USATF CEO Search – Another Bobble

USATF – USA Track and Field. The governing body of the sport in the United States of America. Outside of the IAAF, the body that should be the most powerful in the sport – in charge of the deepest strongest team on the planet. We produced Carl Lewis, Michael Johnson, Edwin Moses, Jackie Joyner Kersee, and Evelyn Ashford. By default we should start with 20 medals in Daegu and London.

But we can’t find a CEO! Are you kidding me?!

This “should” be one of the plum jobs in all of track and field. It should be like placing an ad for coach of the Lakers or manager of the Yankees or coach of the Patriots – announce the opening then decide which ultra talented candidate is most deserving of our selection! Yet after hiring a high powered agency to manage the search process we are told that we’re NOT the Lakers or Yankees or Patriots – as a matter of fact we’re not even the Timberwolves or Bengals – because apparently NO ONE wants the job! At least that what we’re being told – and that therefore Board President Stephanie Hightower could become the next CEO.

Of course, we really have no idea who does or doesn’t want the job, or even who applied for the job. Because the transparency we were promised has been as translucent as a brick wall – we know nothing. We do know that Vin Lananna turned the job down – he’s told us so. Apparently he was the leading contender in the hunt. But what of Mary Whittenberg, or Bill Schmidt? Individuals who clearly have what it takes to run the organization and move it forward. Did they apply? Were they interviewed? If so, were they finalists? And if not, who was seen as potentially better fits, outside of Lananna who turned down the job? And if they did apply, is Hightower really seen as a better option, or did they too turn down the job?

In his article on the subject Phil Hersh said that "There is a feeling the entire interview process may have been flawed because all potential candidates are aware of Hightower's interest in the job and may fear she would interfere with the CEO's ability to run the federation -- thereby compromising the CEO's security.". So was the entire process a farce from the beginning? Was this a front for the eventual move of Hightower to the position or, as has also been floated, paving the way for Ian Stewart (Hightower’s husband) to take the mantle?

All speculation aside, here’s what I do know. Since Doug Logan’s release last September we’ve been told two things, the name of the search firm, and the job description. Nothing else has been forthcoming, and when asked (I’ve emailed the office several times during the process) the standard response has been that information would be coming soon. We’ve been lead to believe that the board has been doing their due diligence, and has been focused on doing what is best for the sport. In essence we have been told to trust in them and trust in their judgment as this process was not going to be conducted in front of the public. And now we are being lead to believe that after months of research, interviews, and vetting (who, or even how many we have no clue) that this board has found only ONE suitable candidate for the position! And that we should trust in the current president of the board to take the reins and move this sport forward!

Mind you this is the same board and board president that after Masback’s departure sent American athletes onto the track of the Olympic Games in handwritten bibs. This is the same board and board president that allowed what was once one of the country’s most prestigious meets (Modesto/California Relays) to die a slow and agonizing death while TAKING AWAY USATF funding! The same board and board president that has allowed Olympic and World Champion Lashawn Merritt to rot for two years for an offense that athletes from other federations are cleared of in three to six months! A board that if any of it’s members have attended a meet outside of Eugene in the past few years has had it’s selection of seats because the majority of them were EMPTY!

But this board, and it’s president, want us to believe that while they have presided over the rapid deterioration of the sport in this country that they know what’s best for the leadership of the organization going forward. That they have found no one capable of taking the reins of this sinking ship and that the BEST option moving forward is the current steward of the board who, by the way, does NOT fit the requirements for the position as set forth in the job description adopted by THIS sitting board! I guess next they will be unveiling a fundraising plan centered around selling major bridges across the United States starting with the Golden Gate.

It’s time for USATF to poop or get off the pot! To stop insulting the intelligence of the track and field community. To stop with the building of a fiefdom and decide if it is happy with the state of track and field in this country. If they are happy with the lack of funding flowing into this sport. If they are happy with track and field being a third class citizen on television to lacrosse, cheerleading, and spelling bees. If they are satisfied with our inability to host a major championship in this country, then they should do as they suggest and continue the Keystone Cops standard status quo and move the current board president into the position of CEO.

IF, however, they are sincere about the needs of the organization as expressed in the job description that THEY claim to have used in their search for a CEO, then they will extend their search and/or revisit some of the candidates previously discarded. Because this organization/sport sorely needs someone that can interface effectively with the business community. Someone that can lead a fundraising effort substantial enough to secure the kind of sponsorships that will not only fund current meets/activities, but can begin to put more high level meets (like New York and Pre) back onto the U.S. schedule. We need someone that can lead a marketing effort strong enough to ensure that these meets are effectively sold to the general public, that tickets are sold, and seats are filled. We need a CEO that can negotiate with television networks to secure the sport adequate media face time, because we are after all a global sport that should at least have a presence comparable to hunting & fishing, cage fighting, hiking, and cycling which are all staples on sports television.

