Sophomore wins CA state 3200 in 8:56.18

Number of boys to break 9:00 during the entire season of:

2018 - 5

2017 - 7

2016 - 13

2015 - 9

2014 - 10

2013 - 5 (also the last year nobody broke 15 at Woodward)

There are numerous opportunities for kids to run high level 3200m races throughout the season. Only 5 guys broke 9 all year. I've been to or watched almost all of the last 15 state meets online. They almost all have a big negative split, most of it coming in the last 600 or so. The variable at the state meet that kept large numbers of kids from breaking 9:00 this year is that there just weren't that many kids capable of breaking 9:00. Maybe 1-2 more could have snuck under the mark if the race would have gone out a few seconds faster....I don't know.

It's not that the kids ran like wimps then kicked, there just weren't as many fast kids this year. I don't understand why this board can't accept that fact.

is he really tall or are all other distance runners in california tiny?

Who can name all of the sophomores who have won the duece...?

O.K., you have just verified that you are indeed a mediocre coach.

Five kids had already broken 9:00 this season, but only two managed the feat in the biggest race of their careers. Yet you think with more favorable splits maybe "one or two" might "squeak under"? You are quite an analyst. The brojos should pay you to write this stuff up.

No, 5 kids did it total. 3 were at the state meet.

https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/Division/Event.aspx?DivID=89530&Event=60&type=4

Just because kids finish with a fast last lap, doesn't mean it was some sort of sit and kick sissy race and just because someone closes fast doesn't mean they could have run a faster time off of even splits. Watch the last two laps of Solinsky's AR in the 10k. Are you going to criticize his race because he closed fast?

A Real Coach wrote:

O.K., you have just verified that you are indeed a mediocre coach.

Five kids had already broken 9:00 this season, but only two managed the feat in the biggest race of their careers. Yet you think with more favorable splits maybe "one or two" might "squeak under"? You are quite an analyst. The brojos should pay you to write this stuff up.

9 of the first 12 runners PRed or set Season Best times. Please keep telling us how the pacing kiboshed everyone's chances to run fast.

what up liam this is Jaden I almost got you in the last 100

Contradicting yourself wrote:

very impressive wrote:

He ran a very impressive race and is obviously a great talent but I have to wonder how much faster he could've gone if he hadn't kept swinging out to lane 3 early in the race and trying to make so many passes on the turns.

In fact he ran a beautiful race, and stretched out the field the last mile.

How did I contradict myself in any way? He ran a very good time but he made some unnecessary moves that added distance to his race.

CoachB wrote:

It's not that the kids ran like wimps then kicked, there just weren't as many fast kids this year. I don't understand why this board can't accept that fact.

Are you this dense every day????

I feel sorry for the kids that you "coach."

Fastest times are usually coming up at Brooks & NB so you are displaying incomplete data for 2018.

Wrong again

1. Those meets either have a 2 mile or 3k

2. Therefore for 3200m times in CA, which is what the thread is about, no further improvements are made after state

3. Last year's NBN winner was at 9:17

Someone can jump in and call me a bad coach now. Maybe I'm a sh!tty coach, but at least I can read.

I am sorry that some people on the board are call you a bad coach everyone has a right to opinion. The only point I was trying to make was that each year different and there was some talented kids running this year times are some times insignificant especially in state meet. Some runners are not front runners so it just depends on how the races go out at the state meet. I coached one of the top runners this year and he was competitive every year but he is not a front runner but a kicker his times could have been faster but no one was willing to push the pace. I have a feeling that this years athletes will go on to having good college careers as they have learned how to race like college kids not sorting about setting records but placing well and qualifying.

CAHorn wrote:

I was thinking it he might be Steve Strangio's son, but I don't know anything for sure.

Steve ran for Cal Poly SLO in college, and it's a pretty rare last name...

His dad Steve and aunt Liz were both studs for the powerhouse Mission San Jose (Fremont) teams under coach Marden.

I agree with you that the kids this year (an every year) in the state finals are uber talented and I mean no disrespect when I say that there just weren't as many kids capable of sub 9:00 this year than in previous years. I'm sure people here think I'm trying to disrespect the kids that ran this year and their coaches. When 9 of the top 12 kids PR, that means something is going right.

I was actually trying to compliment the kids who ran last Saturday when I said there just weren't as many kids capable of breaking 9:00 this year. Hear me out. If there were more kids capable of breaking 9:00 this year and despite numerous opportunities to do so (Arcadia, Mt. SAC, Azusa, Sac MOC, section meets, state meet.....) they failed to achieve the time, then that would mean that something was wrong....either their coaches did something that didn't get the kid to his potential or the kid just didn't run as hard as he could have. I don't think either of those things are the case. I think the kids at the state meet this year and their coaches did the best with what they had, and that's a damn fine thing.

I remember a million years ago, I had a girl who I thought could challenge Sarah Bei (Hall) for the state title at 3200. She had a state 6th place already under her belt, had a fast time from Arcadia that year, and cruised easily through league, sub section, and section meets. Despite being in her top shape and rested at the state meet, she just failed to perform on that day, finishing 13th, somewhere around 20 seconds behind the winner. I suppose If I'd have read someone like me posting something to the effect of "those kids just weren't that good this year", I'd have been upset also. Fortunately for her, she rebounded nicely at Golden West the following week and ran the time that I thought she could run at state (which as it turns out would have been good enough for 2nd that year).

Maybe some of these kids will run faster at Brooks PR or some other post season meet, but if they toed the line at state and laid it on the line and ran a PR, then there is no disrespect due them.

If you want to talk about training methods and what not, I always love a good honest discussion. Just don't like the name calling.

CoachB wrote:

I mean no disrespect when I say that there just weren't as many kids capable of sub 9:00 this year than in previous years.

Give it up, idiot. You have no clue what you're babbling about.

CoachB is right. No Californians under 8:50 this year............................yet.