Cragg DNS in 5000

What is up with Solinsky, he got killed by Bairu and ended up way back.

And Tegenkamp is even farther back. What is Schumacher thinking?

I would think Cragg would be a lock for an at-large bid. His DNS is probably smart coaching.

yeah, but doesn't he have to run to give an honest effort???? If that was the case, then why would ANYONE run in the prelims with high marks????

Solinsky and Bairu traded off the lead for much of the race, but sometime before 4k, Bairu just took off. Solinsky just kept dropping further and further back. Don't know what was going on.

Correct. Cragg needed to run to have a shot at running Nationals. Perhaps he is bypassing NCAA's to prepare for the Olympics.

Veronica Campbell, Arkansas' top 100 and 200 meter runner, did not compete as well.

so you're saying that he would triple in his conference meet, but not run at the nc's to help ark win in preparation for the olympics? no way. maybe he's just going to run the 10. maybe the 15? either way, looks good for a ritz and cheseret duel now.

He didnt run the 15 either at regionals so the same rule would apply.

Cragg can only compete in the 10,000 meters....he did not enter in the 1,500

From

http://www.hogwired.com

That's McDonnell talking, might know just a bit more about who will run and who won't.

BATON ROUGE, La. ? No. 1 ranked Arkansas had a very successful first day at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships as it qualified 11 of its athletes in eight events, including one relay team to the finals. It is in the those finals that the Razorbacks will look to garner top five finishes in order to earn a trip to the NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas on June 9-12.

The 5,000 meters was notably missing senior All-American Alistair Cragg when he was pulled out of the event with a medical exemption. Cragg still holds the nation?s top time (13:16.98) and will earn an at-large bid to nationals based off his time.

?He has a cramp in his calf, so we got a medical waiver, because there is no way he could have run,? Arkansas head coach John McDonnell said. ?Hopefully he?ll be all right by nationals, we?ve got two weeks. Alistair is a very tough guy. Other than that, today couldn?t have gone any better. We had a great day and what a way to cap it off with those three 200-meter runners.?...

Suddenly I remember that Mulvaney had an "injury" at last year's regionals too.

trying to beat the system and preserve the legs eh?

The NCAA Manual seems to make it pretty clear that you must compete in the meet.

http://www1.ncaa.org/main/membership/champadmin/track/2004/04_d1_Out_tech_manual.pdf

:

"SITUATION 1: A student-athlete highly ranked on the final regular-season regional

descending-order list has a nagging injury. The coach, after declaring the student-athlete into the

regional meet, decides that student-athlete could use the rest instead of competing at the regional

meet; therefore, he does not send the student-athlete to start her event. Can the student-athlete

advance to the national championship meet as an at-large student-athlete, using her best regularseason

performance?

RULING: No. The student-athlete did not compete in the regional meet. Individuals (and relay

teams) can advance to the national championship meet as an automatic or as an at-large entrant

only if and only in the events in which they compete at the regional meet."

If Arkansas wanted to take advante of the rules, he should have at least started the race and made an effort. The way we interpret the rules, Cragg would not be in nationals.

well, it's clear that he won't be able to run, but that's a really stupid rule. Cragg and his coach should have known better. It's a real shame to keep out a guy who could walk to the title though.

What are you talking about? The hogwired article says that he is going to run. He received a medical waiver.

Big-picture: Olympic Games. NCAA machine small seed in big field.

very intersting since i seen him doing 400 meter repeats and doing 100 striders on thursday evening at the track.

got to love how the ncaa lets the big names in yet. i guess their idea of head to head competition is only for the little guys. the big ones, get the free ride.

That situation isn\'t the same. This isn\'t a \"could use the rest\" situation. Besides, McDonnel stated he got a medical waiver and WILL go to nationals. I think he knows what\'s going on better than you.