Of course it’s the long term effects of the shoes. The kids in college now have been using them since they were in high school or freshmen in college. Everyone always talks about lifetime miles and now runners start at a higher floor of recovery with the shoes younger than they did before.
It's the shoes. Seriously, it's the shoes. We're seeing the same thing on the men's side.
These are fine athletes with a ton of talent, and overall the coaching improves every year, but the deciding factor is the shoes.
Shoes have been around since 2018. Shoes are no longer a discussion with athletes. It's all coming down to training. Training is insane. Never did I run double thresholds two times per week.. never did I consider running a PR in the 1500m and double back in hard 10,000m.
I don't think you get it, though.
The shoes help with recovery. A LOT.
Try doing those things in a pair of spikes from even 10 years ago. It would be harder on your legs and harder recovery, regardless of how good your training is.
I'm excited to see how they continue to evolve in the future.
update: One would think that a team including 2 top 10 returners (one at 14:58), a 50th place returner, a 9:29 steeplechaser, 2 15:43-45 5000 runners, and a sub 9:00 3000 runner might be a title favorite but if OR returns everyone they can, I'd say that is not the case.
There is also the incoming class at NCS that is very strong.
While the prospects for this year are looking good, if everyone remains healthy (and stays on team) and develops more the 2026 team could be scary strong, factoring in 1-2 of the 2025 freshman to be. Hartman and Gapes will still have eligibity at that point.
There is also the incoming class at NCS that is very strong.
While the prospects for this year are looking good, if everyone remains healthy (and stays on team) and develops more the 2026 team could be scary strong, factoring in 1-2 of the 2025 freshman to be. Hartman and Gapes will still have eligibity at that point.
The absence of Gapes this track season is a little concerning. At this point it almost seems like she should redshirt this track season if she is able to.
While she has no XC eligibility, Phoebe Anderson joining NC State as grad transfer. A Columbia grad stoops to this school (as bad as some here insist it is?)
While she has no XC eligibility, Phoebe Anderson joining NC State as grad transfer. A Columbia grad stoops to this school (as bad as some here insist it is?)
Allie Hays from a few years ago was also a Columbia grad.
While she has no XC eligibility, Phoebe Anderson joining NC State as grad transfer. A Columbia grad stoops to this school (as bad as some here insist it is?)
Allie Hays from a few years ago was also a Columbia grad.
...and Wolfpack had Abbey Loveys from Princeton for a year too.
Still, important to understand how the Ivy league mind works. Most (not all) look for an easy 1 yr major for their grad transfer. A really great thing about schools like UW, NC St and Oregon is they offer a ton of 1 yr masters degrees.
So the transfer will pick something interesting, useful and fun but not too taxing. That want to be all in on running, so they can see in their last chance, if they can ever be really good.
Typical 1 yr masters. Sports management (in case you ever work on sports), communications (good to understand media/pr/public speaking) public policy (massaging the government), education/teaching cert.(possible hs teaching/coaching)
All of these are easy, useful and will strengthen a CV for future job or grad school.
Allie Hays from a few years ago was also a Columbia grad.
...and Wolfpack had Abbey Loveys from Princeton for a year too.
Still, important to understand how the Ivy league mind works. Most (not all) look for an easy 1 yr major for their grad transfer. A really great thing about schools like UW, NC St and Oregon is they offer a ton of 1 yr masters degrees.
So the transfer will pick something interesting, useful and fun but not too taxing. That want to be all in on running, so they can see in their last chance, if they can ever be really good.
Typical 1 yr masters. Sports management (in case you ever work on sports), communications (good to understand media/pr/public speaking) public policy (massaging the government), education/teaching cert.(possible hs teaching/coaching)
All of these are easy, useful and will strengthen a CV for future job or grad school.
