SEC XC Championships 2023 Discussion Thread

Answers to 2 questions regard Nationals - how good are Doris and Hilda vs Parker V? and how good are top AR runners (who competed well vs BYU) vs Flo and Thorner of FL (who we saw at Nuttycombe). Should say more about just how good BYU is. Looks to be a somewhat fast course. How much below 19:00 to win on W side?

Depends on if it is a "6k" like SEC's last year lol.

I am looking for all the same, plus how Kosgei does. I have a feeling Valby is going to win this.

Alabama may tempo the race. Valby only has one gear.

Parker Valby is beautiful and amazing. Great great athlete

So, is Mazza Downie going to run? Will we see a full strength Florida?

Can't wait for the Valby, Olemomoi, Lemngole, (Kosgei, Noe) matchups. We should get so much info from this one race.

This is for the SEC championship which I think these teams take seriously. Also a chance for Doris and Hilda to measure themselves vs Valby.

Just going by last year.

Last year the SEC was a race. It was the regional AL tempoed as a group.

This is my feeling. Challenge for the win at SEC Champs and if they come up short, plenty of time remains to tweak race strategy for Nats. Also, they can tempo Regionals and recover from Fri's hard effort in their legs. I expect the duo to run the first half of the race conservatively and close with a big negative split. If not, Lemngole/Olemomoi will stick to Valby-as-pacer for as long as possible. Either gambit should serve the AL athletes well in prep for Charlottesville.

Top five finish for Noe.

I was trying to find an article I read about the outdoor 5k race at SECs (where Mercy stopped her watch at the finish lol). Basically, the coach said Alabama was in a very heavy training block and did not break training at all for the race.

Wow, top 5? With Valby, Doris, Hilda, Mazza-Downie (maybe), Asekol, and Kosgei (maybe - we will find out) top 5 would be an amazing result. But maybe if Mazza-Downie is not fit or does not run and Kosgei is not as good as some think top 5 could happen.

Ironically, that coach now at Florida.

I thought the AL coaches left during Indoors? This was at Outdoor 5000.

I will be shocked (and disappointed) if they don't go for it. I think they go with Valby from the gun.

If Lemngole's capabilities are anywhere near what her road PR suggests she could win SECs and the championships. People write off her 14:40 as a fast course but the splits were even and she has run about a 9:14 equivalent steeple at altitude.

No, Palmer as already at Florida by SEC outdoors. The coach that had Alabama in during outdoor SECs was Waters.

I took a closer look at Lemngole's 14:40 from March 3023. There were 44 finishers in that race, 40 of whom clocked times ranging from 15:09--18:12. Rather than tuck into the pack and run a respectable 15:XX, she hung with the leaders (running even splits, as you noted) and didn't blow up. Still uncertain about Olemomoi but I'm starting to think Lemngole will stick to Valby and ease away in the end. Throw in a world class steeple time and I'm hooked.

1 Lemngole

2 Valby

3 Olemomoi

4 Noe

5 Asekol

I am optimistic about Noe as well. I think I am going

1 Lemngole

2 Valby (could easily see her winning though so really either way for this race)

3 Olemomoi

4 Kosgei

5 Noe

Kosgei has not had any very competitive fields yet, but she is an older more experienced runner than Noe (22) and has been winning all her races so far. This is also being hosted by SC, so it's the home crowd. She ran 15:50 5k at pre-SECs here.

Judging by the xc results we have seen, I would guess a top three of:

1) Valby

2) Olemomoi

3) Lemngole.