Added Perspective wrote:
trackcoach wrote:...and remove Nelson from the top-10.
One more time. The people on all of these (admittedly subjective) lists cover approximately the last 50 years, correct? Think about this, folks: Jeff Nelson held the national 2-mile record for most of those years! That should be sufficient to include him on any list of the all-time Top 10 high school distance runners.
When you add in the fact that Jeff held the course record at Mt. SAC for 22 years (and might still have it if the course wasn't noticeably easier now), his selection should be automatic.
It is hard to compare XC times because courses and conditions change; course records are impressive, but I am far more impressed with XC athletes like Ritz who went head-to-head and beat other great XC athletes. XC course records always seem incredible until other great athletes run the same course. Long standing records on some NE courses like VCP, Holmdele and Belmont have been set and reset over the last couple of years.
Nelson's claim to fame is far and away his 2-mile record; a few things about that:
1. Nelson's record lasted as long as it did because no other H.S. athletes got a chance to run a 2-mile against pros.
2. Lindgren's 8:40 run indoors over 20 years earlier is a stronger record and is still standing nearly 50 years later.
3. If Webb had run 2-mile against pros around the time he set the mile HSR, the 2-mile record would likely be in the mid-8:20s. Also, when Rupp set the 5K HSR, he came through the 2-mile around 8:47, in a 2-mile against pros Rupp would have had a good shot at the record. Cheserek ran 8:42 indoors as a sophomore and with out a doubt, he would have broken that record even against H.S. athletes if he hadn't taken almost month off during the outdoor season his senior year.
4. Fernandez broke the record in 80 degree temps negative splitting against H.S. athletes and the current record is 6 seconds faster and was also set against H.S. athletes.
5. NCAA athletes routinely run the 3K equivalent times to an 8:36 2-mile who are only 4:02/3 milers.
6. In terms of quality, it is almost pedestrian compared to incredible performances like Grandville's 1:46 800m and Webb's mile.
This is not meant to take anything away from Nelson who was a great athlete and belongs on any top-20 list, but there is a big advantage getting to run a 2-mile against professional athletes. - Just keeping it real.