Nico’s Qualifying Time

Probably cause it was a pro meet and it didn't meet the participation criteria to be considered a NCAA competition. Correct me if I am wrong.

Nope that's correct. A time can still be the NCAA record without being a valid event to use to qualify for track regionals.

Nico has to run a 10K time at a meet that meets minimum event and participant count in order to qualify for the regional. He has currently only run a valid 800m qualifying time.

If he was planning on doing 10K at nationals, he probably would have already run the event by now to give himself optimal rest, but he still has a chance if he decides this weekend to do one.

Thanks for the confirm! I suppose he could hit a 5k qualifier fairly easy at conference or prior. Still seems odd that the greatest ever collegiate distance runner is yet to get a qualifying time in either main distance event.

With the times he has ran for 5 and 10 so far this year, I wouldn’t be surprised if he and Smith had their focus more on the trials to try and make the Olympics.

I don’t think he’s running the 5 or 10 at NCAAs. We will know for sure after this weekend.

Rono?

He should run the 5 and get an outdoor title. That wouldn’t disrupt his training, and a competitive one would fit right in with preparing for the OT.

Point taken. Amended: fastest ever collegiate distance runner

He could literally tempo a 10k - his threshold pace would be worth ~28:12 - and he'd qualify by a mile. I bet he runs a stress-free 10,000 at the conference meet (will be at altitude but he'll get a conversion) and picks up both points for the team and his qualifier.

Absolutely not. Young qualifying for the Olympics would bring far more positive attention and help with recruiting for NAU, than an extra 10 points at the NCAA meet.

rumor has it he is running the 800 at regionals

he should pull off the pentuple

800

1500

3000sc

5000

10000

no way he touches the 10K again until Olympic trials. a 5K at Nationals seems like the most logical choice. his best event and I'm sure he'd love to end his college career with an individual championship. maybe the 800 if he wants to work on his speed and technique, but I doubt it.

as a running fan I'm hoping he competes in the 5000

a Young/Robinson/Blanks/Wolfe/Maier/Sharp final would be epic.

Very interesting, I don't see him winning the 800. He could win the 1500. Either way I'm fine, would like to make the team in the 10k.

You’re getting carried away. Nico would be lucky to make the final in the 800m.

I'm not sure I understand the logic of him running the 800 unless its really just to build his speed. I don't see him making the final. He honestly might not even make it to the semifinals. There are plenty of 1:44 - 1:46 guys, so I have a hard time believing he can get in the final without dipping into 1:46 low territory. So he'll need at least a 1.5 second PB just to make the final. I'll be rooting for him because it would be sick if he did it.

The 5k on the otherhand is straight to final, so I don't see why not just try to get an NCAA 5k title instead. Maybe he proves me wrong.

I don’t think it’s that easy for him to win the 5k. if it was he would have already won it. Ky and Graham beat him easily last year and Wolfe is looking good at the moment. You have to think Mike Smith is protecting him and his confidence. There is a reason he didn’t run the 5k with Blanks and Ky And Wolfe at BU this year. It was a great move by Mike Smith to enter Nico in the 3k. Before indoor, he was routinely getting beat by those guys.

It doesn't seem strange that Henry Rono (the gratest ever collegiate athlete) didn't qualify...the man is literally not alive...

Merely running an 800m race has no more affect on speed than an interval workout. If it did, every distance runner would run them, but few do so, and by the same logic, running 400m race should make them even faster. The only possible benefit to Young from competing in an 800, would be to obtain some experience in 800m strategies.