Article - Why Fisher isn't the 'Next Ritz'

Spot on.

Two different remarkable talents from the state of Michigan.

Young Mr. Fisher has the proven ability to win. Winning the big races is what racing is all about. Being a champion is remembered, times/records are there to be broken and forgotten.

It is very telling what Ritz said about his early training years... Suggesting that if he had the chance to do it over he would have trained differently - less mileage and perhaps intensity during high school. Good advice from one of the all time great American distance runners.

High school runners and coaches take note.

Obviously 4:02.02 as a junior is one reason. Finishing an 8:51 two mile in :26 is yet another. All while playing soccer makes the whole thing just ridiculous.

Fitz

Correct wrote:

Being a champion is remembered, times/records are there to be broken and forgotten.

False. For example, do you remember Webb's hs mile time or do you remember his hs titles?

Correct wrote:

Young Mr. Fisher has the proven ability to win. Winning the big races is what racing is all about. Being a champion is remembered, times/records are there to be broken and forgotten.

Being a champion is NOT remembered more than times and records, although in part that depends on the times and records in question.

For example, Craig Virgin has held the IL XC Course Record for more than 4 decades. Go to Illinois and ask every accomplished HS runner and coach you meet these 2 questions:

1) Who are the fastest HS cross country runners that IL has produced?

Without a doubt, they will say Virgin, Derrick, and Verzbicas, possibly with a guy like Sage tossed in there.

2) Who won the IL Cross Country Titles in 1973 (the year after Virgin), 2008 (the year after Derrick), and 2011 (the year after Verzbicas).

There is a POSSIBILITY that some of the coaches or kids might know 2011's winner just because it's so recent. However, the "champions" from any of the older years won't remain at all in anyone's memory, except maybe their coaches and teammates.

Any champion who is remembered will only be remembered because his/her times were fast, or because he/she broke some big record. A random champion with no spectacular times to his/her name will barely even be a footnote in state's running history.

Case and point, German Fernandez. He won the CA State mile/2mile double in 4:00/8:34, and everyone went absolutely wild. Had he done it in 4:10/8:52, it's likely that barely anybody would even talk about him in CA anymore.

vfvf wrote:

Correct wrote:

Being a champion is remembered, times/records are there to be broken and forgotten.

False. For example, do you remember Webb's hs mile time or do you remember his hs titles?

Agreed. You could really do the same with an event like the HS dream mile. It's the best HS milers in the country duking it out in one race, but the only dream mile champion that anyone really bothers to care about or remember is Verzbicas, and that's purely because he broke 4:00 in the race.

Why Is everyone making such a big deal about Fisher. Don't get me wrong, the kid is a great runner, but he just sticks out due to the weaker competition. If he were in Kenya, there would be plenty of runners his age both with and ahead of him during cross country races.

hokeypokey wrote:

Why Is everyone making such a big deal about Fisher. Don't get me wrong, the kid is a great runner, but he just sticks out due to the weaker competition. If he were in Kenya, there would be plenty of runners his age both with and ahead of him during cross country races.

Well, he was the Footlocker champ as a junior, and he has run 14:43 this year. The fact that he finally has left soccer is an interesting side story. He is worthy of interest. My 9th grade son even knows who he is.

For most anyone, there is always someone faster in the world. His is an interesting story. Kid has unknown potential, finds a way to win big races, has a blistering kick, seems to be very personable from interviews watched, is very intelligent, played two sports year-round up until Fall of 2014, has a great coach that has a great approach to developmental training - from interviews watched.

2013:

World Youth 1500 m finalist. He and Blake Haney being the only two from the western hemisphere to make the final. At 16, Grant being perhaps the youngest in the field.

FL Midwest XC champion and FL National XC champion

Gatorade National Cross Country Player of the Year

2014:

NB Indoor National mile champion

Adidas Dream Mile champion

Brooks PR 2 Mile champion

USA Junior 1500 m runner-up

World Junior 1500 m, didn't make the final, yet at 17 (by a couple of months) perhaps the youngest in the entire field.

XC, he is looking great, says he is feeling much stronger than last year.

Add it all together and that is his allure. He and the many other HS runners that are running so very well are great young ambassadors to the sport of track and field and XC running. They are the next wave of US mid/distance running and a darn good one at that!

On topic... the article "Why Fisher isn't the Next Ritz" was a great read, well written, very insightful and an opportunity to gain perspective from one of the all time US great distance runners (Ritz) and learn more about one (a special one) of the next wave of young elite runners from the United States.

Another observation - Fisher is not your typical skinny distance runner. He has a developed body presumably from his soccer background. He reminds me more of Alan Webb than Ritz. Perhaps he's a middle ground between the those two. Not quite as fast as Webb but more basic speed than Ritz.

Cynical Fan wrote:

Fisher is not your typical skinny distance runner. He has a developed body presumably from his soccer background. He reminds me more of Alan Webb than Ritz.

Is that a joke?

Looks just about as skinny as Ritz ever was to me.

Fischer would have no chance in cross country against Ritz he is the all time best hs xc runner im pretty sure there isn't much debate on that. Now the track is an entirely different story obviously but xc is all Ritz all the time maybe Cheserek would've beaten him but nobody else i would wager.