How good is Irene Riggs?

Yet….

They are not a top distance school and never will be

Might depend upon whether Brosnan gets the top distance athletes situated at altitude in Big Bear (in order to compete with the likes of NAU.)

You are right, I probably should have made a disclaimer, UCLA has just 'suddenly become relevant' with Brosnan there. I'm not a Brosnan fan, but I think y'all will be surprised how well they do next fall in xc.

They were not God awful this year. There was a solid pack of 6-7 ladies all running 1 minute too slow, but 1 or 2 of these may improve.

So here's the new team.

1 Barnett, 2 McDonnell (fixed), 3 grad transfer???, pack runner 1, pack runner 2

anyway, I think the sales pitch of joining an up and coming rebuild, academics and LA is pretty appealing now.

Nonetheless, I understand where you are coming from, with Parker Valby benefitting from the heat and humidity training in Florida, and the quite hot conditions in the last Olympic Trials taking a toll on Monson. But humans more quickly adapt to heat stress than to hypoxia, so short-term acclimation (e.g., running in-doors on a treadmill in layers, in a heated room) can help prepare altitude situated athletes for those upcoming races conducted in hot humid conditions. (Walmsley, situated in Flagstaff, had some ideas for this in prep for Western States.)

You disappoint me my friend, like an old man sending soup back at a Deli.

I’ll give you a thumbs up for that one, friend. 👍

Definitely wasn’t a hills pays the bills course!

I believe Riggs will run sub 9:45 and close to 4:30. …She will be an all time great before she’s done….bet the mortgage.

1. 2 weeks in Big Bear will do more harm than good.

2. Where are all the Sherpa greats?

3. Where are all the Bogota greats?

4. Where are all the Mexico City greats? Population equal to Flag.

5. Mo Gammoudi stopped training at Font Romeu after 1968 Olympics because it wasn't necessary anymore.

6. Flag runners can't adapt to thicker sea level air.

7. Altitude was the perfect storm of a high altitude Olympics AND the already emerging East Africa.

Two weeks? You are behind the times, my friend. As an example, four of the top six women in the latest US cross-country championships live at altitude.

Thanks for bringing attention to her abilities. I haven't seen any of her performances but due to this thread. I'm looking forward to seeing her talent and race videos. Sounds like another star is up and coming.

Yes, yes, and this fact pains the tuohy-ites that have infested this board. Their little (self-created) media darling is now not getting all of the attention. It won’t be long after Riggs starts kicking the tail of their little Darth-Vader that they will plaster the forum accusing her of doping.

Having watched that race, "dominates" seems like a fair descriptor.