Is Hunter the Most Talented US High School Distance Runner Ever?

yea yea right right wrote:

Hunter has the benefit of his own special coach. He's a great xc runner but certainly not among the top all-time. He has the benefit of modern technologies, nutrition, etc etc. He's old for a high school senior. He does have some biomechanical issues, which will likely restrict his range later on. He runs as much as many college kids. Basically, he's an impressive runner but nowhere near the most talented of all time.

Agree he's not the most talented of all time, but what modern technologies and "nutrition" is he utilizing that earlier hs greats weren't? Please specify.

He break 3:55 and 8:29 this year, or take the 5000 record then he right up there.

... ... wrote:

jjjjjj wrote:

It's true that he doesn't look like he has the gear change and top speed of a world champion type. Yet, on an American level, the lack of speed didn't seem to harm his kick against Grant Fisher last year. When a 3:28 guy is winning 5000m and 10000m medals (and before that a 3:32 guy with potential to run faster (Bekele)), you have to wonder whether we should concentrate only on training up guys with 1:43-44 800m potential to the 5 and 10.

What do you think Rupps 800m is? I doubt 1:44

Also to piggyback on this he's in high school he has time to develop that gear change. Rupp didn't always have the ability to close races in order to compete on the global stage. Give him a few years.

He is not the most talented US High School distance runner ever, but his coach might be the greatest high school coach ever.

Theo LeSieg wrote:

Pangolin wrote:

Fisher beat him several times on less training and only got beat by narrow margins, so he.may indeed be more talented

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trumptower wrote:

He is not the most talented US High School distance runner ever, but his coach might be the greatest high school coach ever.

Jim Ryun was ranked number 1 in the US and number 4 in the world at 1500/Mile in 1965 when he was a high school senior. I don't see Hunter bettering that. Having said that, I do expect to see Hunter break 4:00 in the mile (or equivalent) more than once this year. Ryun did it five times.

The better question is will King Ches and Hunter go 1-2 next year in Cross 1st is a give for the king but can Hunter get 2nd as a true frosh?? I think he can. GO DUCKS

Dude named

Jim back in the 60's?

zap&Zip wrote:

Dude named

Jim back in the 60's?

that is NOT a fair comparison. Ryan had Jesus for a coach, that is something that all of the modern conveniences and training knowledge can compete with. he also had a barge load of miles in his legs, presumably because Jesus made it possible. I think it's fair to say that Ryan was much further along in his career than the Huntsman.

Rupp didn't even have the change of speed and kick that Hunter already has until his senior year of college, but the point here is that Rupp has never been able to challenge Farah for a gold medal. Will Hunter be able to do it? He's not a 1:47 hs guy, but then again he's also considerably faster than 1:52.9 at this point. I predict that he will break 1:50 this year if he makes a serious attempt. I know that if he continues on this track he will be a perennial threat for American teams and championships in the future. Hunter was already closing quick 3200s in something like 54 as a junior so it seems wrong to limit him. Ryun was easily the most talented high school middle distance runner ever, and Webb second, but here is Hunter with the chance to surpass their high school performances.

zap&Zip wrote:

Dude named

Jim back in the 60's?

This guy Jim is still perhaps the greatest HS mid-distance American ever, Webb being the only competitior for the top spot. I actually wouldn't mind Webb being given the title, but niether Fischer nor Hunter are competitors.

More importantly, these guys are not even close to:

Greatest HS DISTANCE runner. Like this guy Jim from the 60s, Hunter must run actual DISTANCE events to get a DISTANCE distinction of some sort. Have you run 5000 faster than Verzbikas? How about faster than Luke V's indoor record? My HS 10k PR is faster than Hunter's. Marathon, too.

