After an unbelievable 800 meter final with OTC's Nick Symmonds, UOregon's Andy Wheating, and OTC's Christian Smith taking the top three spots.  The World Stage appears to be an interesting one for American 800 meter runners.  

Right now, as of 7.2.08 it appears Symmond's 1:44.01 places him round about the 6th rank.

Abubaker Kaki-1:42.69

Yeimer Lopez-1:43.07

Mbulaeni Muladuzi-1:43.61

David Rudisha-1:43.72

Alfred Kirwa Yego-1:44.01

NICK SYMMONDS-1:44.10

Additionally, Wheating seems to have unlimited potential and energy, and Smith has a PR of 1:44.86.  Could the U.S. be in the medal hunt in the 800?  I can't wait to find out!

-Rossco-

Here I sit, just blocks from the MGM Grand, Luxor, and Mandalay Bay.  No gambling, and no boxing.  However Nike Outdoor Nationals was INSANE.  The tale of my journey thus far (I still have one flight to go before I touch down in Track Town) shall be told later. 

GERMAN, GERMAN, GERMAN.  This was the cry of the crowd as German Fernandez of Riverbank California came through 3000 meters in an unreal 7:59.  Being the first high schooler ever under 8 minutes wasn't enough as this time was en route to his new 2 mile record running an incredible 8:34.40.  German in his final race of the season took down one of the more coveted records in high school track and field and did it in grand style leading 90% of the race in breezy conditions.  Making this record more significant is the fact that he did it in a field composed entirely of high school athletes!  I would like to give a shout out to Robert Finnerty of Burnsville MN Midwest Distance Gala Mile Champion.  .  Finnerty put up 4th place finish in a stacked field in the two mile at NON.  Also to Kevin Williams winner and new meet record holder in the 3200 at the Kansas Relays.  Williams was 5th at NON in the two mile with a big 11 second PR of 8:51.3.

In what meet directors called the best high school shot put competition ever assembled featuring every top high school shot put specialist save one, number 1.  Indiana Senior Brandon Pounds came up with a P.R. and a win with a throw of 68'11.25 inches.  Super Freshman Nick Vena of New Jersey took the number 2 spot.  Vena, the national freshman class record holder, fell just short of his personal best with a 67 foot put.  It took nothing less than a 60 foot toss to even reach the finals as 9 athletes surpassed the 60 foot barrier.  

Exciting is the only way to describe the NON relay action.  The girls 4x100 meter relay was a barn burner as 5 teams turned in times between 46.00 and 46.99.  Skyline took the NON title to Texas edging Withrow and Oak Ridge by a margin of .06.

The boys 4x4 turned in a great race as the Wagoner Raiders upset California's Dominguez Hills in a fast 3:11 dual.  

With one more teaser before my flight boards, the girls of Warwick Valley RC ran away with the Girls Distance Medley meet and national records thanks in part to a superb 4:50 anchor leg from Lillian Griebesland.  

North Carolina did not disappoint.  

-Rossco-

(My travel marathon continues)

Floeck and I are finally in our hotel room (and it is quite the hotel room at that) certainly the highlight of the trip thus far.  It may be nicer than my apartment back home in Oregon.  So lets recap! 

Travel Math 101.

1 4:00 AM Pst trip to airport in Eugene Oregon + 1 connection in Phoenix = 2 hours

Connection from Phoenix to D.C. = 4 hours

Overbooked connection from D.C. to Durham = 2 hours

Unexplained sitting on tarmac (after complete and utter foul up with D.C. airport)= 2 hours

Trying to find a rental car = 1 hour

Drive to Greensboro = just over 1 hour.

It is now 1:00 AM Est or 10:00 PM Pst

Grand Total = One missed excellent girls 5k Won in 16:18 by Ashley Brasovan making her the number 6 all time prep 5k runner on the track.  Nice Job.  

Good night

-Rossco-

Wow.....  The 2008 was riddled with great performances! 

Pre opened with sunny skies, little to no wind, and a double world record attempt.  Kenenisa Bekele's confidence from yesterday's press conference was clearly no joke.  As the pacers dropped he continued on alone for 5000 meters to chase lapped traffic, and the records fell.  His time of 26:25, the fourth fastest 10000 meter race ever run, was short of his own personal best and world record, but crushed the Pre, Hayward Field, and American Soil records all by over 30 seconds.  Even after Bekele crossed the line, the story continued to unfold as Abdi Abdirahman chased fellow Pac 10 alumni Meb Keflezighi's American mark. Abdi's 27:17 also fell just short becoming the second fastest time run by an American.  This was just an appetizer!

