Nico Young 11th?!?

SDSU Aztec wrote:

tempered response wrote:

I think track we will see some super fast 5ks. Less team first approach. 13:08-13:12.

How is training different with a "team first" approach?

He didn't run to expectations today, but I still think he has Rupp like potential. He finished 11th but he was only 10 seconds from the top 5.

You hold back to pull teammates along. You take less risk to insure you don’t blow up like say a guy like Teare did. In contrast it was win or bust for a guy like Teare. For Young it was score well to insure a team victory.

tempered response wrote:

I think track we will see some super fast 5ks. Less team first approach. 13:08-13:12.

You do realize how fast 13:08-13:12 is and how loosely you speak?

No one will run that fast, in the NCAA, on the track, in 2022.

Ehh, the margin is razor thin at a meet like this. Literally everyone is good. The difference between the guy who finishes sixth and the guy who finishes 25th is minuscule in terms of talent. Look at Teare and Isai today.

Nico wasn’t beating Mantz, Kioko, or Kiptoo today no matter how well he ran. So his ceiling was fourth. On a so-so day for him, he was 10 seconds off from his maximum placing.

Sprout, the guy who ran with him in that 8:40 a few years back, was 80th or something today.

everyoneisdoping wrote:

Newbury Park burns everyone out pre college. No surprise

So horrible high school coaching starts when a runner gets 11th at D1 NCAA championships.

I’m not going to take the time and energy to look up all the horrible high school coaches that burned out all the runners who did not finish in the top 10 today. Shame on all those coaches for burning out these runners. Shame, Shame, Shame..,,,

Mr Lightbulb wrote:

SDSU Aztec wrote:

How is training different with a "team first" approach?

He didn't run to expectations today, but I still think he has Rupp like potential. He finished 11th but he was only 10 seconds from the top 5.

You hold back to pull teammates along. You take less risk to insure you don’t blow up like say a guy like Teare did. In contrast it was win or bust for a guy like Teare. For Young it was score well to insure a team victory.

It looked as if Young just tried to keep up with the front group and got gapped a bit near the end. Mantz went win or bust and it turned out well for him. NCAA XC championships are about each person getting from start to finish as quickly as possible and everyone has the experience needed to do so.

SDSU Aztec wrote:

NCAA XC championships are about each person getting from start to finish as quickly as possible and everyone has the experience needed to do so.

Huh??

bumper pod wrote:

SDSU Aztec wrote:

NCAA XC championships are about each person getting from start to finish as quickly as possible and everyone has the experience needed to do so.

Huh??

Everyone places as high as they possibly can. If there are some guys with similar ability, they might run together but the others will spread out. A 28:00 10000 guy will not run with a 28:30 teammate.

Only on letsrun would nico losing to mantz by 20-plus seconds at NCAAs be somehow considered an abject failure

One observation about Nico's races: he seems to underperform on hot days. Today, it wasn't nearly as hot as it was at the NCAA prelims where he didn't qualify for nationals, but still warm nonetheless, and you could tell he was pretty gassed at the end (although IMO this was still a good performance from him). He performed fine at the Olympic Trials but I still think he could've placed a few spots higher if it had been a cold day. On very cold days such as at 2019 NXN and 2020 NCAA's, he seems to run strongly, no matter how flat/hilly the course is.

This, unless you feel exceptionally good, you are more likely to just hold to top guys to make sure you place well rather than push it only to find out today it was not your day at 8k and come crashing back to earth. On the track, I could see him pushing it more and in a fast race could push a time similar to what his teammate Luis did. He may not get a fast race though, but I think right now better 5k than 10k guy.

Just give him 6 or 7 more years when he’s finally a senior. I bet by then he’ll be able to dominate.

Count Dracula wrote:

tempered response wrote:

I think track we will see some super fast 5ks. Less team first approach. 13:08-13:12.

You do realize how fast 13:08-13:12 is and how loosely you speak?

No one will run that fast, in the NCAA, on the track, in 2022.

I’d put $10 on it that someone does, just for kicks. It’s certainly far from a sure thing, but it’s possible; Teare ran 13:12 at NCAAs this June, with 2 others at 13:13, including Kioko. Add in Wesley Kiptoo, Wildschutt, and consider the potential for young talent (Young, Hicks) to break through, and 13:08-13:12 could happen.

If teare is coming back for track I’d be willing to bet he’ll run sub 13:10

Not me. I picked him for 20th so it was a huge success in my eyes. He will have a nice college career and then give the sub elite thing a try for a year or two before disappearing.

You’re underselling

I was also kind of underwhelmed by his performance. Maybe he had some team race BS he had to follow but he should believe he can win every race he enters in the NCAA

My gosh some of these responses are simply stupid. Burned out by high school coach at NP who has a history of doing this to his athletes from a guy who has been coaching high school for what..5 years? What history? Can't perform on hot days except for the Olympic Trials? This one REALLY gets me because he grew up in the valley and it gets pretty toasty there. Arguably one of the greatest if not the best year ever for an Under 20 American kid and he failed miserably today? Huh? Because he finished 4th in a watered down NCAA meet in march and got 11th today in a loaded race? LOL....keep'em coming guys. This is great.... JFC!!!

I honestly don’t think he cares. I don’t think anyone thought he was gonna win today. Next year he has a good shot. But this is a dude that made the finals in the 5k olympic trials. He’ll be ok

He’s also 19/20 years old racing against 24 year olds in arguably one of the most loaded cross champs ever.