i think most people get it. she is an awesome runner, and this takes nothing from that. but it makes her high school records less impressive.
this is why the rest of the world goes by age group records.
Or one could argue as a female it makes her HS records MORE impressive. I think it makes her pro prospects more likely. The later you are improving the better your prospects are for all runners, particularly females.
Not sure what her path was, but it is increasingly more and more common for parents to start their kids later than they would have 20 years ago. They do it for many reasons:
1) Flat out to give them an advantage academically and/or athletically, or at least to start out ahead of the others.
2) If they believe their kid is behind the curve academically.
3) If they believe their kid is behind the curve socially.
4) If their kid is behind the curve physically in some way...not as tall, has bathroom issues, has speech issues, etc.
I have no idea what Natalie Cook was like when she started kindergarten, but I've talked to her and now she is certainly very smart and very social.
It's possible she either started school a year late, or was held back a year, because of a medical reason. But that isn't any of our business.
Per this link, it is much, much, much more common to have to be 5 by 9/1 in order to start kindergarten. So those students born Sep-Oct would turn 18 in 12th grade.
Ok. Yes it is a low blow. But do we really need to hear another rendition of the myth of the late blooming US woman pro distance runner? I mean, sure. :)
The other side of this is that Tuohy was far more experienced at 17 than Natalie at 18.
There are no "experience" records
I wasn't addressing records, but this part of your comment:
"i think most people get it. she is an awesome runner, and this takes nothing from that. but it makes her high school records less impressive."
If you were a D1 coach or pro agent, her career trajectory and "running age" is something you would deeply consider. A year ago, her 3200 PR was 10:24 (stagnated from from 9th grade). This year she goes through two miles in 9:55 on her way to 15:25. That is, for most objective observers, very impressive. That is a very different trajectory than Tuohy, who was running 9:42 for 3000 in 8th grade.
A year ago she finished 5th in her regional at the age of a typical high school senior and had never shown the slightest elite ability despite being pretty well raced. Then suddenly she turned 18 before her senior year and started running on an elite national level. Keep the faith I guess.
A year ago she finished 5th in her regional at the age of a typical high school senior and had never shown the slightest elite ability despite being pretty well raced. Then suddenly she turned 18 before her senior year and started running on an elite national level. Keep the faith I guess.
Actually 10:24 in 2019 was one of, if not the, fastest 9th grade time nationally, a premonition of her elite potential before stalling out with the injury bug until last Fall.
My son will graduate HS at 19. We started middle school late - health issues and covid closures. Don't make this a weird thing. After covid a lot of kids are either repeating a lost grade or starting late. Also, add that to the long list of gap year kids/ PG year kids and they will all be just fine in athletics and college. It's the new normal.
In Texas, everyone redshirts their kids in pre-K 4 to start kinder when they are a year older than they should be. It is done to give their kids a boost in athletics and college scholarships.
While I have no specific info on Cook, but her parents were Div I runners at TAMU. Her mom ran the US trials for 5k and 10k on the track. Her dad is her coach.
Cook's HS, Flower Mound, which is in the north Dallas burbs, is huge. The school has over 3,500 students. Parents who have kids in these huge districts know that there kid is going to have to be a near national quality athlete to be able to participate in varsity sports. And it is even worse in sports crazy Texas where parents spend five figures on elite teams, coaching and training to get kids spots on baseball, volleyball, etc. So, a red shirt for kindergarten is almost a pre-requisite if you want your kid to be in HS sports.
+1.
I live in North Texas. This is very common. Alot of parents believe their kids aren’t ready for K or they have a late spring or summer bday. I have two in elementary and about 50% of their classmates started school a year later. I have one starting K in the fall and we keep getting the “why aren’t you redshirting question?” Regardless, Cook is a great talent. I am hopeful she is going to have a great collegiate career and perhaps beyond.
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