Stanford Amy Bunnage on pace to shatter Valby’s records

Similar training, similar build. Another record-breaking runner.

you realize that Doris Lemngole is also a sophomore right?

She may break the record ... if Alabama's Lemngole doesn't break it first.

a 22 year old Kenyan is less interesting

No. This isn’t true.
Bunnage is a strong talent but I worry for her ability to stay injury-free.

i dont care if its interesting or not. Who cares if she ends up faster than the current 3k and 5k records if she's still behind other NCAA runners. Is running 8:34 or 14:50 going to make news if Doris is 8:30 and 14:45 in the same race?

I remember Rojo stating a couple years ago the next Katelyn Tuohy is entering the college system that fall (2023). There have been a few stumbles along the way last year, but she and JJ/coach have found their groove. Looks like Rojo's prediction was correct -- although that comment was made pre-Valby, pre-Lemngole, pre-Olemomoi, pre-Kosgei, et al.

Believe Amy's next race will be the mile @ Husky Classic two weekends hence. Stanford's indoor/outdoor SR is 4:30.92 by Juliette Whittaker last year. That's as good as gone. Probably looking at a 4:28 or better.

Would love to see Amy anchor a DMR featuring Kennedy-Whittaker-Willis. That's a stud lineup which should be competitive with WA & OR @ NCAAs.

If that happened, it would obviously be bigger news if Bunnage was American, but she’s not.

Or Hilda Olemomoi/FL.

She gets the first crack at Tuohy's 8:35/3000 CR three days from now @ Millrose.

That Tuohy record is really impressive, being 5 seconds faster than any other collegian. Compared to her 4:24 mile record which is only 1 second ahead of a few runners who are at 4:25 -- and that record could be broken in three days by Wilma Nielson/OR as she was just added to the Wanamaker Mile.

Have to wonder how much longer any of these mentioned names remain "amateurs" and compete four years in college. Being at Stanford, guessing Amy will stick around through 2027.

Fall of 2023 was not quite pre-Valby, depending on your definition, since Valby had won an NCAA in spring 2023.

Whether they “stick around” depends whether they make more in college versus pro, and the latter would require a sponsor picking up another foreign athlete.

All NCAA distance records will belong to foreign athletes within the next 2-3 years. Since the new rules allow Olympians approaching age 30 to compete as freshman athletes, then the records really don’t matter anymore.

Bekele and Kipchoge still have eligibility, right?

Your point has merit, since the typical path of an American is the secondary high school system immediately preceding entrance to college.

I’m afraid Amy will be faster than Lemngole in 2 years, she trains like Valby.

She’ll be just fine. It helps that she doesn’t run much in training.

We used to talk about runners improving in ncaa, now we will have declining runners looking for masters records and their second career and second pension.

Didn't some posters here call Valby a generational talent? If that were true her records would stand for much longer.

4:28 seems a bit rich for Bunnage's debut NCAA mile. If the 2024 Husky Classic podium finishers [Foerster 4:28; Pellicoro 4:31; Halladay-Lowry 4:31] return as expected, maybe Bunnage hangs on for 4:30.

The only sophomore clearly "on pace" to dispatch Valby's remaining 5k record is Lemngole. I'd give Lemngole, Noe and Bunnage equal odds on hitting 30:50 as collegians, provided each gets a shot in a quick race with pacers, wavelights & ideal conditions. As for anyone messing with Tuohy's 8:35, that's a conversation best tabled until after Millrose and BU Valentine.