The women took the stage next in the 5k chasing another world record as Meseret Defar looked to recapture her world record broken just last week by fellow Ethiopian Tirunesh Dibaba.  As the pacers fell off so did the pace, but her Pre win was sealed, along with the fates of Mary Slaney's Pre and Hayward records with a 14:38 performance.  On the American front Kara Goucher dipped under 15 minutes with a 14:58.1.

The fans were treated to some more extras with a field of qualifying events with notables coming from Gabe Jennings in the 1500 running 3:40.58  and Oregon High School junior Elijah Greer taking runner up honors in section 3 of the 800 with a 1:50.31. 

The Field events posted record book assaults of their own with Brad Walker paying special attention to Sergey Bubka.  Bubka's Pre record fell first, then fellow 2008 vaulter Jeff Hartwig watched as his Hayward Field and American Record's were broken.  Walker then turned his attention back to Bubka, the bar was set over 20 feet!  Walker would have one attempt as he took a time foul for his first and ran through his second.  His day ended short of the 20 foot barrier, but he walked away with a new personal best and American Record of 6.04 meters, 19-9.75.

While Walker took on the 20 foot barrier, Adam Nelson (with his crowd pleasing flare) and Reese Hoffa looked beyond 70 feet in the shot put with Nelson coming out on top with a put of 22.12, 72-07, just two inches off Kevin Toth's meet record.  This was followed by the news from the booth that Hayward Field is the home of a record of its own, the most throws over 70 feet in track and field history.  

Not to be outdone, the women put up a record shattering battle in the hammer ring.  On her first throw Ivana Brkjacic of Croatia broke Erin Gilreath's Pre and Hayward records, only to watch Germany's Betty Heidler step in the ring and steal her thunder on her very first throw.  The battle continued as Brkjacic would step in the ring and take back the records with her second attempt.  In the end the battle for Hayward history would be won by Heidler with a mark of 73.93 meters 242-07.

In 2007 the diminutive Gelete Burka was crowned the queen of the Pre 1500 as she set a meet record.  2008 saw her add another gem to this crown as she broke her own meet record in 4:00.44.  Her win came only with the help of a rabbit as she was out front the entire time and took the title by over 3 seconds.  

This year's Prefontaine Classic was not only about the distances as the men and women of the sprints each walked away with a meet record with Torri Edwards slipped under Gwen Torrance's Pre and Hayward Records with a clocking of 10.94 in the 100 meter dash.  After performing well below his own standards in other visits to Hayward Wallace Spearmon Jr. took away any doubt breaking the meet record of one of the sports great sprint figures, Michael Johnson, with a 200 meter time of 20.14.

More distance action in Track Town saw Bernard Lagat best a great 2 mile field in a sprint finish running 8:12.45.  Shadrack Korir lead 9 more men under 4 minutes in the Bowerman 1 Mile Run making it 208 times the 4 minute barrier has been broken here at Pre.  In an utterly loaded mens 800 meter Alfred Kirwa Yego broke the tape in 1:44.01 to break Nick Symmond's 2007 Prefontaine Record and the shared Hayward record held by Mark Everett and Dave Wottle.  Three men went under 1:45 with Yusuf Saad Kamel and Khadevis Robinson taking second and third. Duck fans were excited to see another personal best out of former Oregon 400 meter star Matt Scherer as he broke the Olympic A standard running a PR of 1:46.01.  However, the afternoon belonged to Hayward field legend Maria Mutola 

Mutola extended her winning ways at the Prefontaine Classic for the 16th year taking home the women's 800 meter with a 1:59.24 after being challenged by a talented field including prep star Chanelle Price who's efforts to become the first prep under 2:00 will have to wait another day.  Price's time of 2:01.61 however is now #2 all time.  This win was an emotional one for Mutola who's ties to the Eugene/Springfield area run deep.  With the one of a kind sound of a Hayward standing ovation she took her final victory lap and handed the newly minted Maria Mutola Outstanding Performer award to pole vaulter Brad Walker.  An award designed after her bib number, number 1.  An award to immortalize her winning ways, an award to embody the spirit of the Prefontaine Classic, an award to symbolize her place in the heart of Track Town.  