I dont know what Phoebe Anderson is going to study but Allie Hays studied Natural Resource Economics which is a 2 year program, Myles Epstein who was a sprinter on the mens team last year grad transferred from Dartmouth to get a Masters in Analytics. Fiona Smith wasn't ivy league but she grad transferred in to study a Masters in Mathematics.
While she has no XC eligibility, Phoebe Anderson joining NC State as grad transfer. A Columbia grad stoops to this school (as bad as some here insist it is?)
Lacctic has kaylie Armitage and fleur templier at 16:00-16:05 which would score 50-55 pts. That would slot them behind brooke Rauber and before Angelina Napoleon. That would be a podium team but need one of those 4, Bethany/Kate, or one of the recruits (I'd say daniella scheffler at this point) to make a major improvement to contend with BYU/NAU.
I dont know what Phoebe Anderson is going to study but Allie Hays studied Natural Resource Economics which is a 2 year program, Myles Epstein who was a sprinter on the mens team last year grad transferred from Dartmouth to get a Masters in Analytics. Fiona Smith wasn't ivy league but she grad transferred in to study a Masters in Mathematics.
I dont think you know what you are talking about.
Note I didn't say all. In Hays' case she has more than 1 yr left.
Plenty of kids do more serious stuff. I've seen a Chem/pre med do a Masters in Bio to get on a research project. Also one complete an MBA (normally hard to do, as admissions prefer applicants with work experience) and one start law school. 1st varsity athlete in history of the law school.
Many ways to skin a cat, but most pick an easy 1 yr masters.
While she has no XC eligibility, Phoebe Anderson joining NC State as grad transfer. A Columbia grad stoops to this school (as bad as some here insist it is?)
Lacctic has kaylie Armitage and fleur templier at 16:00-16:05 which would score 50-55 pts. That would slot them behind brooke Rauber and before Angelina Napoleon. That would be a podium team but need one of those 4, Bethany/Kate, or one of the recruits (I'd say daniella scheffler at this point) to make a major improvement to contend with BYU/NAU.
If you have not noticed, Napolean, Putman and Michalak have all shown a lot of improvement this season. I would also look at who will likely comprise the OR team this fall.
While she has no XC eligibility, Phoebe Anderson joining NC State as grad transfer. A Columbia grad stoops to this school (as bad as some here insist it is?)
NC State is a good school... I just think it gets overshadowed by its location – Duke and UNC are the clear #1 and #2 in the triangle. I'd say BC is similar – probably the 3rd or so best school in the greater Boston area, just not at the same level as MIT and Harvard
Answering a question in a different thread Hartman does have 2 more years of XC eligibility if she chooses to use them. I saw Gapes and Stephens at the Duke meet where they and what seemed to be most of the team were there to cheer on Hartman as she tried to break 15:00. Neither had obvious injury meaning no crutches or walking boots or the like were visible.
The Ohio high school T&F championships were this weekend.
NC commit for this upcoming year, Dani Scheffler, won the 3200 in 10:21.82. Her season best is 10:13.10. In the 1600, Scheffler took 2nd to 2026 Wolfpack commit, Brooke Chapman, 4:46.58 to 4:47.08. Emily Infield's state meet record of 4:41.37 still stands.
The Ohio high school T&F championships were this weekend.
NC commit for this upcoming year, Dani Scheffler, won the 3200 in 10:21.82. Her season best is 10:13.10. In the 1600, Scheffler took 2nd to 2026 Wolfpack commit, Brooke Chapman, 4:46.58 to 4:47.08. Emily Infield's state meet record of 4:41.37 still stands.
Scheffler started her kick skittle late in the 1600m, passed one runner but in the end nice kick by Chapman FTW. Milesplit Ohio reported a 67 close. Chapman also ran the 4 by 800, do you have her split? Thanks.
Scheffler 10:13 and 10:21 are super encouraging for the rebuild. The times indicate she could be in 20:30 to 20:40 shape on the nuttycombe course which would put her on the starting 7. Good summer of training could lower that to ....we'll see.