More importantly we need a CEO with vision, and the acumen to make that vision reality. We need someone with the vision that the sport needs at least one major stadium in this country. The vision that the U.S. should be the host of the sports’ grandest competition – the World Championships. We need someone that understands that the needs of the amateur faction of this sport are so much different than the professional faction of this sport that perhaps we need to move towards some sort of restructuring – and has the capacity to lead such an endeavor. In short we need the kind of CEO that can lead the U.S. to it’s rightful place into track and field’s global hierarchy!

The fact that this wish list is so extensive says that, clearly the leadership that we need does NOT currently exist within the organization. That’s why this board MUST go back to it’s job description and look for someone with (among other skills):

• Previous CEO / President / COO or equivalent leadership experience
• Minimum 10 years executive level corporate executive experience and a track record of growth and success
• Minimum 5 years sports marketing, joint venture, licensing, sponsor relationship experience
• Experience with developing a strategic and visionary plan in tune with a dynamic environment
• Has established relationships with business CEOs, media moguls, and sports leaders that can be leveraged.
• Has experience and insights in both the business world and the non-profit world coupled with negotiation skills (re: TV deals, sponsor contracts, meet director deals, athlete demands, etc.)

The board was correct in adopting the job description that it did to guide them in this search. To accept anything less than what they themselves determined was needed for the position however would be irresponsible – even hypocritical. While the lack of transparency prevents me from saying who among the actual applicants fits this mold, I do know that Vin Lananna, Mary Whittenberg, and Bill Schmidt do – my personal short list. If Whittenberg and Schmidt either didn’t apply or were frightened during the process because, as Phil Hersh said, they may have feared lack of support or even undermining from the board president, then the board needs to call them – and any others that fit the description – back in and ASSURE them that such would not be the case. That they would be welcomed with open arms, given the key to the kingdom, and asked to lead – and that the board would follow that lead.

If the board is unwilling to do that, then it is indeed irresponsible,incompetent, and clearly in possession of an agenda other than the success of the organization and the sport here in the United States. And if that is the case then perhaps it is time to revisit the Amateur Sports Act of 1978 and ask the USOC to take away the charter of USATF. If this is the best that can be done under current leadership, we could do no worse than to start over from scratch. Burn it down as it is currently constructed and start over with a new foundation. Because this organization has shown time and time again that the best interests of the sport is not a part of it’s vision and the failure to find a legitimate CEO for the organization would be the final straw in my humble opinion.

Harsh? Yes I guess I am a bit harsh. But really, how much more should we take? Were you not embarrassed in ‘08? Does it not bother you to see so many empty seats in stadiums – even for a meet like the New York Diamond League meet? Does it not anger you when our athletes are thrown under the bus while those from other countries are provided support? Did it not break your heart to find out that the Modesto Relays could not garner enough support to run this year or to find out that Lannana just walked away, and that talent like Whittenberg and Schmidt may have been scared away? More importantly do you feel at this point that USATF, the folk that are supposed to be in charge of these things, do you feel that they even care or have the capacity to do anything about it?

Wheating Picks Up Where He Left Off

Last summer Andrew Wheating emerged as possibly the brightest face in men’s middle distance running in the U.S.. This past weekend he opened his season with a 1500 meter run at the USATF High Performance meet in Southern California. The result was a 3:36.46 win – the #2 time of his career. Not a bad way to start the season.

With Lopez Lamong (3:37.01, 4th) and  Leo Manzano (3:38.26, 9th) in his wake, Wheating opened well against what began to emerge last year as the core of our young middle distance runners. And with just a few weeks until the National Championships, looks ready to make a strong run at the team for Daegu.

Our middle distance fortunes took another step towards competitiveness at the meet as Cory Prim, fresh off his Pac-10 victory for UCLA, stormed to an 800 PR of 1:44.71, with Tyler Mulder (OTC) right behind in 1:44.83. With Wheating and Manzano both running under 1:45 last summer; Nick Symmonds in his prime; and collegians like Casmir Loxsom and Robbie Andrews rapidly improving; we suddenly are looking at a Nationals that should be run in something other than the mundane 1:45/1:46 that we‘ve seen in recent years!

