Eugene Register Guard front page says what we all know - Cheserek is too old

That is very funny. Good find.

He probably is too old, but still 5 years younger than many other Kenyans.

RG is a cheap, sloppy Nike rag. Twenty years ago it was a newspaper, then the RG fired the real journalists on staff and replaced them with unpaid UO interns. Now it's just a advertisement for Nike.

not a duck wrote:

Got into Eugene tonight. Picked up the paper in the lobby. Opened up the sports page to see if there was anything on NCAAs in Track Town USA.

There's a front page story on Edward Cheserek entitled, "Beyond his years."

How ironic.

Image here:

http://postimg.org/image/z7hddo4iz/

Tell me that's not so funny.

How old did we determine he was a few years back?

https://www.google.com/search?q=cheserek+age+site%3Aletsrun.com&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=fflb

As well known, my opinion is whereever the origin, NCAA athletes should have "5 years to fo 4," or "are only eligible until age 23."

I've had the pleasure to meet the young King, and he does genuinely seem 19-20.

This wasn't the case when I met Henry Rono (and I've partied with Henry, before his problems, and hold much love for The Henry. Henry definitely was clearly much older than 19.

My opinion for what it is worth.

Edward is still very much a kid, and has a fantastic attitude and I am looking forward to accepting him as an American, just as I did Mr. Lagat.

A lot of the Kenyans re older, and taken advantage of a neglectful system and the NCAA.

Don't think that is the case here, or with Lagat for that matter.

Am A Duck wrote:

A lot of the Kenyans re older, and taken advantage of a neglectful system and the NCAA.

Don't think that is the case here, or with Lagat for that matter.

I think we are certainly safe in Lagat's case. The guy is 39 and doing unreal things. Imagine if he lied about his age and was really 44 or 45.

The King....really..? Of what. Age cheats? Give me a break, this guy without a doubt is at least 22-23. By the time he's a senior he'll be 26 or so. These Kenyans and most easy Africans have no confirmed date. For the most part, they don't even have "legit" birth certificates. That being said, I've seen him and ran against him. There is no way, he is 18-19 years as you claim. And, if you partied with Henry, you should still be partying with him and off these boards!

Mike Honcho wrote:

The King....really..? Of what. Age cheats? Give me a break, this guy without a doubt is at least 22-23. By the time he's a senior he'll be 26 or so. These Kenyans and most easy Africans have no confirmed date. For the most part, they don't even have "legit" birth certificates. That being said, I've seen him and ran against him. There is no way, he is 18-19 years as you claim. And, if you partied with Henry, you should still be partying with him and off these boards!

Why definitely old? I mean, if you take a guy who goes on to run 12:45 and a guy who never breaks 13:10, what do you think it's going to look like when they're 20? This argument almost makes it seem like you think East Africans go into hiding in a secret training camp from 16-23.

With all due respect to King Cheserek, he is only 19 or 20 years old and looks that age. The RG article talks about his life from age 16 in Kenya and the dates match up. This young man is not gaming the NCAA, so let's not discredit his talent and hard work.

His old HS could have found a ton of other real 18 year old Kenyans to bring in as freshman that would have faster times. There are other Kenyans his age claiming top spots in marathons. Why can't you face that he is as old as he says he is? Oh, because you can't run as fast as he does so he must be lying about his age or cheating some way, right?

Mike Honcho wrote:

The King....really..? Of what. Age cheats? Give me a break, this guy without a doubt is at least 22-23. By the time he's a senior he'll be 26 or so. These Kenyans and most easy Africans have no confirmed date. For the most part, they don't even have "legit" birth certificates. That being said, I've seen him and ran against him. There is no way, he is 18-19 years as you claim. And, if you partied with Henry, you should still be partying with him and off these boards!

Mike Honcho wrote:

The King....really..? Of what. Age cheats? Give me a break, this guy without a doubt is at least 22-23. By the time he's a senior he'll be 26 or so. These Kenyans and most easy Africans have no confirmed date. For the most part, they don't even have "legit" birth certificates. That being said, I've seen him and ran against him. There is no way, he is 18-19 years as you claim. And, if you partied with Henry, you should still be partying with him and off these boards!

Kenyans might lie to the world about their age, but they don't lie to each other. Edward is on record as having run age group competitions as far back as age 15. In-country, Kenyans take age cheating very seriously, too the point where athletes and coaches have been nearly beaten to death at a track meet when someone was suspected of age cheating.

