USA cross coverage

nice to see wrote:

I don't get how anyone can say anything negative about Fernandez.

I don't get how you think you've seen "negative" comments about Fernandez.

Thanks for the recap.

How was the women's junior race?

McLaughlin tried to run away from the field in the first lap. Spence appeared relaxed in the 5 member chase pack, checking her watch several times and looking around to stay out of trouble. During the second lap Spence moved up on McLaughlin and appeared comfortable to sit. This allowed Brasovan to cover a 100m gap, passing Dunne to close up on Spence and Vaughn at the 5K. They quickly dispensed McLaughlin, and Spence made Brasovan pay for having to cover so much ground by surging up the last hill and running away to the win. McLaughlin paid for her gutsy race and lost out on 3rd place as she struggled to cover the last 200m.

We're all fans here, so let's cut out the homophobic comments (see a few pages back) that you see here every time one of us praises a runner for a great performance. That crap takes the fun out of being a fan.

Rupp had finished second in a lot of championship races prior to xc nationals. He's decidedly improved this year. If he was ill for that 3k today (a five second pr, the Letsrun preview had said it was going to be a deuce), then he is going to be in sub-7:40 shape for Indoor nationals. Tough for Fernandez to beat, but a possibility. As for Fernandez's championship record, he was ill before Footlocker XC, I think, and obviously he was moving up very strongly when he was injured in NCAA Nationals XC, but he has already won three national titles, Junior XC twice plus HS Outdoor Championships at two miles. Coach Smith had him running conservatively at XC Nationals either because he wanted team running or because he knew that Fernandez had injury problems, but the fact that he was not going to come close to winning does not mean that he wasn't in shape to run a strong third, if not for the injury, given the conservative race plan. With the 3:56 and the solid XC win (even if Derrick fell), he's showing that he'll be tough to beat in any sit and kick NCAA championships this year, let alone in fast races. Will Rupp have the kick to beat Fernandez in, say, a 7:50s 3k championship?

We're all fans here, but let's cut out the asinine predictions, projections, and assumptions. That crap takes the fun out of being a fan. Scoreboard says it all. If he doesn't get injured in Jordan and places high (top 20) then he'll have run the hardest race in is life and will face a big challenge to recover well soon after.

OK in the 1st degree wrote:

Yet your post is an intelligent breath of fresh air.

I think you are one of the squabling fourteen year olds that the old geezer referred to

Cut out the predictions and you cut out almost all of the talk about track and xc. If the scoreboard says it all, then why are you speculating about his recovery for NCAA Indoors after Jordan? In any case, that's a fair point, the travel and all-out race will take something out of him, but he'll have several weeks to recover, right? What are the dates of World's and NCAA's? Oh, and sure, it's "asinine" to speculate that NCAA 3k will likely be a 7:50s sit and kick affair.

Great summary.

So far we don't know what German will be running, if he runs at NCAA Nationals. It will be very interesting when they meet, i.e. Rupp & Fernandez.

In the post race press conference German said he didnt know whether he was going to go or not. Him and his coach were leaning towards it, because he thinks its a huge oppurtunity. He also stated that he wants to run a 5k later this year and drop a big time.

Meb is leaning towards not running in Jordan. He is planning on the London Marathon. He said he would like to do a fast 10k or something like that and the world xc although fun, most likely will not fit.

All the athletes said it was a great course, thousands of fans, the term I kept hearing was True Cross Country. No cupcake course, no pancake course. Mud, people falling, rotted out corn cobs getting caught in spikes, sunburn. The general reaction was that it was fun.

dw wrote:

In the post race press conference German said he didnt know whether he was going to go or not.

Where do you find the post race press conference?

Good course but i was only there watching and though the overall set up was pretty weak. I enjoyed myself just watching the races, but I can see why alot of people in the area stayed home. Sad really with DC, Balitmore, Philly, NJ, VA, i know all have great running communitys only a few hours drive away on a great weather day weren't there.

Congrats to Meb.

Remember him? He won the race.

Well, no b.s. is better than some b.s.And the way I stated it wasn't speculation. Bone up on your reading comprehension. You're welcome.

jonesy. wrote:

Cut out the predictions and you cut out almost all of the talk about track and xc. If the scoreboard says it all, then why are you speculating about his recovery for NCAA Indoors after Jordan? In any case, that's a fair point, the travel and all-out race will take something out of him, but he'll have several weeks to recover, right? What are the dates of World's and NCAA's? Oh, and sure, it's "asinine" to speculate that NCAA 3k will likely be a 7:50s sit and kick affair.

OK in the 1st degree wrote:

No, because I know of no Olympian in 2008 who did win it

i know of three... do your homework, kid.

The name 'em. Unless you can't!

wtf, are you dense?

tegenkamp, nelson, and rupp all won jr nats in cross...

i forgot about flanagan... make it four.

Props to Bobby Curtis.

You got me. Why I couldn't even remember Teg and Nelson winning is beyond me.