I just posted this following post on another thread, but it applies here, too, with a slight modification. Florida lost points in other places where they could have scored. Read below if you like
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If Christian Taylor could have run the 4x4, that would have helped UF a lot I think. He was still competing in the LJ when the 4x4 ran and the third leg was run by Preston Wilson.
http://gatorzone.com/story.php?id=18332
Preston Wilson, all-american, 4x400 relay
also:
That leg really did lose a good bit of ground to the leaders in the 4x4. But such is life. The LJ should not have run long, but I've never EVER been to a track meet where every event runs exactly on-time. Such is life. UF lost points in other areas, too:
Tony McQuay ran way off his best int he heats (46.50) to not qualify for the finals. He atoned somewhat in the 4x4 with that monster 2nd leg he always runs. But he could have been in the final if he'd run his best. Just making the final is a point.
IMHO Calvin Smith did not run up to his stellar potential in the 400 final. I don't know if he would have beat Kirani James, but Smith was an Olympian, I've watched him go sub-45 in person on a rainy track, and he's capable of better than 4th - again IMHO. He also atoned in the 4x4 with a reported sub-44 split on the anchor to almost catch Tate from MSU.
Terrell Wilks got screwed in the 100. 10.33 with a +0.2 and he's first out of the final with a 10.24+2.6 and a 10.30 +2.2 getting in ahead of him on TIME qualifying. It's a bullshit system, but it's the one that was in place. Even making the final and finishing is a point. Such is life.
Not a single word I typed above is a personal criticism of any of those young men. They all competed hard and represented their universities well. 2nd place is nothing to scoff at; indeed, it is to be celebrated!
As an exercise, let's consider where A&M lost points in places too - the 200 where everyone thought Mitchell was a lock, the 400 where Pinder and Henry could have run much better, the long jump with no scores, and let's not forget the 4x100 disaster. That's a LOT of points lost on the day by A&M where they were expecting them. And they still won the meet.
Things happen at track meets where points are lost or gained here and there. Not everyone runs up to their best every time out - we all know this. Nationals has a tendency to magnify failures AND breakthroughs. Texas A&M was a little bit better in this competition the way it played out. No whining from this Gator. congrats to the Aggies.
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The point is: UF underperformed in some areas. Tx A&M underperformed in some areas too (perhaps even worse with that DNF in the 4x100). Yet Tx A&M still won the meet. If there was some gross mis-measurement of the shot, then that really sucks for all the athletes involved. But to pin the team race on one suspect call or outcome is missing the big picture.