The women’s 800 also saw some solid running as Alice Schmidt (1:59.48) & Maggie Vessey (1:59.56) ran the #2 & #3 times of the season with Geena Gall (2:00.86) rounding off a very nice top three. Schmidt took over the U.S. lead from Phoebe Wright (1:59.98) who has run well early this season. For Gall it was her best time since ‘09 (2:00.44 PR) and it looks like she may be ready to finally drop under 2 minutes and join with Morgan Uceny, Anna Pierce, Allysia Johnson and those above in what should be one hot 800 meter race next month.

Finally, I have to mention that a couple of sprinters went unnoticed when I made reference to Steve Mullings WL 9.89 the other day. First was Travis Padgett’s 9.99 for second place behind Mullings. It was the first sub10 for Padgett since the Olympic season of 2008. He turned the trick twice in Florida as he also ran 9.96w in his heat. While it it doesn’t immediately make him a “contender”, it does make him relevant again. And with his blitz starting ability he could have an effect on the outcome of the final should he make it.

Another who is quietly becoming relevant again is Justin Gatlin, who didn’t contest the 100 in Florida (10.06 earlier this season) but did win the 200 in 20.20 (+1.9). It was his fastest 200 since winning the World Championships in Helsinki in 20.04 (with a follow up 20.04 in Sheffield England shortly thereafter). It gives Gatlin the #7 time in the world at the moment (to go with #14 in the 100), but more importantly shows that he is fit – nearly as fit as when he was double World Champion. I’m not sure which event Gatlin intends to contest at Nationals, or if he will compete in both. But regardless of how one feels about his ban, his recent performances say that he will be competitive in June. Making the sprints at U.S. Nationals this year “must watch TV”!

Speaking of must watch TV, we get the Rome Diamond League in a couple of days and the Jamaican “mini meet” in the 100 with Bolt, Powell, Forsythe and Clarke. Also keep an eye on Frenchman Christophe Lemaitre to see how well he holds up against the hot competition.

Mullings 9.89 WL – Log Jam in Jamaican 100

Steve Mullings, already the world leader at over 100 meters at 9.90, improved his best to 9.89 (+2.0) at the NTC Classic in Florida. The mark is important because it shows consistency for Mullings at this new level of performance. It’s also important because it shows just how much of a log jam Jamaica is going to have in it’s 100 meter final in one month’s time.

In the past it was the United States that had to suffer the agony of leaving home sprinters that could possibly have made the final in a major if they had just been able to crack the top three at the National Championships. Carl Lewis (‘80), Calvin Smith (‘84), Albert Robinson (‘88), and Mike Marsh (‘92) are just a few of the men who found themselves in the dreaded 4th place when trying to make the team in the 100 – not to mention those in 5th and 6th.

Various nations have had the same problem in other events. Kenya in the men’s 800, Russian in the women’s 400, and Ethiopia in the 5000 are countries with this “quality” problem. Jamaica has been nearing that stage in the 100 in recent years. In ‘08 with Bolt (9.85), Powell (9.97) and Frater (10.04) they were close but 4th place (Anderson, 10.11) and 5th place (Thomas, 10.22) were off the pace. The 2009 Trials for Berlin was even closer with Bolt (9.86), Powell (9.97), Frater (10.02), Anderson (10.07), Mullings (10.08), Blake (10.09) putting their first five under 10.11 and giving them the toughest sprint trials this side of the US.

In 2011 that should change dramatically as over the last season and a half the PR’s of Jamaica’s 100 men have taken a major turn. Mullings latest WL/PR gives Jamaica five sprinters with bests under 9.90 – Usain Bolt (9.59), Asafa Powell (9.72), Nesta Carter (9.78), Yohan Blake (9.88) and Mullings. Throw in Mario Forsythe (9.95), Michael Frater (9.97) & Lerone Clarke (9.99) and you have a potential final with at least eight men under 10.00. Suddenly naming the athletes that will represent Jamaica in Daegu  is not as easy as 1, 2, 3.

Usain Bolt, barring injury, is a given. He’s easily Jamaica’s top sprinter and has the benefit, as the defending World Champion, of having a bye to Daegu. After that, however, there are seven men vying for three spots – and that’s if no one else emerges in the next few weeks! Powell and Carter have the best PR’s, but Carter, Blake, and Mullings have been improving the most over the last 12 months – and rapidly.