Thanks Maria.

-Rossco-

The 2008 Pre should be one for the books.  I just got back from the Pre Press Conference where I spoke with Kenenisa Bekele.  His confidence and fitness level are up and he seemed excited to run at storied Hayward Field in the Pre Classic.  Baring poor weather conditions we all know he looks to break his own world record for 10k.  However he chuckled when asked about secondary goals.  Records are almost certain to fall, the fastest time every run on American soil and the Hayward Field records are at serious risk.

Keep your eyes and ears open for Maria Mutola!  The meet announcer seems to have something special planned as she is set to defend her Pre Classic title for the 16th time in what looks to be her last Olympic year.  She describes this year as an exciting and emotional year, especially at Pre, as Eugene/Springfield is a special place for her.  This should be another great day at Hayward Field!

What a way to start the OSAA large school championships.  Notable performances:

Ryan Crouser upon his return to Hayward after his big win at the Oregon Relays.  I was lucky enough to get his first ever mark over 60 feet in the shot put.  Ryan (a freshman at Sam Barlow High in Gresham and the son of the UofO school record holder in the discus) hit a mark of 60 feet 2 inches to break his own freshman state record and win the 6a competition.  So far it has been a great meet for the Crouser clan as Ryan's cousin Sam won the 6a Javelin on Thursday.  Look for Ryan in the Discus final Saturday.  

Alyssa O'Connor of Summit High in Bend shocked herself running 2:12.00 to win the 5a girls 800 returning to form after some fairly sever injury issues.  The only thing more exciting than her last 100 meters was her reaction to the win.  Look for her in the 1500 final as well as 4x400 relay.  Alyssa and the Storm look to be in good standing for another team title!

Boys 800 Meter Finals:  The 4A final saw Rogue River sophomore Cole Watson ran a blazing 1:54.71 and avenged a loss at his district championships to bring his team 10 points while the 5a and 6a levels saw new meet records.  Russell Drummond of Churchill High in Eugene broke the 5A meet record running 1:55.85 in front of a home crowd at Hayward Field.  Not to be outdone, Portland area junior duo Elijah Greer of Lake Oswego and Nathan Mathabane of Lincoln led a solid field as Greer shaved .07 off of the 6A meet record with a 1:50.60.

These are only some of the highlights from the 2008 OSAA State Championships.  Saturday's finals are sure to bring even more.  

-Rossco-

Had the pleasure of being part of a coverage team at the 2008 Oregon Twilight. Always an impressive high performance meet with a featured mile/1500, but this year was extra special when Duck Sophomore Andrew Wheating cemented his place in the ranks of Oregon history and now should officially no longer be "off the radar" with a national and collegiate leading 3:38 in the 1500 meters.

We also saw a great effort at the World Junior mark for 800 meters by Boaz Lalang, coming up just short with an impressively run 1:45.1.

Some great marks in the women's steeple and 5k as well as the 1500 where Lauren Fleshman turned in a 4:11 with Duck Sophomore in tow at 4:14 to move up on the Oregon all time list.

In the field we saw some BIG action in the throws!

A great womens Javelin competition with Kim Kreiner and Dana Pounds!

Former Duck all-american Brittany Henry with a big PR to move up the years USA lists.

Also look for BIG A.G. Kruger to hit the A standard in the Men's Hammer Throw!

You just have to love Track and Field when it comes to Hayward!!!

-Rossco-

What a trip! What a meet! I flew in and it was non stop action from the time I landed at KCI until now where I sit once again at KCI. I was fortunate enough to speak with some of the future and current stars of American track and field. From Emily Sissan (sp) the high school sophmore who shattered both the girls 3200 and 1600 meter meet records, to Breshawn "Bat Man" Jackson, Kansas City native Muna Lee, and Wallace Spearmon. Also look for a very special interview with Bob DeVnney, the Kansas U alumni who was recently inducted into the KU hall of fame. I met Mr. DeVinney in the press suite at Memorial Stadium. Sitting at the far of the room quietly watching the Relays, he and I began to chat. During our conversation I learned of the amazing season he had in the spring and summer of 1952 as a senior at KU, watch this interview. Check back later (my flight is boarding) for more!