Texas A&M is winning the DMR, all fresh guys running 2:49, 1:46, 44.9, 3:53, just watch
could be, but UNC will have Wolfe and Strand fresh presumably as well. 800 leg will be key. Can the A&M guy run 3:53 from the front knowing there is this 3:48 guy coming at him?
Notable mens sprints scratches and some discussion about each:
10 Wanya McCoy SR Florida 6.55S
- Hamstring injury of some sort at SECs
15 Consider Ekanem FR Tennessee 6.57S
- No clue
3 Wanya McCoy SR Florida 20.25S
- See above
9 Judson Lincoln IV JR Virginia Tec 20.56S
- Seems to be focusing on the 400 and 4x400
10 Auhmad Robinson SR Texas A&M 20.57S
- Same reason^
12 Shawn Brown SR Texas Tech 20.58S
- Seems to be focusing on the 60. Didn't run the 200 at B12 so there might be an injury issue there as well.
7 Johnnie Blockburger SR USC 45.56S
- Focusing on the 200, but not sure why. He ran 44 low last year. Strikes me as a national contender at the 400 indoors.
31 Logan Popelka JR Texas 46.08S
- Presumably an injury, I think I saw a DNF at SECs. (he's obviously not gonna be in top 16 anyway but i've been following his career for a while and I thought he might be on the podium this year in the 400)
The DMR last leg is a barnburner. With the superspikes these guys should be fully good to go a day later too in that 3K. But whoever wins the 1500m outdoors will have the ultimate bragging rights anyway.
Green's scratch in the 3k puts Spencer in. Any idea why Spencer didn't run (finish) more than one mile this indoor season? In past years, a good number of the fastest runners opted for their individual events over the DMR, but it seems like things could be shaping up for a great race this year.
Notable mens sprints scratches and some discussion about each:
10 Wanya McCoy SR Florida 6.55S
- Hamstring injury of some sort at SECs
15 Consider Ekanem FR Tennessee 6.57S
- No clue
3 Wanya McCoy SR Florida 20.25S
- See above
9 Judson Lincoln IV JR Virginia Tec 20.56S
- Seems to be focusing on the 400 and 4x400
10 Auhmad Robinson SR Texas A&M 20.57S
- Same reason^
12 Shawn Brown SR Texas Tech 20.58S
- Seems to be focusing on the 60. Didn't run the 200 at B12 so there might be an injury issue there as well.
7 Johnnie Blockburger SR USC 45.56S
- Focusing on the 200, but not sure why. He ran 44 low last year. Strikes me as a national contender at the 400 indoors.
31 Logan Popelka JR Texas 46.08S
- Presumably an injury, I think I saw a DNF at SECs. (he's obviously not gonna be in top 16 anyway but i've been following his career for a while and I thought he might be on the podium this year in the 400)
Consider Ekanem was busted for doping. Add him to the list with Randolph Ross, Grace Nwokocha, and Duane himself. Duane needs to be permanently banned from our sport, but his men’s team is so bad it might happen organically at this point.
Notable mens sprints scratches and some discussion about each:
10 Wanya McCoy SR Florida 6.55S
- Hamstring injury of some sort at SECs
15 Consider Ekanem FR Tennessee 6.57S
- No clue
3 Wanya McCoy SR Florida 20.25S
- See above
9 Judson Lincoln IV JR Virginia Tec 20.56S
- Seems to be focusing on the 400 and 4x400
10 Auhmad Robinson SR Texas A&M 20.57S
- Same reason^
12 Shawn Brown SR Texas Tech 20.58S
- Seems to be focusing on the 60. Didn't run the 200 at B12 so there might be an injury issue there as well.
7 Johnnie Blockburger SR USC 45.56S
- Focusing on the 200, but not sure why. He ran 44 low last year. Strikes me as a national contender at the 400 indoors.
31 Logan Popelka JR Texas 46.08S
- Presumably an injury, I think I saw a DNF at SECs. (he's obviously not gonna be in top 16 anyway but i've been following his career for a while and I thought he might be on the podium this year in the 400)
Consider Ekanem was busted for doping. Add him to the list with Randolph Ross, Grace Nwokocha, and Duane himself. Duane needs to be permanently banned from our sport, but his men’s team is so bad it might happen organically at this point.
Hahahaha no way, seriously? Another athlete banned under Ross? The jokes write themselves at this point.
Green's scratch in the 3k puts Spencer in. Any idea why Spencer didn't run (finish) more than one mile this indoor season? In past years, a good number of the fastest runners opted for their individual events over the DMR, but it seems like things could be shaping up for a great race this year.
Just a guess, but possibly he felt he was burnt out by Paris last year. Last year he was in pretty strong form from Millrose (3:52.7) to Aussie Champs (win), but then couldn't really build on it meaningfully in the late spring/summer. So maybe this year there's more of a focus on strength, and building so that he can be at his best in September. That approach seemed to work for Anass Essayi last year though it made for a disappointing indoor season.
Looks like Sahlman for the men, and Matooug (Washington) and Appleton (Virginia) for the women are the only athletes trying the mile / 3000 double. There's only an hour between the start times. Any chance any of these athletes scores in both?
Looks like Sahlman for the men, and Matooug (Washington) and Appleton (Virginia) for the women are the only athletes trying the mile / 3000 double. There's only an hour between the start times. Any chance any of these athletes scores in both?
Given the quality of the 3000m fields I think it will be tough, not to slight the ability of these 3 runners. Just for an example, Appleton only managed 8:51 at ACC, 2 hours after she won the mile (vs her 8:46 earlier season best). There are 8 runners who have broken 8:45 this season and several more I think could.
They should rely on time qualifiers outdoors as well as indoors, because they prompt far better performances. They can allow more qualifiers than indoors, of course, but compare the 16th best qualifying time last year outdoors to this year indoors:
You'd think that athletes would be running faster outdoors, it being better for training and they're peaking, but they don't have to push to hit the qualifying times for regionals, because it's much easier to make it. That's also why you sometimes see the best collegiate times run after NCAAs.
Looks like Sahlman for the men, and Matooug (Washington) and Appleton (Virginia) for the women are the only athletes trying the mile / 3000 double. There's only an hour between the start times. Any chance any of these athletes scores in both?