2010 SoCon Cross Country

UNCG's top 5 average:

@ Elon 24:45

@ UVA 24:51

First race of the season should have slower times... but for UNCG, it was actually the fastest they've ran as a team. Kirwa won Socon 2 years ago at Elon in 25:00. Granted they went out at a pedestrian pace, but Elon isn't nearly as fast as McAlpine.

Now compare Liberty's top 5 runners from the UVA meet who also ran at McAlpine two weeks ago (McAlpine times from 2 weeks ago in parenthesis):

Ricksecker 25:08 (24:41) 27 secs slower

Edmonds 25:10 (25:13) -3 secs faster

MacDonald 25:40 (24:45) 55 secs slower

Reeves 26:07 (25:32) 35 secs slower

Wendland 26:20 (25:55) 25

avg: 27-28 seconds slower at Panorma Farms

Davidson ran at McAlpine this weekend, and my basic point was that there times might look a little better simply because of the course. They're still a great team with a good shot at winning Socon - but their #5 isn't going to beat UNCG's #5 by 20 places. Maybe 7-12 points.. I will say College of Charleston is arguably the fastest course anyone will see all season, so maybe running on fast courses will be to Davidson's advantage.

Top 10 at Conf.

1.Chelimo-b/c he destroys

2.Thompson-b/c this dude likes 2nd for some reason

3.Hopkins-b/c how hard is it to outkick Kattam

4.Kattam-b/c he's kenyan

5.Gilmer-b/c his calf's could crush a small child

6.Berry-b/c he's almost good

7.Pagonis-b/c he will live in Hopkin's shadow

8.Kemboi-b/c he too is shockingly Kenyan

9.Vargas-b/c he's the only decent freshman the socon has

10.Random Wofford Guy-b/c I feel bad for them

No App guys because they suck and the Socon hates those arrogant Aryans

You're freaking retarded. Wofford's guy should at least be top 5

Don'tListenToMe wrote:

Top 10 at Conf.

1.Chelimo-b/c he destroys

2.Thompson-b/c this dude likes 2nd for some reason

3.Hopkins-b/c how hard is it to outkick Kattam

4.Kattam-b/c he's kenyan

5.Gilmer-b/c his calf's could crush a small child

6.Berry-b/c he's almost good

7.Pagonis-b/c he will live in Hopkin's shadow

8.Kemboi-b/c he too is shockingly Kenyan

9.Vargas-b/c he's the only decent freshman the socon has

10.Random Wofford Guy-b/c I feel bad for them

No App guys because they suck and the Socon hates those arrogant Aryans

Vargas? Top ten, seriously?

If anything I'd go with App's Chris Garrett for top frosh in the socon to be honest. Unless Vargas miraculously learned how to race without throwing elbows and cutting off everyone...

Pretty sure Katam is a frosh in xc. Think he's got top frosh honors locked up.

Katam is a freshman? Yea...

He is a freshman regardless of whatever you are trying to insinuate. He ran track last year but not xc, so he's a freshman in xc. As for Garrett, he's probably the 10th best freshman in the conference. Who cares if Vargas throws elbows and cuts people off, he's still faster than Garrett.

Name 9 better. My bet is that he wins Freshman of the Year.

Chris Garrett hasn't broke 26:20 for someone who runs 15:20...that's pretty aweful. The SoCon brought in way slower freshman than that last year and there were 6 or 7 that broke 26min...

From the socon performance list:

Paul Katam uncg

Luis Vargas elon

Stuart Graham furman

Henry Falotico davidson

Tripp Hurt furman

Whitner Chase davidson

Travis Alfaro western

Adam Seften charleston

Ari Rothschild elon

Jacob Englert western

All 10 of those guys have run faster than Garret. There is also Sean Magee who I left off because he is a redshirt freshman. I think he ran a couple races last year but got hurt. Actually, when I said 10 the first time it was just a number I threw out there. Looks like it was right on though.

Predictions:

1. Chelimo

2. Thompson (more speed than hopkins)

3. Hopkins

4. Katam

5. Berry

6. Patagonia

7. Cotter

8. Taylor

9. Filmer

10. Random dude from other school.

Anyone notice how App doesn't have a single guy on the performance list? Whens the last time that happened?

Funny how before Chelimo showed up everyone thought Katam would win conference. Now everyone's predicting him to get like 4th or so. Dude almost made nattys in the 10k.

