When he retired. ZING!
I’ll pick a few:
3:30 1500 in Monaco
His indoor 800m battle at NCAAs with Robby Andrews
His 800/1500 double at outdoor NCAAs
His Penn Relays DMR and 4x8 anchors. In theDMR he went out in 55 looking like he was jogging. In the 4x8 he battled Robby again, losing by a step, both splitting the exact same time. Monster last 200.
Bshshfhdj wrote:
I’ll pick a few:
3:30 1500 in Monaco
His indoor 800m battle at NCAAs with Robby Andrews
His 800/1500 double at outdoor NCAAs
His Penn Relays DMR and 4x8 anchors. In theDMR he went out in 55 looking like he was jogging. In the 4x8 he battled Robby again, losing by a step, both splitting the exact same time. Monster last 200.
That DMR leg at 2010 Penn remains the easiest sub-4:00 mile I've ever seen. It was ridiculous how easy he made it look.
This remains my favorite Wheating memory though:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49Fwxo50ZiIMy favorite moment was when they started testing him and he never ran well again.
When he ran 1:45.03 at age 20 to take 2nd at the US Olympic trials. Having started running at 17, this result plus him breaking 4 earlier in the year is what made his talent undeniable.
His 3:51 at Pre was also fantastic because it was in the middle of the hype storm and bode well for the rest of the summer.
memory time wrote:
When he ran 1:45.03 at age 20 to take 2nd at the US Olympic trials. Having started running at 17, this result plus him breaking 4 earlier in the year is what made his talent undeniable.
His 3:51 at Pre was also fantastic because it was in the middle of the hype storm and bode well for the rest of the summer.
I was in Hayward Field for the race, have the pics, remember the crowd reaction, and it was truly amazing.
memory time wrote:
When he ran 1:45.03 at age 20 to take 2nd at the US Olympic trials. Having started running at 17, this result plus him breaking 4 earlier in the year is what made his talent undeniable.
His 3:51 at Pre was also fantastic because it was in the middle of the hype storm and bode well for the rest of the summer.
Well, considering Olympic standard was 1:45 flat and that both Christian Smith and KD both dipped under that; I would say Wheats was much faster than that.
Jonathan Gault wrote:
Bshshfhdj wrote:
I’ll pick a few:
3:30 1500 in Monaco
His indoor 800m battle at NCAAs with Robby Andrews
His 800/1500 double at outdoor NCAAs
His Penn Relays DMR and 4x8 anchors. In theDMR he went out in 55 looking like he was jogging. In the 4x8 he battled Robby again, losing by a step, both splitting the exact same time. Monster last 200.
That DMR leg at 2010 Penn remains the easiest sub-4:00 mile I've ever seen. It was ridiculous how easy he made it look.
This remains my favorite Wheating memory though:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49Fwxo50ZiI
On a side note, I never knew Lopez Lomong used to an 8 guy. Guy's got some pretty gnarly range.
John Jonson wrote:
On a side note, I never knew Lopez Lomong used to an 8 guy. Guy's got some pretty gnarly range.
Lomong was ridiculous and I think a bit overlooked while at NAU. I was always really impressed with what he accomplished and the trajectory he put himself on once he got there. He was a 800/1500 guy who could hang in XC. No one, not Ulrey, not Centro has achieved that level within NCAA's since:
After HS he spent a year at Norfolk State but did not compete. He then transferred to NAU. and ran 1:47 his Fresman year taking 4th at NCAA's that spring. A few months later, as a Sophmore he takes FOURTH in Terre Haute, beating all his contemporaries Rupp, Withrow, McDougal, etc. A few months later runs 7:49i to win NCCA Indoors for 3000m, then 3:37 in April, 1:45.79 in June and wins NCAA's in the 1500m in 3:37 again.
In November he's back at NCAA's and takes THIRD behind McDougal and Rupp. He leaves NAU to build up for Beijing and storms through the summer of 2008 with 1:45.58/3:36.36/3:53.35, taking 5th at USA's in the 1500m and 3rd in the 800m to book his ticket to Beijing.
In 2009 he cements his place with 3:32, wins USA's for 1500m, also holds up on the circuit with: 8th at World Outdoors (3:37.62); 4th at Adidas Track Classic (3:39.21); 7th at Monaco (3:32.94); 3rd at London (3:53.35).
His consistency for the last decade has been super impressive and he's always a competitor.
Lomong was an animal. I thought for sure he would run sub-1:44/sub-3:30/sub-7:30/sub-13. The above post outlines his trajectory nicely. One would assum that he’d continue to progress well. Then, in 2011, he job bed Schumacher and never reached his full potential in the middle distances. He had 1 or 2 great seasons with Jerry but not a ton of consistency.