Biggest Chokes at 2012 NCAA XC Nationals

The timing and scoring at D1...and D3

Anyone got an idea as to what happened to iona? I mean I think most people thought they'd start to drop off after the Byrne athletes all graduated - but no one thought they'd be this bad.

One guy dropped out? Anything else here?

Sorry guys, but cmon wrote:

:-)) wrote:

NC State

Is it really choking if everyone expects you to choke?

They must put something in the North Carolina water during every Championship season. How else to you explain the total disasters that are NC State, UNC, Duke, and Wake EVERY year, during EVERY season.

To all you high schoolers out there...DON"T go to college in North Carolina!

Say what you want about NC State teams of the past, but I'm not sure if this year they underperformed at NCAA's. They were ranked 28th coming in after really only making the meet because ACC champs VT ran poorly at regionals. In my opinion, which I'm sure is wrong because it doesn't fit your bashing agenda, finishing better than ranking isn't choking.

make no mistake, Oregon does not qualify without Dunbar's transfer...Probably loses to both ASU, WSU, and UW at Regional.

I was spectating at the spot that Lutz dropped out. He had a ton of kinesio tape on his quads and he was clutching his hammys and glutes just after he stepped off the course. It was pretty clear that he was really in pain and wasn't thrilled about DNFing. Maybe, you multi time All Americans could cut him some slack.

no explaination wrote:

Anyone got an idea as to what happened to iona? I mean I think most people thought they'd start to drop off after the Byrne athletes all graduated - but no one thought they'd be this bad.

One guy dropped out? Anything else here?

i think coaching is to blame for a talented team running that badly. How much do you blame the athletes depends on how much you think it was mental, did they choke at nationals, or is the training/program fundamentally wrong. i am interested in what people think, are the athletes to blame collectively or the coaches for the choke performances? How much do we put on the coach or the athlete etc 50% each ? thoughts...

The meet organisers. What a bunch of wankers.u

Runner2012 wrote:

The timing and scoring at D1...and D3

How do these guys get work? That was some of the most bush league timing. A complete joke.

I 100% agree. When German Fernandez set the all time Woodward park record 14:24 in 2007, Van Halen won the California D5 race in 15:59.

The rocker kid has improved every year. I believe he is the most improved runner from the class of 2008.

He also ran an 8:40's steeple the spring. If he continues to improve his dad band will be playing Hot for Teacher when lines up at the 2016 Rio Olympic Steeple final. :)

I actually expected Dunbar to finish somewhere in the top 15. He always seems to do good at conference and regionals and then disappears at Championship time. Anyways I hope he can set some PR's on the track this coming spring.

This.

"Saina... She barely beat out girls 3-4 years younger than her..."

you make the call wrote:

Lutz crying after he stopped.

http://www.flotrack.org/coverage/249913-2012-NCAA-Division-I-Cross-Country-Championships/video/662823-Craig-Lutz-goes-down-with-injury-and-emotion-at-2012-NCAA-XC-Champs

Injury or Jenny B meltdown from going out too fast?

that kid's got a wide stance

Biggest choke was the organizing committee and its inability to post the results correctly. 2nd biggest choke , LetsRun for not calling out in a bigger way and demanding excellence for the athletes.

Biggest choke...hands down the NCAA D1 track & field committee that oversees the meet. There is absolutely no way in hell that Delta Timing should've been hired after that debacle!

Flash Results curiously wasn't a part of any of the NCAA cross country championship meets...how is the best timing company shut out of nationals?

i think coaching is to blame for a talented team running that badly. How much do you blame the athletes depends on how much you think it was mental, did they choke at nationals, or is the training/program fundamentally wrong. i am interested in what people think, are the athletes to blame collectively or the coaches for the choke performances? How much do we put on the coach or the athlete etc 50% each ? thoughts...

I think it's probably 75 percent on the coaches. You see the same teams underperforming every year at nationals. Why don't these coaches modify their training programs? It just seems ridiculous to me.

The people who timed the race

That's what happens when you have to run back to back hard 10k races. If you're not a top team, you prepare for a big race, run all out at Regionals, and then have to do it again the next week.

Azaleas wrote:

That's what happens when you have to run back to back hard 10k races. If you're not a top team, you prepare for a big race, run all out at Regionals, and then have to do it again the next week.

It does not take a week to recover from a 10k

A freshman qualifies for Nationals as an individual and finishes in the top 200 and you consider that a 'worst performance'?

You are clearly an idiot.