That is fair. I would personally say Salazar, but Powell and Sanchez have faster 2 mile PBs from high school from that amazing race. Me mentioning Sanchez is more of a joke knocking Powell for that loss.
Anyways we can settle on Salazar. Someone mentioned Jon Riley who was a great talent but I don't put him on that same level. He is a slightly better Chris Barnicle.
I really can't decide between Shalane and Lynn Jennings. If I had to choose I would say Jennings.
Another WV great for your consideration....
Jacob Burcham
HS PRs- 1:54.01, 4:01.32, 8:57.8, 14:58.04 (XC)
12 time State Champion, National Champion- Mile (as jr.), 7th place finish World Youth Championship
Fox's HS resume was very impressive as well with an 8:57 (2m), 14:21 (5K track) and 30:30 for 10k. But I would give the nod to Burcham based on his vicinity to a 4:00 mile and his State championships, national honors and place on the international level.
sebcoe7 wrote:
Alaska - Don Clary. Trevor Dunbar was good but Don Clary was better. Placed 5th in World Junior XC as HS senior.
I had thought about Clary but 9:05 compared to 8:49. Hard to compare eras. The 5th at WJ XC is outstanding though.
Forgot to mention Doug Herron. 1:49.2.
If based on HS accomplishments I'd say Mary Cain was a lock for NY but overall career Molly Huddle for sure.
RockfordsFinest wrote:
Michigan - Ritz
"Best" is too subjective. You want titles or you want times? Ryan Shay won more state titles ...
Who on the women's side?
Geena Gall?
Sharon Van Tuyl?
Megan Goethals?
XCavhs wrote:
Ct- overall I would say Alex Ostberg, 8:43, 14:16 but there have been some other greats. Conards Ahmed Haji was 8th at footlockers as a junior and he kind of paved the way for CT guys. Ran first sub-9 2 mile on CT soil at a small little meet. Donn Cabral also and a few other guys should be considered.
Girls- Meghan Kelly or Hannah Debalsi.
On the women's side there have been a few better than Debalsi or Kelly.
You can start with Hopp, Meuller, and Merrill. Leslie Nixon must be up there as well. That's not to take anything away from DeBalsi who has had an excellent career.
For the men, it is hard to look past Jerome Young although Osterberg would be close.
In North Carolina for women it would be any 1 of 2 pair of sisters,
Mary or Julie Shea
or
Wesley or Ryen Frazier
If you are talking HS only.
Then Ari Lambie is the best HS girl from Mass. ran 2:45.46 (HS record) ran 4:37.23 and 10.11.9 (2nd place was 13:00). Along with a Footlocker Northeast title and a 2:08.33 (indoors) and a 2:06.2 relay split.
XCavhs wrote:
Ct- overall I would say Alex Ostberg, 8:43, 14:16 but there have been some other greats. Conards Ahmed Haji was 8th at footlockers as a junior and he kind of paved the way for CT guys. Ran first sub-9 2 mile on CT soil at a small little meet. Donn Cabral also and a few other guys should be considered.
Girls- Meghan Kelly or Hannah Debalsi.
On the girls side in CT, it's Liz Mueller, hands down. 1991 Foot Locker (Kinney) National Champ.
NY might be 2 people that didn't run for their own HS
Josh McDougal
Mary Cain
You also have Matt Centro Sr., John Gregorek, Miles Irish, Mike Stahr. Lopez Lomong and Chad Noelle get HM for post HS performaces.
On the women's side, Aisling Cuffe would have been a shoe in if it wasn't for Mary Cain. Also Molly Huddle and Nicole Blood had great HS careers.
IL RUNNER wrote:
The Overexplainer wrote:There was a guy from Lancaster named John Zishka. He ran 4:03y (for 1st at Golden West - nobody knows what this is)
The former national meet out in California. A guy from my high school won it back in the mid 80s for 800m!
Cool. Now two of us know what it is. Golden West and the Keebler Invitational were the NBN and Brooks Meets of my day.
