German Fernandez: How soon will he totally annihilate the distance WRs?

He ran 4:22 freshman year with little training (just like Michael Stember but with more desire). He is far less trained than Ritz was at this point, that's why there is so much hope. Ritz had already run 2-3 years of high mileage before he ran 14:10. In other words, most of that 14:24 5k was off of just raw, untapped, Jeff Nelson-like talent.

Mark my words, dude will rip every single distance HS record to shreds during outdoors. People rip him for being brash, but hey, so was Pre. You gotta have that kill or be killed attitude or you're not gonna survive against the hoardes of Africans waiting to leave you in your wake.

long live Germanos!

No way he takes down Rupp's 5k,10k. Just no way.

forget it. the guy is almost at his peak. he won't even win an NCAA title in college and might not even be a top guy. California guys peak early.

GO BACK TO DYESTAT LITTLE KID!!

Yeah I'm sure he's getting near his peak at MAYBE 2,500 miles in his career. A lot of high school guys can hit over half of that in 6 months.

His key to success is picking a good program and STAYING HEALTHY. If so, he's on. I doubt he'll get Rupp's records, but he also won't have had NEARLY the base, facilities, coaching and opportunities that Rupp had either. If he even comes close at all to those I will be very impressed given his circumstances.

He will break Rupp's records in trainers.

he might be on drugs. isn't it cheap to get drugs in mexico?

Drugs wouldn't effect him. He is so good, that he cannot improve with drugs.

Course History info update:

From Coach Quick: From the Illinois site

Firstly, the IHSA has never admitted that the old Detweiller layout was short of 3.0 miles even though numerous people throughout its history have found it to be 2.97-2.99. Everyone always knew that the last mile was a bit short during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. It is difficult to quantify for Virgin, Graves, Torres, or Sage how much faster this made their times. The IHSA will recognize Chris Derrick's recent run as the second fastest time ever. To them, the course lengths are identical now and then.

Secondly, the course as laid out now is three miles in length (with a small caveat you'll see later). They moved up the start line, changed the course right after the mile mark (you used to proceed on a diagonal to the back bridge), and the back loop. The course was surveyed by the Bradley University engineers and posts are driven into the ground at each 800 mark. These marks are used each year to set up the chip mats, start, finish, etc.

Third, the caveat. The new bridge that the runners take out of the back loop was not there until 2005, after they redid and surveyed the course. No one remarks about this, but it definitely cuts 10-15 meters off of the new course layout. Is that a huge deal? Not exactly, but the IHSA never really acknowledged the change. The bridges are side by side, but it does create a marginal difference.

Lastly, to those wondering about the splits, I think there are two factors involved. One, there are two long inclines in the third mile, which is the only mile where that occurs. Two, the little part I mentioned above about the new bridge is in the middle of the second mile.

viva_los_germanos! wrote:

In other words, most of that 14:24 5k was off of just raw, untapped, Jeff Nelson-like talent.

I suppose that with all the things wrong with this post, I'm nit-picking here, but does anyone want to quarrel with the idea that Jeff Nelson was raw and untapped? Pretty sure he ran Lindgren-esque mileage and is more often referred to on this board as over-trained and burnt out.

From the interviews I've seen, he doesn't really come off as incredibly brash. Not sure where that perception of him comes from. It would take a very slow runner with low self-esteem to find him cocky.

I agree with just some dude, please don't think German is brash and conceded. He is not cocky, he has confident, something which most of you runners don't have

*confidence

I didn't think he was cocky at all. I was very surprised to see people saying that about him. He knew he had a chance to run very well, and he went out for his goal. It's not different than me saying that I think I am in 4:25 mile shape and then going out and running 4:21 and saying I am proud of myself, and happy to have my team and family and my girlfriend there.

When he gets older and he signs with me I will introduce him to my doctors and they will help him as they have helped Geb, Bekele, and so on.

are there not kids of the same age in Europe (we won't speak of Kenya,Ethiopia and Japan) of the same age who've run faster? I think you'll find that 17 yr old English kid who got dotted at the trials the other day is faster and better.

Not sure that the English haven't got girls who are nearly as fast as your "German".I think there's a French boy who's run under 14.

I might just point out that Fernandez got well beaten over 1 mile last year. Ran about 4.17 where Shane eiger who's about the same ageran 4.11. At 4.17 for the mile Fernandez doesn't even make the grade for the World Junior championships 2008.

The standard is 3.48 for the 1500 and his mile time comes up well short at about 3.59, why do you all get so carried away with coss country performances, any course can be a few metres short or long,makes all the difference. This kid has doing f all on the track where the distance is the same the world over.

People tend to judge high school kids without remembering the fact that most of us had grand ideas for ourselves as teenagers that were not necessarily true. These are the years when we still believe that we can do anything. These are the years when we want attention for our accomplishments, when we feel important when somebody knows our name, or asks us about something impressive that we have done. As for Fernandez, I was far more cocky, conceited, arrogant, etc. as a 17-year-old than he appears to be. Not to mention the fact that I was two minutes slower. My advice to all is to give our high school talents a chance to grow, go to college and receive an education, and to improve as individuals before we pass judgment on them as too cocky or confident to be worthy of our support.

Wow, that's an excellent, well though out post with which I agree completely...so it will probably get bashed.

nv wrote:

People tend to judge high school kids without remembering the fact that most of us had grand ideas for ourselves as teenagers that were not necessarily true. These are the years when we still believe that we can do anything. These are the years when we want attention for our accomplishments, when we feel important when somebody knows our name, or asks us about something impressive that we have done. As for Fernandez, I was far more cocky, conceited, arrogant, etc. as a 17-year-old than he appears to be. Not to mention the fact that I was two minutes slower. My advice to all is to give our high school talents a chance to grow, go to college and receive an education, and to improve as individuals before we pass judgment on them as too cocky or confident to be worthy of our support.