It's official: Morgan McDonald > Grant Fisher

How did the last lap go, for those of us who didn't watch?

Editor's note:

Watch it for yourself:

https://twitter.com/NCAATrackField/status/1104543313212792832

Wondererwondering wrote:

How did the last lap go, for those of us who didn't watch?

Was at the meet. McDonald took over with 600 to go. He needed to, the pace wasn’t blazing, but he needed the lead going into the 200 or a remake of Millrose would happen. With 300 to go, Fisher was itching to gain the lead, but Joe Klecker was to his outside and he was blocked on the inside. Finally fisher went around with 200 to go, but McDonald already had a 2m lead. Fisher surged on the backstretch to set up a strike down to home stretch, but McDonald had another gear on the home stretched and wrapped up the win.

I said last night after I watched the DMR that Fisher would get 2nd in the 3k. Why? McDonald won the 5k with ease. Fisher had to max himself out in the DMR. His splits were actually 1:54/2:00 (27 last 200 so 800-1400 was slow). I think if he ran a little more even his leg would have been less taxing and maybe he beats Yared, but nothing is gaurenteeed. Everyone certainly expected the Iowa state 4:00 miler to split faster than 4:05 for 1600.

Ie don't think there is any doubt. Watched Morgan win U18 XC titles in Australia in 2012 when he was 16. On that day he ran away from a 17 year old who would go on to run 8:08 for 3k a few months later. Pretty evident then he was special.

Will be interesting to see what the next class of aussies do that are entering the US system in August of 2019. My prediction is that there will be further medalist at NCAA level from this class as well in a few years.

Wow the Aussies are absolutely killing the NCAA distance events. Perhaps our athletes are slightly more undertrained than their US counterparts when they begin their college careers, meaning greater room for improvement?

Not sure about the volume of most Aussie juniors. I work with a junior and he has run 1:52/3:51 for 8/15 off 50 miles a week. It varies I guess.

Has anyone seen MCDonald without the hair and beard? His coloring and ear placement are very similar to Fisher.

Sorry, I should have clarified! By "our" I mean Aussie. I'm Australia.

I have a feeling that perhaps Aussie juniors head over the US slightly undertrained and that is why they tend to do so well when they go over there (apart from a couple of exceptions here and there).

aussieoiaussie wrote:

Wow the Aussies are absolutely killing the NCAA distance events. Perhaps our athletes are slightly more undertrained than their US counterparts when they begin their college careers, meaning greater room for improvement?

Doubtful. Fisher was worn out. The Aussies have in general done so poorly after college in comparison to the Yanks in recent years that it's likely the current little blip of Australian success is nothing more than that, a blip.

Anybody else reminded of the time Drew Hunter beat Fisher? Both McDonald and Hunter never gave up the lead and Fisher just couldn't make the pass.

CanadianKnows wrote:

aussieoiaussie wrote:

Wow the Aussies are absolutely killing the NCAA distance events. Perhaps our athletes are slightly more undertrained than their US counterparts when they begin their college careers, meaning greater room for improvement?

Doubtful. Fisher was worn out. The Aussies have in general done so poorly after college in comparison to the Yanks in recent years that it's likely the current little blip of Australian success is nothing more than that, a blip.

Well I think Patrick Tiernan who won NCAA and was 14th at World XC 2 years ago would beg to differ. Also in between those two in age is Stewart McSewyn who has run I believe around 13:05 and 7:34.

No the talent in Australia is real. You will see more in the years to come. The running population is small here but the talent is everywhere.