2015 USA XC Champs! Official Live Discussion Thread!

NAPzster85 wrote:

If Chris wins, G.O.A.T USA xc runner?

Maybe we should give Chris another 5-10 years before discussing GOAT USA XC runner. Have you heard of Craig Virgin (2x World XC champion) or Pat Porter (8x US champion, 4x top 10 in the World)?

Jonathan Gault wrote:

sp2 wrote:

Maks has spring eligibility, doesn't he?

I'm assuming he probably can't go to China.

He does. Race would be on March 28. I don't see why he couldn't do it.

I guess you're right: all the Stanford kids are congratulating him on going to China.

Congrats, Maks. Awesome job.

george oscar bluth wrote:

LetsRun.com wrote:

The USA XC Championships are this Saturday. Dathan Ritzenhein, Ben True, and Chris Derrick are the headliners on the men's side.

On the women's side the big new out today is Abbey D'Agostino is out with an injury. More info here:

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=6317907

Laura Thweatt, Sara Hall, and Kellyn Taylor are the headliners.

World Championship spots are on the line and $7000 to the winners (if they go to worlds).

This is the officical pre-race prediction thread.

Update: Our men's preview is now up

http://www.letsrun.com/news/2015/02/2015-usa-xc-championships-mens-preview-chris-derrick-looks-3-peat-dathan-ritzenhein-looks-revenge-loaded-mens-field/

Men's predictions:

1. Derrick

2. Ritz

3. True

4. Riley

5. Smyth

6. Vail

7. Quigley

8. Gray

9. Rono

10. Colley

Well, I knew not to pick against Derrick, so I got that right. Obviously True didn't come through but I was surprised so many picked him to win. Curtis made me look like a fool but his average XC performance earlier this year scared me. I would imagine I was one of the few that picked Smyth in the top 5. And I didn't think that Maks would handle the altitude well without experience but I'm glad he did!

Time for a... wrote:

rojo wrote:

Results

Derrick 36:20

Curtis 036:48

Ritz

Vail 4th

Smythe

Korolev

Colley 37:15

2 Army guys from Kenya initially

Jonathan grey

True

Wow. True not in the top 10. He was 6th in the World in 2013.

Can we just give him a world's spot out of appreciation for 2013?

No. Maybe this will be the final wake up call that he needs a coach. He is always in such great shape according to him put his peaking and race results are all over the map.

Maybe you're right. But didn't all his great results come while he and Chelanga were basically self-coached?

The two Army guys in 8th and 9th are Stanley Kebenei and Augustus Maiyo. Feel like they deserve to be named too...

Top 25:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B9RPTA2CEAE5bcV.jpg:large

Wow, great day for Ritz as well. He has been a great one since his freshman year in HS. Nice comeback DR

Solid showing for Pat Smythe!

Where did Sage finish up?

yeah man good to see an SLC guy crush! seems like he should stick to the sub ultra distances for a bit longer.

Collin wrote:

Solid showing for Pat Smythe!

Come on! Spell his name right.

NAPzster85 wrote:

If Chris wins, G.O.A.T USA xc runner?

Your ignorance is amazing. Pat Porter won 8 consecutive US xc championships. Read your history, kid. Jeez.

Anyone have official results? This dang old thing has been over for hours.

Laughing At You wrote:

I'm there right now Pal... wrote:

Boulder that is.

Not an intelligent post. Don't agree with you or Dingo breathe. Ritz may very well win this race. You are certainly NOT a Genius, far from it. But please, keep thinking that.

Oooh...You're there?!? Right there?!? Wow, that must give you some powerful insights! Probably adds 50 points to your IQ too, right?

What a f'ing moron!

Ahem

Gonna Have to Agree wrote:

Iowakidscanrun wrote:

What is up with the Ritz love fest? Derrick will own this field.

Well said.

True perhaps has an outside shot. Ritz? His time has past - he will never beat Derrick again.

I don't want to beat a dead horse, but the Rupp vs Derrick convo has many dynamics. This one being about a XC race, I don't know why anyone (And I am a huge Galen Rupp) would argue that Derrick is currently the better of the two. If we were in a world where Galen had just run 13:01 for 5000m on the track last weekend and Derrick did exactly what he did today, I would pick Derrick in a XC race. Because a fast 5000 on the track is NOT a XC race. And I acknowledge how strong of a runner Rupp is, how much strength work he and the NOP do, but that does not compare to the experiences of racing over hill and dale. And anyone (Jenny Simpson included) can tell you how hard it is to race XC when you haven't done it in awhile. To the best of my knowledge, Galen Rupp last ran a XC race in 2011 and hasn't done anything consistently since college (2009). Consider that Derrick has run at least one (if not three) XC races since leaving Stanford. Factor in that Derrick is no slouch as a runner in general and I would give him the edge.

The interesting thought is that Galen does a lot of work on grass as is. Their use of soft surface is well known, so I guess that would play somewhat of a small factor in the least.

Where are the dang results?!?!?!

sp2 wrote:

Time for a... wrote:

No. Maybe this will be the final wake up call that he needs a coach. He is always in such great shape according to him put his peaking and race results are all over the map.

Maybe you're right. But didn't all his great results come while he and Chelanga were basically self-coached?

I said his results are all over the place, which means there are highs a lows. He didn't qualify this year or for worlds in track and in 2013 almost didn't qualify for worlds in xc (only 5th). A lot of his PBs came at early season meets last spring and he faded at the bigger meets in the summer. Point is, if he didn't pop that big one at world XC, everyone would be saying the same thing. Even Jenny Simpson won the world 1500 in a terrible season and left that coach and has been better for it. He needs to find a coach to help him peak better or something. It's not about moments of success, it's about consistently performing at a high level in the right races.

Quite a run for Smythe

Disappointed True won't be on the team after his previous performance at Worlds