Edward was not some athlete training with a pro group who came from out of nowhere to win world juniors, signs with an agent and the following week is racing in DL meets. Edward was a grade school student in a U.S. run orphanage who came to the U.S. to go to school. What was his incentive to lie about his age? No kid would want to have their age back dated and have to repeat grades. Myself and most people who know his story are pretty certain he is the age he says he is, but certainly he is nowhere near the age people joke about. Besides, age cheating is about gaming the system for running glory and money, Ed has never competed in age restricted competitions such as world youth or juniors, in fact, he as not even attempted to get NCAA freshman records. He hasn't even talked about a career as a runner...as far as I can tell his primary focus has been on getting an education.

This is coming from someone who has written extensively about the Kenyan age cheating problem, which by the way, this problem also exist in other 3rd world countries namely Cuba.

RG is a Nike Ad wrote:

RG is a cheap, sloppy Nike rag. Twenty years ago it was a newspaper, then the RG fired the real journalists on staff and replaced them with unpaid UO interns. Now it's just a advertisement for Nike.

^THIS

RG is run by Alton F. "Tony" Baker III (Tony Baker).

He writes cute little Nike ads as part of RG publisher/editorial duties.

Nike Air Force 1 Bespoke by Tony Baker

from -

When it comes to Bespoke Air Force 1's Tony Baker is a familiar name in the game. Tony has stopped by the Nike iD Studio at 21 Mercer Street quite a few times this year so far to flex his design skills on his very own Bespoke Air Force Ones. His latest addition to his personal collection of these Zebra AF1's. According to the guys at 21 Mercer St. Tony is the first to use the zebra fabric, and use it he did, covering almost the entire upper with the furry like zebra material. The lace panels and heel tab are both finished in black leather while the Nike Swoosh is done in a smooth black suede which blends nicely with the Zebra upper. Finishing up the shoes is a clear MX sole unit. Our props go out to Tony for constructing this dope custom Air Force 1.

The whole age issue is frankly irrelevant, as large age variation exists across all major NCAA sports. Except for those elite few b-ball players who are pro-ready at 18-19, most NCAA Div. 1 "seniors" in b-ball and football have been red-shirted, and many more get an extra year through "injuries."

Since you can easily game the system for two years as an undergrad, you can then play as a grad. student when you are 23-25.

The NCAA has allowed this for at least 40 years.

Am A Duck wrote:

As well known, my opinion is whereever the origin, NCAA athletes should have "5 years to fo 4," or "are only eligible until age 23."

English much ???? wrote:

Am A Duck wrote:

As well known, my opinion is whereever the origin, NCAA athletes should have "5 years to fo 4," or "are only eligible until age 23."

This is new grammer being typed here. Engrish is evoluting, as it has for has centuries.

If "only eligible until age 23" then "must finish college degree by age 23." Student athletes should be both students, and athletes.

RG is a Nike Ad wrote:

RG is a cheap, sloppy Nike rag. Twenty years ago it was a newspaper, then the RG fired the real journalists on staff and replaced them with unpaid UO interns. Now it's just a advertisement for Nike.

So then why would they supposedly call attention to a University of Oregon runner's supposed age irregularities? Wouldn't a Nike rag go out of its way to glorify Cheserek?

I was told he went to HS for 4 years in Kenya before coming to US.

rojo wrote:

I think we are certainly safe in Lagat's case. The guy is 39 and doing unreal things.

This would be true if he never failed a drug test.

Interesting that you were told this. And just who was this liar who told you this? If you had ever met King Cheese you would probably call out whoever is telling this lie. Ches is so obviously a young kid, in fact he looks younger than your typical college freshman.

The other guy! wrote:

This would be true if he never failed a drug test.

Ummm, the emperors at the IAAF, decreed that Lagat never failed anything.

"The analysis of the B sample of Kenyan middle distance runner Bernard Lagat has failed to confirm the initial result of the anti-doping test conducted in Tübingen, Germany on 8 August 2003, where the analysis of the A sample returned an adverse finding for Erythropoietin (EPO)," read a written statement from the IAAF. "The analysis of the B sample was conducted by the IOC-accredited laboratory in Cologne, Germany on 29 September and did not corroborate the original result. Consequently the athlete is able to compete."

The other guy! wrote:

rojo wrote:

I think we are certainly safe in Lagat's case. The guy is 39 and doing unreal things.

This would be true if he never failed a drug test.

Let's say that hypothetically, he is presently drugged. Do you know ANY other 39 year old who could do what Lagat does on the track even with the aid of performance enhancers?