1. Chelimo - Probably best Socon runner ever. EVAH!

2. Katam - Kenyan's stick together

3. Hopkins - Fastest white boy

4. Thompson - Couldn't let UNCG go 1-2-3

5. Pagonis - Movin' up in the world

6. Berry - 10k champ at 6th!?

7. Gilmer - Not Filmer...

8. Kemboi - Moar kenyan power

9. Cotter - couldn't think of stupid comment

10. FREE SPACE - Who's it gonna be?

UNCG - big win

Davidson - big second

Chatt - a ways off

Furman - near chatt

Appy - damn, what happened?

6th place and beyond...who cares

Only one week until App's streak comes to an end!!! It's so exciting!!!

Ok, so if App loses... I expect everyone to be under their best behavior. I'm sure they will be pissed but knowing Curcio, he will tell them to be respectful to the others.

So no playing to the crowd ala phil mitchell? No dancing across the finish line ala whateverhisname desta? Keep it classy like appy?

Neither of those runners ever did that.

It doesn't look like App is going to win; but then again, it hasn't looked that way for several weeks now. They have a great program and they put together a solid run as team champions. With that said, I agree with the statement that people shouldn't celebrate App's loss on a public forum next week. Quite frankly, it's just not a big deal. Yeah yeah... they have been de-throned; but it wasn't done while they were on their A-game. If anything, I would like to see their team 100% healthy next week and put up a fight to hold onto their title. Now that would be news. All the hating all year about how bad they are and BOOM... something to talk about. Watching them go down in this manner isn't that fun. It's old news now. I drank a beer to it with some former teammates six weeks ago.

What should be celebrated is the fact that for the first time in a long time the SoCon is a legit cross country conference. As a conference the SoCon has produced several notable runners. However, this year the SoCon has a chance at sending multiple athletes to NCAA's. THIS is something to be proud of; and as an alumni of the SoCon, it is something that I have been looking forward to for quite some time.

The South Region looks weaker than usual this year (in my opinion it is the weakest region, but my oppinion doesn't mean anything). Last year Kirwa made nationals from that region and this year it is just as likely that Berry will do the same. He is a tough veteran runner and has put up both solid track and xc times in his career. If he can fight off the Alabama and Auburn front runners he has a good shot. Also, we are talking about Chatt being 4th in the SoCon, but it was never mentioned that three weeks ago they were ranked 4th in their region. That's big time fellas. I can not remember how many times I have looked on this board and seen them ranked 5th in the Socon here, but still find a way to finish 2nd due to some freshman pr'ing by 1:30. I know I am leaving out their tendency to not have a 6th man and crash and burn, but that defeat my point of writing this ridicously long post. So I wouldn't count Chatt out of it, because apparently the USTFCCCA disagrees with the experts on this message board. Smilely Face

As for the two teams sitting at the top of the conferene... Holy sh*t right? I mean come on, has the SoCon ever had two full teams run these times before? Davidson has nine guys under 25:30. My freshman year of cross no one broke 25:30 at the SoCon Championships... which where coincidently at Davidson.

Chelimo is receiving national recognition from multiple internet sources. I don't know if it is due to his teammates acting as hype men or if it due to the fact that he won Paul Short by nearly 20 seconds. No matter what the conditions or how fast that course is r was tha day, that performance is impressive. And don’t hate on the quality of competition there, because he stomped the OU runners there and their performance at Paul Short had them ranked second in the nation... Despite getting handled by little known Chelimo.

But it is not just Chelimo that is killing it, it is the entire UNCG team. UNCG has three guys that have been running sub 24 all year and one runner who is right within striking distance of the mark. This is not to mention the fact that they have Koech running as their 5th. Two years ago he finished runner up at SoCon behind Kirwa (who won three years in a row). Last year he finished 5th and almost qualified for nationals. I don't know if he is injured or out of shape, but he is still a sub 24:30 guy and if he can find a way to get it together, then UNCG may get an at large bid to NCAA's. (Insert I'm out of my mind comments here). But think about it, Chelimo is the favorite to win the region. Some say nation. Katam qualified for nationals in the 10k last year and has been running fast times all year. Thompson gets "three cheers" from me for being such a great all around runner. Only guy (haven't seen Chelimo run track) from the Socon that has a fighting chance to win every event from the 800-10K. Not to mention he runs low 24's. So if Koech gets back on board they have a team of possibly five runners who can run under 25 minutes with that is being led by one of the top runners in the country. If Chelimo wins the region its almost like UNCG only has to score four runners. It never quite worked for Liberty with McDougal and Chelenga, but it was a real possibility then and it is just as real now.

