NCAA Championships - Mar 10 at Albuquerque - 11:36.40 (11:25.86 converted to sea level) 1200 - Andrea Markezich - 3:35.25 400 - Carley Thomas - 0:54.23 800 - Anna Gibson - 2:11.59 1600 - Sophie O'Sullivan 4:55.34
Collegiate Record - Feb 4 at BU - 10:46.62 1200 - Sophie O'Sullivan - 3:16.24 400 - Marlena Preigh - 0:54.21 800 - Carley Thomas - 2:01.93 1600 - Anna Gibson - 4:34.26
NCAA Championships - Mar 10 at Albuquerque - 11:36.40 (11:25.86 converted to sea level) 1200 - Andrea Markezich - 3:35.25 400 - Carley Thomas - 0:54.23 800 - Anna Gibson - 2:11.59 1600 - Sophie O'Sullivan 4:55.34
Collegiate Record - Feb 4 at BU - 10:46.62 1200 - Sophie O'Sullivan - 3:16.24 400 - Marlena Preigh - 0:54.21 800 - Carley Thomas - 2:01.93 1600 - Anna Gibson - 4:34.26
Unless you have a big time individual who can win two other events, why wouldn't you run your best DMR at nationals? So what if you have to run an 800/mile prelim beforehand? These athletes are strong enough to run a double. You end up looking so dumb when you try to get cute with it. You're also taking opportunities away from the athletes.
Washington is not the first nor last team to do this.
many of the teams with runners doubling back from individual events suffered whether due to substitution or recovery from a race at altitude. Credit to Willis and Whitaker (and Laurne Gregory) for handling the 800/dmr double as well as they did.
At least Duke had the good sense not to double Maatoug so she has a real good shot at the mile today (which won't help AR's team chances). What she then has left for the 3000 might be questionable.
many of the teams with runners doubling back from individual events suffered whether due to substitution or recovery from a race at altitude. Credit to Willis and Whitaker (and Laurne Gregory) for handling the 800/dmr double as well as they did.
The 800 is basically unaffected by the altitude. Particularly a slow 800. The 400 and 800 barely get a conversion.
With that said, Gregory was VERY impressive. With the mile doubling isn't quite the same as doubling 5k-3k. The mile at 5000 feet gets about a 6-7 second conversion at 4:39 pace.
Something to consider as well - in the heats you're only really running hard for the last 800 or less. Recovery from a slow kicker's race is a lot different than a time trial. Anybody running the mile shouldn't have felt too much of a difference doubling back than they normally would at sea level. OBVIOUSLY, if you went out way too hard the altitude could get to you. I don't think that was the case with Gregory. I think Stanford and Arkansas showed everybody that you don't get cute at altitude, you still put your best athletes in the best positions to win these races. Washington got way too cute with their relay and they paid for it.
many of the teams with runners doubling back from individual events suffered whether due to substitution or recovery from a race at altitude. Credit to Willis and Whitaker (and Laurne Gregory) for handling the 800/dmr double as well as they did.
The 800 is basically unaffected by the altitude. Particularly a slow 800. The 400 and 800 barely get a conversion.
With that said, Gregory was VERY impressive. With the mile doubling isn't quite the same as doubling 5k-3k. The mile at 5000 feet gets about a 6-7 second conversion at 4:39 pace.
Something to consider as well - in the heats you're only really running hard for the last 800 or less. Recovery from a slow kicker's race is a lot different than a time trial. Anybody running the mile shouldn't have felt too much of a difference doubling back than they normally would at sea level. OBVIOUSLY, if you went out way too hard the altitude could get to you. I don't think that was the case with Gregory. I think Stanford and Arkansas showed everybody that you don't get cute at altitude, you still put your best athletes in the best positions to win these races. Washington got way too cute with their relay and they paid for it.
At 5000ft:
Mile ~7 seconds
800 ~ 1 second
400 ~ +.1 second
perhaps true, but the 2 OR milers who ran good enough to make final didn't seem to do well in DMR at all (if the names are right). WA in general did not run good today either in individual events failing to qualify and then the dmr with the mixed up lineup. O'Sullivan who had the 3:16 earlier, anchored fresh and ran 4:55? something is going on we don't know about.
The 800 is basically unaffected by the altitude. Particularly a slow 800. The 400 and 800 barely get a conversion.
With that said, Gregory was VERY impressive. With the mile doubling isn't quite the same as doubling 5k-3k. The mile at 5000 feet gets about a 6-7 second conversion at 4:39 pace.
Something to consider as well - in the heats you're only really running hard for the last 800 or less. Recovery from a slow kicker's race is a lot different than a time trial. Anybody running the mile shouldn't have felt too much of a difference doubling back than they normally would at sea level. OBVIOUSLY, if you went out way too hard the altitude could get to you. I don't think that was the case with Gregory. I think Stanford and Arkansas showed everybody that you don't get cute at altitude, you still put your best athletes in the best positions to win these races. Washington got way too cute with their relay and they paid for it.
At 5000ft:
Mile ~7 seconds
800 ~ 1 second
400 ~ +.1 second
perhaps true, but the 2 OR milers who ran good enough to make final didn't seem to do well in DMR at all (if the names are right). WA in general did not run good today either in individual events failing to qualify and then the dmr with the mixed up lineup. O'Sullivan who had the 3:16 earlier, anchored fresh and ran 4:55? something is going on we don't know about.
The problem is they led of a 3k/5k runner and probably were surprised to learn she's only in about 4:45 mile shape. Unless she ran some amazing 1200 time trial this is direct evidence they got too cute with their relay.
Then they moved Carley Thomas to the 400 leg at nationals even though she's MONEY for a 2:02 leg.
Anna Gibson probably should have stayed on the 1600 leg? Unless she was hurting from doubling or something? She ran decent in the mile heats but didn't make the final. She still ran a 4:41 in the heats. (She closed in a 2:15 800 by the way if my math is right). So supposedly she's too tired to anchor the 1600 leg because she ran a 2:15 800 after a 2:25?
They didn't even race Marlena Preigh, who is also money as an 800 leg.Maybe she's injured and that hurt them.
I don't know the 200m split times, but I'm guessing the mile leg went out super hard trying to catch people and died horribly then quit.
This is all speculation of course. My point is that I still think these coaches overthink things at altitude. Mia Barnett and Lauren Gregory both went out hard and HANDLED IT. Whitaker on the anchor for Stanford looked gassed after her leg, but she essentially soloed a 4:38 (4:31-4:32 converted) and then was forced to kick hard at the finish to boot. Moral of the story: Let your best runners be your best runners.
They also brought alternates with them. Chloe Foerster is 2:05 freshman and an absolute beast when it comes to competing. Watched her through her HS years and she’s fierce. She would have done better at the 800 than their 2:11 leg?!
if people were tired and doubling put your alternates in
7 second conversion for the mile seems a bit generous. Unless Gregory had a huge leap forward I doubt she is suddenly splitting 4:24 dmr at sea level, considering the fastest we have seen from her is 4:29 all season.