The pecking order should start getting defined this coming week with Bolt, Powell, Forsythe and Clarke scheduled to compete head to head in Rome. There Bolt’s health, Powell’s competitiveness and the fitness of Forsythe and Clarke will all be tested. These four will be able to measure themselves against the current standard set by Mullings.

Then in a few weeks time Jamaican sprinters will face the agony that American sprinters have faced in the past – potential finalists/medalists left home to watch the World Championships on television. A quality problem, but a painful one none the less.

I’ll give my thoughts on who I believe the sprinters heading to Daegu will be during the week I do my US Trials predictions.

NCAA Championship Favorites

The conferences are done. Only two meets left for the collegiate season – the Regional meets and the NCAA Championships. So it’s time to look at who will be this year’s NCAA Champions.

Last year’s meet was perhaps the best meet of the year in terms of overall excitement. I expect this year’s meet to follow suit. Following are my thoughts on team champions, events to keep an eye on and individual champions.

 

Men’s Team Champion – Florida

Florida has been runner up outdoors the last two years in a row. By 1 point last year, 2 points in ‘09. Both times to Texas A&M. I think that Florida turns the corner this year – but not without a fight! The sprints and relays will be crucial with LSU and Florida State having a lot to say about point distribution. At the end of the day I think it is Florida’s ability to garner field points that should make the difference – especially in the jumps.

 

Women’s Team Champion – Texas A&M

The Aggies are the two time defending champion – and I see them making it a three peat. Oregon will be tough in the distances, and LSU in the sprints and relays. But like Florida on the men’s side, the Lady Aggies are deep and should score points throughout the meet. Keep an eye on the heads to heads with LSU.

 

Events to Keep an Eye On

Men’s 400 - While Kirani James is a strong favorite on the men’s side, several individuals have emerged this year that are capable of running under 45.00. When that happens there are usually fireworks in this event.

Men’s 4x1 – Four teams (all top contenders) are under the 39 second barrier. This race will be crucial in terms of the points that are scored. Look for Florida, Florida St, LSU and Texas A&M to lead what could be one of the fastest finishes ever.

Men’s triple jump – The core of the US triple jump squad for Daegu, and going forward, could be competing in this meet.

Women’s 1500 & 5000 – Look for Oregon’s Jordan Hasay to try to pull off the double. She was successful indoors and is one tough competitor. If Oregon has any hope to unseat A&M for the team title it will have to start with Jordan.

Women’s 100 – This race should come down to the photo. Several young ladies had suddenly dropped into the 11.0x range. And I suspect that we could see one of them make the team for Daegu. This race could be the debut of the core of our women’s sprint troops for the upcoming trifecta.

 

 

Men’s Favorites

Event	Athlete	School
100 Meters	Jeff Demps	Florida
200 Meters	Maurice Mitchell	Florida St
400 Meters	Kirani James	Alabama
800 Meters	Fred Samoie	Alabama
1500 Meters	Miles Batty	BYU
3000 Steeplechase	Steve Finley	Oregon
5000 Meters	Stephen Sambu	Arizona
10000 Meters	Stephen Sambu	Arizona
110 Hurdles	Omo Osaghae	Texas Tech
400 Hurdles	Jeshua Andersen	Washington St
4 x 100 Relay	Lovett, Taylor, Wilks, Demps	Florida
4 x 400 Relay	Miller, Henry, Preble, Pinder	Texas A&M
High Jump	Erik Kynard	Kansas St
Pole Vault	Scott Roth	Washington
Long Jump	Will Claye	Florida
Triple Jump	Christian Taylor	Florida
Shot Put	Mason Finley	Kansas
Discus	Julian Wruck	Texas Tech
Hammer	Marcel Lomnicky	Virginia Tech
Javelin	Sam Humphreys	Texas A&M
Decathlon	Romain Martin	Texas Arlington

 

Women’s Favorites

Event	Athlete	School
100 Meters	Semoy Hacket	LSU
200 Meters	Semoy Hacket	LSU
400 Meters	Jessica Beard	Texas A&M
800 Meters	Anne Kessellring	Oregon
1500 Meters	Jordan Hasay	Oregon
3000 Steeplechase	Emma Coburn	Colorado
5000 Meters	Jordan Hasay	Oregon
10000 Meters	Liz Costello	Tennessee
110 Hurdles	Christina Manning	Ohio St
400 Hurdles	Turquoise Thompson	UCLA
4 x 100 Relay	Mayo, Tarmoh, Duncan, Collier	Texas A&M
4 x 400 Relay	Tarmoh, Mayungbe, Sutherland, Beard	Texas A&M
High Jump	Brigetta Barrett	Arizona
Pole Vault	Tina Sutej	Arkansas
Long Jump	Whitney Gipson	TCU
Triple Jump	Kim Williams	Florida St
Shot Put	Julie Labonte	Arizona
Discus	Anna Jelmini	Arizona St
Hammer	Nikola Lomnicka	Georgia
Javelin	Marissa Tschida	Washington St
Heptathlon	Chelsea Carrier	West Virginia

