So I was looking at some results and seen a 23.48 on a XC course by a guy I've never heard of. Now when people on here discuss individuals or top teams at XC nats most runners are how fast?
Rarely do you see sub 23.30...so how fast of an 8k xc runner do you need to be known as in the mix.
I just found it weird that 23.48 is someone I had never heard of from a small southern school.
Some courses are faster than others (flat, hard surfaces, no corners, good competition, weather -- rain, heat, wind.... Some courses are shorter than others (the new XC course at Wisconsin has been accused of that lately on this board following the addidas Invitational). 100m short (or long) implies 17 seconds or so. Flat/fast versus thick grass, maybe wet, muddy, etc. A course could vary quite a bit. Go look at the marks for the NCAAs over the last 6-7 years; same course, different conditions. Look at the average of, say, the top 100 to get a mark that is less prone to variation than the winning time.
For high school, I think, there is a system that is used to 'grade' a course that yields 'normalized marks'.
Yes everybody knows XC courses are different...But if you run a 23.05 regardless of the course (no mountain downhills mr. obvious) your known!
Anyone running sub-24 should be on the radar for being All-American at nationals. But, remember that the top-10 guys at nationals are probably running the last 8K of their 10Ks in under 23:45, so until you see that same pace in a 10K, I'd say they should be "known", but not considered a threat for a title.
Also, I'm interested in knowing about whom you were mentioned earlier. Emil Heineking?
Whoops I was off...There was a thread about Lamar? and after looking at their times:
""Led by sophomore Matt Johnsen, who placed third, Lamar had three runners in the top 10. Johnsen covered the 8-kilometer course in 23 minutes, 55.2 seconds. Lamar's Bob Ahimbisbwe was fourth in 23:56.9, while Tallam Kipruto was seventh in 24:06.9.
Other Lamar finishers were Joe Wade in 18th place at 24:30.8, Tom Wade in 19th at 24:32.2, Chris Jones in 21st at 24:35.0 and Anthony Pequeno in 61st at 25:08.4.""
That looks like a solid team that I had not heard of with 3 potential guys under 24? I knew the Kanyan they had the last few years cause he was in the front at nats a few times but had never heard of these guys.
You seen it?
Lee Carey of Providence? 23:47.2 => 23:48 at PreNats? He is no slouch.