All the Southern section guys are gonna blast 4:03s-4:06s to qualify from divisionals to masters (stupid system)
Masters will be won in a tactical 4:08 with a 55-56 last lap with everyone else going to the state meet off of the at-large
State prelim heats will be won with 4:10s and the final will be a tactical 4:08-4:10 with a 61 first lap, followed by a 68 second lap after no one wants to take the lead, a faster third lap after all the coaches shout at them to speed up, and then a 55ish last lap for the winner.
Part of the issue with the state meet is the crowded fields and the difficult 2 day prelim/final system. Its not easy to run a 4:10 and then come back the next day to run 4:02-4:04.
Also, it's been discussed too much already but the fact that we use waterfall for the 800 is insane. I don't care if we have to take less people from each division or have make the at-large 1:51 - bring back lane starts for the 800. #makethe800greatagain
Similar issues are observed in the 1600, especially in prelims. The announcer says it every year on day 1, but the first day is often more difficult than the second day. Making sure you qualify without expending too much energy is really difficult.
Sad but super true. Strongly agree with all your points here. SS needs to at least replicate what SJS does for their post season. That way kids don't need to run state-winning times a week before the actual state meet.
It's hard to figure out what else to do that's not the 2 day prelim/final system. My only other thought is have the prelims on Thursday instead of Friday so that athletes have a day break between each round. But that's far from ideal especially for athletes who need to travel far.
And yes. Please. No more waterfall 800s. It's disastrous almost EVERY time. You have kids trip, get shoved, fall and scrape their knees all the time. Who's bright idea was that anyway? CA wasn't always like that. They used to do waterfalls since the early 2010s. Can we go back?
Qualifying is so hard at the CA state meet and I wish it wasn't. It shouldn't take 1:52-1:53/4:10-4:12 to qualify for a HIGH SCHOOL state final. There is a big time need for section realignment and a postseason qualifying revamp
this is an issue everywhere.
Even on the national level.
In the past, in the California region, and now in the Southwest region, lots of good teams are left out of NXN because of the strength and depth of the region, and New York’s boys teams get last at NXN because it’s not a strong region.
I think d2 and d3 in track are gonna be stupidly fast for finals this year. D2 has 4:05 guys already like Noonan unironically. He makes every race dumbfoundedly fast at finals and d3 has the 2 jserra guys who went sub 4:10 mid season already and keep dropping consistent times like crazy and that one guy from cathedral who ran 4:12 early season in his first year. Masters is gonna be even faster. I think they’re gonna run 4:07 there 100%. This years state winner is gonna be won by a under dog this year and someone is gonna make a name for themselves. It’s all about who’s gonna have the fastest leg speed. Still a whole month of training, just depends who’s gonna train smarter. Cali is in a weird position for the 1600 this year.
Idk why, but part of me also feels like the state champ for the mile isn’t going to be a well-known name (or at least well known compared to guys like Kushen, Aydon, Cook, and Bouie).
Not just a weird position, qualifying will be extremely competitive- a slaughterhouse. As much as this is gonna sound crazy, there’s going to be the possibility that guys like Aydon, Cook, Bouie, Kushen, or Sagiraju won’t make it pass the prelims just because of how crazy competitive the 1600 is looking like with all of these sub 4:10s being dropped mid way through the season (im not doubting their abilities to qualify but there is going to a lot, and I mean A LOT of solid runners who are well under 4:10 competing for those spots from all walks of California- hell someone might come out of nowhere during the prelim like Miles Jones did last year. In the state meet, anything is possible).
Idk why, but part of me also feels like the state champ for the mile isn’t going to be a well-known name (or at least well known compared to guys like Kushen, Aydon, Cook, and Bouie).
Having coached a state runner up, I feel qualified to say this: the championship and the rounds leading up to it aren't really about who is the fastest person - it's all about last person standing. Usually 25-50% of the people ranked top 10 in the state in any event don't make state finals because of sickness, injury, or other unfortunate circumstances. This gives great opportunity for someone new to make a name for themselves - just using an example from last season, Keaton Robar in the 800.
Not just a weird position, qualifying will be extremely competitive- a slaughterhouse. As much as this is gonna sound crazy, there’s going to be the possibility that guys like Aydon, Cook, Bouie, Kushen, or Sagiraju won’t make it pass the prelims just because of how crazy competitive the 1600 is looking like with all of these sub 4:10s being dropped mid way through the season (im not doubting their abilities to qualify but there is going to a lot, and I mean A LOT of solid runners who are well under 4:10 competing for those spots from all walks of California- hell someone might come out of nowhere during the prelim like Miles Jones did last year. In the state meet, anything is possible).
The boys 800 and 1600 are in my opinion, easily the most brutal of the distance events at the state meet. In recent years the depth in both events in California has risen considerably. I've talked about this before but it's really, really hard to run 4:10-4:13 to make finals, and then come back the next day to win with a 4:04 or so. Much easier to let it go tactical and kick it in. Last year I bet on Fast Horse to win, with Dybdahl in as my dark horse because of his 800 speed, and I ended up being mostly correct.
The 800 is potentially worse. Over the past few years It's gone from requiring a low 1:54/high 1:53 to make finals, to taking something in the mid 1:52s. The 800 is quite fast in California this year, I wouldn't be shocked to see it take something in the 1:51s to make finals (which will decimate the at-large for future years, but whatever I guess).
the big question is who is going to race the 1600m, the 3200m, or try both this year.
