OAC highs and lows

They've still had a very good year. But Ritz does have a problem: almost his entire team are getting out-kicked in both slow and fast races. Nuguse is the exception, even "textbook George" usually only takes him from last to 5th. Ritz's guys need to work out how to close

Agreed. Beamish has a good kick but he needs to be in position to use it

Lol do you not think they already work on this stuff?

I'm sure they do, but whatever they're doing isn't working. That suggests something different is needed

Lows: Monson losing both the 5 and 10k at USAs despite having the ar in one of them and getting it in the other a week later

And to the people who said she just needed/wanted to make the team….

no she tried to win both those races

Said it in the London thread, Andrews being pushed into the 5000 was the biggest waste of a year for someone that is still in the 1500 mix. She had some interesting interviews during the year, said she was going to go with it and put full faith in Ritz, and was so let down post usatf. They’re a speed team, why are we rushing to give up on the 1500? By extension I think George dropping the 1500 this early to steeple focus is ridiculous.

Sure, she made an effort to win and I'm sure she wanted to. But she didn't go for the strategy that would have maximized her winning chances-- pushing all out from the start.

She didn't do that because (1) it risks blowing up and not qualifying at all, and (2) it really tires you out for the next race/ the rest of the season.

Klecker came 4th and looked good enough to make the team. He just sat on Woody instead of focusing on the front of the race. He looked really strong imo, just a tactical miscalculation. McDonald slipped on ice getting out of his car and got a fracture. Not much you can do there, but he's rounding into shape now. Decent chance he gets into Worlds too.

I have no clue what's going on with Sage. This is the 2nd year in a row that she did badly at USAs, then came back and ripped it on the DL. Really disappointed about Hoare, but also it's pretty impressive that he's been on fire nonstop since 2020.

As for kicking, I feel like the only reason it looks like an issue is because they're the only US-based team that are always racing the best in the world. Even then, last year Hoare was beating literally everyone on the DL circuit except Jakob, and he outkicked Cheruiyot to win CWGs. Beamish has never shown that he's been fit enough to run 3:29 or 12:5x to win a DL, but he's won some lower level races in a kick. Essentially as good as any national champ who hasn't won a DL. Monson is better than everyone except Cranny apparently right now, but Cranny just ran under the old AR for the mile, and Jakob is showing how easy it is for the best miler to win a 5k championship. I'd bet Cranny finishes lower at Worlds that Monson.

If they were doing what most US groups do and run 1-2 domestic races before Worlds, their record would look a whole lot better.

Sinta won the Italian 1500 title in 4:06 today

Obiri won Boston.

I can name you 8 other clubs with zero or 1 athlete going to worlds. Let’s talk about them.

This is fair …..

but how many of those clubs have the same budget as OAC? Bowerman maybe?

Well I guess Bowerman has more than 1 person going so that doesn’t count :)

Now that you have me thinking about it, do we think OAC is the highest funded IS based group right now.

Id argue the Bowerman and UAC definitely have better facilities etc, but contract wise, Nike is known to lowball people if they are not going to immediately make a difference on the worlds seen.

So in terms of yearly contract size/salary bonuses, based on the past year of recruits, I’d say OAC might be taking the cake

Scene*

Agree. Seems like they don’t do much alactic work in training.

She was 4th in the 5000 at USAs, do you think she'd have done better than that in the 1500? Her 1500/mile results this year have all been underwhelming.

I also thought Beamish giving up on the 1500 was a bad move but he struggled to make an easier standard last year, I can't see him making a World final in the event. At least in the steeple he has a better shot of running a World final

OAC Coach and Owner are both repugnant, therefore all their athletes stained by association. I can't lie, we enjoy watching them fail.