Big 12 Results...Injuries? Weather?

Good questions. Unfortunately, I have no answers.

This is all I know.

1. Iowa State: most of these kids have always been there. The new coach is Corey Imhels. Footlocker champ. Sub-4 miler. And he was on the NCAA National Championship ISU team from 1994

2. Oklahoma State: To not run at a championship race after already having run the majority of the season, I think he's probably hurt.

3. Nebraska: Again same thing. If one of your major players isn't running late in the season they're probably hurt. Hopefully he'll be back in time for the Regional Champs.

4. Texas: Obviously

5. Texas A&M: No. Look at the spread. You run the same team in a bigger race and there'll be more people in those gaps.

And that's all I know.

One correction to your response A&M's gap time was 26 seconds 1-5. Since they don't have a top five front runner do you think their gap should be less?

Iowa state has two freshman that placed 28th and 35th...also their 2 man on the day had an awesome race

Texas ran great missing there #2 joe thorne.

O.K State had their no. 2 guy (Tate) missing.

Nebraska also had their no. 2 guy out (Wyatt). Bowler has missed a couple of weeks training with a foot injury so was not 100%, but is back training, as is Wyatt now. The team has very little depth, so struggle when they don't have their first 5 fit and healthy, but run well when they do, i.e. at Indiana State. They have also been missing 3 of their top 5 from last year -2 with stress fractures and 1 with sinus problems. So all in all have been a bit unlucky.

Don't know what happened to Menefee or de Bastos though

Gaffigan (Neb) had breathing problems in the race, and should have been top 10.

On the girls' side, I can tell you that the race was really weirdly fast...that course is tough, and the women were moving. It seems like the cold got to most everyone at least a little except Colorado. Anyone who has some kind of asthma probably would suffer on a day like that, esp. if they had not had time to get used to cold air yet...I think one example of this is Mortimer: There shouldn't be anyone in the nation who can beat her by 30 seconds. I know she has asthma problems. Not to take anything away from Austin, awesome repeat.

How do you people see the Regional Finishes of rhte Big 12 teams?

Men:

South Central- Im guessing Arkansas and Texas will get out of the region. Does A&M have enough wins to get an at large? No one else will challenge will they? Maybe Baylor.

Midwest- I am guessing Minnesota and Oklahoma State will qualify in top 2. Does Nebraksa have enough firepower with everyone healthy to beat Oklahma State? Will the 3rd place team in this region get in?

Women:

South Central- The Big 12 Southern Teams look good. I think Texas, Texas A&M and possibly Baylor will all get in. What do you people think?

Midwest- There aren't any good women's big 10 teams in this regional are there? Top was Minn at 6. Will Kansas State recover? Missouri and SMS have looked good. Who will get in from this region!

Here's the picture:

Men:

Midwest- U.Minn. is a Shoe-in for the win (awkward iambic rhyme). Here are the teams that haev a realistic shot for #2: OSU, Iowa and Nebraska. If Iowa is 4th they may have enough at-large points to push in the 3rd place team in. The same goes for Nebraska. But that, of course, all depends on what hapens in the other regions. Really I see U.Minn and OSU getting with ONE of the others.

S.Central-

Texas is in. A&M May have enough points if OSU and Florida State gets in but really they're going to have to do it auto-style.

Sorry Big 12 fans. I have to go with SMU over A&M easily and possibly over UT (but I won't go out on a limb given the Mustangs' past distric performances). They placed 5 in the top 10 at the WAC meet, won the Auburn meet easily and ran respectably at Notre Dame without their top finisher from last week. These guys are very talented and could turn some heads.

Midwest: Don't count Iowa State out in this region. OSU only beat them by 9 points last weekend, and they beat both Nebraska and Baylor. Don't be surprised if they take 2nd place in the Midwest.

I'll agree that the course was tough and the times were surprisingly fast, but the weather was not that cold. It was cold for a spectator but good running conditions. Any teams from the midwest should be used to the colder temperatures. If it was a factor, then the Texas teams should have struggled the most and that was not the case. I think the hilly course made for some unexpected performances. The better hill runners and those that didnt go out to fast are the ones that did well. Mortimer was in the top three through most of the race but I think she went out to fast considering the tough terrain and just didnt have the conditioning at the end.

Here are my projections for the Big 12 Regionals:

MEN:

Mountain: Colorado-1st

Midwest: Minnesota-1st, Okla St-2nd, Nebraska-3rd, Iowa-4th

South Central: Arkansas-1st, Texas-2nd, Texas A&M-3rd

WOMEN:

Mountain: Colorado-1st

Midwest: Missouri-1st, Kansas St-2nd, SMS-3rd

South Cental: Arkansas-1st, Texas-2nd, Texas A&M-3rd

Nebraska and Iowa Get in from the Midwest.

A&M Men don't get in, Women do.

That is the way I see it...I'm sure there are some different opinions.

11th to 5th, c'mon, does anyone know more about ISU? There has to be more to the story. Someone told me their number 2 runner was a JC tranfer they dug up originally from Madagascar. Do they have the strength to be top two in their region? As for the region I say no more than 3 go from the midwest, and most likely just 2.

So let's see, you lose 1 guy from a national championship team (okay, two scorers) and you get coach of the year? Why even have a vote? Just tape the COTY trophy to the team trophy...

The main thing is the last coach was a fool. They were running less than 50 miles a week, 8-10 miles for a long run. That's a great situation to come into as a coach. There's no way to not improve.

Corey Ihmels is a very good coach, and will have them back at NCs soon, but I don't think, as bad as the region is, that they'll make the dance. Minnesota, Illinois St, Okla St will be top 3. I don't think anyone else gets in.

Discus Stu wrote:

Sorry Big 12 fans. I have to go with SMU over A&M easily and possibly over UT (but I won't go out on a limb given the Mustangs' past distric performances). They placed 5 in the top 10 at the WAC meet, won the Auburn meet easily and ran respectably at Notre Dame without their top finisher from last week. These guys are very talented and could turn some heads.

I think SMU is a good team, but placing 5 runners in the top 10 at the shitty WAC conference is not saying much. They seem to run with one or two of their top guys missing at every meet so we'll have to see what kind of squad they will have for regionals. Right now Texas should qualify out of the South Central and I disagree that SMU will defeat A&M easily. SMU's 5th man at most the meets is a 800/1500 guy so he could struggle over the 10k course.

I can tell you that their #2 runner is not from Madagascar. He is a two-time state champion from Iowa.

illinios state? are you serious? There is no way they are even gonna finish in the top 5!