am roast - I think you make great points. Really, in most contexts age is not that important, but at the high school level authenticating age is really significant.
And the high schools are constrained in that they have to keep the age rules uniform across all sports.
My guess is that this fellow is indeed suspect. And while I don't think that should be held against him, he really needs to verify his age to compete in high school. Just the way it is.
Man this kid is talented. He was out for a month with a stress facture and right back and give one of the Rosa twins a run for their money!
I found an interesting lengthy interview with the kid and wanted to share:
.......
EDWARD CHESEREK, Sophomore, 5-6, 130
ST. BENEDICT'S PREP
THE STATS: Cheserek, who moved to the U.S. from Kenya in July, won the Championship race at the Brown Invitational last Saturday in 15:00.8, No. 2 in course history at Goddard Park in Rhode Island. Cheserek just missed the course record of 15:00.5 set in 2004 by Cory Thorne of New Hampshire.
DID YOU KNOW: Cheserek moved to the U.S. from Kenya in July. He's being sponsored to attend St. Benedict's Prep by a Kenyan orphanage. Cheserek suffered a stress fracture in August that kept him out for about a month. In his first race ever in the U.S., Cheserek ran 15:24.2 to win the National Independent Schools Championship.
REACTION TO YOUR PERFORMANCE AT BROWN: ``I was really happy with my race on Saturday. But the time wasn’t necessarily that fast. I was happy with the way I ran the last mile (4:46) . I just felt strong all the way through and missed the course record by a fraction of a second.''
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE NO. 2 IN COURSE HISTORY: ``I felt good about being in the same group as many great runners who ran fast times there in the past (for example, Olympian Lopez Lomong).
DID YOU KNOW THE COURSE RECORD: ``I knew the course record was set in 2004 in a time of 15:00.5 and I came in second in course history at 15:00.8. I was trying to break the record, but the weather was cold and I missed it.''
ARE YOU SURPRISED BY THE SUCCESS YOU ARE HAVING? ``Yes, because I thought the injury and the lack of training would keep me from running fast.''
YOU ALWAYS GET OUT TO A FAST START AND PUSH THE PACE. IS THIS HOW YOU'VE ALWAYS RUN? ``I became used to that, running fast. At the same time, it depends upon the competition. As I get more experience I will get more used to how the competitor runs.''
BIGGEST ADJUSTMENTS SINCE ARRIVING TO THE US FROM KENYA? ``The biggest difference running in the US is good for me because we have a lot of races weekly, but in Kenya we just run big races twice a year. And that there is a lot of strong competition every week in the US. In high school in Kenya there is not so much competition every week---only in the big national races twice a year. The thing I like most about living in the US is that I have a nice place to live, not like in Kenya, and there is not cattle rustling like in Kenya. ''
WHEN DID YOU START RUNNING? ``I started running seriously when I was in the eighth grade in 2008, at the age of 14 years. Also I got started in the sport of running because I like running when I am going to school every morning, and it is my favorite sport.''
SUMMER TRAINING: ``I had a good base of running about 70 miles a week with my teammates and other guys and we had a lot of hills like Holmdel Park and other different places.
GREATEST STRENGTH: ``My greatest strength as a runner is that I feel comfortable with longer distances than five kilometers. I can do it because I’m a longer distance runner, like 10-K.''
BIGGEST GOALS: ``My biggest goal is to run at Nationals (NXN) and to continue winning Championships. I also want to help my team to win major Championships (Essex County and State Preps).''
NEXT RACE: ``The Essex County Championships on Friday, October 29th.''
BREAKTHROUGH: ``There was not a single breakthrough race, in particular, but I realized last year running in Kenya that I was a good runner.''
GREATEST MOMENT: ``The greatest moment in my running career so far was in winning the National Independent Schools Championship race in cross-country and finishing second as a team. The guys on the team with me are all my best friends. What I felt like that day was to make more great moments like that for our team.''
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT RUNNING: ``The thing that I like most about running is that I know exactly what I have to do to improve or to beat someone.
FAVORITE FOOD: ``If I have to choose one thing it would be pancakes.
FAVORITE RUNNERS: Kenyan stars David Rudisha, Moses Kiptanui, Evans Rutto and Peter Rono.
SUPER POWER: ``I would like to be super power intelligent, because I wouldn’t have to work so hard in school.''
IN 10 YEARS: ``I hope to still be running competitively and hoping that I can work with a power sports company doing accounting or marketing.
NIKE OR FOOT LOCKER NATIONALS: Nike (NXN) because of better competition.