My Thoughts on Street Races

I've been having a very interesting conversation the past couple of days with a good friend who took umbrage with my comment that I do not think that street races are the way to build this sport. His position, without all the details, is that street races, vaults, jumps, etc. are an asset to the sport because they bring out crowds of people - and therefore help to build the base of the sport.

Even if that were the case, that these events brought people out, I would still be against them because that would be a case of the tail wagging the dog. Getting people excited about something slightly related to the sport, is not the same as getting them excited about the sport itself. And unless these people are headed to our meets in the stadium, then it is a wasted effort in my humble opinion. You see the sport is run around a track and in stadiums. Our championships are run the same way. That is where our stars are developed; where our records are developed and measured; how our sport is defined. As such anything else is a hybrid, and we already have one hybrid of the sport that we are having difficulty selling and sustaining - the indoor season. A hybrid that is slowly dying as our athletes, as they should, are putting a greater emphasis on the outdoor season and the fame and money that they gain from it.

But back to the streets. My friend is correct in one respect, the select street events that have been held have been fairly successful - they have drawn crowds. But just as the fact that we see smoke at a fire doesn't mean that the fire was started by the smoke, I submit that the crowds at these events are NOT generated because the event itself was held! The key to these events are what should be the key to any of our events INSIDE the stadium - they secure star talent to compete, AND they are heavily marketed.

Usain Bolt became a star because of what he did on the track (the Games and Worlds), not because of the exposure in Manchester. The Manchester race gained legitimacy because Bolt ran there - Bolt didn't gain legitimacy because of the street race.

Do they get good crowds in Manchester? Absolutely. But NOT because they’re racing on the streets. Put a bunch of school kids out there, or even some of Britain's "B" level talent (I use them because they may be well known to the locals) and no one is watching. They go because someone takes the time to get top level talent to come run down that street! But guess what? They will go watch them in the stadium if you get the same athletes to commit! And if you get great matchups - Bolt v Gay, Liu v Robles v Oliver, Felix v Campbell Brown - you sell the meet out early!

The attractions in this sport are the matchups between the stars. Not just the stars themselves, but the matchups between them. Worlds, in spite of Mr. Diack's general feelings, is the spectacle it is because it has the largest gathering of stars, and the best matchups of the year - it cannot be diminished! Meets like Zurich and Oslo and Pre were track and field "nobility" long before the Diamond League, or even the Golden League, came to be. They attained their status because of their ability to attract the big name athletes and pit them against each other - not because they used "gimmicks" to attract fans.

THAT is how you build the sport, by showcasing your best talent and your best matchups - not by hosting ancillary events. The truth of the matter, is that I feel that the ancillary events delay the growth of the sport! Why? Because in order to make an ancillary event successful, you have to "steal" from your "real" events - no Bolt, no Gay, no Felix, no stars and no one cares regardless of where you hold the event.

When you put forth the money to attract stars to compete at hybrid events, you use money that could have been used to attract them to, and market, a "real/normal" event. In essence, every street race that Bolt, Felix or others compete in is one less "real" race that they will NOT compete in. Tyson Gay was running down the street in Manchester this past weekend instead of running against Powell in Shanghai. The sport would have been better off Sunday with Felix running a hundred against Campbell Brown and Jeter than it was with her running a race that didn't matter down the middle of the street. And the sport would have been immensely better off with Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell going head to head instead of Tyson taking a shot in the rain at a record that at the end of the day meant nothing. Even if Tyson had set the record over the hybrid 150, the question then becomes: how would he fair against Bolt over 200! For proof look no further than his 19.41 "WR" run last year. The talk centered around what would he do in a "real" deuce, and that (in the eyes of most) had no bearing on how he would do against Bolt! When the rankings for the event were compiled at the end of the season, that race had no impact on how he was ranked - it was a nearly forgotten race. Come January, Manchester will be remembered by few as part of the fabric of the 2011 season. It will not be spoken with Pre, Weltklasse, Lausanne, Rieti, or any of the meets that will be contested on the oval this year.

