It's a World Jrs year right (U-20 champs). How come only 1 of our sub-4 HS milers ran US U-20 champs?

Just a thought:

Colin had a super long season. He is toast.

Martin has also had a pretty intensive outdoor season. He is done.

I guess that Harrison and Birnbaum are probably not overcooked by now. Not sure that either would have made it however.

However who wants to go to Columbia to run a 1500m?

Come on Rojo. You used to coach D1. Have you forgotten? You know the selfish D1 xc coaches don't want the incoming frosh to go so they can build up base for xc. It's now what's best for the kid - it's what's best for the program.

Burns was strong and leading but face planted hard mid race when he try to cut in with insufficient space and got clipped from behind.

But I’ve been wondering about the underlying question as well. Probably a combo of cost (isn’t Martin on need based scholarship at his HS?) and not a priority (Sahlman clearly has the funds but apparently just doesn’t want to do it?).

It’s odd to me though. It’s a good meet, great experience, and if I can run for my country I’m gonna do it.

For me, running would only be part of it. Do you love travelling the world? If I was a teen, it would be so cool a) to go to South America and then b) hang out with kids from all of the world, maybe try to pick up a girlfriend from another country that I'd have no chance with if I was in America but they would think I was cool due to my accent.

They need to do a better job of marketing U20s because to me Sahlman/Martin should’ve been champing at the bit instead of NBN or Brooks PR.

I feel like that's something you should be getting paid to do. No need for kids to excel for usatf with no compensation

Yes a stipend makes sense. Also host it somewhere accessible

The inner workings of your mind are truly fascinating.

They must have spent all their money flying around for time trials and didn’t know an important race existed. The funny thing is the U20 champs will be faster than any of the silly “pro” races these kids went to on US soil. The winning time will be low to mid 3:30s. It would have been the best place for them to run the fast time they’ve been chasing and compete for the win. Oh well.

Sigh. The US U-20 championships are just another example of the failings of USATF. A completely missed opportunity to promote the sport to the younger generation. US U-20 should be the best national championship for the top high schoolers/college freshman every year, especially with spots for an international team on the line most years. Instead of NON, New Balance, Adidas and Brooks, this should be the meet kids want to go too. Instead they seem to take place in almost complete obscurity and the vast majority of high schoolers have no idea the meet exists. USATF should be promoting the heck out of the U-20 champs, they need big name sponsors to provide lots of swag: backpacks, shirts etc, that's what the kids really want. They should lower the qualifying standards a bit so more kids can go, then the stands would be pretty full with kids, parents and coaches when they aren't competing. There are so many things USATF could do with this meet, instead they don't.

Because Colombia is not very appealing. The reality is that the country is dangerous. The kids would be in the hotel, go to the training venue, then to competition. US kids would not be allowed to roam freely.

Here's your answer.

Why go to Colombia when you can run fartleks in Switzerland?

Perhaps it is because the U-20's just aren't that popular in the US so their is a lack of interest in participating in the qualifying meets.

Overall the U20 usa champs fields are incredibly weak compared to who COULD be there. I'm guessing the 80th U20 runner in a given event could compete and make the finals, but still don't show. Granted, I qualified for the U20 championships as a college freshman (800m) but really had no chance of qualifying for the team, would have totally changed the first month of my summer if i kept training for peak track season, and I would of had to pay for my travel since my school wouldn't have. even though I qualified, it made no sense for me to actually compete for those reasons. Now if just competing in the meet had more prestige than meets I actually DID run in, I probably would have. But as it was, it was probably only the 5th or 6th most prestigious race I would have been in during the previous two seasons.

The organizers need to somehow make the meet the most prestigious meet in the US a U20 could compete in outside the senior usatf meet. I dont know how much nike and other sponsors of usatf would support that given that they have conflicting interests - their high school nationals

The top Aussies will be there despite the steep cost of around $6000 per athlete.

Rojo: *Spends weeks hyping multiple HS 800m record attempts at NB and USATF nationals, then doesn't even seem to notice that a HS 800m record was actually set at U-20s*

Also Rojo: "Why do people treat U-20s as a second rate event?"

If you travelled the world at all you would know that in some countries an American accent draws the ladies. Australia is one of them. Ladies will approach you and offer to buy you a drink ... they've had more than enough of Aussie men (a 1950s approach to men and women).