And Davidson looks jut as good as them. What they are doing over there in Charlotte is pretty special. They also have three guys under 25. But even better for them is that they have nine guys under 25:30!!!I don't know what they are putting in the water, but it seems to be working. It's a beautiful example of athletes buying into and trusting the system.

Hopkins has always been a great athlete, but he has really come into his own this year. His performance at Louisville was simply remarkable. Top three at a top notch meet and breaking 24 minutes... Who else has done that in the last 10 years other the Chelimo (which enforces my point that this is a special year)? He has consistently ran in the low 24's all year. Not many past or present SoCon runners have done that. Pagonis is also having a terrific season. Running 24:19 is crazy fast and he broke up FSU's pack (Hopkins finished second that meet; beating all the FSU guys). FSU has been traveling pretty much that same team all year, (with the exception of their #1) and the week after the Clemson race FSU was ranked 9th in the nation. Davidson is extremely deep and that will help them tremendously at conference. Hopkins gives Davidson something that App never had, a legit front runner. Given that he has held his own against some of the top competition in the country this year, I would not be surprised at all if he finished top 10 at regional’s and individually qualified for nationals. Also, in having that quality front runner, Davidson the same chance to qualify for nationals that UNCG does. I don't know if Hopkins is as good as Chelimo, but that's not saying that a top 10 region performance is anything the shake a stick at. I don't believe that both teams will make it. I'm not overly confiden that one will make it. But I do believe that one of them could sneak into the spotlight and steal a spot at the big dance.

I really don't mean to go on like this. It's part of my dull profession to ramble and write. I know it is a lot to digest and I understand that practically no one will take the time to read the entire thing. However, I do feel quite strong about this and I wish the current athletes saw what I see.

If you look at all the previous SoCon message boards, including this one, you will see numerous occasions in which someone random logs in and mentions the "slow-con." It's not a big deal and most people don't take notice to it, but it is a real fact that SoCon sports (all of them) are not "BCS" sports. I knew that when I decided to run in the SoCon and I still know it now. But I must say, it is exciting to see SoCon athletes compete with the big boys.

I didn't go to App but I was jumping up and down cheering for them during the 4th quarter when they beat Michigan. I didn't go to Davidson, but I watched every tournament game in 2008 when they lost in the Elite 8 to Kansas by only two points. Kansas went on to win the national championship that year. I believe in competition and I believe in rivalries. But in the grand scheme of things, I also believe it makes all of us look good when one of us succeeds. This is why I think we should relish what is going on.

Right now the conference, as a whole, looks better than I can ever remember seeing it. Right now the SoCon has the potential to send a team and several individuals to nationals. There is a chance for one athlete to claim a national title and several others to be named all-americans. It's exciting; and call me old school, but to get back to my original point, I think people should be cheering on the fact that the SoCon is doing so well and not focusing on the fact that App isn't. Nothing lasts forever. Everyone knew App would evenually lose. That is not news. But the way everyone in the conference has been running is news. So maybe... just maybe... when it is all said and done, and there is a new team champion named, and multiple meet records are broken, we all don't focus on "how bad App did," but focus on regional’s...?

Once again, I am sorry for writing all of this. It is a bad habbit that I am desperately trying to break. So... let the ridiculing of this post begin! Stephen Hammond is still fat. Good luck this weekend everyone. And GO CATS!

Sorry long poster; there is NOT a single SoCon program dreaming of making the NCAA Championships as a team on the men's side.

You must not understand how qualifying works.

Top two teams from each of the seven regions qualify and then thirteen teams are selected by the NCAA T&F Subcommittee the Sunday after regional’s. The committee’s selection is based on the teams' performances throughout the year at important meets (example: pre-nats or Paul Short), regional finish, wins against teams already qualified... yada yada yada. The at large bids are sbjective... yada yada yada...

Nope, no idea of how it works...

Also my personal favorite part of the selection rules is that the committee is allowed to take into consideration the TEAM'S INDIVIDUAL RUNNERS, AND THE COMITTEE IS ALLOWDED TO GIVE ADVANTAGE TO TEAMS WHOSE INDIVIDUAL IS MOST LIKELY TO SCORE HIGH AT THE MEET. For example, Chelimo might just win NCAA's this year and the selection committee is allowed to take that into consideration during the selection process. That would dramatically affect his team's score and make UNCG more competitive at the national meet than a similarly situated team lacking a front runner. As I stated in my previous post, scoring changes when you only have to score four athletes.

I find it funny that after a post that long and that detailed, you picked out the smallest and most insignificant portion of the post to comment on, while completely missing the point of the post - please play nice and support your fellow competitors that are doing well.