NCAAs Least Valuable Player- Oregon's Chris Winter

Ivory wrote:

On a side note, I feel terrible for Vin, best coach throughout this thing.

Wrong.

The best coach is the guy that got his people to run the kind of performances that they are capable of.

That would be A&M head coach, PAT HENRY.

:)

Ivory wrote:

It is a little weeny to blame one Field Guy, for the short comings of an entire team. How many distance guys are we blaming here? At least 3. 6 if you include Acosta and the Mercados.

You're talking about 6 guys, to 1. Distance was supposed to have some sort of honor about them at UO as well. Only Rupp and Wheating ran with any. If just one of the other UO distance guys gave the effort Wheating did, commensurate with their talent (and they DO have it) Oregon wins.

Distance, cmon you guys. Lets put blame where it belongs.

Understood.

I just don't get the Mercados at all.

They've been up at Oregon for what seems like forever.

They have more DNF's than you can shake a stick at.

Diego DNF's in the 10,000 and Daniel is nearly 30 seconds off his season best. Puskedra is 46 seconds off his season best!

Ivory wrote:

Guys Guys...wait...

Winters yes. Its his fault. Its also Jordan's. Its also Centro's. Its also Puskedras. Its also the Mercado's. Biwott could have done better too.

If Centro has a stress fracture it isn't his fault - he was overtrained.

Ivory wrote:

Guys Guys...wait...

Winters yes. Its his fault. Its also Jordan's. Its also Centro's. Its also Puskedras. Its also the Mercado's. Biwott could have done better too.

Vin could have put Rupp or Wheating in the 15, which would have been terrible on Rupp...and Wheating but might have won.

And hear you are again fawning all over the Ducks.

You certainly pay alot of attention to them for someone who doesn't care.

Do you always may so much attention to men?

Wheating and Rupp did their jobs though, as did the field guys for the most part.

It was the number 3-5 guys on this distance team that sucked terribly and ruined Oregon only shot at a team title.

They cost themselves the title. And tonight and for the next few nights they will be served a nice big slice of Humble Pie.

denton wrote:

...at least they showed up to compete

Yes, and showing up does not earn you a title. Its this kind of attitude that is ruinous to a distance runner.

You think the Kenyans or Ethiopians look at it as 'just showing up'??? You think Rupp or Wheating look at it like that?

The Oregon Distance boys had the closest examples to them of greatness and perseverance, their own team mates. Instead of following the example they didn't. They had the best coach, Vin. They had the best school and environment, Oregon. They have money, food, and obscene amounts of talent.

Obviously every opportunity in the world isn't enough in Distance is it? Without the willpower to win, displayed as a perfect example in Rupp and Wheating, every opportunity means nothing.

This is what disgusts so many, too see these guys have everything, spoil it, and themselves in their only chance as a team to do this. Oh well right?

Are you in Eugene? Got an address? Because I'd like to drive down there tomorrow and smack you. God knows you need it.

Asswipe.

Oregon's problem was that Rupp, Wheating, and Eaton were their only clutch competitors. Their other athletes, in the distances and field events, are all pretty good, but some weren't experienced at the championship level, and it was hard for me to expect them to do as well as they were seeded. Obviously if Centro were healthy, I think he would have given them enough points to win, but I guess this shows how hard it is to win a triple crown, especially if your track team relies heavily on distance runners. It's one thing to put up good marks and times during the course of the season, it's another to go out and compete and beat people in the pressure cooker that is NCAA nationals. Rupp had what it takes, so did Wheating and Eaton, and they had all been on that stage before, but the other guys didn't, and Texas A&M's athletes did.

I guess it also shows that it helps to have good sprinters and jumpers on your squad.

wrong wrote:

Oregon's problem was that Rupp, Wheating, and Eaton were their only clutch competitors. Their other athletes, in the distances and field events, are all pretty good, but some weren't experienced at the championship level, and it was hard for me to expect them to do as well as they were seeded.

And that is how you WIN a National Championship.

Your so-called "non-clutch" players HAVE TO LIVE UP to their seeded performances! In the case of Oregon, this was clearly not the case.

On a sidenote: This just makes the 2003 Arkansas Outdoor title in Sacramento with Cragg and Lincoln look all that more impressive.

The crazy thing is, not one Duck stepped it up during this meet. Eaton, Wheating and Rupp did their part, but nobody brohe through at all.

HAS anyone mentioned AJ ACOSTA ? if he places in top 5 , Oregon wins.Centro gave his all, where was AJ?

1) A.J. is injured.

2) A.J. is redshirting.

3) A.J. has also been suspended from the team.

F THE DUCK wrote:

HAS anyone mentioned AJ ACOSTA ? if he places in top 5 , Oregon wins.Centro gave his all, where was AJ?

You clearly have been living in a cave for much of this season.

I wonder if the combined points all of you haters have ever scored at NCAAs would have put the Ducks over the top, doubt it.

Luke's fitness was a question mark for me. He didn't look good in the Pac-10s, and didn't race much other than that.

There were high expectations all around. Sure, the Olympians and the returning NCAA champ should deliver, but expecting 10 even from a healthy Centro and you start to model "best case".

Luke's fitness was a question mark for me. He didn't look good in the Pac-10s, and didn't race much other than that.

There were high expectations all around. Sure, the Olympians and the returning NCAA champ should deliver, but expecting 10 even from a healthy Centro and you start to model "best case".

NCAA Championships is a whole different setting than many of us are accustomed to, similar to some conference meets. It's where the race that's won is not always won by the fastest person in the field, perhaps the race is won by the person who's feeling the best that day or the person who executes their strategy the best.

Mental toughness!

What do you do when a race is not going as you planned?

Not many people like leading Championship races so the pace tends to lag and when the pace lags the finishing order is not as predictable as it would be when there's an honest pace.

Luke will be better next year, he ran well indoor but in the outdoor 10K there was a lot more traffic.

We need to root for teams like Oregon that's able to compete for NCAA Championships with their Middle Distance and Distance runners or we may start to go the way of the Dinosaurs as programs shift to Texas A&M model

Anyone have a video of Winter's steeple finish?

Get used to it wrote:

Anyone have a video of Winter's steeple finish?

That's what I was wondering because to me it honestly looked like the dude rigged up just like pre in the olympics. I'm not sure he could have done anything if he knew those guys were coming. I thought he put it all out there in the race just to be in position to get a couple points and then tied up. I'd love to see it again though if anyone has it.

..so am I too assume that you scored at NCAAs this year???