Edward Cheserek seems like a very intelligent young man and very knowledgable in regards to running and his goals. The fact that he was able to run so impressively against Jim Rosa a week after coming off a month log layoff implies great things will come later this year. How Cheserek the following week dispatched Elkaim who was a 8:46 2 miler last year was scary.
Its not surprising that Cheserek stated he is much better at longer distances like 10000m. I wouldn't be surprised he breaks the 10000m High School Record if he can remain healthy for his next 2 years in High School.
road rashed wrote:
no 16 year old has that kind of definition and strength. awesome. looks like we got a james hogue situation in the works
Not all 16 year olds look like Emo Phillips. I had that kind of leg muscle definition as a 16 year old. LOTS of runners I knew in high school did. He may or may not be 16 (I say he is), but that photo is no evidence that he's not.
People that think they can tell how old someone is from a picture are the same people that ask fat women whether they are having a boy or a girl.
just another case of false birth records. Old news. Glad Rosa crushed 'em.
Rosa didn't crush him in fact Rosa finished winded and extremely fatigued and that's from competing against Edward Cheserek who had MISSED A FULL MONTH of training. Despite the victory Jim Rosa should be quite fearly of a healthy Cheserek because that victory maybe the only one he ever gets against Cheserek.
No doubt if Edward Cheserek stays healthy in the next two years he will have the following high school records.
2 miles........8:30.9
5000m.........13:32.8
10000m........27:55.4
Anyone remember this post from last year regarding how old the Rosa twins looked...hmmmm seems they're in the same boat as Cheserek. You can't always go by how someone looks in regards to their exact age. What you can judge is how good they perform and soon the high school world will see just how good is Edward Cheserek
I cant see RE: New Jersey Twins Joe & Jim Rosa 11/22/2009 1:58PM - in reply to realage
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Here's a picture if Rosa as a high school SOPHOMORE. He sure doesn't look like a typical sophomore to me. He looks more like a college sophomore, or even older.
I'm not ready to crown Edward Cheserek the greatest of all high school runners just yet. I will admit he has raised alot of eyebrows with his first 3 meet performances after only being in the U.S two and half months.
My vote is out at least til NXN when hopefully all the nations top runners arrive healthy and National Outdoors.
This kid just broke a 22 year old record by over 10 seconds and his 3rd course record in a row. He took a month off do to injury when he narrowly lost to James Rosa; however, since then he's been untouchable. They might as well stay home and crown him champion regardless if he runs Footlocker or the National X meet.
http://www.nj.com/hssports/blog/boyscrosscountry/index.ssf/2010/11/njctc_championships.html
Classic!
"The thing I like most about living in the US is that I have a nice place to live, not like in Kenya, and there is not cattle rustling like in Kenya. ''
Three course records in 9 days is amazing but why in the heck is the coach running the kid so much over such a short period of time. He's only been in the U.S 3 months and of those he was injuried one whole month, so what is the coach trying to do run into top shape or run him into the ground?
That is just insane even if the kid isn't in top shape, it's no reason run 3 cross country races in 9 days. If Cheserek stay at that school he'll be burnt out and injury plagued before his senior.
Edward Cheserek PLANS ON BECOMING A U.S. CITIZEN! I knew it was just a matter of time and I think in the next year we will hear about AT LEAST one male collegiate Kenyan out of SEC and 2 of the females from Texas Tech planning on becoming U.S citizens.
In the next 5-6 years the USA could have as many as 4 Kenyans on it's national team.
Sally Kipyego
Sam Chelanga
Robert Cheseret
Edward Cheserek
and who knows how many more are already planning to obtain U.S citizenship. The U.S trials may eventually become equally as tough as making the Kenyan trials in middle and long distance events.
My goodness this young men has great range at such a young age. The high school indoor season is still young but he has already posted impressive times
indoor 2011
800m.....1:53.5 (lead all high schoolers)
1500m...3:58.14 (lead all high schoolers)
Mile.....4:12.8 (lead all high schoolers)
The top Americans are better then these soon to be African/American's though.
12:55, 12:56, 12:58, 13:10
26:59 and more then 1 below 27:20
several at 3:32 or faster
If Bekele or Kiprop or some of the top top guys became American citizens, you would have point.
But our American guys and women compete with the top Africans. We just don't have the depth that they do.
I don't know why people refuse to acknowledge that America AT THE TOP, is one of the best running countries in the world. Our best are in the race with every other country's best. Our 5th best through however deep you want to go, however, are not NEARLY at the same level.
HUNKY wrote:
... Our best are in the race with every other country's best (after you remove Ethiopia and Kenya from the list)...
Corrected.
