Lex and Leo Young competing at World U20 XC Championhips

I believe the qualifying race in Jan 21st in Richmond, Virginia. Just got pulled forward from a Feb 4th date, which would have been too close to the World XC Championships.

usatf.org

USA Track & Field | 2023 USATF Cross Country Championships

Link:www.usatf.org/events/2023/2023-usatf-c...

Hell yeah, I hope other high level HS runners and college freshmen follow them so we can do some real damage at U20 cross

This is good news, hoping Tyrone Gorze, Colin Sahlman and Gary Martin will follow.

Sahlman turns 20 during 2023, unsure about Martin

Yep. Martin also too old

College coaches have ZERO interest in having one of their runners prepare for cross country meets in January and February. By that time of the year college coaches are only interested in indoor track.

And indoor track is what college coaches should care about. After all, that's what the college pays them to do.

Woodbridge vs representing your country at the biggest stage ? Easy choice lol

And isn’t Woodbridge at a new course this year? Makes it less appealing without ability to compare with course records etc

In today’s media age, I think colleges can leverage a ton of PR value out of having one of their athletes race at the XC world championships, particularly if they do well. Far more value than those same athletes would probably give in spring track.

Where is Woodbridge being held this year?

College coaches have to see conference/nationals results indoors, but at the same time, it brings a lot of publicity and prestige to your program to have someone medal at U20 world xc. That is awfully hard to do these days. Remember when Jakob was around 12th in Denmark at U20 world xc, despite already being a 3:30 or 3:31 guy? It is great to hear that Lex and Leo are going to try. They are the best we've had try since Dathan Ritzenhein and Matt Tegenkamp back around 2001 when they were third and fifth.

Go check out the 09 team. Everyone run, probably the last great US Junior team.

I imagine that there are some top college freshmen this year who will still be eligible. Maybe Rheinhardt Harrison, Zane Bergen or Gavin Sherry?

From another thread, here are the top returners that I could find, presumably all will be eligible for U20 xc:

Best returners from Runninglane:
#1 Leo Young 14:05,
#2 Lex Young 14:05,
#3 Aaron Sahlman, 14:14,
#4 Aidan Cox 14:18,
#5 Kole Mathison 14:23,
#6 Tayson Echohawk, 14:24,
#7 Rendon Kuykendall 14:25,
#8 Jimmy Wischusen, 14:33 (a sophomore!),
#9 Jacob Nenow 14:35 (son of Mark Nenow, former AR in the 10000m, 27:22),
#10 Danny Simmons, 14:37 (also a sophomore)
You also have sub-4 returners in Connor Burns, 3:58.83 (2M 8:45.52) and Simeon Birnbaum, 3:59.51, plus Rocky Hansen, who ran 4:00.76/8:46.97, and Chris Caudillo, who ran 8:48.24. Tyrone Gorze ran a 14:00.34 5000m on the track, Jones ran his 14:20 on the track, and a sophomore, Ferenc Kovacs, ran 14:08 (but a Hungarian and he's back home, so not eligible for us but maybe he'll run for them). So, there is a ton of talent in the mix.

This year Woodbridge back to Great Park in Irvine.

Darn, I hope to be going and was looking forward to seeing them compete. I just can't imagine "one upping" their schedule last year, but I guess this is one way to do it.

After NB, I think the talent split between RL and Eastbay last year was pretty even. So that’s probably about half of the eligible top runners.

It is a great opportunity for a stud freshman who is on one of the top teams where he is outside the top 5 in XC and track. Pollard won the US Jr as a frosh and got a free year due to it.

I'm 18 and have run a 15:01 in a time trial in summer's heat. How fast do you have to be to run?

I'll also be 19 in February of 2024

No world XC in 2024 ans you won’t even be an u20 anymore.

For 2023 it’s probably out of reach unless you are in 14 flat shape in january 2023 and are an insane XC runner.

Good information and all, but what is their sexual orientation?