As if the above were not enough, not only does competing in Manchester prevent the competitors from competing in other "legitimate" meets that particular weekend, but given the time it takes athletes like Bolt, Gay, Felix, et al to recover from their competitions (due to their intensity and strain on the body) it effectively removes them from competing in any "legitimate" meets for up to the next two to three weeks! THAT is a drain from start lists that the sport isn't in the position to sustain as we are already having difficulty getting our best to compete at the meets that truly define the sport! Yet, now that we've had Tyson blaze down the middle of Main Street, we may not have the opportunity to see him again until the National Championships. Was Manchester worth that? Because when he's not competing, Tyson is not a part of the conversation/marketing of any of our "real" meets. Just as Bolt, with his world wide stature now, does the sport little good if he is NOT competing. The fame only matters for the sport when the athletes compete.

If my choices as the architect of the sport are to A) have Tyson run a 150 down the street of Manchester, or B) have him run in Rome against Bolt and Powell, guess which one I'm advocating as having the most impact towards building the sport? I'm sorry but "B" is a no brainer for me! Because given the dearth of appearances we are already faced with from the stars of the sport, we cannot afford to throw any of them away on non consequential events.

Now, let me say that I am not so myopic that I don't understand that the average or even non fan needs a little extra from what many may consider to be a "boring" sport. Because many people, until they are hooked, see track as people "running around in a circle". I get that. Which is why I'm not against having bbq's, fairs, concerts and the like at our meets. Even for the die hard fan a meet can get a bit "slow" when your favorite events aren't being contested. So, yes, we should look at "adding" some things to our meets that have an entertainment value - to keep people in or around the stadium - if we are going to ask them to stay for an extended length of time. It's what I call "added value" - you get to see Bolt, Robles, Felix, Isinbayeva AND you get something else. But the "something else" should be an added value, not the reason people are there. And the reason for them to be there is to see GREAT COMPETITION. Always has been. Always will be.

Now, you may or may not agree with me, and I am curious to hear what you think. So there is a poll on the left and feel free to leave comments in the comments area.

W.O.W. – What O’ Weekend !

Collegiate conferences, Diamond League action, a secondary meet in an off location. If you’re a true fan of track and field, this weekend had some of everything. There are links to results to the right, my impression of some of the happenings of the weekend follow.

 

Shanghai Diamond League – Great Head to Heads

Another very early morning (4am) to catch this meet online! Not the first meet of the weekend, but the one that finally gave us a couple of star level head to heads – and they did not disappoint. The first of these was the women’s 100 with Carmelita Jeter (USA) and Veronica Campbell Brown (JAM) going at it. Campbell Brown got perhaps the best start of her life and held to the tape, just holding off the ever closing Jeter 10.92 to 10.95. This should be the matchup in Daegu as long as both can start well – Jeter’s Achilles heel. As evidenced here, no one else can finish like these two vets.

The second matchup was in the men’s 110 hurdles with Liu Xiang (CHN) and David Oliver (USA) finally getting together on the track after a year’s layoff from Xiang due to injury. Xiang proved two things in Shanghai: 1) he is BACK and healthy, 2) he is still the best there is around the finish line as he won Round 1 13.07 (WL) to 13.18. They ran side by side for most of the race. Oliver looked as imposing as ever, but there is something about Liu, that even though he doesn’t “look” fast, he’s always right there – and zeroing in on the finish line. This time the win broke an 18 meet win streak for Oliver and was Liu’s best mark since 2007 (12.92). Now all we need is Dayron Robles to join in. And while Diack says that heads to heads diminish Worlds, I can’t wait to see these two go at it again!

The other impressive race was the men’s 1500. Impressive on two fronts. One was the winning time of 3:31.42 for Nixon Chepseba (KEN), just ahead of teammate Asbel Kiprop’s (KEN) 3:31.76. And speaking of teammates, Kenya had 11 of the top 12 finishers with five of them under 3:35! They will be a force in Daegu.

 

Pac-10 Championships – Back to Great Sprinting

The Pac-10 used to be the home of great sprinting. UCLA & USC produced some of the finest sprinters and races this side of the Olympics. That seems like forever ago as the SEC and Big 12 have taken over that mantle. But two Pac-10 FRESHMEN put the conference back on the sprinting map this weekend. Not from a Los Angeles school, but from the University of Oregon!