On the girls side, Chiara Dailey has told some people she wants to double and run both. She's currently #1 in the state in the 3200 and finished 5th at State last year, and she finished 3rd in the state behind Sadie and Braelyn in the mile last year. Tough to do well in both events if she doubles, but that's a tough kid. Don't count her out for a second.
Does anyone know why a lot of top names did bad at Arcadia this weekend? Noonan ran way slower than his pr, so did the kid from Mira costa running 12 seconds slower! and both the Jserra boys ran ok. Same thing with cathedral Fabila, ran 4 seconds slower than their pr. Do the best talents run slow at Arcadia to save for the end of the season or is their something going on with their training? Injury? Health issues?
Does anyone know why a lot of top names did bad at Arcadia this weekend? Noonan ran way slower than his pr, so did the kid from Mira costa running 12 seconds slower! and both the Jserra boys ran ok. Same thing with cathedral Fabila, ran 4 seconds slower than their pr. Do the best talents run slow at Arcadia to save for the end of the season or is their something going on with their training? Injury? Health issues?
My guess is training. Technically we are only about half way through the season, so it's likely that many people are still in their toughest blocks of training right now, even with Arcadia.
Also, it was very hot. I would guess that there were some people unprepared for that.
Anyone know what's up with Morales? Scratched from the invite 800m. Such an incredible talent but it seems like he just can't stay healthy.
Obviously, this is a distance focused forum, but the sprints have never been more exciting. That 4x100 at Arcadia was far and away the most exciting 4x100 i've ever seen in person - and if you've been following these teams at all this season, you would understand why. The anticipation in the stadium was palpable, and it delivered big time. 40.00 is nuts, but 40.3, 40.4, and 40.8 right behind them was even crazier. Haven't had 4x100 strength or depth like this since the late 80s and late 90s.
3 of the four teams are lined up this weekend again at Mt. Sac. I'm gonna bet against Servite breaking 40 on Saturday, but I guess we'll see. I'm more interested in the 4x400 - Culver City (3:10), Servite (3:12), Central (3:13), Wilson (3:13), and Poly (3:14) are all up against each other. That's a potential 3:08-3:09 come masters and state finals.
Also, if you haven't seen a replay of the girls invitational 4x400 at Arcadia, I would highly recommend watching. The Herbst twins single-handedly dragged their team from last by 30 meters into a resounding second. Insane to see.
Does anyone know why a lot of top names did bad at Arcadia this weekend?
Also, it was very hot. I would guess that there were some people unprepared for that.
No, it wasn't "very hot". By the time the boys 3200 invitational started the sun had gone down and the temperature was down to 65. That's a little warmer than most years but certainly not "very hot".
Also, it was very hot. I would guess that there were some people unprepared for that.
No, it wasn't "very hot". By the time the boys 3200 invitational started the sun had gone down and the temperature was down to 65. That's a little warmer than most years but certainly not "very hot".
I was talking about during the day. Many of the runners in the open events underperformed.
Also, if you haven't seen a replay of the girls invitational 4x400 at Arcadia, I would highly recommend watching. The Herbst twins single-handedly dragged their team from last by 30 meters into a resounding second. Insane to see.
That was crazy. The Herbst twins were even running extra distance out in lanes 2 and 3 part of the time to get around everyone, and they still had the 2 fastest splits of the meet. Morgan 53.51 and Makenna 53.76.
Does anyone know why a lot of top names did bad at Arcadia this weekend? Noonan ran way slower than his pr, so did the kid from Mira costa running 12 seconds slower! and both the Jserra boys ran ok. Same thing with cathedral Fabila, ran 4 seconds slower than their pr. Do the best talents run slow at Arcadia to save for the end of the season or is their something going on with their training? Injury? Health issues?
My guess is training. Technically we are only about half way through the season, so it's likely that many people are still in their toughest blocks of training right now, even with Arcadia.
Also, it was very hot. I would guess that there were some people unprepared for that.
Anyone know what's up with Morales? Scratched from the invite 800m. Such an incredible talent but it seems like he just can't stay healthy.
Word is he's super fit. At start of Oregon Relays Mile the race was recalled because of a fall just 20 meters into race. The kid that fell spiked Morales' heel so badly he had a 2 inch gash and he was lucky as it was right next to his achilles. Even with bloodied heel, he still ran 4:18 full mile and then went to urgent care in Eugene to get stitched up. Apparently his stitches open up the morning of Arcadia (according to one of his teammates).
I can’t speak for other runners but I’m a friend of Omar from cathedral. Texted him after the race, and really it’s just been due to life circumstances, unlike most of the really good distance runners from cali, he comes from a tough area so a lot been going on around his place but he’s back to training at 100! And as for Alden I’ve heard that he’s injured but i don’t know how true that is, just heard through the grape vine.
My guess is training. Technically we are only about half way through the season, so it's likely that many people are still in their toughest blocks of training right now, even with Arcadia.
Also, it was very hot. I would guess that there were some people unprepared for that.
Anyone know what's up with Morales? Scratched from the invite 800m. Such an incredible talent but it seems like he just can't stay healthy.
Word is he's super fit. At start of Oregon Relays Mile the race was recalled because of a fall just 20 meters into race. The kid that fell spiked Morales' heel so badly he had a 2 inch gash and he was lucky as it was right next to his achilles. Even with bloodied heel, he still ran 4:18 full mile and then went to urgent care in Eugene to get stitched up. Apparently his stitches open up the morning of Arcadia (according to one of his teammates).
That could also be the reason he didn’t do the 4x800 to help JSerra win the 4x800