Girl Prodigies

Schwald, for sure, though she had a rough college career (injuries). Kim Gallagher (prep 800 record- to Olympic bronze medal?). On the International level, Paula Radcliffe was a World Junior XC champion.

The list of those who didn't succeed as adults is of course, far longer. Almost all 5K and above elites seem to get momentum in or after college.

How far back does Teter go?

You've got to differentiate between the women/girl "prodigies" who were simply outstanding at an early age, but trained and competed in a more, shall we say, normal fashion: Tollefson (just because she kept winning, it doesn't sound like she was going out and running a road race every weekend), Schwald (didn't train hard in high school at all, just had fun and happened to be good - see her interview on fast-women.com); compared to the more extreme cases - possibly Decker (not that back then she could go out and run road races all the time), certainly the Garritsons, and potentially the Bria or Briana of another post.

To paraphrase my post from another thread: How can an 11 year old be labeled a prodigy? There is not enough data out there to determine if their efforts and times are average, below average, or fantastic. Very, VERY few 11 year olds run 10K's or at all for that matter. We have far too little data to make comparisons. Is the 70 year old running 2:50 marathons a phenomena? Probably, but we truly don't know until there is more data to compare. The same applies to very young runners. A better question for supporters of such young runners might be to inquire why so few 11 year olds are involved in such advanced training and running at such a tender age.

All these "pre-teen prodigy" threads are driving me nuts.

Here's the best quote I could find from Carrie Tollefson on why she has continued to get faster: " ? I have always been under-trained, which I have to say has been a blessing. My high school coaches didn't push too hard ? but now I'm getting older and have some room to grow."

She said she was undertrained and calls it a blessing. I say it means she was trained just right.

As long as they don't wear the sunglasses.

Do any of the members of ZZ Top run?

Nope - their beards provide too much wind resistance.

Just wondering because I know they don't like cheap sunglasses.

Corey Hart runs in sunglasses, but only at night.

Yeah, I think he said it helped him to see.

Cathy Schiro-O'Brien won New Englands as an 8th grader, and by a ton as a freshman.

On the other hand, Rayna DeNiord ran a 2:09 800 in 1994 as an 8th grader(maybe 9th), and I haven't heard from her since.

someone mentioned that kim gallagher won a bronze medal. i'm just curious what she won it in(year/event). i'm from PA so i always see mention of her records at meets...i always wondered exactly how far she went.

I believe that she was third in the 800 meters in the 1984 Olympics held in Los Angeles.