So this morning we're working on links for the homepage and find an article about Alfred Chawonza. He's from Zimbabwe but has been running in the US in HS for the last few years. A 1:49 performer in 2016, he ran the 1:50.57 indoor 800 this year - the fastest in the country.
He's apparently signed with Texas Tech and he described his decision as follows:
“I wanted to go to the southern part of the country because I am not a fan of the snow. It snows a lot where I am and it messes with my training, but the south is warm almost all year round, similar to home. Texas Tech is also one of the best business schools in the country and so it was attractive from an education standpoint because I want to be a business major. Most importantly, they have one of the best mid-distance programmes in the country if not the best, so that was for me the deciding factor,” Chawonza said.
Does Texas Tech have won of the best mid-d programs in the country?
They had 3 sub-1:50 guys this year indoors (Vincent Crisp (1:47.28), Jonah Koech (1:47.29) and Sven Cepus (1:49.41))
They had 1 guy under 4:10 this year.
If you are looking at 400, it looks like they had 7 guys under 49 with 1 under 48 (Tyreek Mathis 46.31)
https://www.thestandard.co.zw/2019/03/24/chawonza-zim-athletics-star-making/
Nation's #1 HS 800 recruit signs with Texas Tech as "they have one of the best mid-distance programs in the country." True?
Report Thread
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Yes they are one of the top 20.
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#1 recruit? um...no.
Luis Peralta is the top 800m recruit. 2018 indoor and outdoor champ. runner up indoor this season (chawonza was 6th in this race) and he has a PR of 1:49.1 (compared to 1:50.7 for chawonza) -
LetsRun.com wrote:
They had 1 guy under 4:10 this year.
Are we talking about Loudoun Valley or a D1 college team? -
The #2 from this indoor season (Malcom Going - 1:50.8) is going to American University - they ran 7:58 in the 4x8 at their conference championship.
If you thought #1's decision was weird, how the hell do you explain this dude going to American? I don't think they even have an indoor or outdoor track. -
Calling Texas Tech one of the "best business schools in the country" is a joke. No doubt he is repeating what people at Texas Tech told him. In the latest US News ranking, Texas Tech DNR'd (Did Not Rank). It is not in the Top 100.
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Guessing money talks.
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We've had a solid 400/800 program for a while. I do remember it snowed a lot for Texas, even more than in Oregon, but the new indoor track is super nice.
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Texas Tech is second on my list of schools that don't need an indoor track but have one anyway, after Texas A&M. It's in a slightly less warm part of the state so it has somewhat of an excuse for its largesse with the tax-hating Texas taxpayers' money.
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Bad Wigins wrote:
Texas Tech is second on my list of schools that don't need an indoor track but have one anyway, after Texas A&M. It's in a slightly less warm part of the state so it has somewhat of an excuse for its largesse with the tax-hating Texas taxpayers' money.
Umm....ever heard of football? -
A good business school and top middle distance program? Sounds like Texas A&M, unless recently having two of the fastest collegiate 800 runners ever doesn’t count.
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The winters aren't all peachy in Lubbock and the dust storm season in the spring can be brutal. Nothing but empty cotton fields all around that time of year.
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Everyone speaks in hyperbole today......just look at politics
the kid picked the place he liked the best, and then was asked why and had to try and say something fantastic.
does it really matter? -
It’s certainly a better answer than the last time they got the #1 800 recruit, who happened to move to Lubbock after high school and happened to live with one of their runners while he attended a nearby JuCo so he could qualify.
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txRUNNERgirl wrote:
Bad Wigins wrote:
Texas Tech is second on my list of schools that don't need an indoor track but have one anyway
Umm....ever heard of football?
what do football players need an indoor track for?
I saw you mentioned the occasional snow, and looked up the climate data for Lubbock. The average highs of 54F in December and January put that in perspective. Clearly light snowfalls that melt quickly. -
Did he confuse Texas Tech with Texas A&M and is now going to the wrong school? Or did he speak of 'Tech when in fact he is going to 'A&M?
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Hi Luis
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txRUNNERgirl wrote:
We've had a solid 400/800 program for a while. I do remember it snowed a lot for Texas, even more than in Oregon, but the new indoor track is super nice.
We???? You do not live in Texas. -
Solid. wrote:
txRUNNERgirl wrote:
We've had a solid 400/800 program for a while. I do remember it snowed a lot for Texas, even more than in Oregon, but the new indoor track is super nice.
We???? You do not live in Texas.
Uh, she used to live in Texas and went to school there ,brah. Hence the username. -
Probably a good place for the 400m, and I guess if you are a sprint based 800m runner that would work. But they are nothing short of an embarrassment at the 1500m and above. Do their distance kids even run?
This is another case of a totally ignorant, way overconfident high school kid thinking they understand the world. And if you want a job in Texas, I'm sure a degree from Tech is pretty worthwhile.