First it was Oregon freshman Mike Berry blazing a 44.91 in the 400 – breaking a 41 year old school record (45.07) set by Olympian Otis Davis. USC’s Joey Hughes (45.05) and Bryshon Nellum (45.56) finished with fine times as well in second and third. For Nellum it continues his comeback from a devastating injury, and solidifies my feelings that the young man is one to watch this year. As is Berry who should now be thought of as a threat to medal at the upcoming NCAA championships.

Ditto for fellow Oregon frosh English Gardner who blazed to an 11.03 American Junior Record in the women’s 100 meters. Her run broke the AJR of non other than Angela Williams (11.04) who was a four time NCAA champion over the distance! Her emergence to go with teammate Amber Purvis could well be enough to pair with Oregon’s distance strength to give the lady Ducks a strong run at the NCAA team title. Take note that soph Jordan Hasay took the 1500/5000 double here – 4:19.18/16:24.10.

Final note, Washington State’s Jeshua Andersen appears back on track with a sizzling 48.13 win here, crushing his own meet record of 48.63!

 

SEC Championships – Florida & Arkansas Deep

How deep are Arkansas & Florida? Florida won the decathlon, the long jump at 27’ 2, the triple jump at 56’ 6.75 (and 56’ 3.25 for 2nd), the 4x1 at 38.53. And in spite of the fact that defending National Champion Jeff Demps false started out in the heats, they still won the 100 in 10.11w! Arkansas swept the 1500, took 3 of the top 4 spots in the 800, won the 200 and scored 13 points in the 5000! Redshirt Dorien Ulrey winning the 800/1500 and scored points in that 5000.

These are quite possibly the deepest and diverse squads in the nation on the men’s side – only Texas A&M may b4e in their league in that regard. It’s that diversity – the ability to score points in a number of different type of events – that I think puts them in the drivers seat come Nationals. Ditto for the Lady Tigers of LSU who parlayed dominating sprint points with a mixture of field event point to dominate this meet with a 30 point victory over the Lady Gators. LSU is ranked #1 in the country and should be the favorite heading to Nationals.

Individually Kirani James (Alabama) looks like one of those athletes that is a prohibitive favorite for Nationals. He won here in 44.86, but it wasn’t just the time, it was the strength that he showed in the stretch that was impressive. Florida soph Tony McQuay, has been coming back from injury at indoor Nationals, but halfway through the final turn took control of the race and looked ready to give James a serious challenge. Coming into the homestretch, however, Kirani began to drive his arms with power and pulled away from McQuay and the rest of the field on his way to a one second victory (McQuay 2nd in 45.87).

In addition to Ulrey’s double victory, Florida’s Will Claye pulled off the jump double at 27’ 2.5”/56’ 6.75”. Awesome at any level. Tennessee’s Liz Costello also won the 5000/10000 double (16:13.06/33:42.96). The women’s 100 saw three within .01 sec with Hacket (LSU, 11.01), Brookins (S. CAR, 11.02) and Duncan (LSU, 11.02) just over the allowable at +2.4! AND this meet saw a Collegiate record as Arkansas’ Tina Sutej vaulted a big 15’ 1.5”! This has arguably become THE Strongest conference in the country for track and field.

 

Big 12 Championships

Omo Osaghe (Tx Tech) had the best mark of the meet, scorching the 110 hurdles in 13.23 sec (+0.8). He’s been tough all season and is looking like a strong favorite for Nationals as well as a potential break out athlete for the season. On the heels of the performances of the Oregon freshmen, we got another strong frosh performance as Kansas frosh Diamond Dixon shown brightly with an upset victory over Jessica Beard (Tx A&M) 51.55 to 51.68. The oval stayed hot as shortly thereafter Demetrius Pinder (Tx A&M) joined the weekend’s sub 45 club with a 44.87 win – putting him in the mix with Berry (Oregon) and James (Alabama) – with the next four all between 45.28 and 45.64. The men’s 400 is shaping up to be one of the hottest events at the NCAA championships.

The sprints didn’t let up as Jeneba Tarmoh (Tx A&M) and Rakieem Salaam both scored sprint doubles. Both fought strong headwinds in the 100, keeping their times modest (11., –1.6 & 10.23, –2.5). The winds were much less oppressive in the deuce however, and both seemed to enjoy the change with PR wins in 22.46 (-0.3) and 20.05 (+0.0) – both collegiate leaders.

Texas A&M won both 4x1’s and both 4x4’s and ran away with both the men’s and women’s team titles. Both are clearly in the running for team titles at the National Championships. Which judging from this weekend is going to be one hum dinger of a meet.

