Hand him the Foot Locker crown now- Drew Hunter runs 14:20 - 34 seconds faster than he did last year

Was this course really 5k?

14:20 aside, there are other kids I'm nominally familiar with in this race that seem to have run awfully fast (for them).

It is a legit 5K. University of Richmond uses it as their pre-season alumni 5K course. It is very fast, maybe comparable to McAlpine.

Whoever combined the threads is responsible for this travesty.

I host Third Battle Invitational, the meet where Drew ran 14:20. It is a full 5k. It is the same course that has been run for 6 years. We have also run on it occasionally for early season meets and championships.

I think there are a number of reasons for the course to be fast. First, I think that the surface, which is 80% crushed gravel or hard packed dirt, lends itself to faster times than nearly all other courses in Virginia (though I believe Knights Crossing has a similar surface- and similar performances, albeit earlier in the year). Even our grass sections (approximately 300m at the start, 600m in the middle, and 200m at the end) were cut shorter than normal this year.

Our meet is also the last invitational weekend of the season, making it an ideal time for peaking, coupled with usually cooler weather than most of the earlier weekends. Not coincidentally, 4 years ago, when we ran the course at the end of August, kids were considerably slower than at the invitational a 6 weeks later. My top girl that day ran 19:25, yet ran 18:15 at the invite, and 17:59 10 days later at our district championship, all on the same course. Each time she won by nearly around a minute or more. Similarly, the top boy who ran in all three meets that year went 17:02, 16:34, 16:29, all on the exact same course.

I will admit that this year seemed to produce even faster than normal times, but we also had worse than normal conditions at nearly every other meet this year. My team ran in torrential downpours, soggy fields, 90 degree days, and even had a meet canceled.

Each year people question the length of the course. That questioning usually ends when kids go on to run PRs at the state meet or at Footlocker South(both Drew and Weini did last year). Fast courses at the right time of year will produce fast times.

If anyone is interested in coming to the meet next year, let me know. I'm always willing to accept new teams and even individual athletes. It's been a great meet over its first 6 years, and it benefits a good cause with all of our spectator donations going to the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation each year.

Now, back to the topic at hand- how did the kid who was born in the delivery room across from Drew's delivery room perform this weekend?

Well, FL South is questioned each year too, since that region ends up getting pounded at FL Nationals year after year. I know its a fast-surface, easy course, but man those kids really struggle running at Balboa 2 weeks later.

5hdgfhg wrote:

Was this course really 5k?

14:20 aside, there are other kids I'm nominally familiar with in this race that seem to have run awfully fast (for them).

Course was 5k. Meet director couldn't bear to have it less. Look at the 2nd and 3rd finishers: slight PRs, nothing crazy. Just a great day.

Unregistered...... wrote:

[quote]What aboutery wrote:

He is a bit older than the old end of the normal range.

).

No he is not. How dense do you have to be to not understand that? It has already been explained that the "normal" range for a senior right now is from August 97 to august 98 with one state having a jan 1 cutoff. If he was older than the normal range, he would have had to been born in July 97 or earlier.

You are proceeding on the basis that your assertion that "the "normal" range for a senior right now is from August 97 to august 98 with one state having a jan 1 cutoff' is an established fact. It isn't. It's not true. Many towns in many states (dates vary by town, not state) use a 12/31 cut-off. The fact is that many kids graduate as young as 17 yrs and 6 mos while this kid will be 18 years and 9 mos. I think we can all see who is displaying his "denseness".

What do you guys think about Illinois Jon Davis? A 14:10 on that course, this early is a legit time. As we approach Footlocker I'm always scanning Illinois. Of course Hunter's time is complete sickness. Be interesting to see what Davis runs at state. He said he is gonna go for it.

If a kid graduates at 17yrs and 6 months then that is their parents for starting them early not Hunter's parents for taking a more conservative role.But thanks for proving that the running community is full of whiny bitches who are not capable of simply acknowledging an outstanding performance.

What aboutery wrote:

The fact is he will be 18 yrs. and 9 mos. old when he graduates and many kids graduate as young as 17 yrs. and 6 mos.

He is a bit older than the old end of the normal range.

This likely gives him a bit of an advantage over other class of 2016 runners (note that many others his age graduated with the class of 2015).

Nobody is accusing him of any kind of age cheating (well, unless he was held back at one time).

As his mother stated, Drew has been playing a variety of sports since a young age. So he's been one of the older kids on his teams nearly every year, meaning he was at an advantage to get more playing time and have increased confidence from doing better.

I'm not trying to take anything away from him, it's just an observation. The kid is currently #1 in the nation and he has done nothing sneaky to get there.

California's schedule is not favorable for peaking at NXN or FL. Rocha won't be able to touch Hunter even on his best day. Tamagno and Hunter are equals, but Hunter's schedule gives him the upper hand.

Shirk, thanks for the great post and all the details.

But most of all, thanks for the last line. That's going to keep me laughing all the way through practice!

@Mouf a da Souf If by pounded you mean the South girls running away with Foot Locker Nationals last year is what you mean, then you are correct.

South Girls- 2 4 6 9 20 23 26= 41 WINNERS

I'm going to venture he meant 30+ years of bottom surfing the standings, not a single victory, but I could be wrong. You have no idea the pressure people have put on Kinney/Footlocker over the years to redistrict the qualifiers so the meet would be more balanced. The south girls did run fantastically last year, though.

NewToTheBoards wrote:

@Mouf a da Souf If by pounded you mean the South girls running away with Foot Locker Nationals last year is what you mean, then you are correct.

South Girls- 2 4 6 9 20 23 26= 41 WINNERS

Overall, I don't get too excited about fast times kids from the South pop this time of the year.

Many Southern runners (male) with fabulous times have ran much slower at FXN. Look at the last 3 FXR South Region champs...

McGorty 14:28 at Footlocker South and 15:05 at FXN (2012)

Templeton 14:36 Footlocker South and 15:29 at FXN (2013)

Hunter 14:36 at Footlocker South and 15:14 at FXN (2014)

I mentally add 30-40 seconds to the times kids run on the fast southern courses when trying to predict their times at FXN...

The course at Balboa Park is turny and there are no flat, fast stretches where a runner can hammer away. It is dangerous to take it out hard from the gun there because they have to run that hill twice. After the first time up the big hill, they still have to run it again and usually decide to save something for the second time up the hill and the finish. All that slows FXN down and allows some lesser runners to remain in contact with the leaders longer than they should have.

I do think Hunter has a great chance to break McGorty's course record at Footlocker South this year; I also consider him the favorite to win FXN.

peace...

It's remarkable how some runners run poorly at FLN, and then others run quite well. Then again, traveling and running on different conditions without getting accustomed to the area/time can affect athletes regardless...

As his mother stated, Drew has been playing a variety of sports since a young age. So he's been one of the older kids on his teams nearly every year, meaning he was at an advantage to get more playing time and have increased confidence from doing better.

I'm not trying to take anything away from him, it's just an observation. The kid is currently #1 in the nation and he has done nothing sneaky to get there.

California's schedule is not favorable for peaking at NXN or FL. Rocha won't be able to touch Hunter even on his best day. Tamagno and Hunter are equals, but Hunter's schedule gives him the upper hand.[/quote]

And both (Tamagno & Hunter) nearly the same age at just 2 months apart.

Should be a great match-up!