Definitely not Parker. She set the all-time Florida girls record in the 3200 during the State championship in May in Florida, and was widely considered one of the biggest talents our state had ever produced when she graduated. Nothing she's done at UF is incredibly surprising.
The national races are not traditionally friendly to Central/South Florida residents because they're held in crappy warm weather for us (for example, it's still mid-80s and humid here in the Tampa area), and then cold/wet/hilly conditions for the races themselves. Our only window of good running is December to March, when no other state is holding any meet of any consequence.
Florida runners just don't get that much publicity on here (though that seems to be changing). Charles Hicks was a pretty quiet signing for Stanford, and he just won the whole thing, and someone like Bailey Hertenstein went to Indiana and dominated Big 10 competition before transferring to Colorado and immediately becoming their number 1 runner (5th overall at NCAAs).
Gonna throw out two, the first of which might get some of your panties in a bunch:
Jeff Galloway: Ran 9:48 for 2 miles in high school. Dropped that down to 9:06 in college and then of course he made the Olympic team in the 10,000 in 1972 (and yes, I realize this thread was only about HS to college). Different era so that these days 9:06 for 2 miles (or 3200 meters) isn't all that special.
Tyler Day: He ran 9:28 for 3200 in HS and then got down to a 13:16 5,000 in college.
Lisa Kill was 7th in Iowa 4A at state in the 3000. She still holds the NCAA 10k record. Roshon Roomes ran for the Iowa State track club, until the coaches saw him and asked him to talk on. He ran 1:46 in the 800 and 46 in the 400.
IIRC, 9:2x for the 3200 in high school. Absolutely UNLEASHED at NAU.
To a lesser extent, Luis Grijalva as well.
Day ran 45mpw in HS and it’s not clear whether that was even year around. He started running 10O mpw at NAU and ran 14:05 the next spring which is 9:00 pace for 3200m. “Unleashed” means not training seriously until college?
IIRC, 9:2x for the 3200 in high school. Absolutely UNLEASHED at NAU.
To a lesser extent, Luis Grijalva as well.
Day ran 45mpw in HS and it’s not clear whether that was even year around. He started running 10O mpw at NAU and ran 14:05 the next spring which is 9:00 pace for 3200m. “Unleashed” means not training seriously until college?
45 mpw is still pretty serious for a majority of HS runners
IIRC, 9:2x for the 3200 in high school. Absolutely UNLEASHED at NAU.
To a lesser extent, Luis Grijalva as well.
Day ran 45mpw in HS and it’s not clear whether that was even year around. He started running 10O mpw at NAU and ran 14:05 the next spring which is 9:00 pace for 3200m. “Unleashed” means not training seriously until college?
That's what all these threads end up. Guys who didn't train much HS but still run quick times (Pat Porter and Brian Sells 430 miles, this 920, Bill Rodgers,...) They start training and 2 years later they are huge studs. For most people if they don't do the training in HS, they never try to do harder training later in life...
Gwyn Coogan had little or no success in HS, because she didn't run track. She started running in college and won a couple of D3 national championships.
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2:18 at the casino and about to go back on the grid
Day ran 45mpw in HS and it’s not clear whether that was even year around. He started running 10O mpw at NAU and ran 14:05 the next spring which is 9:00 pace for 3200m. “Unleashed” means not training seriously until college?
That's what all these threads end up. Guys who didn't train much HS but still run quick times (Pat Porter and Brian Sells 430 miles, this 920, Bill Rodgers,...) They start training and 2 years later they are huge studs. For most people if they don't do the training in HS, they never try to do harder training later in life...
Sebastian Junger went to Wesleyan University, the same college as Bill Rodgers. You might know his name from when he wrote The Perfect Storm. I have several good stories about him. His Wikipedia page use to have more about him being a runner but with all the good things this guy has done with his life I guess that there is no room. Before he got famous I told him of a few races like the Crescent City Classic. He was actually on his way from Massachusetts to Los Angeles to sell the story. He got to register as a local and Desmond O'Conner aka Rod Stewart was mad as could be as Sebastian left with top local money which was $1,000. Money that Sebastian really needed back then. Wish his bar The Half King was still open in NYC. Great place to meet after the Millrose games.