Jenny Simpson Moving Back to Boulder to Be Coached by Mark Wetmore

This is good news. I wish her the best.

Is Jenny going to have a role with the CU program like Volunteer Assistant or something? Otherwise, track access is going to be interesting.

Damnnnnn, big news. I was just thinking about her the other day and wondered how she would address her sub-par 2012. It's tough b/c, yes, Benson coached her to a World Champs gold, but she also led her through a disastrous 2013. Wetmore really created her though.

I'm curious what's different now than when Simpson first left Wetmore and talked about how he didn't have the time to focus on coaching a professional athlete in addition to a college team.

Back to the steeple, or sticking with the 1500?

Maybe she got hit with a case of nostalgia watching a couple of Buffs do well in the Steeple?

She just had the right kick on the right day to get that 1500 gold. Nobody predicted that win and she has not been able to duplicate that race ever since.

She had most of her best performances running for Wetmore. Who knows. We'll see.

I predicted it!!!

reer wrote:

.... but she also led her through a disastrous 2013.

Say what? Do you have a time machine or did I sleep through a year?

JBS is on schedule for another Gold medal at Moscow 2013.

Why?

Jenny Simpson was WORLD CHAMPION in 2011. She has many more seasons ahead of her with top-10 world rankings at 1500 or steeple.

She had her career highpoint by winning the WC last year.

The horizon for Simpson, in my predictions, will feature her making it to the finals in Moscow, next year, and just missing podium, in fifth. Lucky thing she gets and automatic.

I think Martinez is the next big deal on the American 1500 female scene and will make podium in Moscow. We shall see.

I have had the opportunity to meet Jenny Simpson speak. She is very friendly and down-to-earth, and I wish her all the best.

However, it seems to me that coaching a pro would distract Wetmore from his student-athletes. Shouldn't his primary obligation be to the men and women he recruited to run under his coaching?

Maybe I am being naive and college coaches also coaching pros is common, but this strikes me as pretty unfair to the runners at CU.

Go Jenny! wrote:

I have had the opportunity to meet Jenny Simpson speak. She is very friendly and down-to-earth, and I wish her all the best.

However, it seems to me that coaching a pro would distract Wetmore from his student-athletes. Shouldn't his primary obligation be to the men and women he recruited to run under his coaching?

Maybe I am being naive and college coaches also coaching pros is common, but this strikes me as pretty unfair to the runners at CU.

Vin coaches some OTC guys

Clearly, Wetmore has considered the Big Picture in this. I'll trust his take thank you....

Go Jenny! wrote:

Maybe I am being naive and college coaches also coaching pros is common, but this strikes me as pretty unfair to the runners at CU.

Since wetmore lost jay Johnson, he realizes having Olympian billy Nelson there to do the grunt work is very effective. However, his personal running has collapsed since making the Olympic team. Also, unlike billy, there is not room for Jenny to be named an actual assistant coach so she is not allowed to train with the team a all.

Could this actually mean Juli might be moving positions?

Interesting. Maybe Barringer intends to train with Coburn and Kipp once they graduate?

Actually you are wrong, alumni can train with a college team. Look it up in the zillion page long NCAA Manual.

Besides why do you care, it's running. It's a free world, you can run anywhere with anyone you want to. The sport isn't confined to a gym or field with pads or equipment needed.

She can be a volunteer assistant.