MARY CAIN is easily the greatest running prodigy in the US since Mary Decker Slaney

MaryMary wrote:

greenliner and oh great

Stop posting a NBA link that has nothing to do with Mary Cain or track and field!

AGREED. I was just about to post this myself. Have seen that same link at least 5 times already.

Tell you what....

Look at the top ten all time mile times in high school, top ten in the 2 mile and 800, then tell me how many of them panned out in college and then continued with a career that took them to the OT or even the games. Better yet, look at the top frosh times and tell me how many of them finished running thru senior year in high school? Somebody bump this thread in 5 years.....

Did anyone take note of what Welsey Frazier a tenth grader out of Raleigh accomplished this past weekend? Three high quality races over three days, 5000, 2mile, then won the mile. Why are we not talking about her?

Spaghetti Dinner wrote:

Seems Dyestat names a new prep prodigy every year. But only 1 out of a 1 billion medal three times at Worlds/Olys like L.A.'s Mary Decker did.

Decker had two medals at Worlds, none at Olympics.

b-ville wrote:

actually, at bronxville, 7th and 8th graders train and race with the high schoolers. so this is technically the first year of her hs era...but not really

ok. So she still has 3 more yrs before her H.S. ERA in OVER!!! Get back to us in 2014!

Mary Teresa Decker, Orange High School, California won 3 WC/Oly medals making her one of the top 10 track stars the U.S. has ever produced. Carl, Allyson, Bernard, ... Mary Teresa Decker is in their league.

You guys are both right, sort of. Decker did win a third medal in 1997 in Paris but it was retroactively stripped due to the drug test. USATF exonerated her but IAAF did not.

I would think twice about calling any girl from the pwerhouse programs of New York a running prodigy. The sad truth is they will probably be the next in a long line talented athletes run to the ground.

MaryMary wrote:

Same goes for you too TrackCoach. Stop looking at other athletes entire high school careers and compare just their freshman year to Mary Cain's. Yes she has another 3 years in high school but her freshman year alone propels her among the greatest female high schoolers as far as TALENT!

Who besides Mary Decker and Kim Gallagher could/have run 2:03.7 800m relay leg and 4:17 open 1500m as a freshman?

Hold your horses!

I have nothing but praise for Mary Cain, her performances have been incredible in a number of ways and I have nothing to suggest she will not continue to perform well in the future. I simply took exception to your use of word "greatest" and offered some historical perspective and also pointed out that you simply can't go by time. If that was the only measuring stick then Bill Rodgers would not be ranked even in the top-10 among the U.S. marathoners and Alan Webb would be a better high school miler than Jim Ryun, which very few people would agree with.

Also, as some people have pointed out, when it comes to girls, it is hard to focus on just one year, you almost have to look at their body of work for their entire H.S. stay. Jordan Hasay's wining FLNC as a freshman is as about as impressive as it gets. Mary Decker at age 12, in one week she completed a marathon and four middle- and long-distance races. (Wikipedia). She could have made the U.S Olympic team at age 14, but she was too young and at Mary Cain's age, Decker was competing in international competitions. At age 14 Kim Gallagher won a state XC title that included several of nations top runners, probably would have won the national title if there was one and age 14 Kim held the class and age group record for every event she competed in. Notwithstanding the success these ladies had beyond at age 14, which as I said, with girls you never discount. Their achievements at around Mary Cain’s age was absolutely incredible.

One of the reasons why you just on one year is because 800m can be in particularly cruel to young girl as they mature. For example: I watched Devon Williams run a 2:06i 800m at around Mary's age and I don't know if she ever ran much faster than that even in college. Robin Campbell ran a 2:02x 800m at around Mary's age and she never ran faster than that in H.S. Laura Roesler ran a low 2:03 800m at around Mary's age and that might still be her PR even in college. Raven Rogers ran 2:06x 800m at age 13 and now at age 16, I don't think she come close to that time. Meredith Rainey ran a 2:10x 800m at age 13 and I don’t think she faster than that until college. Obviously there are extenuating circumstances for some of these girls, but hopefully you get the point. - Btw, I don't think anyone’s intentions is to take anything away from Mary Cain, but the people who are the greatest were almost a freak of nature good, I would almost put Mary Cain in that category, but you definitely can’t say she is the best of the best.

Title IX wrote:

You guys are both right, sort of. Decker did win a third medal in 1997 in Paris but it was retroactively stripped due to the drug test. USATF exonerated her but IAAF did not.

Thank you. Although, since Paris was indoors, that medal was not a WC medal to begin with. It was a WIC medal, which is something different and not at the same level of competitive accomplishment.

you guys argue out the details, I am just glad to see new talent and interest in T and F....hope they stay healthy and motivated!

Rac Fan wrote:

Did anyone take note of what Welsey Frazier a tenth grader out of Raleigh accomplished this past weekend? Three high quality races over three days, 5000, 2mile, then won the mile. Why are we not talking about her?

because mary cain is faster and her stride looks like deckers.

Ajee, since she ran a 2:00r as a (young?) soph, it is likely that a 2:03 was feasible and certainly that 2:00 was much better than Cain's 2:03 (and I think she passed a girl that ran a 2:03 leg in that race, but I am not certain). And, if you look at Cain's race, it was one of the best relay marks ever - behind the record that Ajee's team set and the team of the runner(s?) that she passed.

Too much uncertainty if a high school fresh(wo)man 800 runner will ever run faster or at least much faster. Decker, on the other hand was becoming an international star at that age.

Poor Hasay is yesterday's news, uhh? -- I will bet she wins more NCAA titles than Cain, although we may have to wait eight years to find out.

popeye doyle wrote:

Here's the 4:17 1500m:

http://ny.milesplit.com/videos?id=18647

Wow!

:|} wrote:

I don't think she could run sub 10. Her best in a 3000 is 9:28. She doesn't have huge endurance either as when compared to Cuffe. At XC States, Cuffe 17:19.6 while Cain got 18:42.7. While Cain may have tremendous speed, I don't think she has the endurance to get the sub-10.

Yes, but it was her first 3000 in 2 years and her first XC season so she could easily get in the 9 teens and sub 18 for 5k. Mary is by far a better runner than Cuffe because she can do many different events and crush everyone while Cuffe's distances are limited.

She is racing again this weekend, who doesn't think she will be overraced? Thay have been racing hard fro months, how many years can she keep this up?

Girls rarley progress well in HS. Jordan Hasay is unique. Just because she is fast now doesn't mean she is going to run well in College or beyond.

Look at Dana Mirabolli 4-time HS state champion in IL, nothing in college.

James Dobson wrote:

Girls rarley progress well in HS. Jordan Hasay is unique. Just because she is fast now doesn't mean she is going to run well in College or beyond.

Look at Dana Mirabolli 4-time HS state champion in IL, nothing in college.

Word. For girls, identifying PROGRESSION IN TRAINING is more impressive than raw talent, since talent is fickle in many girls. A high school freshman who runs 5:00? Dime a dozen. But a girl who goes from 6:00 as a freshman to 5:00 as a senior has a very bright future.

"Decker, on the other hand was becoming an international star at that age", let's hope the new talent doesn't end up like Decker, much maligned for doping allegations......