkletter?

2016 - All American XC

2017 - All American 10k

2017- All American XC

2018 - All American Indoor 5k

2018 - All American Outoor 5k

2018 - All American XC

Has had at least one all American Finish in Cross Country and Track for at least the last couple of years now.

What is your definition of consistent?

chokey wrote:

Did you just use the word consistent to describe Linkletter?

Linkletter

2016 5k - 19th

2017 10k - 2nd

2018 5k - 8th, 10k - 24th

2019 ?????

Has made the NCAA final 4-years in a row. Didn't place high in the 10k last year but making a final four years in a row is what I would call consistent!

BYU has the most dominant distance program on the track and number 2 on the trails. Yet people try to insult them. That is the pinnacle of stupidity. Everyone should be emulating them. They are great runners who never have discipline problems. BYU is a highly ranked school which doesn’t make it easy to be an athlete and good student.

nofacetimber wrote:

chokey wrote:

Did you just use the word consistent to describe Linkletter?

2016 - All American XC

2017 - All American 10k

2017- All American XC

2018 - All American Indoor 5k

2018 - All American Outoor 5k

2018 - All American XC

Has had at least one all American Finish in Cross Country and Track for at least the last couple of years now.

What is your definition of consistent?

My definition of consistent is running to a similar standard in the majority of one's races. That doesn't apply to Mr. Linkletter. Flex on, though.

Stanford has had much more star power and is a much more difficult school. And what distance runners have discipline problems?

2017 XC: 1st at Pre Nats, 39th at Nationals

2018 Outdoor 10000m: 1st at Regionals, DFL at Nationals

2018 XC: 1st at Pre Nats, 22nd at Nationals

Those aren't consistent to me. To each their own.

chokey wrote:

2017 XC: 1st at Pre Nats, 39th at Nationals

2018 Outdoor 10000m: 1st at Regionals, DFL at Nationals

2018 XC: 1st at Pre Nats, 22nd at Nationals

Those aren't consistent to me. To each their own.

True, he has had disappointing and fluctuating results in races for sure, though I don't know very many runners at this level who haven't. Not everyone is a Grant Fischer or a Morgan McDonald, who seem to stay consistently at the top.

Maybe their bad just aren't noticeable because even then, their talent keeps them near the top.

team Unruly Bush wrote:

Stanford has had much more star power and is a much more difficult school. And what distance runners have discipline problems?

You know you are doing something right when people are using Stanford in their comparison argument. I’ll take that all day long.

BYU overpower wrote:

BYU has the most dominant distance program on the track

Disagreed. Points at NCAAs matter.

I really do not think 2 years of almost no training does that much. I do not know what people think missionaries are doing. They are under pretty strict rules and are hardly given time for exercise. Most people I know coming back from missions are pudgier than before. Here is a quote from an article a while back on Shaq Walker (

https://www.deseretnews.com/article/865621680/BYU-star-Shaquille-Walker-is-a-secret-no-more.html

):

"He estimates that he ran a total of 25-30 miles during the next two years. When he returned to Provo last August and resumed training, he was understandably out of shape. During his first workout with the team, he got halfway through a four-mile run before he quit and walked home."

I've heard there is a "training plan" that Eyestone advises his athletes to follow during the missions but the BYU XC and T&F distance athletes all have a good laugh about it because mission schedules are not built around your athletic goals. It is also inconvenient to run in certain places, and prospective missionaries hardly have any say in where they will go.

A recent article on Casey Clinger made it sound like he is squeezing in some maintenance running and is lucky to have a companion who wants to run. If he gets assigned a different companion who doesn't like running though, then he'll have to deal with it because one of the mission rules is you pretty much have to be within earshot/eyesight of your companion at all times except when using the restroom or taking a shower.

Even if the maturity factor is influential, a two year hiatus from consistent running definitely has unpredictable consequences. Also BYU is not the only school training returned missionaries. Elijah Armstrong (quite a talented high school runner) for BSU is just one example. And yeah I know BYU attracts prospective and returned missionaries for obvious reasons, but if there are really such glorious athletic benefits to be reaped from the two year break, then maybe other colleges can make their programs more attractive to American Fork boys and other Utah areas from where a large chunk of their team is supplied.

I didn’t say they had the best program. I said they have the best program. They accomplished something that had never been done before.

nofacetimber wrote:

C/M Runner wrote:

... and yet, BYU can't seem to win a NCAA XC team title...

and Peter Lomong has a top 10 and top 30 finish at XC nationals the last two years but can't seem to make it to Regionals in the 5 or 10k.

What does that tell you? Maybe track is a different ball game.

Maybe? Ferro didn't even make it out of Regionals.

BYU domination wrote:

Wait, aren’t Kejelcha and Berega 20 years old? Most studies prove that 21 is the peak running age. So BYU is doing very well to have 24 year olds hanging on and embarrasing the younger guys.

Yeah and we know he's 21 because he was born in the year of the great harvest when Gebremezew's cow had twins

B. Ferro was a DNS in the 10k