Running 12:57 yesterday was for the team? Track is an individual sport.
The main focus at NAU is the cross country programme, where Smith makes it clear that it's the team result that matters over the individual. You wouldn't choose to go to NAU if you weren't happy with that. Fortunately, this attitude also begets great individual achievements too
If the main focus is cross country, would he have run faster than 26:52 at a school focused on track? What’s the difference in training between the two?
Will Young receive a pro contract primarily because of NAU’s success in XC?
Wrong question. What if N Young were raised in or near England? I have no doubt, for good or bad, N Young would have most likely been an 800m & 1500m runner. Why do U.S. parents and U.S. coaches groom talented youth to be 5000m & 10000m athletes?
Wrong question. What if N Young were raised in or near England? I have no doubt, for good or bad, N Young would have most likely been an 800m & 1500m runner. Why do U.S. parents and U.S. coaches groom talented youth to be 5000m & 10000m athletes?
This is why your best 10k runner had to be developed in America ;)
Letsrun expects every great high school runner to have the same phenomenal upward trajectory for the rest of their life. That’s obnoxious. Nico Young is probably not NCAA champion caliber and probably not an Olympian, just a very good runner in a time of many other very good runners. Plus, he might find being a pro works out for him and can string some good results together. We’ll see. He’s not Ritzenhein or anything.
But, dude has run 3:37 1500m, 3:56 mile, 13:11 (which is the fastest 5000m ever run by an American teenager and the 3rd fastest outdoor 5000m in collegiate history.), and 28:01.
Very good. Relax.
lol 27 upvotes 3 downvotes. things were looking real grim after that XC finish.
we've really gone from the popular consensus being "nico young probably wont be an ncaa champ or an olympian", to "nico young is so good, he shouldnt even race ncaa outdoors and he should just focus on the olympic trials 10k because he's a favorite".
Letsrun expects every great high school runner to have the same phenomenal upward trajectory for the rest of their life. That’s obnoxious. Nico Young is probably not NCAA champion caliber and probably not an Olympian, just a very good runner in a time of many other very good runners. Plus, he might find being a pro works out for him and can string some good results together. We’ll see. He’s not Ritzenhein or anything.
But, dude has run 3:37 1500m, 3:56 mile, 13:11 (which is the fastest 5000m ever run by an American teenager and the 3rd fastest outdoor 5000m in collegiate history.), and 28:01.
Very good. Relax.
lol 27 upvotes 3 downvotes. things were looking real grim after that XC finish.
we've really gone from the popular consensus being "nico young probably wont be an ncaa champ or an olympian", to "nico young is so good, he shouldnt even race ncaa outdoors and he should just focus on the olympic trials 10k because he's a favorite".
Always love coming back to these hatebashing threads that don't age well and seeing the ridiculous posts. People will never learn that just because a runner stagnates or regresses a little bit, that doesn't mean they will never improve again.
lol 27 upvotes 3 downvotes. things were looking real grim after that XC finish.
we've really gone from the popular consensus being "nico young probably wont be an ncaa champ or an olympian", to "nico young is so good, he shouldnt even race ncaa outdoors and he should just focus on the olympic trials 10k because he's a favorite".
Always love coming back to these hatebashing threads that don't age well and seeing the ridiculous posts. People will never learn that just because a runner stagnates or regresses a little bit, that doesn't mean they will never improve again.
Interesting, in the "even a broken clock is right twice a day" I predicted Young would run right around 27 flat or better. It wasn't even one thing, it was the combination of exhibited fitness. The one day 7:37 13:20's. And walking away from good fields in the 5/3K double. They don't always add up to like what happened , but sometimes they do. And he should go pro today..not wait..and for those who say he should run XC , why? Because YOU want him to?, as I have said before , he steps in one gopher hole now in some unnecessary XC race? Like lighting money on fire. How much do you think Blanks' injury has cost him? He will have to demonstrate fitness all over again, it's been so long, he was looking at a nice pay day, and may still be. But I doubt until after he spins something really good again...could be wrong.
Hear me out. Nico Young has had a tremendous NCAA career. Numerous All American honors, all kinds of XC team titles, and fantastic PRs, but wasn’t that always going to be the case with Nico? One of the greatest HS runners of all time, and while a great college career is never a given, it was all but certain that Nico would do this at the next level. When he took 4th his Freshman year (albeit a COVID year) the only logical next step for was for him to win an individual title. Yet he failed to advance out of track regionals and came a disappointing 11th the following year in cross. Since then he has taken 2nd and now 6th in cross and has come no higher than 3rd indoors or outdoors on the track. Mike Smith is believed by many to be one of the best coaches in the world, and I do think he’s tremendous, but has he underachieved with Nico? Or has it simply been a case of there always being a couple guys better than him.
Well, it’s time I say it. Considering Nico hasn’t made an Olympic team has Mike Smith failed him?
I’m kidding. My intent was never to say anything bad about Nico or Smith just to get a discussion going. I did feel that he needed a title to put a final stamp on his career/validate him. He went out and got a CR and two titles and has looked untouchable since cross. I’m excited to see what he does outdoors and hope to see him at The TEN. Cheers.
Incredible, you should keep moving the goalposts just to see what happens next... :)