NJ has a few options... Edward Cheserek (not unbeatable in HS but ran fast and won 2 FL championships. Marty Liquori 3rd American HSer to break 4. Robby Andrews set 2 national records (800i, 1000i), was the first American boy under 1:50 indoors and had PRs of 1:48 and 4:03.
The Overexplainer wrote:
br0ski wrote:Massachusetts:
Shalane Flanagan or Lynn Jennings
Alberto Salazar or Andy Powell (or Franklyn Sanchez)
Salazar's accomplishments were far beyond Powell's or Sanchez's. Some of Salazar's records were still intact indoors and out until 23-yr-old Cheserek broke some of them.
Salazar ran before the internet, so we all know less about him than those other two, but he ran 8:56y and 14:03, 14:05, 14:07 as a senior. He ran more races as a senior than Rupp has in the last 10 years.
Art Dulong likely had a better HS career than those other two.
Some MA old-timer may be able to weigh in on this better than me.
I think Thomas Ratcliffe is making a big name for himself. Jonathan Green should be up there (I think he is the only athlete who could have taken down Powell's course record.) Omar Abdi, Mark Coogan (not sure what he did in high school but I know post collegiately he did well), Victor Gras ran a 4:05 as a senior at the state meet, Abdirizak Mohamud won Foot Locker twice, I know Josh Lampron ran 4:02 and came close to Powell's mile record, and if you want to count Garrett O'Toole he went 4:01 and 8:53 for Middlesex.
Cygne4tax wrote:
sebcoe7 wrote:Alaska - Don Clary. Trevor Dunbar was good but Don Clary was better. Placed 5th in World Junior XC as HS senior.
I had thought about Clary but 9:05 compared to 8:49. Hard to compare eras. The 5th at WJ XC is outstanding though.
Forgot to mention Doug Herron. 1:49.2.
Clary ran 8.55 in HS. The 9.05 was state meet. Never had the chance to compete in national meets like kids do today. Look at who he beat and finished behind at World XC.
1st Bobby Thomas United States 20:59.8
2nd José Luis González Spain 21:18
3rd John Treacy Ireland 21:23
4 Cándido Alario Spain 21:29
5 Don Clary United States 21:38
6 Mike Longthorn England 21:41
15 Ralph Serna United States 22:00 (ran 8:45.9 behind Eric Hulst that year)
I don't think any of them are better than Salazar and Powell. Maybe Abdirizak Mohammud. Green/Abdi/Coogan/Gras are not even in the conversation for me.
1. Josh Rohatinsky (4-time xc state champ)
2. Casey Clinger? (NXN champ; should knock on the 4:00 door)
3. Ben Saarel (shoulda been a sub 4 guy)
4. Luke Puskedra (beast. Broke Andrus' long-standing record)
5. Ryan Andrus (3rd FLN; 3200m record for YEARS)
Girls in no order....can't think right now
Sarah Feeney?
The Dingo^3 wrote:
Pennsylvania
Paul Vandegrift
Kim Gallagher
Wow, that is an extremely easy one.
Are you really comparing arguably the greatest H.S. T&F athlete to someone who is barely in the top-10 in a state.
Imagine having to choose between Marty Liquori, Carl Lewis, Renaldo Nehemiah, Carol Lewis, Milt Campbell and Mary Decker Slaney?
classic letsrun wrote:
CA- Ryan Hall
CA - Michael Granville
Alabama
Boys-Matthews
Girls-Carmen Carlos.
Carlos ran something like 10:15, and won state titles in cross country at a young age as well as a footlocker qualifier. One of the very few people that ever qualify for footlocker nationals from Alabama. Matthews is the only male to win the 6A/now 7A state title as a freshman and went on to be the only AL male to win Footlocker south. He also set the Great American meet record when it was in Alabama. Carlos won the two mile at indoor nationals her senior year. She was definitely a special athlete, but hasn't developed well at Vanderbilt. This state runs pretty dry in terms of talent.