Is Solomon Haile really 20 years old?

two different heats...but the same race. even as a 20 year old he wasnt fast enough to get into the fast heat :(

punk wrote:

two different heats...but the same race. even as a 20 year old he wasnt fast enough to get into the fast heat :(

You're wrong again. He had faster times than a few of the runners who ran in the fast heat. I'm of the opinion that the NON people recognized Haile's controversial age and put him in the slow heat to avoid a backlash just in case.

how old is that franklin kid who won NON 800 meters?

I was never wrong...he got beat

also thinker abouter wrote:

How many schools take 23 year old college freshmen?

Several hundred JUCOs?

"I disagree,"--

You make decent arguments, but apparently every point I made alluded you. You say that my "pudunk liberal arts school" and "suburb living" has blinded my eyes, but I still stand by my point that the African-American society--meaning the overall people as a whole and especially in regards to the leaders--do not care about high school track. You say there's tons of black kids at a high school and summer track meets, so that proves your point? Let me choose another example: the African-American society as a whole doesn't care about pickup basketball games. Now go to every park, Rec. center or playground and in the majority of instances you'll see blacks make up the majority of those who are participating in pickup ball, but in the grand scheme of issues in the African American society, they could care less about it! The same holds true with high school track--yes many blacks participate in it, but it doesn't change the fact that what happens in the sport is not a major issue to the majority of them.

Subsequently, I also still think that people would make a big "racial outcry" about this issue. Do you really think that African Americans care about a high school distance runner trying to compete? Who came over from Ethiopia??? I'm still not completely buying it, but I guess we won't know unless it actually comes to that.

Finally, it's getting more and more absurd to hear people "concoct" how these individuals planned this out. So you're proposing he came here....thought about college, but figured he'd win some high school championships and make himself more appealing for a D-1 over a D-2 scholarship..etc etc etc....REALLY? He's thinking that far ahead of not only getting to the states and running, but also D-1, D-2, qualification standards, the whole nine? I'm thinking if it was this kids goal to be "shady" and "scam the system," he would've been the type of person to take the easiest road out; trying to do all these extra years (risking injury, failure, and who knows what else) would not have been the perferred method. If he was out for $, I don't think the "institution of choice" was at the forefront of his planning.

And to revisit my initial point, I don't think that he's 20+ years old like the original poster posed which is why I take the position(s) I do--not because I think that it's "so irrelevant" that he's trying to cheat the system, but that I ultimately think he's not doing such (but if by chance he is....THEN the "I still don't really care" persona comes into play)

Red B. wrote:I don't think that he's 20+ years old like the original poster posed which is why I take the position(s)

1/28/2007 KhonKaen ½ Marathon 1st 1:08:08

9/16/07 Wachau ½ marathon 10th 1:08:41 age 20

7/1/2007 Marathon in Italy

10/13/2007 Hartford ½ marathon 2nd 1:07:17 ($500 plus expenses) age 20

10/21/2007 8K Fairfax VA 3rd 24:33 age 20

11/11/07 half marathon Outer Banks, NC age 20, 8th 1:09:32

12/9/2007 Jingle all the way 10k age 20 31:30 1st

Semunguse, 20, has been living with his sister, Naomi, in McLean the past two months, during which time he has raced repeatedly with the hope of earning a few dollars and more importantly, attracting a manager. Yesterday's race offered no prize money, and Semunguse was further disappointed not to receive a waiver of his entry fee.

1/01/2008 10k Leeburg VA 1st 33:17 age 20

1/20/2008

At DCRRC / PVTC's indoor track meet at Thomas Jefferson Community Center, Ethiopian star Solomon Haile, 30, ran the top performance of the day, winning the 3000m in 9:01.3.

2/03/2008 Enrolls at Sherwood high school in suburban Maryland, 3200 9:17.13, 1st, now an 18 year old HS Junior .

3/16/2008 Nike indoor nationals 5k 1st 14:53.93

3 2M35-069 JASON MAYEROFF M 35-39 USA 1 1:09:19 1:09:22

a mountain of evidence wrote:

1/28/2007 KhonKaen ½ Marathon 1st 1:08:08

http://www.championchip-thailand.com/marathon-results/KhonKaen/Result_KK2107.php?order=Name&page=5

Little known fact that race results can be used in place of a social security card and birth certificate in some states.