Run distance if you want to be considered a great distance runner. If you want to be remember for sprints, sprint. In the meantime, run mid-d and be content if you make 3rd place!

jjjjjj wrote:

Rupp didn't even have the change of speed and kick that Hunter already has until his senior year of college, but the point here is that Rupp has never been able to challenge Farah for a gold medal. Will Hunter be able to do it? He's not a 1:47 hs guy, but then again he's also considerably faster than 1:52.9 at this point. I predict that he will break 1:50 this year if he makes a serious attempt. I know that if he continues on this track he will be a perennial threat for American teams and championships in the future. Hunter was already closing quick 3200s in something like 54 as a junior so it seems wrong to limit him. Ryun was easily the most talented high school middle distance runner ever, and Webb second, but here is Hunter with the chance to surpass their high school performances.

Rupp won an Olympic silver in a sit and kick race. If you're standard is he needs to be able to win gold then success is almost impossible. Odds are against Hunter ever being a gold medal contender, that's just reality. But who knows how his kick will develop. But to look at a high school er and say he's never going to have a good enough kick based on his current performance is absurd.

Richard Cheese wrote:

He's really good. He's no Jim Ryun.

If he does any of the following

a) makes the olympic team

b) defeats the current olympic 1500,5k, or 10k champion

c) for a lower standard of entry just beat the current us 1500m/5k champion

d) heck how about just beating the NCAA champ at those distances

e) how about setting an american record

f) at least run a HS record at 800m, 1500/mile, 2mile or 5k. The 2 mile seems doable if things go right. 3:53 though is a crazy time though

Do a-e seem crazy? Guys like Ryun and Lindgren did them. Does Hunter have a shot at f? Sure but it isn't a sure thing.

asdfads wrote:

Richard Cheese wrote:

He's really good. He's no Jim Ryun.

If he does any of the following

a) makes the olympic team

b) defeats the current olympic 1500,5k, or 10k champion

c) for a lower standard of entry just beat the current us 1500m/5k champion

d) heck how about just beating the NCAA champ at those distances

e) how about setting an american record

f) at least run a HS record at 800m, 1500/mile, 2mile or 5k. The 2 mile seems doable if things go right. 3:53 though is a crazy time though

Do a-e seem crazy? Guys like Ryun and Lindgren did them. Does Hunter have a shot at f? Sure but it isn't a sure thing.

The thing is the discussion is about pure talent. Not achievements. Ryun wrecked his body in highschool to achieve these things (shown by the fact that he was already at his peak by 19 in the mile). Hunter may not match these achievements but he is taking a long term approach and not focusing on going as fast as possible Right Now. So does Hunter have more pure talent?

Hopefully Hunter doesn't break any official HS records. That would be a stupid waste of talent. Why end up like Webb, Ritz or Cain?

ghost of sammy........... wrote:

zap&Zip wrote:

Dude named

Jim back in the 60's?

This guy Jim is still perhaps the greatest HS mid-distance American ever, Webb being the only competitior for the top spot. I actually wouldn't mind Webb being given the title, but niether Fischer nor Hunter are competitors.

More importantly, these guys are not even close to:

Greatest HS DISTANCE runner. Like this guy Jim from the 60s, Hunter must run actual DISTANCE events to get a DISTANCE distinction of some sort. Have you run 5000 faster than Verzbikas? How about faster than Luke V's indoor record? My HS 10k PR is faster than Hunter's. Marathon, too.

Run distance if you want to be considered a great distance runner. If you want to be remember for sprints, sprint. In the meantime, run mid-d and be content if you make 3rd place!

Nah, high school distance gods = 3K to 5K. Only a few have taken the opportunity to run 10000 m, and even fewer the marathon. Agree that miler-800 types don't count as distance gods.

bigtool05 wrote:

yea yea right right wrote:

Hunter has the benefit of his own special coach. He's a great xc runner but certainly not among the top all-time. He has the benefit of modern technologies, nutrition, etc etc. He's old for a high school senior. He does have some biomechanical issues, which will likely restrict his range later on. He runs as much as many college kids. Basically, he's an impressive runner but nowhere near the most talented of all time.

Agree he's not the most talented of all time, but what modern technologies and "nutrition" is he utilizing that earlier hs greats weren't? Please specify.

Anyone have any specifics or a good article? ^

Put him on a cinder track make him wear horned rimmed glasses and plimsoles and then compare him to Lindgren.