 

Ponce – The Past and the Future Meet

Ponce is one of those “light” meets that fall on the schedule – typically an opportunity for athletes to get in an extra race here or there without a lot of pressure. For Justin Gatlin these meets have become his opportunity to work his way back into contention, because he’s not being given invites to locales like Zurich, Rome and Lausanne. Ponce however, gave Gatlin a great opportunity this time as it paired him with Jamaica’s newest sprint find Nikel Ashmeade who ran a world leading 19.96 last week in the 200. The result was a PR for Ashmeade (10.05) and a comeback best for Gatlin (10.06). Both athletes could make an impact at their respective National championships in June. More on that later.

 

Manchester – Tyson Gay Debut

I’m not a fan of these types of events. I’ve been asked several times why and will explain why later this week. I am mentioning Manchester, however, because we finally got Tyson Gay’s first race of the season. There was a lot of talk about taking a shot at Usain Bolt’s World Best over 150 meters – Gay set a World Best for a straight 200 here last year in 19.41 sec! The British weather was not kind however, being very cold and the race taking place in what was described as a downpour. None the less Gay managed to run 14.51 – short of Bolt’s 14.35 record as well as his own 14.41 run en route to his 19.41 last year. Still not bad given the conditions, but I’m waiting to see Tyson in a real race.

I’ve almost been on track overload this weekend – almost. The season seems to be going in earnest now. We have two Diamond League events under our belts, Rome is on the slate for next weekend, and the collegiates are headed towards their Regional championships. We’re just about a month from most countries selecting their squads for Daegu, so expect to see marks begin to get faster, further, and higher.

Oliver (13.14) & Felix (22.38) in Daegu

The Colorful Daegu meet is already over. I had forgotten how early things are in that part of the world compared to here in the US. Suddenly I remember the Seoul Olympics and the huge difference in time. Watching Worlds this year is going to be a middle of the night (online), time delayed (TV) nightmare!

Today’s meet had some decent fields, but after the slew of marks turned in this past weekend, jet lag must surely have had an effect on many of today’s participants. Combined with temperatures in the mid 60’s, the results were not as outstanding as one would have hoped to see on the track that will be hosting the World Championships. Still some good efforts were turned in.

Chief among them being wins by David Oliver (USA) in the 110 hurdles and Allyson Felix (USA) in the 200 meters. For Oliver, he eclipsed his own world best with a 13.14 (+0.0) victory, easily ahead of second place Aries Merritt (USA, 13.30). Given the still wind a very strong mid May performance for Oliver. Ditto for Allyson Felix who had pretty much a solo run in the 200 as her 22.38 (+0.4) was well ahead of second place Consuela Moore’s 23.16! The time puts Felix at the top of both the 200 & 400 lists for the season and confirms that she is ready to compete over both distances.

While not nearly a world leader, the men’s 400 hurdles had an interesting result as Johnny Dutch (USA), last year’s breakthrough athlete in the event, won in 49.03 over vets Bershawn Jackson (USA, 49.14) and Angelo Taylor (USA, 49.67). This is Jackson’s second loss in a row coming off a loss to South African’s Van Zyl and Fredericks in Doha. After last year’s juggernaut season where he was undefeated for most of the season and lead the world at 47.32, Jackson has been much less sharp this season. Perhaps it is just a matter of working to peak for Worlds. Time will tell.

One who has been sharp in all of her races this year is Carmelita Jeter (USA). Jeter won yet again in Daegu sprinting 11.09 (+0.0) to win handily over LaShauntea Moore’s 11.27. After debuting last month at 10.99 it was Jeter’s first mark over the 11 second barrier this year – which gives an indication of the conditions for this meet. In the men’s race, Walter Dix (USA) took a tight race over Michael Rodgers (USA) 10.00 to 10.03 (+0.3). Dix moved to #4 on the season and only list leader Steve Mullings 9.90 (+2.0) is substantially faster so far on the season.

The women’s 1500 saw Ukrainian Anna Mischenko nearly repeat her world leading effort from Doha (4:03.00) with a 4:03.52 to once again best Irene Jelegat (KEN, 4:04.32). This time Meskerem Assefa (ETH) separated them at 4:03.63 to become #2 on the yearly list.

These were the best marks coming out of Daegu this morning/evening. Full results can be found here. The weekend should now be dominated by the collegiate conferences as they start their drive towards the NCAA Championships. Keep a close eye on the Big 12 (Texas A&M), Pac-10 (Oregon), and SEC (Florida, LSU, Arkansas) as that is where the balance of power lies.