Charles jock 1:44.75!!! Ryan Martin 1:44.77!!

Was a NJ HS star wrote:

Both Jock and Martin have a better chance of making the team than Symmonds, who looked sluggish at Penn, where they were very generous with his 800 split on the DMR

Keep in mind Symmonds was DFL in the 800 at Pre just a couple weeks before USATF last year and still ran 1:44 low for the win there. He'll be ready by the trials, you don't become 4-time US champ and World finalist by not knowing what you're doing.

The US 800 is absolutely stacked right now, especially at the NCAA level. It honestly wouldn't surprise me to see 5 or 6 collegiate athletes in the final at the trials. Should be a good race considering Jock will be there to take it out in 50 low.

[quote]xxxxxx333333 wrote:

He was .02 ahead of Martin.

With his racing style he will get eaten alive by Symmonds and Andrews and if he tries to sit and kick he will have no hard experience doing it.

Jock is setting himself up for failure. It would have been much wiser in this race to go out easy and get some experience of sitting and kicking. Instead Jock misses another chance. The time isn't so important it was winning and the way he should have won that was.

/quote]

This is absolutely wrong. It isn't like Jock almost got beat on a big kick, Martin was on his shoulder the whole way and ran a damn good race.

With somebody like Symmonds, going out crazy hard may actually be the best strategy. I believe he said in some interviews post-World that he doesn't handle a fast early pace or lots of surges very well (which is why Rudisha's 23.X opening 200 basically took him out of the race). I doubt that Jock can absolutely control a race like Rudisha but with his frontrunning style it wouldn't be a bad idea to give it a shot.

I agree that Jock should probably find a different running style, but I'm not sure his conference meet was the time to do it. In rounds at Daegu last year he tried hanging back in the pack and wasn't a factor in the race at all. If Jock was going to learn how to kick, he'd be better off trying it at some lower-key meets. He's definitely got the wheels for it, but timing/positioning take a while to learn how to do well.

Also, I think I read an interview with Jock last year where he said he actually prefers going out crazy-hard because it usually eliminates all but 1 or 2 other competitors whereas in a kicker's race just about anyone can win. Maybe not too applicable on the world stage, but you gotta admire his heart.

Andrews, Jock, Primm, and Martin are ready to take the lead M800 positions for the USA team for London 2012. One alternate is designated.

I predict the winning time at the trials to a 1:43 low or 1:42 high.

Symmonds'll go by Jock I'm sure, but I think Andrews is going to steal the show. Is KD still around? Lets not forget Wheating.

The Pre Classic 800 could be the best 800 field ever assembled if they want it to be!

new york guy wrote:

I predict the winning time at the trials to a 1:43 low or 1:42 high.

Symmonds'll go by Jock I'm sure, but I think Andrews is going to steal the show. Is KD still around? Lets not forget Wheating.

The Pre Classic 800 could be the best 800 field ever assembled if they want it to be!

I don't think they're going to put together a field that tops Zurich in 1997.

xxxxxx333333 wrote:

He was .02 ahead of Martin.

With his racing style he will get eaten alive by Symmonds and Andrews and if he tries to sit and kick he will have no hard experience doing it.

Jock is setting himself up for failure. It would have been much wiser in this race to go out easy and get some experience of sitting and kicking. Instead Jock misses another chance. The time isn't so important it was winning and the way he should have won that was.

He will have to be in phenomenal shape next month to withstand Symmonds and Andrews kicks considering both of their PR's are as good as or better than his.

4 weeks is a very short time to change your racing style, Jock might get another 2 shots to do so but that is dangerously little facing the competition he'll be up against.

Yeah, Jock really messed up by running fast and winning

Jock will be top 3 at Trials.

Jock's strategy gives him a low probability of winning The Trials but a high probability of making the team. It is the best fit for him.

It's a tossup who will be on the plane to London but I would expect Andrews, Jock, and Primm to be on it.

No one is ever guaranteed a spot on the Olympic team, especially this year with so much depth in the 800.

Jock's front running has gotten him 2 conference titles, 3 Cal-Nevada 800 championships, 2nd last year in conference, 2nd last year at the NCAA's, & 3rd at Nat.'s! I believe at either NCAA's or Nat.'s last year that he didn't front run in some of the heats and still qualified for the finals. Jock is still young and has been getting stronger every season. You haters need to stop hating.

Frontrunning doesn't work in the fifteen hundred or longer distances very often. It does work in the 800m and as Jock says a fast first lap (but not crazy: 50.5 for him was fine) weeds out the also rans. In this race, everyone else was six seconds back. Martin looked to me like he wasn't leaning forward quite as much as last year, indicating possibly a stronger core or more strength in general, and it wasn't clear from the video that Martin had lost to Jock: they finished together. It is pretty entertaining to have this Sudanese born athlete and this American Taliban looking runner with the huge beard go at each other four years in a row alternating victories every year. It would not surprise me at all if Jock goes high 1:43 this year.

Better race video.

http://youtu.be/ZHevFEVLx7Y

What were their splits in the 4x4?

It is true. You need more than one trick in your arsenal. He needs to learn to sit on people and to kick late when necessary.

You guys are stupid. He sat and kicked last year at NCAA semis and ran 1:45.77 and first round of USAs. He's no expert at it but if you watch those races looks like he knows what he's doing

It would be awesome to see a sub 144 or even sub 143 winnin time but j don't see all the guys running a pr and someone like symmonds (1:43.76) or jock (1:44.63) to be going

Under 1:43 or even 1:44 by the trials. It will

Be fast but I think it will be similar to last year, with maybe one person being under 1:44, that person being symonds. He is in shape and looking to run fast this year and already has run 1:44 flat.

Revival is NOW wrote:

Great to see the US distance program come alive for the 1st time in over 35 years. Jock, Andrews, Martin, Primm, Loxsom, Manzano, Hernandez, prove theat for the 1st time in most of our young lifetimes the USA is back. Go USA USA USA !

The USA has a distance program? Huh? What distance program?

Great times and hope they get better. Looking to see if they can do it again at the trials. Hi Earl, How are you doing? Miss you out here in Southern Calif. I still remember the days you came to the club and worked out with Joe. I was working out with Merle and I enjoyed watching you run. Do you think these kids can keep it up or get Johnnys record later on? I saw and hung out with Johnny at the UCLA-USC meet. I remember the times you and Johnny and Jeff West ran in those days. Hope everything is going okay with you because I enjoyed being around you after meeting you when you came out to run with the club. Take care IM

Earl I remember when Johnny would go out at around 49 all the time. What was your 400 split when you ran 1:43? I don't remember David Mack's time when he ran 1:43. I know they were fast. IM