Yeah, I saw it the first time, thanks for the repost though....my position remains the same (as does the position that ultimately if he is that age, I still don't really care that much)

if you don't really care that much then quit being such a d-bag and arguing for the sake of arguing. i like how the poster you've been arguing with mostly totally called that you went to some yuppy liberal arts school and never had any truly diverse experiences. i guess it was fairly obvious by your posts though.

1) I'm not arguing for the sake of arguing, I was simply having the courtesy to respond back to oppositional questions about my post.

2) My high school was 70% minority (and 50% African American).

3) I did my undergrad at the Air Force Academy.

I just didn't feel the need to perpetuate the ignorant stereotypes he initially conceived with no sort of premise by even addressing the nonsense. So yes, to respond to YOUR question, he really did "call me out" about my "lack of diverse experience" and my "yuppy liberal arts school" for college. Anything else you'd like to be completely inaccurrate about?

in sticking to the facts only, nobody has been able to come up with a good reason why solomon shows up in multiple road races as 20 years old but is now allowed to compete in high school. people say that he is really 18, then how did he compete as a 20 year old in road races.

people can say that he looks old or whatever, but that is pure speculation. this is fact. he raced multiple times as a 20 year old and is now competing as a junior in high school.

Maybe this kid's past education has been shit compared to American education and he has to repeat years in order to graduate , still means he's in high school m but hes old as f*** so congratulations Zack Ornelas on winning the NON 5k.

Maybe he is overage, but received a waiver to compete. One way to find out would be to ask his coach these questions.

wjw0006 wrote:

in sticking to the facts only, nobody has been able to come up with a good reason why solomon shows up in multiple road races as 20 years old but is now allowed to compete in high school. people say that he is really 18, then how did he compete as a 20 year old in road races.

people can say that he looks old or whatever, but that is pure speculation. this is fact. he raced multiple times as a 20 year old and is now competing as a junior in high school.

Uhh...because when he filled out the form he wrote "20". It's not like entry forms are subject to a background check or anything. I entered as Bugs Bunny once; does that mean that's my real name now?

i know solomon, and even though he may "look old" he isnt 20 or 21 or whatever you are saying. he isnt cheating the system and he is going to make the rest of the people around him better runners and only raise the bar for us. i have to race him to defend my xc state title next year and instead of b**ching and moaning i am just using it as incentive to train harder like the rest of you should

1) Are you absolutely sure that the runner the results for is the same as the current Sherwood runner? The runner in the results has a different name. I'm don't follow the DC/MD running scene too closely, but has it been reported that he changed his name when he entered high school? 2) In order to enroll in high school and compete in high school athletics he must have proper documents. If you're concerned about his legality, why don't you ask the AD at Sherwood for proof that Haile is of the proper age? And yes, I know that these documents can be forged. However, 99% of road races do not require age documentation. He could've been lying about his age in order to secure a sponsorship or so that meet directors did not view him as solely a "junior" athlete.3) Say he really was 20. Why would he go back to high school when he could easily earn money on the roads? For the "fame" of being a high school runner? He's not the fastest runner in DC, but he could probably pull in a few hundred dollars a month if he chooses his races wisely. Is he trying for a college scholarship? If he's as old as you all think, he more than likely already completed his secondary educaton in Ethiopia. There are any number of jucos, D-II programs, and NAIA schools that would take a flier on a 20 year old with his resume. So he's basically writing off two years of his life where he can't get paid for running in order to earn a scholarship? Doesn't make much sense.

wjw0006 wrote:

in sticking to the facts only, nobody has been able to come up with a good reason why solomon shows up in multiple road races as 20 years old but is now allowed to compete in high school. people say that he is really 18, then how did he compete as a 20 year old in road races.

people can say that he looks old or whatever, but that is pure speculation. this is fact. he raced multiple times as a 20 year old and is now competing as a junior in high school.

Who cares. he is probably 21 now and will be 22 next year. What does it matter? let him run.